Magazine Articles featuring the story of Wesley Porter's Murder and Manhunt
In the 1940's, a popular genre of magazine was the Detective story. Writers familiar with true crime, detective work and even police officers wrote quite detailed tales of crime, capture of the "perp" and punishment.
Several of the magazines had eye-catching full-color covers, illustrated by some of American's premier artists,
attention-grabbing and rather lurid headlines and lengthy articles with pictures.
If you think some of the photos on this website might appear "posed", you're right. In 1943, the television wasn't a staple in American homes. Radio and newspapers provided general coverage, but for all the nitty-gritty details, the Detective magazine genre was the place to go. Many police depts. from the 1920's thru the 1950s relied on magazine journalists to help "get the whole story out," and surprisingly enough,the magazines were relatively true to the actual details.
This article notes that in 1940's, writers for True Detective magazine were paid $250 for a 5,000 word article,
which equates to 5 cents per word.
The Long Life and Quiet Death of True Detective Magazine by Gizmodo.
Here's a list of the magazines detailing the Wesley Porter story.
Several of the magazines had eye-catching full-color covers, illustrated by some of American's premier artists,
attention-grabbing and rather lurid headlines and lengthy articles with pictures.
If you think some of the photos on this website might appear "posed", you're right. In 1943, the television wasn't a staple in American homes. Radio and newspapers provided general coverage, but for all the nitty-gritty details, the Detective magazine genre was the place to go. Many police depts. from the 1920's thru the 1950s relied on magazine journalists to help "get the whole story out," and surprisingly enough,the magazines were relatively true to the actual details.
This article notes that in 1940's, writers for True Detective magazine were paid $250 for a 5,000 word article,
which equates to 5 cents per word.
The Long Life and Quiet Death of True Detective Magazine by Gizmodo.
Here's a list of the magazines detailing the Wesley Porter story.
January 1944 - Inside Detective
Author: Lieutenant Merle E. Cole,
Maine State Police
with Bud Martin
Story: The Ghost Killer of the Allagash
Author: Lieutenant Merle E. Cole,
Maine State Police
with Bud Martin
Story: The Ghost Killer of the Allagash
Nok-Noi Ricker of The Bangor Daily News wrote an article about the Wesley Porter murder and manhunt on August 7, 2015, when Maine at that time was involved in a manhunt for the Parkman, Maine murder suspect. The article featured photos of Wesley, and here is Wesley's grandson Reginald "Reggie" Porter of Patten enjoying his copy of True Detective Magazine.
Manhunt for Parkman Murder Suspect One of Longest in Maine History
Manhunt for Parkman Murder Suspect One of Longest in Maine History