On March 3, 1954, a 22-year-old woman named Marguerite Keota was walking home from a dance in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, when she was violently murdered. Her body was found three days later.
Marguerite was the youngest of seven siblings. She was described as kind, soft, and a shining beacon of light. According to Marguerite’s nephew, Bill Gore, she was close to her family.
He was only nine years younger than Marguerite. He remembers spending time with his aunt in his grandparents’ vegetable garden and sunbathing on the back roof of the house.
At the time of Marguerite’s murder, Bill was 13 years old. More than 70 years later, he is one of the last people in the world who remembers Marguerite.
On March 2, 1954, Marguerite and a few of her friends went to a dance just outside Phoenixville. They left around 9:40 p.m. to go to another dance at the Polish American Citizens Club on the north side of town. They remained there until about midnight.
Marguerite left the dance with a friend named Julia. They walked for approximately 30 minutes before parting ways at 12:40 a.m. to continue on to their own homes.
Before they separated, Marguerite told Julia that if she didn’t see her in the morning, she should look for her in Burns Alley, which was located behind Marguerite’s parents’ house.
The police report indicated that Marguerite was likely speaking in a joking manner, but it certainly did seem suspicious, considering what happened afterward.
Marguerite should have been about two blocks from home on Washington Avenue after walking for five more minutes. At 12:45 a.m., the residents of 361 Washington Avenue heard a scream and rustling coming from the alleyway.
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They saw a man carrying a woman toward Lincoln Avenue.
Across the street, another neighbor witnessed the same thing. They also saw a car come up Lincoln Avenue and stop in front of the alleyway.
The driver walked into the alleyway, picked something up, got back in the car, and drove away. It was unclear if anyone else had been in the vehicle.
The police believed that the woman and man were Marguerite and her kidnapper. Unfortunately, they have never been able to prove it.
When Marguerite didn’t come home on the morning of March 3, her family reported her missing. The police searched for three days. On March 6, three volunteer searchers found her body.
Her body was located less than three miles from where she was last seen. She was found in a cesspool under an outhouse behind an abandoned schoolhouse in Schuylkill Township, Pennsylvania. The police took apart the outhouse to reach her body.
Marguerite had been stabbed three times on the left side of her chest. The murder weapon was never recovered. According to her wounds, the murder weapon was most likely a “straight, dagger-like blade with a double sharp edge.”
Evidence from the cesspool indicated that she was still alive when she was put there.
The killer seemed to have been familiar with the local area. The investigation lasted for over a decade. Many suspects were tracked down, but nothing has led to the murderer. By now, the killer is likely dead. Marguerite’s descendants hope to get some answers soon.
Anyone with information about Marguerite’s case is urged to contact the Phoenixville Police Department Detective Division at 610-933-1180 ext. 815.
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
