Laurinda Wallace

Nocturne for Evangeline Laurinda Wallace

In the fall of 1886, the village of Castile, New York was shocked when an ex-Salvation Army lieutenant shot and killed one of their own. At the center of the crime was 16-year-old Evangeline Roy, half-sister of the victim, Will Roy. Will was 21 and worked on a farm outside of the rural village. Was it jealousy? Was it madness? Was Evangeline to blame? The ensuing trial brought much to light about the Roy family, the murderer, Robert Van Brunt alias "Happy Bob," and the secrets they kept. The murder trial followed by two appeals, suicide, and a slander suit made this crime one of the most sensational cases in New York State during the late 1800s. The sordid details were kept before the public for over a year as the lives of Evangeline and Robert were scrutinized in the press. This multi-layered story of deception and delusion brought not only tragedy, but notoriety to Evangeline, who became a Victorian-age media star.