Shadow on the Hill: The True Story of a 1925 Kansas Murder

It was the most brutal murder in the history of Coffey County, Kansas.

On May 30, 1925, Florence Knoblock, a farmer's wife and the mother of a young boy, was found slaughtered on her kitchen floor. Several innocent men were taken into custody before the victim's husband, John, was accused of the crime. He would endure two sensational trials before being acquitted.

Eighty years later, local historian Diana Staresinic-Deane studied the investigation, which was doomed by destroyed evidence, inexperienced lawmen, disappearing witnesses, and a community more desperate for an arrest than justice. She would also discover a witness who may have seen the murderer that fateful morning.

Review

"This is a fascinating and well-written book. Eighty-eight years have passed since the murder of Florence Knoblock, and this story will once again captivate readers." - Cheryl Unruh, Flyover People, Emporia Gazette

"Shadow on the Hill is a well-crafted and gripping account of a murder that will intrigue contemporary readers as surely as it did the residents of rural Kansas 88 years ago." - Clare's Classic Reviews