Emily Chan
Throughout history, men have always been revered for their extraordinary accomplishments, whether it’s for their intelligence, groundbreaking inventions, or artistic creations.
Women simply don’t get enough credit for their smarts. Here’s one female figure you’ve probably never heard of, even though her skill and expertise have helped solve numerous missing persons cases.
In the early 20th century, a remarkable lawyer and detective named Grace Humiston rose to fame for her brilliant investigative skills, earning her the title of Mrs. Sherlock Holmes. Her most notable case involved the disappearance of 18-year-old Ruth Cruger.
Grace started her career after graduating from NYU Law School in 1903. She passed the bar examination and opened a legal clinic to provide services for low-income individuals, such as immigrants and children.
When men searching for work began vanishing from the surrounding neighborhoods, Grace was able to track them down. She found them in the deep South in secret labor camps where they produced cotton and turpentine. The workers were held there by a practice called peonage.
Under President Roosevelt, she was appointed as a U.S. district attorney. During her career, she traveled the world and handled a variety of cases.
Eventually, she settled back into New York. In 1917, she took on her most famous case. Ruth Cruger disappeared after running errands the day before Valentine’s Day. Initial police efforts didn’t lead anywhere, so Ruth’s father sought the help of Grace.
Her investigation uncovered crucial evidence overlooked by the police. She found out that Ruth had visited a motorcycle shop owned by Alfredo Cocchi. He had sharpened Ruth’s ice skates the day she went missing. The cops had searched his store and questioned him twice, but it didn’t go any further than that.
Grace was persistent and meticulously searched his shop. She ended up coming across a hidden underground door and discovered Ruth’s body in the basement. Cocchi confessed to authorities that he murdered the teenager because she had resisted his advances. He was sentenced to 27 years in prison.
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