The John Murphy Lynching – A 139 Year Cold Case Lecture

On Wednesday morning August 28, 1883, Matt Brennan was shot and killed in Thaynes Canyon. On Sunday morning September 2, John Murphy was found hanging from a telegraph pole in Parley’s Park City with a cryptic note stuffed into his boot bearing the number “77,” written apparently 77 times by 77 different hands. Between these dates, the Salt Lake City Marshal was shot by a black man and the shooter was hung within two hours. New research will be presented about John Murphy and the events of these days.