"The Massie Affair"
As I was researching this case I was constantly reminded of the state in which our country has been in lately and how as much things change, they also seem to stay the same. While this case took place in 1931 it is still often debated today. The question has never been if Grace Fortescue, and her son in law, Thomas Massie, were guilty of murdering Joseph Kahahawai but whether Grace's daughter, Thalia, lied. But, just as is often the case with such old cases, some of the information is blurry. Thalia Fortescue was the daughter of Granville “Rolly” Fortescue and Grace Bell. Both families were rather prestigious, even if you do not recognize their names. Granville was the illegitimate son of Robert Roosevelt, the uncle of future president, Theodore Roosevelt. Robert and Granville's mother, Marion would marry in 1888, after the death of Robert's wife, but also after Granville's birth in 1875. It seems that Granville was not the only child that Robert...