On this day in 1932, one of America’s most infamous serial killers met his end at the gallows in Moundsville, West Virginia. Harry F. Powers, born Herman Drenth in the Netherlands, used newspaper lonely hearts ads to lure victims, promising love but ultimately delivering death. His crimes shocked the nation and remain a grim reminder of the dangers of blind trust.
Powers immigrated to the U.S. in 1910, settling first in Iowa before moving to West Virginia. In 1927, he married Luella Strother after responding to her own lonely hearts ad. But instead of settling into married life, Powers continued to place his own ads, attracting women seeking companionship. Postal records indicate he received 10 to 20 responses per day, a disturbing testament to how many people fell for his charm.
Behind the image of a devoted husband, Powers was a ruthless predator. He constructed a garage with an underground basement at his home in Quiet Dell, WV. This unassuming structure became a house of horrors, the site of brutal murders carried out for financial gain.
Authorities caught up with Powers in 1931 while investigating the disappearance of Asta Eicher, a widowed mother of three, and Dorothy Lemke, another woman who had answered his ad. Their fates were unknown until police searched his Quiet Dell property. Inside his basement, they found bloodstains, burned documents, and a child’s bloody footprint.
A teenage witness then pointed officers to a recently filled-in ditch. Digging revealed the bodies of Eicher, her three children, and Lemke. Powers had lured them in with false promises of marriage, only to murder them and steal their belongings.
Once arrested, Powers attempted to evade justice but faced overwhelming evidence. His trial was held at the Moore Opera House in Clarksburg to accommodate the massive crowds eager to witness justice. After just five days, he was sentenced to death.
On March 18, 1932, Harry F. Powers was hanged at the West Virginia State Penitentiary in Moundsville. His case became a chilling landmark in American crime history, a dark lesson in manipulation and trust.
Here’s our podcast story about Harry Powers: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-bluebeard-of-quiet-dell–49746916
