Nomad News-Vol.5-No.108

A TRAGEDY THAT STARTED IN BARNEGAT LIGHT:  The story  I'm about to recount started in Barnegat Light NJ around 1960 as clearly as I can recall.  My brother Joe was captain of a tanker and was at sea for 90 days, then off for 30.  Joe purchased a cottage in Barnegat Light on 12th St., ocean side.  My mother, sister Fran and I had use of the cottage when he was at sea.
     It was off season, September or early October on a weekend when my mother and Fran were on the island.  It was a pleasant sunny day with a bit of chill in the air.  They were on the beach with their backs to a san dune watching the surf fishermen and the seagulls squawking for a hand out.  One of the fishermen laid down his rod and approached Mom and Fran.  He said his name was Clew and he struck up a conversation, saying he was an airline pilot and flew out of New York.  He had his own private airplane that he kept at the airport and flew to Barnegat Light to fish every time he was off duty.  He had a special compartment built in the wing where he stored his fishing rod.  He had a red head stewardess girl friend named Susy.  He was quite pleasant and impressed my mother and Fran.
     As the air was a little chilly, my mother and Fran decided to pack up and return to the cottage.  Clew said he was about to leave as he had to fly back to New York.  He walked with them and when they reached the cottage, my mother invited him in for a cup of coffee.  They chatted a bit and then he left.  The following weekend I went down but my mother and Fran did not.  When I went to open the screen door, there was a note stuck in it.  I opened it and it read something like the following:  "It's a beautiful day.  I'm up on the beach.  Hope to see you.  Clew"  When I returned home I gave Fran the note. She looked at it with a "humpth", crushed it and threw it in the waste basket.
     Several days later we heard that a young girl had been murdered on the mainland opposite Long Beach Island.  Fran went directly to the police and told them about the previous weekend.  The police wanted that note in the worst way so Fran came home and looked in the basket but it was long gone.  As I recall, the police had already arrested Clew, or did shortly.  He was tried and convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.  (copyright 2014 Andrew M. Dolan)