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I travel long distances for work, and have been listening to an Unsolved Mysteries podcast as something to pass the time.

The unsolved murder of California socialites Hazel & Nancy Frome in 1938 in Texas that involves a silver 1937 or 1938 Packard 8 that had been won at a Delaware community chest raffle.

Hazel's husband Weston Frome was an executive at the Atlas Powder Company. As this is an explosives company, he was privy to sensitive US government information, which might play into how this story unfolds.

The wife and daughter were driving cross country from California to visit their daughter/sister in South Carolina. The trip was uneventful until they started to have mechanical problems with the new Packard. They limped into El Paso, Texas and had the Packard dealer inspect the car. It would need parts and it took them 5 days to have the car repaired.

The rest of the story heavily involves the Packard, car chases, finding the Packard abandoned, cactus stuck in the grille, Green paint of a '32 Cadillac on the Packard's front fender, and 2 murders. The possibility of Pre-war Nazi's and espionage is also thought be involved as well.

It's unsolved to this day. If only that new Packard didn't have engine trouble.....

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Fascinating story! Based on the photo in the article, the car is at least a 1938 due to the two-piece windshield.

Another famous Packard murder case which hasn't been mentioned in a while was the murder of Packard owner and hobbyist named Chapelle and the simultaneous disappearance of his 1934 1106 LeBaron roadster, the two events apparently related. The story is in one of the old Cormorant issues. As I believe all the legitimate 1106 roadsters (4?) are accounted for, one must be the former Chapelle car though I don't ever recall reading the case was solved.

Anyone want to dig into this and refresh the story?