Posted in Idaho
October 06, 2018
The Story Of Idaho’s Jack The Ripper Is A Disturbing Tale You Won’t Forget
With Halloween descending quickly upon us, there’s no better time to learn about Idaho’s most notorious murderer. Although his crime (or crimes) occurred more than half a century ago, this murderer’s wicked legacy will never be forgotten. Often referred to as “Idaho’s Jack the Ripper”, Raymond Allen Snowden is considered the most infamous killer in our state’s history. He killed an innocent woman in cold blood and paid for his crime with the death penalty, but some people say he still haunts our state to this very day. Have you heard of him before? If not, keep reading.
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It's believed that the murder took place during a scuffle after a long night of drinking. They may have been on a date. Snowden claimed that he hit Cora Dean and she, in turn, kicked him. Snowden then snapped and stabbed her multiple times with a 2.25-inch pocket knife.
Snowden entered the store after disposing of the murder weapon in a gutter in front of the shop. It's believed that he entered the store to use the restroom and perhaps clean the blood off of his hands. Hannifin's is still open to this day and you can visit it yourself, walking on the same floorboards that Idaho's most notorious killer walked upon being arrested.
The officers pulled the lever and the trap doors underneath Snowden opened up. Snowden's neck didn't snap right away, as it was supposed to. This means that Snowden ended up hanging for around 15 minutes, struggling to breath, while the family of his victim watched in horror. The Old Idaho Penitentiary has since been turned into a museum which visitors are allowed to tour. Some visitors have reported stepping into the gallows room and hearing the sounds of Snowden struggling for his last breath.
Idaho is such a friendly, low-crime state that it’s hard to imagine such terrible things could’ve happened here. For instance, did you know that the country’s first female serial killer terrorized a small Idaho town?
