The Gotham Gobbler: Mrs. Sherlock and the Murder of Ruth Cruger

When Ruth Cruger went missing in 1917 and the New York Police Department failed to search for her adequately, the girl's family hired Grace Humiston, AKA “Mrs. Sherlock Holmes,” to find her. Mrs. Sherlock not only found Ruth, but uncovered a conspiracy that rocked New York City–and America–to its core.

Episode 86- The Gotham Gobbler: Mrs. Sherlock and the Murder of Ruth Cruger is now live on all major platforms.

Sources: 

Kahler, Abbott. “‘Mrs. Sherlock Holmes’ Takes on the NYPD.” Smithsonian magazine. August 23, 2011. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/mrs-sherlock-holmes-takes-on-the-nypd-60624549/

“Addressing the Epidemic of Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls Through Legislation.” Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. May 28, 2026. https://americanhealth.jhu.edu/news/addressing-epidemic-missing-and-murdered-black-women-and-girls-through-legislation

Ricca, Brad. Mrs. Sherlock Holmes: The True Story of New York City’s Greatest Female Detective and the 1917 Missing Girl Case That Captivated a Nation (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2016).

Ricca, “Searching for Grace Humiston: Mrs. Sherlock Holmes.” The History Reader. https://www.thehistoryreader.com/historical-figures/grace-humiston/

Roth, Tanya. “Women’s Work, the Story of the Murder-Solving, Peonage-Busting, Justice-Seeking ‘Mrs. Sherlock Holmes.’” Saturday Evening Post. August 21, 2024. https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2024/08/womens-work-the-story-of-the-murder-solving-peonage-busting-justice-seeking-mrs-sherlock-holmes/

Newspaper articles from:

The New York Tribune

The New York Times

The Daily News (NY)

The Evening World (NY)

The Elmira Gazette (NY)

The Philadelphia Inquirer

Music: Credits to Holizna, Fesilyan Studios & Virginia Liston