Episode Twelve – Tombstone Shadows Podcast

Spiritualist Fraud Exposed in Boston, Massachusetts

Dudley G. Kimball
Born: July 31, 1872
Died: October 16, 1969
Buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, MA

Born in Boston, Massachusetts.
Dudley began life (at the age of four) in a bad direction, but later in life, he became an important part of exposing a fraud, and lived a long, productive, successful life.

This is 27 Holyoke Street in Boston. This would have been where Stephen Cox's parents lived. It's a possibility he was shot while standing in front of that fencing area. As the newspapers said he was playing in front of his parent's home and fell in front of a fence after he was shot.
Dudley G. Kimball in the newspaper for the last time, in 1949. He was 77 here. His wife had died less than 1 year before this.

Oscar L. Concannon
Born: March 21, 1869
Died: July 11, 1904

Born in Missouri.
With his wife, was part of a spiritualist fraud in the latter years of his life, and he traveled the country, acting out his fake manifestations of ghosts. In his last few years, he spent time in a mental institution. He died at the age of 35 in Kansas.

13 Die in Horrific Weekend of Vehicle Accidents
July 24-25, 1965

Dennis Gerald Benson
Born: July 15, 1944
Died: July 25, 1965

Joined the U.S. Navy at 18. Was in Vietnam during the war and discharged when the carrier returned to Long Beach. Died at the young age of 21, only 11 days after being discharged.

The USS Valley Forge, the ship on which Dennis and Stephen were stationed. The ship was in Vietnam during the war. Dennis flew in the helicopters.
A likely route that Shirley took from Huntington Beach, to Harbor City (where the collision occurred).
This is the accident scene from July 25, 1965 in which Dennis and Stephen died (covered bodies in the lower part of the screen). Note the broken window in the station wagon: possibly where Shirley's daughter was injured.
Shirley Finnicum being helped after the accident. She had minor injuries, as did her son. Her daughter had major injuries.
Dennis' Gravestone
Dennis' wife, with her remarried name (second husband in 1972), on the grave marker. She died in Las Vegas.