The Mysterious Death of Lieutenant Sutton

A new book that blends the genres of military history and true crime might sound vaguely familiar, for there have been so many cases like it. When military recruits mysteriously die, particularly when they do so on the grounds of one of the country's most prestigious military academies, people tend to take notice of it.

When a Marine Corps officer in training at Annapolis, James Nuttle Sutton Jr., turned up dead, the military at first tried to cover it up, declaring his death a suicide, ignoring evidence that it may have been one in a string of fatal hazing cases or a brawl over a girl.

But the handsome engineering student with a history of "melancholia" appeared to his mother and sister in dreams - "inexplicable visions." Strangely, by several accounts, these visions began before the military even notified the family of his death. In these curious dreams, the tragic lieutenant's figure insisted (to his devoutly Catholic family) that he did not commit suicide.  The family was able to raise enough questions to get his case reopened.

The investigation wound up on the front page of all the newspapers - a cover-up exposed. The article at right is from a 1909 edition of the Nebraska State Journal (copyright expired).

The new book out about this case is  A Soul on Trial: A Marine Corps Mystery at the Turn of the Twentieth Century [Amazon; B&N] by Robin R. Cutler. The author's devotion to the story is evident on every page, reflecting an uncommon depth of research. The book is filled with numerous photos. Near the end of the tale, the author reveals a personal connection that give the story an extra supernatural dimension.