Flagstaff’s Walkup Family Murders
In the summer of 1937, the sleepy little town of Flagstaff was alive and bustling with activity. Northern Arizona’s mountain town had turned into a mecca for people looking to escape the heat of the desert southwest. The Great Depression was over and Hollywood had returned, with familiar stars such as John Wayne seen about town. Festivals and parades were slated every weekend and the town’s favorite sport, baseball, was in full swing. Scientists from every field arrived for local seminars and the All-Indian Powwow brought in tourists by the thousands. With so much excitement in the air what could go wrong?
“The mystery surrounding the Walkup family tragedy involves more than just Marie and the children. What happened that awful July night has not and can never be fully explained. In the decades that followed, the town buried the memory of the Walkups as deeply as their coffins.”
Susan Johnson, Author
A Family Forgotten
JD Walkup was an up-and-coming politician who lived on the posh Leroux St. with his wife Marie and their four children. At 37, JD was a county supervisor and he managed to make the front page of the local paper almost every week that year. But what about his pretty young wife of 12 years? With no mention in the pages of the Coconino Sun, Marie Walkup might as well have been invisible. Neither she nor the Walkup children were paid any notice until that fateful night of July 22, 1937. Marie had reached a breaking point and what she did that evening made a lasting mark on the community.
This story takes you back to the days that neighbors sat on their front porches, exchanging local gossip or gathered around the radio to hear the national news. In the midst of 1930s normalacy, a quiet despair was growing within the walls of the Walkup home. When it erupted under the light of a full July moon, the result was deadly.
What Our Readers Say
Accurate, concise telling of a tragic event
In July of 1937, four children and their mother were found dead, shocking what was then a small mountain town. Author Susan Johnson carefully sets the stage for both the community of Flagstaff and the principle actors in this sad tale. She goes on to explain how a crime like this could occur, and how aspects of the crime that would be routinely tested and known now were simply not done in the 1930s, leaving several significant questions forever unanswered. It’s a well written and well researched work, and very much worth a read.
Amazon Customer
Interesting and thorough!
As a local Flagstaff resident, I enjoyed reading more about the history of our town and what was happening at the time of these tragic murders. Susan did an amazing job researching this story and sharing it with the world.
LLL
Tragedy strikes a small, quiet town...
The author provides a great deal of history and background on the quiet mountain town. The setting seemed so ideal and the family so involved in society. I was left wondering why a mother would do such a thing... If she had lived in our current times, would it have been different? What happened? I enjoyed the book and hope that one day, there will be an answer which allows the family to rest in peace.
Amazon Customer
A hidden murder, unearthed and brought to life
This story had been lost to time as the town covered it up, what an amazing journey into the past of Flagstaff’s history while unweaving the tangled tale of the Walkup Family Murders
N. Jones
I recommend this if you are looking for a good true crime book
Flagstaff’s Walkup Family Murders is a true story. I am fortunate to have never been touched by such horror, but I have heard enough about it to know it is a gripping and dark look in the history of Flagstaff. The writing style is easy to read, and the information detailed enough that you get a good sense of what life was like in the small town at the time.I recommend this if you are looking for a good true crime book.
Erika O.
highly recommend it
I am a true crime enthusiast and I have read most of the popular books on the subject. I have to say that Flagstaff's Walkup Family Murders is one of the best. The writing style, in-depth research, and suspenseful plot make this book an excellent addition to anyone's library. I highly recommend it.
Christopher S.
Accurate, concise telling of a tragic event
In July of 1937, four children and their mother were found dead, shocking what was then a small mountain town. Author Susan Johnson carefully sets the stage for both the community of Flagstaff and the principle actors in this sad tale. She goes on to explain how a crime like this could occur, and how aspects of the crime that would be routinely tested and known now were simply not done in the 1930s, leaving several significant questions forever unanswered. It’s a well written and well researched work, and very much worth a read.
Amazon Customer
Interesting and thorough!
As a local Flagstaff resident, I enjoyed reading more about the history of our town and what was happening at the time of these tragic murders. Susan did an amazing job researching this story and sharing it with the world.
LLL
Tragedy strikes a small, quiet town...
The author provides a great deal of history and background on the quiet mountain town. The setting seemed so ideal and the family so involved in society. I was left wondering why a mother would do such a thing... If she had lived in our current times, would it have been different? What happened? I enjoyed the book and hope that one day, there will be an answer which allows the family to rest in peace.
Amazon Customer
A hidden murder, unearthed and brought to life
This story had been lost to time as the town covered it up, what an amazing journey into the past of Flagstaff’s history while unweaving the tangled tale of the Walkup Family Murders
N. Jones
I recommend this if you are looking for a good true crime book
Flagstaff’s Walkup Family Murders is a true story. I am fortunate to have never been touched by such horror, but I have heard enough about it to know it is a gripping and dark look in the history of Flagstaff. The writing style is easy to read, and the information detailed enough that you get a good sense of what life was like in the small town at the time.I recommend this if you are looking for a good true crime book.
Erika O.
highly recommend it
I am a true crime enthusiast and I have read most of the popular books on the subject. I have to say that Flagstaff's Walkup Family Murders is one of the best. The writing style, in-depth research, and suspenseful plot make this book an excellent addition to anyone's library. I highly recommend it.
Christopher S.
Accurate, concise telling of a tragic event
In July of 1937, four children and their mother were found dead, shocking what was then a small mountain town. Author Susan Johnson carefully sets the stage for both the community of Flagstaff and the principle actors in this sad tale. She goes on to explain how a crime like this could occur, and how aspects of the crime that would be routinely tested and known now were simply not done in the 1930s, leaving several significant questions forever unanswered. It’s a well written and well researched work, and very much worth a read.
Amazon Customer
Interesting and thorough!
As a local Flagstaff resident, I enjoyed reading more about the history of our town and what was happening at the time of these tragic murders. Susan did an amazing job researching this story and sharing it with the world.
LLL
Tragedy strikes a small, quiet town...
The author provides a great deal of history and background on the quiet mountain town. The setting seemed so ideal and the family so involved in society. I was left wondering why a mother would do such a thing... If she had lived in our current times, would it have been different? What happened? I enjoyed the book and hope that one day, there will be an answer which allows the family to rest in peace.
Amazon Customer
A hidden murder, unearthed and brought to life
This story had been lost to time as the town covered it up, what an amazing journey into the past of Flagstaff’s history while unweaving the tangled tale of the Walkup Family Murders
N. Jones
I recommend this if you are looking for a good true crime book
Flagstaff’s Walkup Family Murders is a true story. I am fortunate to have never been touched by such horror, but I have heard enough about it to know it is a gripping and dark look in the history of Flagstaff. The writing style is easy to read, and the information detailed enough that you get a good sense of what life was like in the small town at the time.I recommend this if you are looking for a good true crime book.
Erika O.
highly recommend it
I am a true crime enthusiast and I have read most of the popular books on the subject. I have to say that Flagstaff's Walkup Family Murders is one of the best. The writing style, in-depth research, and suspenseful plot make this book an excellent addition to anyone's library. I highly recommend it.
Christopher S.
Take a walk through time with author Susan Johnson and visit a Flagstaff that is still recognizable today. Was the town itself complicit in the destruction of the Walkup family, or was Marie’s darkness too heavy to escape? Ultimately, Johnson lets the reader decide for themselves.
@Flagstaff’s Walkup Family Murders, all rights reserved.