12-year-old Peter Levine was a student at Leonard Junior High School in New Rochelle, New York. It was the 24th of February, 1938, and school was finishing for the day. Peter walked half way home with a friend. They parted ways when Peter stopped at a store to buy some candy. At some point between saying goodbye to his friend and entering the store, Peter was abducted.
Over the forthcoming months, Peter’s family received a number of ransom notes. His father was as a high-end New York lawyer and earned a hefty salary. “Dear Dad - Please give these men the money. I have a bad cold. Peter,” the back of one grim note was signed. His father was keen to pay the ransom but the kidnapper soon turned silent. The following month, a message was discovered written in the snow which told police to search Bronx lake to find the body of Peter. However, it turned out to be a hoax.
It wouldn’t be until May that what became of Peter would finally be revealed when his body washed ashore on Glen Lake. He was wearing the same exact clothing he wore on the day of his disappearance. His shirt had the name “Peter Levine” stitched on the inside. His head, hands, and feet had been cruelly chopped off. All that remained of Peter was a torso bound in wire. The specific cause of death could not be determined but it was evident he had been murdered in one way or another. The murder was never solved.
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