On Friday, July 24, 1874, schoolteacher Marietta Ball dismissed her class and prepared to walk a few of her pupils home before heading to a friend’s house for the weekend. Around 3:30 PM, after ensuring the children had made it safely home, she bid them goodbye and entered the woods towards Fairfield Road. She wouldn’t be seen again until two days later when her lifeless body was discovered, sending the town into a panic. The case went cold for over a year until the killer struck again…

On the 150th anniversary of Marietta’s death, this presentation recounts the events of that fateful day, the crime’s impact on the community, and the frantic search for her killer that saw nearly everyone in St. Albans as a suspect. Our featured speaker is Sarah Allard. Sarah has been a volunteer at the museum since 2021 and a member of the Board of Trustees since 2023. She earned her Master’s in History from the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

Author Avree Clark will also read a section from her book Malice Aforethought: A True Story of the Shocking Double Crime That Horrified Nineteenth-Century New England, provide a short presentation on the process of writing the book, and unveil a memorial plaque created by the Fairfield Historical Society. Avree is a native of New Hampshire with a passion for history, forensics, and research. Malice Aforethought was the winner of the 2024 Eric Hoffer First Horizon Award for best debut novel and Mystery/Crime category winner.

This event is free and open to the public. Space is limited and participants are strongly encouraged to RSVP online. The evening presentation will also be livestreamed on our Facebook page.

A moment of silence will also be observed at Marietta’s grave at Greenwood Cemetery at 4:20 PM, hosted by Avree Clark.

CONTENT WARNING: This event contains discussion of murder and is not recommended for children under 18 years old.