Member-only story
Who Murdered Little Elsie?
The unsolved death of 5-year-old Elsie Paroubek.
Elsie Paroubek, age 5, was a happy little girl who was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois with her Bohemian-born (now Czechian) parents. She was the seventh child born to the couple and family was an important part of her life.
Missing
The morning of April 9, 1911, started as any day normally would in the Paroubek household. Elsie’s father, Frank went to work for the day while her mother, Katrina, took care of the home. Elsie told her mother she was going to visit her aunt, Mrs. Frank Trampota, who lived just around the corner from the Paroubek household.
On the way to her aunt’s house, Elsie ran into her older cousin, 9-year-old Josie Trampota, who was outside of her own home. Josie was listening to an organ grinder on the street with a group of other children. As the organ grinder moved on to another street Josie and the other children followed along leaving Elsie behind at her aunt’s front gate. No one had even realized she had been left behind as they walked on.
A few hours later Katrina decided to go to the Trampota house herself to visit with her sister. She was expecting Elsie would still be visiting and was surprised to find Elsie had not arrived. Katrina and her sister weren't particularly worried…
