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Two children found dead in the forest. A sad story,
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a tragic case of misadventure, harming the most vulnerable and
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innocent of a song, something we all dread. But as
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investigations dig deeper, something more devious and macabre may be afoot.
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And we're telling that story tonight.
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What you were about to beat, you isspur to be you.
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Based on witness accounts, testimonies, and public record, this is
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terrifying and treat.
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In November of nineteen thirty four, three young sisters were
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found lifeless in the woods of Pine Grove Furnace, Pennsylvania.
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What seemed like a tragic accident soon revealed a chilling
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story of desperation and death. Was it mercy, madness or
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something far more sinister? These questions are deeply uncomfortable. They
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make us think about the inhumanity that may lie in
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each and every one of us. But we'll be asking
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those questions here tonight, So make sure you're comfortable and
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hold your loved ones close all that. Right after this,
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a shocking finding shook the small town of penn Township
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in Pennsylvania's Cumberland County. Back in November of nineteen thirty four,
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The tranquility of the area was disrupted when the lifeless
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bodies of three young girls, affectionately referred to as the
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Babes in the Woods, were discovered on that cold day
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of November twenty fourth, nineteen thirty four, in a location
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that now marks the entrance to the scenic Pine Grove
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Furnace State Park. This grim finding not only plunged the
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local residents into a profound sense of shock, but also
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catapulted them into the center of a mystery that would
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haunt them for decades. In the initial days following the discovery,
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investigators were faced with a complex puzzle wrapping their heads
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around the circumstances that led to such a tragic end
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for these children, which was no small feet. They elved deep,
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gathering fragments of information bit by bit to construct a
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narrative that was as heartbreaking as it was horrifying. The
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tragedy unfurled a tale of a man, his niece, his
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two daughters, and his stepdaughter whose fates were cruelly intertwined.
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As the investigation progressed, a startling revelation came to light.
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The young girls were part of a larger family tragedy.
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Their bodies were found over one hundred miles away from
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another chilling sea, connecting dots that spanned across the state.
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The autopsy revealed that the girls had not died from violence,
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but rather from exposure and possibly starvation. It appeared that
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they had been left in the woods, abandoned to fend
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for themselves in the cold, harshaped environment. But why, who
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would commit such a callous act and what could possibly
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be the motive. It's believed that this sad and lonely
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story of desperation and tragedy took place in a quiet
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Pennsylvania town in the dead of winter nineteen thirty four.
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Elmo J. Noakes, a once employed member of a fruit
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company in Roseville, California, found himself grappling with the stark
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realities of the Great Depression. With no jobs and no prospects,
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he made a fateful decision that set a devastating series
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of events into motion. Strapped for cash but determined to
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seek a better life, Noakes embarked on a desperate journey
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eastward on November eleventh, nineteen thirty four. Accompanying him were
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his three daughters, Norma, de Willa, and Cordelia, along with
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his niece Winifred Pierce. The family's hopes were packed into
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a car purchased for a mere forty six dollars roughly
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one thousand, ninety dollars in twenty twenty five, a vehicle
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that symbolized both their escape and their fragile dreams. As
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they traveled, it became painfully clear that the promises of
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a fresh start would not materialize. Stricken by poverty and
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unable to provide for his children, Noakes was faced with
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an agonizing decision. Believing death to be a kinder faith
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than starvation, he tragically ended the lives of his daughter
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in the secluded woods of Cumberland County on November twenty first.
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Their bodies were discovered days later, marking a grim end
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to their young lives. But the ordeal did not end there.
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Noakes and Pierce, with nothing but the clothes on their
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backs and a world of despair, continued westward, leaving behind
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the vehicle that had carried their hopes. In a final
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act of desperation, they sold Pierce's coat, their last possession,
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for a meager sum. With the proceeds, Noakes purchased a
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twenty two caliber rifle. On November twenty fourth, in an
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isolated railroad station in Blair County. Noakes used the rifle
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to end both Pierce's life and his own. Their bodies
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were found just as the three young girls were being
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discovered in the woods, sealing the tragic fate of the
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family in a painful echo. The autopsies revealed the extent
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of their desperation, showing the children had gone without food
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for eighteen hours before their deaths, suggesting a much longer
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period of starvation prior to being abandoned. This story, which
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unfolded on the front pages of local newspapers, captivated and
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horrified the public, leaving a lasting impact on the communities involved.
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Two days after the bodies were found, on November twenty sixth,
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nineteen thirty four, the Patriot newspaper reported on the unfolding
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situation with both an air of mystery and a sense
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of urgency. The community and authorities faced a daunting challenge.
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The identities of the three young girls, thought to be sisters,
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were still unknown, despite the girls being found carefully covered
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with a blanket in a secluded part of the woods.
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This revelation prompted a massive public response, with over five
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thousand individuals visiting the ewing funeral parlors in Carlisle, hoping
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to catch a glimpse of the children and perhaps help
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in identifying them. Understanding the gravity of the situation and
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with daylight fading on the possibility of swiftly identifying the
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young girls, authorities embarked on a nationwide effort. Schools across
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the country were contacted, with officials hopeful that the girls
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might be recognized through their absence from class, a tactic
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that underscored the desperate measures being taken to solve this
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grisly mystery. Simultaneously, next to the report about the girls,
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another story emerged that further deepened the puzzle, the discovery
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of the bodies of a man and a woman near Altoona,
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identified later as Noakes and Peers. Authorities dismissed any connection
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between the two cases, citing the geographical and temporal challenges
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that suggested it was impossible for the stories to be related.
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They stated they wouldn't have had time to be in
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both places, a stance that reflected both the complexities and
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limitations of forensic science and investigative methods at the time.
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As investigators hunted deeper, a black bag found near the
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girls offered potential clues. It contained an assortment of clothes
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ranging from soil to fair quality, including a man's gray
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shirt traced back to a store in Napa, California. This
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discovery provided the first tangent link in a chain of
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events that would eventually unfold to reveal a tragic story
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spanning across the country. Efforts to piece together the journey
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and lives of the Knoakes family and Winifred Pierce intensified
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in the days following the grim discovery. The authorities planned
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autopsies for the young girls and created masks of their faces,
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hoping to preserve their identities for future identification. Unfortunately, the
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autopsies initially failed to uncover the cause of death, leaving
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more questions than answers and the public waiting anxiously for
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any news that could bring solace to the tragedy. Following
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the distressing discoveries in central Pennsylvania and the days of
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intense investigation as well as public interest that followed, significant
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progress was made. By November thirtieth, the Patriot newspaper brought
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to light new information that would finally begin to connect
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the dots in this baffling case. The dots linked a
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journey that spanned the breadth of the United States, from
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the sunny streets of Roseville, California, to the quiet woods
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of Pennsylvania. Authorities had successfully identified the woman found near
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Altoona as Winifred Pierce, an eighteen year old girl who
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played a crucial role in the lives of Elmo J.
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Noakes and his three daughters. Notably, Pierce had a distinct
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physical characteristic a deformed foot, which aided in her identification. She,
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alongside Elmo J. Noakes, had been reported missing from Roseville, California.
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It came to light that Pierce had been more than
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just a relative. She kept house for Noakes and his
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daughters in bed herself as a vital part of their
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everyday lives. With identities becoming clearer, the community sought to
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offer some semblance of dignity to the tragic outcome of
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this story. The Patriot detailed plans for the young girl's funeral,
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which was held the next day. The American Legion Post
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number one oh one of Carlisle had taken it upon
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themselves to arrange a simple but impressive ceremony at Ewing
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Funeral Home on South Hanover Street, leading to their final
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resting place in Westminster Cemetery. This gesture of respect provided
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a stark contrast to the bewildering circumstances surrounding their debts.
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Aiming to offer solace and finality to a case that
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had captivated the nation. In an effort to bring closure
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to the community and perhaps offer a final chance for connection,
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the newspaper announced that the public would have one last
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opportunity to view the bodies on the evening of November thirtieth,
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from six to ten pm. This announcement underscored the profound
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impact the story had on public consciousness, with the community
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eager for answers and hoping to pay their respects. Behind
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the scenes, the police and investigative teams pressed on piecing
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together the journey that led from Roseville, California, to the
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tragic endpoint in Pennsylvania. Through the collaborative efforts with newspapers
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across the country, previously missing links in the family's journey
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through the state or being uncovered. These efforts painted a
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detailed picture of a cross country trip that ended in
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unforeseen tragedy. As the investigation progressed, more details about the
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movements of Elmo J. Noakes and his family began to emerge,
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painting a clearer picture of their enormous journey from the
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west to the east coast of the United States. Investigators
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had pieced together that the family's presence in Pennsylvania was
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first noted in Waynesboro on the chilly night of November seventeenth.
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This was a key finding since it provided a timeline
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for their travels. The car, a nineteen twenty nine model
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Pontiac Sedan that would become their vessel for the long trip,
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was purchased in Roseville, California, on November tenth. If Noakes
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set off on the same day he bought the car,
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he would have had just about a week to cover
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the increasing distance of over thirty two hundred miles to
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reach Waynesboro. For context, such a distance would overwhelm even
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seasoned travelers today and back then, it would have been
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an incredibly grueling feat for Noakes to arrive in that
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time frame. He must have driven relentlessly fast, stopping only
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when absolutely necessary curiously. Throughout the family's travels, there was
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no sign that Noakes looked for any employment in the
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towns they passed through. The sole exception was in Philadelphia,
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suggesting that he was on the run or desperately trying
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to reach a specific destination. This behavior was odd because
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back home in California, Noakes had a stable job at
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a fruit company where he earned twenty five dollars a week,
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a decent wage for the era. He left abruptly, leaving
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behind fifty dollars owed to him, indicating his departure was
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hasty and perhaps fueled by urgent motives. At some point
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during their journey, Noakes acquired a gun from a pawn
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shop in Altoona, which cost him too two dollars in
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eighty five cents, a small price but significant in the
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unraveling of this tragedy. In a seemingly desperate act, he
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attempted to sell his glasses to a jeweler for just
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one dollar, exemplifying the dire financial straits he may have
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found himself in or a rapidly deteriorating mental state. On
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December one, authorities reached a grim conclusion. They believed that
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the children did not die by natural causes, but were suffocated.
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This chilling revelation brought a somber tone to the ongoing investigation,
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as it pointed towards a devastating possibility that Noakes, perhaps
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feeling trapped by the weight of his responsibilities and unable
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to cope with the stressors of his life, might have
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brutally ended the lives of his children. Speculation arose he
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may have turned the violence towards his niece when a
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Fred Pierce, before ultimately taking his own life. The Babes
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in the Wood murders left a scar on the Pine
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Grove Furnace community. The case was a tragic reminder of
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the vulnerability of innocence in a world where evil lurks
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in the shadows. This ever growing narrative, meticulously captured by
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newspaper reports, not only aimed to reconstruct the family's tragic journey,
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but also delved into the psyche of Notakes. The public, investigators,
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and the community at large were left to ponder a
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daunting question. Could a man pushed beyond his endurance have
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committed such a heartbreaking act? The narrative shifted from merely
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examining the events to also contemplating the deeper undercurrents of
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human despair and the lengths individuals can be pushed to act.
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Terrifying and true is narrated by Enrique Kuto. It's executive
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produced by Rob Fields, Markshields and bobble Topia dot com
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and produced by Dan Wilder with original theme music by
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Ray Mattis. If you have a story you think we
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should cover on Terrifying and True, send us an email
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at Weekly Spooky at gmail dot com, and if you
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want to support us for as little as one dollar
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support for as little as one dollar a month keeps
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the show going. And speaking of I want to say
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an extra special thank you to our Patreon podcast boosters,
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folks who pay a little bit more to hear their
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name at the end of the show, and they are
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Hands for Brent mccallaugh, Karen we Met, Jack Kerr and
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Craig Cohen. Thank you all so much and thank you
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for listening. We'll see you all right here next time
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on Terrifying and True