On June 8, 1899, a wealthy farmer reported his sixteen-year-old adopted daughter missing. The following morning, a farmhand discovers Sarah Mumford’s mangled body on the train tracks. When the medical examiner declares that Sarah died before the train hit her, the investigation takes a sinister turn. The coroner’s inquest reveals seven different suspects. But the summer of 1899 ends with the mystery unsolved and justice unserved.
On a quest for answers to her family’s history, author Michelle Graff reexamines the evidence and offers new insights, dark revelations, and a compelling theory. Hidden engages true crime fans with two narratives woven together on the same timeline. One follows the original investigation in a nonfiction account that invites readers to discover clues and develop theories. The other told from the perspective of the author’s great-grandmother, whose real-life story parallels Sarah’s. The two narratives crisscross in surprising ways while exposing broader issues relevant today.
From Dirt Covered To Dignified
Who Killed Sarah Mumford? 