American Nightmares

Elsie Sigel: The Body in the Trunk

How a Single Murder in New York’s Midtown Had Far-Reaching Consequences Across the United States

Some crimes achieve infamy for the manner they are carried out, such as Jack the Ripper’s bloody reign of terror. Others, for who the victim or killer was. However, some achieve their fame by becoming a cause célèbre for the media, often latching onto moral panics of the day. These panics can come from both sides of the political spectrum, with issues such as Satanism and hate crime elevating incidents from local criminality into national scandals. One such crime was the murder of Elsie Sigel, a twenty-year-old missionary worker. Seemingly killed by her Chinese immigrant lover, the press furore surrounding the case caused the affair to have profound ramifications across the United States. Feeding into “yellow peril” fears, the murder would be one of the most shameful moments in New York City’s long history.

Elsie Sigel was described as both pretty and headstrong, being very much a new century woman. She was General Franz Sigel’s granddaughter, the German military officer who had served with some distinction during the Civil War. Franz had been an immigrant into the United States and was mainly utilized to encourage German communities to…