The Phoenix Trunk Murders

Posted: 10.24.2025 | Updated: 10.24.2025

In 1931, the Phoenix Trunk Murders took the nation by storm when a young woman was accused of murdering two other women. The victims were discovered in trunks at a train depot, and one of them had been dismembered. The grisly case would become one of the most famous in Arizona history, although it has never been fully solved.

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What Were The Phoenix Trunk Murders?

The Phoenix Trunk Murders occurred in October 1931, when 26-year-old Winnie Ruth Judd was accused of murdering her two friends/former roommates. Judd’s story changed repeatedly during her trial. 

Sometimes she claimed self-defense, other times she claimed insanity. In the end, she narrowly escaped the death penalty. 

For decades, no one knew exactly why the murders happened, what they were about, or even how many weapons were used. New archival information has shed a new, yet disturbing, light on the case.

Winnie Ruth Judd: The Trunk Murderess

Winnie Ruth McKinnell was born in 1905 in Darlington, Indiana. The daughter of a Methodist minister, she married Dr. William Judd when she was 19. Judd was 22 years older than her. Their marriage quickly soured.

William Judd struggled to find employment due to a drug addiction, leading to the couple moving multiple times. They eventually settled in Los Angeles, where Winnie developed tuberculosis. Believing that the dry climate of Arizona would help with her recovery, she left William and moved to Phoenix in 1930. 

In Phoenix, Winnie got a job as a secretary at the Grunow Clinic. She made friends with two coworkers, Agenes Anne LeRoi and Hedvig “Sammy” Samuelson. The three women got an apartment together, where they threw parties. 

It was at one of these parties that Winnie met Jack Halloran, a successful businessman in the lumber industry. Jack was also married, and the two began having an affair. Winnie’s infatuation with Jack seems to be what led to the murders of her friends.

On October 16, 1931, Winnie Ruth Judd went to visit Agnes and Sammy. Winnie had gotten her own apartment, but continued to be friends with the two other women. 

By the end of the visit, Winnie had been shot in the hand, and Agnes and Sammy were dead. Winnie quickly packed her bags and returned to Los Angeles.

The Authorities Track Down Winnie

The police were waiting for Winnie at the train depot when she arrived in LA. Winnie had brought a large trunk and several suitcases with her that had started to leak and give off a rotten stench. When asked to open the trunk, Winnie claimed her husband had the key, then promptly ran away from the authorities. 

Police managed to open the trunk on their own and found the body of Agnes Anne LeRoi inside. The suitcases contained the dismembered body of Hedvig “Sammy” Samuelson. Both women had been shot. A warrant was quickly issued for Winnie’s arrest.

Winnie Goes On Trial

Winnie Ruth Judd’s murder trial began on January 19, 1932, at the Maricopa County courthouse in downtown Phoenix. Spectators lined up in droves for a chance to get a seat in the courtroom.

In the press, Winnie was dubbed “The Trunk Murderess” and “tiger woman.” According to Winnie, a fight had broken out between the three women involving Jack Halloran. Winnie claimed that as the argument turned violent, she shot both women in self-defense. 

On February 8, 1932, the jury found Winnie guilty of murdering Agnes LeRoi. Winnie’s sentence was death by hanging. 

As the verdict was read, Winnie proclaimed her innocence and insisted that neither Agnes nor Sammy had been murdered and that she had been shot first. Although the judge stated he was sympathetic to Winnie, she was ultimately sent to Arizona State Prison and put on Death Row. 

In May 1933, only days before she was to be executed, an insanity hearing was called for Winnie Ruth Judd. During the hearing, a psychiatrist affirmed that Winnie’s relationship with Jack Halloran was at the heart of the murders. Winnie confirmed that she loved Jack more than she had ever loved William Judd.

In a stunning turn of events, Winnie was declared insane and spared the death penalty. She was transferred to Arizona State Hospital, where she resided on and off for four decades.

Life After Death Row

In 1952, nearly twenty years after being admitted to Arizona State Hospital, Winnie Ruth Judd made her first escape. She had fashioned a rope out of rags and climbed down from a third-floor window. 

She was captured, but she would go on to escape six more times. The last time, she vanished for six years. Upon being apprehended by police in 1969, Ruth was put in jail.

Winnie managed to get herself represented by the famous defense attorneys Larry Debus and Melvin Belli. It took two years, but they managed to prove that Ruth was sane and should be let out of jail. On December 22, 1971, Arizona Governor Jack Williams granted Ruth parole. She was told to leave town and never speak about the Phoenix Trunk Murders to anyone.

Winnie Ruth Judd moved to San Francisco and changed her name to Marian Lane. In the last decade of her life, Winnie moved back to Phoenix and lived with a friend. She died in her sleep at the age of 93 on October 23, 1998, 67 years after being arrested for murder.

In 2024, author Laurie Notaro released a book titled The Murderess: A Novel, about Winnie Ruth Judd. Although the book was written as fiction, Notaro conducted extensive research about Winnie’s life. The most outstanding discovery Notaro made was obtaining the confession letter Winnie wrote for her insanity hearing. 

According to Notaro, the note showed that the murders were premeditated and that Winnie was suffering from severe mental health issues. Her attorney allegedly chose not to share it with the judge because it was too honest.

Haunted Phoenix

Maybe the reason the Phoenix Trunk Murders are still remembered today is because there are so many unanswered questions. What really made Winnie Ruth Judd murder her friends? Did someone help Winnie dismember Hedvig Samuelson? 

Did someone shoot Winnie, or did she do it to herself? These questions and others will keep this hotly debated case alive for a long time.

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Sources:

• https://www.azcentral.com/picture-gallery/news/local/phoenix/2024/11/25/phoenix-trunk-murderess-winnie-ruth-judd/74188821007/

• https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/books/2024/10/13/winnie-ruth-judd-book-by-laurie-notaro/75399986007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z114139e008100v114139b0046xxd004665&gca-ft=186&gca-ds=sophi

• https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/view/303

• https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-york-daily-news-times-winnie-ruth-ju/160647568/

• https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=tMQlAAAAIBAJ&pg=7051,1636133&dq=ruth+judd+halloran+jealousy&hl=en