Massacre at Wickenburg: Arizona's Greatest Mystery

The massacre at Wickenburg was one of the most notorious crimes committed in the Wild West--a story revealed in this book through a criminal investigation. November 5, 1871. A westbound stagecoach carrying seven men and one woman left Wickenburg in the early morning hours. At 8:00 a.m., six of the passengers were shot dead. One man and the lone woman, severely wounded, escaped into the desert. Debates raged over the identity of the murderous ambushers -- Indians? Mexican bandits? The two survivors? After a massive investigation, the U.S. Army concluded that a band of local Yavapai Indians were responsible, which led to a policy of "removal and concentration" that altered the fate of nearly every Indian in America's Southwest. Wilson, a longtime law enforcement officer who has spent decades researching 19th century crimes, presents the first book about this notorious crime and its resulting fallout.