Salinas Valley Police Department
Official Police Report
The following is a statement of Deputy Sheriff, Al Wilts with reference to the homicide investigation of Mr. Lennie Small.
In the evening at 4:20 of August 16, 1937, Sunday, Whit Lewis arrived at the Soledad station informing me that a dead body had been discovered at the Tyler Ranch identified as Mrs. Curley Tyler. At this time, he informed me of a group of men from the ranch who were in pursuit of the alleged killer of Curley Tyler’s wife, Mr. Lennie Small. I arrived on the scene 4 miles north of the Tyler Ranch to find the body of a man, about 6’6” who appeared to have a gunshot wound located on the back of his head - where the neck and spin join. The body lay face down in the sand. A blood clot had formed, but the blood on the ground looked fresh, implying that the homicide occurred somewhere between 1-4 hours prior to my arrival. I looked around the scene for a murder weapon, only finding a bullet shell used for a Luger, the same gun allegedly taken from Mr. Carlson Smith.
Upon my arrival, I was met by Mr. Curley Tyler and Mr. Carlson Smith, who informed me that Mr. Slim Johnson and Mr. George Milton had left the crime scene in order to get a drink of alcohol. At this point Curley Tyler and Carlson Smith informed me that George Milton had shot Mr. Lennie Small. The identification of the body was confirmed by a work ID card found in the victim’s pocket and the official police investigation began. George Milton was located and brought into custody for questioning where it was thereby determined that there was enough evidence to arrest him for the murder of Lennie Small. His court date is set to be on September 26, 1937.
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