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James H. Snook

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James Howard Snook
Snook in 1929
Born(1879-09-17)September 17, 1879
South Lebanon, Ohio, U.S.
DiedFebruary 28, 1930(1930-02-28) (aged 50)
Ohio Penitentiary, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Resting placeGreen Lawn Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio
OccupationProfessor
Criminal statusExecuted by electrocution
SpouseHelen M. Snook
PartnerTheora Hix
Medal record
Men's shooting
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1920 Antwerp Team 30 m military pistol
Gold medal – first place 1920 Antwerp Team 50 m team pistol

James Howard Snook (September 17, 1879 – February 28, 1930) was an American Olympic sport shooter, veterinarian, and convicted murderer. He won two gold medals for the United States at the 1920 Summer Olympics and is the only Olympic gold medalist to have been executed for murder.[1]

Early life and education

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James H. Snook was born on September 17, 1879, in West Lebanon, Ohio.[2] He graduated from the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1908.[3]

Career

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Olympics

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Snook was a member of the U.S. Olympic Pistol Team, which won gold medals in both the men's 30 metre team military pistol event and the men's 50 metre team pistol competitions at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium.[4][2][5][6]

Ohio State University

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Snook worked at the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine as a professor and an equine surgeon. He invented the snook hook, a surgical instrument which is still used to spay animals. He also was a founding member of the Alpha Psi veterinary fraternity.[3] On September 11, 1922, he married a sixth-grade teacher named Helen Marple. The couple had a daughter named Mary Snook.[2]

Murder of Theora Hix

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Theora Hix

In June 1926, Snook met Theora Hix, a student doing stenography work for the OSU veterinary school. When they met, she was 22 and he was 45. Hix told Snook that she was more knowledgeable about sex than him and the two began a sexual affair.[2] Snook testified that Hix was a sadomasochist and that she had introduced him to various drugs and sex acts that he had not previously known of.[7]

On June 13, 1929, near the Scioto Country Club, Snook hit Hix with a ball-peen hammer multiple times before cutting her jugular vein with a pocketknife. According to Snook's testimony, Hix was angry that he planned to visit his mother. He testified that she had threatened to murder his wife and child and that he hit her after she had reached for her gun. He claimed that he cut her jugular vein in order to end her suffering.[3] Hix's body was discovered on June 14, at which point she was identified by her roommates Beatrice and Alice Bustin. Snook was arrested on June 15.[2]

He confessed to the crime, but during the course of the trial he rescinded his confession, claiming that he was coerced by police and prosecutors. He claimed that he was physically struck by state prosecutor Jack Chester; this was verified by Police Chief Harry French, who witnessed the attack.[7] The trial received significant national media attention.[8] The jury took 28 minutes to deliberate before finding Snook guilty of murder in the first degree,[9] after which he was sentenced to death by electrocution.[3]

Snook was executed on February 28, 1930, at the Ohio Penitentiary by means of the electric chair. He was buried in Green Lawn Cemetery after a short service at the King Avenue Methodist Church.[10] In order to avoid attention, his surname was intentionally excluded from his gravestone, which is labelled as only "James Howard".[11][12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Professor James Howard Snook, Ohio's 'Gold Medal Murderer.'". CrimeScribe. July 13, 2021. Archived from the original on March 2, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e Motz, Doug (August 14, 2012). "History Lesson: A Columbus Olympian's affair ends in murder". Columbus Underground. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d "Dr. James Howard Snook". Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Archived from the original on April 3, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
  4. ^ Susan Wittstock. "For OSU alumnus/staffer, Olympics are a lifelong passion". oncampus.osu.edu. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved February 21, 2010.
  5. ^ "James H. Snook". Olympedia. Archived from the original on August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  6. ^ "James H. Snook". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on October 2, 2015. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  7. ^ a b Patzer, Nancy (1999). "The Trial of Dr. James Howard Snook". Short North Gazette. Archived from the original on December 4, 2024. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
  8. ^ Otto W. Phillips (January 1930). "The Mystery of the Thirteenth Key". True Detective Mysteries. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
  9. ^ "SNOOK FOUND GUILTY IN THE FIRST DEGREE; Verdict in Slaying of Ohio Girl Automatically Involves the Death Penalty. DEFENSE TO ASK NEW TRIAL Trial Judge Sets Next Monday as the Date for a Hearing on the Motion. Self-Defense Plea Fails. Crime Revealed Two Months Ago". The New York Times. August 15, 1929. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 12, 2025.
  10. ^ Ohio Exploration Society. "Doctor James Howard Snook". OhioExploration.com. Archived from the original on October 2, 2011. Retrieved July 12, 2005.
  11. ^ "James H. Snook: Known for More Than a Hook". The Internet Says it's True. WCBE. April 3, 2023. Archived from the original on May 30, 2024. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
  12. ^ "Green Lawn - Dr. James Snook · Teaching Columbus Historic Places". teachingcolumbus.omeka.net. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
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