Laura Jane Harvey Murder: Part Three

 During the weeks afterwards

Two of the search parties for the killers returned from the west and the south empty handed. The party heading south toward St. Joseph had actually found the party they were after but only to find that they didn't match the description of the ones they were looking for. 

Finally on April 7, the first clues to the identity of the murdered girl and her killers emerged in the form of a letter from F.O. Harvey who lived in Rockford, Iowa.

Rockford, April 7^th, 1860

Mr. Bradbury, Sir: - Having seen a letter of yours to your father, and understanding from it that you reside at, or near the place where there was a young lady murdered, I write you:

I had a sister that left this place three weeks ago, with a man by the name of Lawrence. She had been receiving his attentions for some time, contrary to the wishes of her friends, and it seems that ten days before they left this place, they were clandestinely married at Beloit, in Wisconsin. She exhibited her certificate of marriage to mother, and said that she must go with said Lawrence, for she was his wife, and there being no one at home but Mrs. Harvey, she could not prevent her going. It appears that one McComb also went along, Lawrence and my sister taking the cars, and McComb, taking two of Lawrence’s horses, and one of his own, started for the Mississippi. Her name was Laura. She was between 14 and 15 years of age, light complexion, auburn hair, not very long, having been cut a year or more ago, blue eyes, and would weigh 140 lbs. – She was large of her age, and might be taken for 19 or 20. There was a scar on the back of her neck, where there had been a large boil two or three years ago. She had a light plaid silk dress, a darkish plaid, red, raw silk dress, trimmed with braid, or black edging around the neck and sleeves; she had some daguerreotype likenesses of members of the family, among others a locket breast pin with the likeness of myself.

Lawrence was about five foot 5 or 6 inches high, very heavy chested, had on when he left a reddish ribbed, silk, vest; black pants and buckskin gaiters; had a kind of rolling sailor like gait, and a small scar on his face near his mouth; was very fond of horses, one of his horses was trained to do most anything, and a good trotter. He had also a lumber wagon, with the box painted green, and body white; silver mounted harness and curb bits, also a pair of white seal skin gloves which came nearly to his elbow.

McComb was about 5 feet 6 inches, or less high, very dark or swarthy complexion with some beard. I think, dressed in lightish colored clothes, looks like an Indian.

Lawrence ran away with seven hundred dollars of wheat receipts which he stole from a man by the name of Moore. She knew nothing about this theft, and I suppose that when she found it out, she wanted to come home, and he murdered her to keep her quiet.

We have written to the coroner of your place to express the clothes, and minute description of everything. This McComb has been in the State Prison of this State, and has a brother now in the State Prison of Missouri. McComb has relations living in California and in the State of Missouri.

Please ascertain and write all the particulars soon and much oblige your

Ob’t Servant,

F.O. Harvey

Shortly after the letter from Laura Harvey's brother arrived, word arrived from the Sheriff that he had traced the killers to Iowa City where he discovered the wagon, two of the horses and gear had been sold. He had continued onto Rockford where he presented a scrap of Laura's dress to her father and showed him the ambrotype taken of the body found in the river. The dress was confirmed to be hers but the face in the ambrotype was so swollen that no positive identification could be made using it. Further searching found the remaining horse belong to Lawrence at the McComb farm but the killer wasn't there. McComb has been seen heading towards Beloit and so the Sheriff followed but the trail had run cold. It was now thought that perhaps McComb had killed Lawrence as well.

This was confirmed the following week when some of Lawrence's clothing with a quantity of hair and blood was discovered in an old stone quarry near Ottumwa. A diligent search had been conducted but no body had been found yet. The location of where the girl had been murdered also been discovered on the road from Eddyville leading to the river. An oak board about two feet long and a couple inches wide was found stained with blood and near a pool of congealed blood.