Notorious San Francisco: Pat Montandon's Curse
The Intruders: The death of Mary Lou Ward is an enduring locked-room mystery. After inviting her newlywed daughter Robin and Robin's husband to use her own home at 2249 Webster Street, Mary Lou - the personal secretary to socialite media personality Pat Montandon - settled in for the night at Motandon's 2nd floor six-room apartment at the foot of the Crooked Street on June 20, 1969. Montandon was then living in the penthouse on the Summit of Russian Hill with her husband, the butter baron Alfred Wilsey. Before 11 p.m., Montandon would survey the house from high above and wonder if her friend had gone to bed for the night. Montandon could not see any light coming from the windows of her apartment, and although Wilsey reminded Montandon that little light ever shone through Montandon's window dressings, she decided to phone Ward in the morning. At 4:01 a.m. the couple woke to the telephone and the news that Ward was dead. Full feature >>

Copyright 2001 Hank Donat
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