Somewhere I Can Scream

SOMEWHERE I CAN SCREAM recounts the real-life 1929 criminal investigation which led to the conviction and execution of James Snook, a married Midwestern college professor and the only Olympic gold medalist ever to die in the electric chair. The victim was Theora Hix, his medical student lover. They were both high-achievers. He made his mark in Olympic history and created a surgical device still in use today: she planned to have a career in the male-dominated field of medicine.

Their affair was scandalous, for even though Bathtub Gin flowed freely in speakeasies during the Roaring Twenties, adultery was still punishable by a fine or jail time. They took their chances, maintained a campus "love nest," and could be seen cruising around town in his new coupe.

One summer morning Theora was found dead of a head wound in a field. Snook was the prime suspect. Was Snook guilty? Did he get a fair trial? The murder investigation was fraught with evidence tampering, justice system brutality, and the street corner sale of court testimony, leading to a revision of murder investigation procedure. Was justice served? Examine the facts and decide for yourself.