Murder of Dora Hope 1939

 In the book, Death Scenes, a black and white photo is titled "John R. Hope paid $1 for a gun. He confessed to slaying his wife."

The tragic case of John R. Hope, whose life spiraled into violence and despair, remains a stark illustration of a man driven by frustration and rejection. Hope, a 43-year-old Los Angeles resident, confessed to the brutal murder of his wife, Mrs. Dora Hope, after attempts to reconcile with her failed. On the day of the crime, Hope, unable to regain his wife's affections, fatally shot her four times in broad daylight. Dora, a 30-year-old woman described as comely and brown-skinned, had filed for divorce through Attorney Walter Gordon, a suit that was set to be heard just a week before her untimely death. The looming divorce, paired with the emotional turmoil, drove Hope to commit the murder.

John Hope’s frustration with his wife's absence was palpable. In his confession, he told police that Dora repeatedly promised to come home but never followed through. Hope revealed to the arresting officers that the breaking point came when he spotted his wife with another man, John Granville, in a parked car. The sight of his estranged wife and her apparent relationship with Granville triggered the deadly encounter. Hope yanked Dora from the car, shooting her in the cheek and then three more times as she fled. She collapsed and died in front of a storefront on Central Avenue, with Hope standing over her lifeless body before he fled the scene. He later discarded the weapon in an incinerator, but was arrested an hour later after calling the police from a liquor store, confessing to the crime.

The couple had married in 1937, but the relationship deteriorated rapidly. Hope became increasingly agitated when informed by a friend, Farris McKelley, that Dora was seeing another man, named Marshall, who was staying at McKelley's house. When confronted, Dora denied Hope's accusations but eventually left him. She later made promises to return, even allegedly convincing Hope to sign over property on East 50th Street to her in exchange for reconciliation—a promise she never fulfilled. This unkept promise, along with the bitter reality of their estrangement, weighed heavily on Hope, pushing him toward the breaking point.

Hope claimed that the gun he used to kill Dora was purchased by chance. He had bought it months earlier from a man playing craps in an alley, paying just $1 for it. On the day of the murder, he happened to have the loaded gun in his pocket as he walked with McKelley. When Hope saw Dora sitting in a car with Granville, he approached her, hoping to talk, but events escalated into violence.

At trial, Hope remained silent, not taking the stand in his own defense. His lawyer, Curtis C. Taylor, focused on casting doubt over Granville’s role, suggesting that he was Dora’s lover and the cause of the marriage's breakdown. Granville admitted to driving Dora to and from work, and their relationship became a key point of contention. Additionally, legal disputes emerged over Dora's estate, which included equity in two houses. Her cousin, Bennie Burnett, applied for administration of the estate, while Hope declared his intent to contest the application despite being charged with her murder.

Hope entered a plea of "not guilty by reason of insanity" alongside a plea of "not guilty." Three psychiatrists were appointed to assess his mental state. After his trial, the jury deliberated for four hours before finding John R. Hope guilty, but not of first-degree murder. Instead, he was convicted of manslaughter, a verdict that reflected the complexity of the case, rooted in emotional turmoil and mental instability.