Be Careful Whom You Open Your Door To On Halloween Night. Fort Dodge’s Most Infamous Halloween Murder. | True Crime
It was a crisp evening on October 30, 1982. Fort Dodge, Iowa, a town familiar with the joyful screams of children in costume, was filled with the typical Halloween revelry. Houses adorned with pumpkins and cobwebs, eager trick-or-treaters knocking on doors, and the familiar chorus of “trick or treat” echoed down the streets.
But for Marvin and Ethel Brandland, that night would forever be etched into the annals of true crime as a nightmarish evening that turned deadly.
As the story goes…
Marvin, a 69-year-old World War II Army veteran and owner of a carpet service business, and his wife, Ethel, had enjoyed a rather typical Halloween evening, handing out candies to the children of Fort Dodge. As the night wore on and their candy supply dwindled, the couple must’ve thought their duties for the night were almost over.
Then, another knock.
The face that greeted them was concealed beneath a pillowcase, holes crudely cut out for eyes. The muffled voice from behind the mask chillingly demanded, “Trick-or-Treat. Give me your money or I’ll shoot.”
Thinking it might be a mischievous family member, perhaps even their granddaughter Teresa…
