Abbott Indicted
ABBOTT INDICTED - JULY 30, 1955
A grand jury unanimously indicted Burton Abbott on July 30 on charges of kidnapping and murder. The grand jury heard testimony from 23 witnesses over three-and-a-half days. Abbott was then transferred from Berkeley's jail to Alameda County Jail. Weeks later the transcript of the grand jury testimony was released, and the Examiner published the highlights. The witnesses' statements cast doubt on Burton Abbott's alibi.
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July 31, 1955 (page one) July 31, 1955 (page two) July 31, 1955 (page tree) August 16, 1955 (page one) August 16, 1955 (page two) August 16, 1955 (page tree) August 16, 1955 (page four)
ABBOTT AWAITS TRIAL - AUGUST-NOVEMBER 1955
Burton Abbott's brother and lawyer visited him in jail. Burton's wife, Georgia Abbott, also visited him while he awaited trial. Abbott continued to defend his alibi.
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July 31, 1955 (page one) August 18, 1955 (page two) August 18, 1955 (page tree)
FROM DETECTIVE NOVELIST TO TRIAL REPORTER - NOVEMBER 6, 1955
In an unusual move, the Examiner hired Erle Stanley Gardner and Sam Hicks to cover the Abbott trial. Gardner wrote detective novels, and he is best known for creating the character Perry Mason, a lawyer-detective who appears in more than 80 of Gardner's books.
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November 6, 1955 (page one) November 6, 1955 (page two) November 7, 1955 (page one) November 7, 1955 (page two) November 7, 1955 (page tree)
