Today in Wheeling History: June 10--Richard "Dick" Tracy, who was raised in Warwood and best known for leading the investigation of the infamous 1983 Diane Downs murder case in Oregon, passed away in Fort Smith, Arkansas at the age of 85 (2020).
Richard Blaine Tracy, born in 1934 in Detroit, Michigan, moved to Wheeling, West Virginia with his mother Alverta around 1940. By 1947, Alverta had remarried to Edison Barlow and the family lived in a home on Richland Avenue in the Warwood neighborhood of Wheeling. This is where Tracy spent his formative years.
Tracy attended nearby Warwood High School, where he was very active and successful in multiple pursuits. He was a standout on the football team, playing guard. In his 1951 senior year, the Wheeling News-Register referred to Tracy as the "Warwood veteran with the comic strip name" for his strong play. His football prowess earned him recognition as an All-City, All-State, and All-Ohio-Valley champion.
In addition to football, Tracy played basketball, ran track, served as Junior class vice president, and worked on the school paper while at Warwood High. His senior yearbook noted his ambition was "to go to California" and jokingly mentioned that he "blushes easily."
After graduating from Warwood High School, Tracy received a scholarship to the University of Iowa but chose to join the Marines and fight in the Korean War. Following his military service, Tracy made his way to Oregon and became a detective, taking on the infamous Diane Downs murder case in 1983.
Downs had shot her three children, killing one and severely injuring the other two, then claimed a stranger had committed the crime. However, Tracy and his fellow detectives found inconsistencies in her story and evidence pointing to Downs as the perpetrator, motivated by a desire to be free of her children to continue an affair. Tracy was a key player in the investigation and Downs was ultimately convicted and sentenced to life in prison in 1984. He retired in 1987, moving back to Wheeling for a time before passing away in Arkansas in 2020.
To learn more: (http://tinyurl.com/mr3wd76m) (http://tinyurl.com/mr4dce3r) (http://tinyurl.com/25cxd38r) http://tinyurl.com/7w52az4c) (http://tinyurl.com/r4jd66ve)
Photo Credits: Weelunk, Wikipedia
Richard Blaine Tracy, born in 1934 in Detroit, Michigan, moved to Wheeling, West Virginia with his mother Alverta around 1940. By 1947, Alverta had remarried to Edison Barlow and the family lived in a home on Richland Avenue in the Warwood neighborhood of Wheeling. This is where Tracy spent his formative years.
Tracy attended nearby Warwood High School, where he was very active and successful in multiple pursuits. He was a standout on the football team, playing guard. In his 1951 senior year, the Wheeling News-Register referred to Tracy as the "Warwood veteran with the comic strip name" for his strong play. His football prowess earned him recognition as an All-City, All-State, and All-Ohio-Valley champion.
In addition to football, Tracy played basketball, ran track, served as Junior class vice president, and worked on the school paper while at Warwood High. His senior yearbook noted his ambition was "to go to California" and jokingly mentioned that he "blushes easily."
After graduating from Warwood High School, Tracy received a scholarship to the University of Iowa but chose to join the Marines and fight in the Korean War. Following his military service, Tracy made his way to Oregon and became a detective, taking on the infamous Diane Downs murder case in 1983.
Downs had shot her three children, killing one and severely injuring the other two, then claimed a stranger had committed the crime. However, Tracy and his fellow detectives found inconsistencies in her story and evidence pointing to Downs as the perpetrator, motivated by a desire to be free of her children to continue an affair. Tracy was a key player in the investigation and Downs was ultimately convicted and sentenced to life in prison in 1984. He retired in 1987, moving back to Wheeling for a time before passing away in Arkansas in 2020.
To learn more: (http://tinyurl.com/mr3wd76m) (http://tinyurl.com/mr4dce3r) (http://tinyurl.com/25cxd38r) http://tinyurl.com/7w52az4c) (http://tinyurl.com/r4jd66ve)
Photo Credits: Weelunk, Wikipedia
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