History of Yesterday reports that a local family was the first to spot the crash. Richard Randolph and his family lived on a small farm in Bolivia, North Carolina, and were awoken in the middle of the night by a flash of fire in the sky. When McArthur Randolph, Richard’s son, awoke the next morning, he found the farm was covered with bodies and scraps of debris from the plane. The family alerted officials, and soon the U.S. Marines sent 40 people to assist with the search for remains and evidence.
Investigators compiled more than 550 pages of evidence about the flight over an investigation that lasted six months. The prevailing theory was that Julian Frank, one of the plane’s passengers, was responsible for the bombing. As a lawyer, Frank was under investigation for charity fraud of more than $1 million. Frank had recently taken out close to $1 million in life insurance policies, and was reportedly involved in “‘unscrupulous’ business dealings,” causing him to act erratically in the weeks leading up to the incident (via WECT). Investigators believe the attack was a murder-suicide, per History of Yesterday.
A total of 34 people lost their lives, making it “one of the worst air disasters in Southeastern North Carolina history,” according to World History Project. Despite the evidence available, the case still remains open today.
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
