James Dunham

James C. Dunham, was a multiple murderer who, on the night of May 26, 1896, killed his wife, her family, and two of that family's servants in Campbell, California.

James Dunham
Born	James C. Dunham
Spouse(s)	Hattie Wells Dunham
Children	1
Details
Date	May 26, 1896
Location(s)	Campbell, California, United States
Target(s)	Family
Killed	6
Weapons	Axe .38-caliber revolver .45-caliber revolver

Using an axe and two revolvers, Dunham murdered:

• Hattie Wells Dunham (his wife)
• James Wells (her brother)
• Ada Wells McGlincy (her mother)
• Colonel Richard Parran McGlincy (her stepfather)
• Two household servants Minnie Schlesser and Robert Briscoe[1]

Dunham's motives are unknown. The sole survivors were Dunham's and Hattie's 3-week-old son and a farmhand, George Schaible, who had hidden in the barn during the massacre. Although investigators conducted an extensive manhunt throughout Santa Clara County, California, Dunham was never found and the case remains officially open.[2] The manhunt had also found pieces of Dunham's clothing as well as recent campfires.[3] It was believed that he escaped via bicycle rather than horse with the latter being much more common during that time period; a plausible reason for this was that Dunham was a long distance cyclist.[3] Rumors persisted of his having escaped to Cuba.[4]