What Happened In Room 1046?
Now I know what your thinking, What makes a case like this so special? Well besides the fact that the case was never solved, which is enough to send shivers down someones back, the case in itself is creepy and eerie, not to mention it makes you think twice about wanting to travel. So now your probably wondering what happened.
January 2nd, 1935
Time: 1:20 p.m.
Location: Hotel President, Kansas City
At 1:20 p.m. a man walked into the Hotel President located in Kansas City. The man had no luggage except for a comb and a toothbrush. The man requested for an interior room on a high floor of the hotel. He checked in under the name of Roland T. Owen. After he checked in and received his room 1046 on the 10th floor, he left the hotel and was to be seen only at moments at a time during his stay at the hotel. Although the staff thought of his behavior as odd, they quickly brushed it off and thought it best not to get involved.
Location: Hotel President, Kansas City
At 1:20 p.m. a man walked into the Hotel President located in Kansas City. The man had no luggage except for a comb and a toothbrush. The man requested for an interior room on a high floor of the hotel. He checked in under the name of Roland T. Owen. After he checked in and received his room 1046 on the 10th floor, he left the hotel and was to be seen only at moments at a time during his stay at the hotel. Although the staff thought of his behavior as odd, they quickly brushed it off and thought it best not to get involved.
January 3rd, 1935
Time: Approximately 12:00
Location: Hotel President, Kansas City
Owen checked into the hotel. The hotel maid, Mary Soptic, stopped by to clean his room. When Soptic went to open the door she found it was locked from the inside. She knocked, and Owen opened the door. When she entered she found that the room was in almost complete darkness. The shades were tightly drawn and the only light was coming from a small, dim table lamp. While she was cleaning the room, Owen mentioned that he was expecting a friend to come over and if she minded not locking the door. After Soptic agreed, Owen left the room. 4 hours later, Soptic returned to room 1046 to put fresh towels in the room. The door was still unlocked from earlier. When Soptic entered the room, she found Owen laying on the bed fully clothed laying a top of his bed sheets, thought to be sleeping. There was note on his bedside table that read, "Don, I will be back in fifteen minutes. Wait."
Location: Hotel President, Kansas City
Owen checked into the hotel. The hotel maid, Mary Soptic, stopped by to clean his room. When Soptic went to open the door she found it was locked from the inside. She knocked, and Owen opened the door. When she entered she found that the room was in almost complete darkness. The shades were tightly drawn and the only light was coming from a small, dim table lamp. While she was cleaning the room, Owen mentioned that he was expecting a friend to come over and if she minded not locking the door. After Soptic agreed, Owen left the room. 4 hours later, Soptic returned to room 1046 to put fresh towels in the room. The door was still unlocked from earlier. When Soptic entered the room, she found Owen laying on the bed fully clothed laying a top of his bed sheets, thought to be sleeping. There was note on his bedside table that read, "Don, I will be back in fifteen minutes. Wait."
January 4th, 1935
Time: Approximately 10:30
Location: Hotel President, Kansas City
The next morning Soptic's strange interactions with Owen continued. Soptic stopped by room 1046 to make the beds, when she discovered that Owens door was locked from the outside. She assumed that Owen wasn't in the room as most of the patrons were out at this time. So she used her master key to unlock the door only to discover that Owen was in the room. Owen was in a chair in the corner of the room. The room was again dark. As she was cleaning the phone rang, Owen then went to pick it up. When Owen answered, he said, "No, Don, I don’t want to eat. I am not hungry. I just had breakfast," he said. After a moment he repeated, "No. I am not hungry." "After he hung up, Owen began interrogating Soptic about her job and the hotel, the first time he had ever really spoken to her. He asked her about how many rooms she was in charge of, what kind of people lived in the Presidential Hotel, if any, and again complained about the price of the neighboring hotel" (Serena, 2017). Soptic answered his questions quickly, then finished cleaning the room. It was only after she left the room that she realized that if the door was locked from the outside that someone would have had to have locked Owen in his own room. When Soptic returned later that day to bring Owen fresh towels, she heard to men arguing in the room. Soptic knocked on the door explaining she had come to bring fresh towels, knowing she had taken out all the ones from this morning. A deep voice responded telling her to leave and that they had enough towels. Soptic left the two men not wishing to intrude on their private conversation. That same afternoon two women entered the hotel. One of great importance was Jean Owen (not related to Roland). She checked in and received the room 1048, the room right next to Owen. According to police statements, that night she heard a lot of commotion. "I heard a lot of noise which sounded like it (was) on the same floor, and consisted largely of men and women talking loudly and cursing," she said in her statement. "When the noise continued I was about to call the desk clerk but decided not to."
Location: Hotel President, Kansas City
The next morning Soptic's strange interactions with Owen continued. Soptic stopped by room 1046 to make the beds, when she discovered that Owens door was locked from the outside. She assumed that Owen wasn't in the room as most of the patrons were out at this time. So she used her master key to unlock the door only to discover that Owen was in the room. Owen was in a chair in the corner of the room. The room was again dark. As she was cleaning the phone rang, Owen then went to pick it up. When Owen answered, he said, "No, Don, I don’t want to eat. I am not hungry. I just had breakfast," he said. After a moment he repeated, "No. I am not hungry." "After he hung up, Owen began interrogating Soptic about her job and the hotel, the first time he had ever really spoken to her. He asked her about how many rooms she was in charge of, what kind of people lived in the Presidential Hotel, if any, and again complained about the price of the neighboring hotel" (Serena, 2017). Soptic answered his questions quickly, then finished cleaning the room. It was only after she left the room that she realized that if the door was locked from the outside that someone would have had to have locked Owen in his own room. When Soptic returned later that day to bring Owen fresh towels, she heard to men arguing in the room. Soptic knocked on the door explaining she had come to bring fresh towels, knowing she had taken out all the ones from this morning. A deep voice responded telling her to leave and that they had enough towels. Soptic left the two men not wishing to intrude on their private conversation. That same afternoon two women entered the hotel. One of great importance was Jean Owen (not related to Roland). She checked in and received the room 1048, the room right next to Owen. According to police statements, that night she heard a lot of commotion. "I heard a lot of noise which sounded like it (was) on the same floor, and consisted largely of men and women talking loudly and cursing," she said in her statement. "When the noise continued I was about to call the desk clerk but decided not to."
January 5th, 1935
Time: Next Morning
Location: Hotel President, Kansas City
The next morning, the bellhop received a call from the hotel's telephone operator. The person on the other end informed him that the phone in room 1046 had been off the hook for 10 minutes with no use. The bellhop went up to the 10th floor to check on Owen. The door was locked with a do not disturb sign on the door handle. He knocked and Owen told him to come in. The bellhop informed Owen that the door was locked, but did not get a response. The bellhop told Owen to hang up the phone, he had assumed that Owen was drunk and accidentally knocked the phone of the hook. An hour and a half later, the bellhop got another call from the operator saying that the phone was still off the hook. This time the bellhop took the master key and opened the door. "The man was lying naked on the bed, seemingly drunk. Not wishing to deal with him, the bellhop simply straightened the phone, placed it back on the hook, and locked the door behind him, reporting Owen to his manager" (Serena, 2017). To the bellhop's surprise, and hour later he got another call from the operator saying the phone was off the hook again and not in use.
Location: Hotel President, Kansas City
The next morning, the bellhop received a call from the hotel's telephone operator. The person on the other end informed him that the phone in room 1046 had been off the hook for 10 minutes with no use. The bellhop went up to the 10th floor to check on Owen. The door was locked with a do not disturb sign on the door handle. He knocked and Owen told him to come in. The bellhop informed Owen that the door was locked, but did not get a response. The bellhop told Owen to hang up the phone, he had assumed that Owen was drunk and accidentally knocked the phone of the hook. An hour and a half later, the bellhop got another call from the operator saying that the phone was still off the hook. This time the bellhop took the master key and opened the door. "The man was lying naked on the bed, seemingly drunk. Not wishing to deal with him, the bellhop simply straightened the phone, placed it back on the hook, and locked the door behind him, reporting Owen to his manager" (Serena, 2017). To the bellhop's surprise, and hour later he got another call from the operator saying the phone was off the hook again and not in use.
The Crime Scene and the After Damage
Time: Approximately the Afternoon
Location: Hotel President, Kansas City
The bellhop opened the door and found a bloodbath. "Owen was sitting curled in the corner of the room, his head in his hands, suffering multiple stab wounds. The bed sheets and towels were stained with blood, and the walls were splattered with it. The bellhop immediately called the police who took Owen straight to the hospital, where doctors discovered that Owen had been tortured viciously. His arms, legs, and neck had been restrained by some kind of cord, and his chest sustained multiple stab wounds. He also suffered a punctured lung and a fractured skull. Roland T. Owen was pronounced dead at the hospital shortly after arriving"(Serena, 2017). The doctors said the the wounds were present well before the bellhop had checked in on Owen that morning. They said that the phone was probably off the hook in an attempt to call for help. "When investigators searched the room, the strangeness continued. There were no clothes in the room at all, nothing matching the description of Owen when he checked in. The hotel amenities such as soap and toothpaste were also missing, as well as anything that could have been the murder weapon. The only thing of note that detectives found were four small fingerprints on the telephone stand, though they were never identified. Furthermore, detectives found that Roland T. Owen never existed. There was no record of any such man having lived anywhere in the U.S., and they implored the public to come forward with any information they had about the mysterious murder victim.Shortly thereafter, the neighboring hotel that Owen had complained so much about came forward, claiming that a man matching the description had stayed at the hotel on Jan 1. He had checked in under the name Eugene K. Scott. However, upon further investigation, the police reached the same dead end they had with Owen — no man named Eugene K. Scott had any record of ever existing.Over the next couple of months, various people identified the body as a loved one, though none of the identifications stuck. Finally, the case ran cold, and the detectives decided to bury the body. As they arranged for a small funeral, a bouquet of flowers, and a donation to cover the funeral costs showed up at the funeral home with a letter that read only: "Love for ever– Lucille." A year later, a woman named Ogletree claimed that Owen/Scott was her son, who had been missing for years. She claimed his name was Artemis Ogletree, and that he had been staying at another Kansas City area hotel at the time he went missing.Though there wasn’t any more evidence to her case than any of the others, police were eventually inclined to believe her, though experts claimed it was only based on lack of evidence in the rest of the case" (Serena, 2017).
Location: Hotel President, Kansas City
The bellhop opened the door and found a bloodbath. "Owen was sitting curled in the corner of the room, his head in his hands, suffering multiple stab wounds. The bed sheets and towels were stained with blood, and the walls were splattered with it. The bellhop immediately called the police who took Owen straight to the hospital, where doctors discovered that Owen had been tortured viciously. His arms, legs, and neck had been restrained by some kind of cord, and his chest sustained multiple stab wounds. He also suffered a punctured lung and a fractured skull. Roland T. Owen was pronounced dead at the hospital shortly after arriving"(Serena, 2017). The doctors said the the wounds were present well before the bellhop had checked in on Owen that morning. They said that the phone was probably off the hook in an attempt to call for help. "When investigators searched the room, the strangeness continued. There were no clothes in the room at all, nothing matching the description of Owen when he checked in. The hotel amenities such as soap and toothpaste were also missing, as well as anything that could have been the murder weapon. The only thing of note that detectives found were four small fingerprints on the telephone stand, though they were never identified. Furthermore, detectives found that Roland T. Owen never existed. There was no record of any such man having lived anywhere in the U.S., and they implored the public to come forward with any information they had about the mysterious murder victim.Shortly thereafter, the neighboring hotel that Owen had complained so much about came forward, claiming that a man matching the description had stayed at the hotel on Jan 1. He had checked in under the name Eugene K. Scott. However, upon further investigation, the police reached the same dead end they had with Owen — no man named Eugene K. Scott had any record of ever existing.Over the next couple of months, various people identified the body as a loved one, though none of the identifications stuck. Finally, the case ran cold, and the detectives decided to bury the body. As they arranged for a small funeral, a bouquet of flowers, and a donation to cover the funeral costs showed up at the funeral home with a letter that read only: "Love for ever– Lucille." A year later, a woman named Ogletree claimed that Owen/Scott was her son, who had been missing for years. She claimed his name was Artemis Ogletree, and that he had been staying at another Kansas City area hotel at the time he went missing.Though there wasn’t any more evidence to her case than any of the others, police were eventually inclined to believe her, though experts claimed it was only based on lack of evidence in the rest of the case" (Serena, 2017).
Theories |
#1
The first theory is that it was the man referred to as 'Don'. It is also believed that Don acted alone. Owen was seen at another hotel the day before with another man believed to be Don. Some people also suspect that Don was the man with the deep voice the maid heard through the door. Police were never able to figure out who Don was.
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#2
The next theory is that Don didn't act alone. This theory is based off of the observation of the elevator operator, Charles Blocher. The operator saw a "commercial woman" who was also the second person to enter the hotel as mentioned above. He saw her going up to the tenth floor. She was looking for a man in room 1026. She was Also seen with a man from the ninth floor. Some suspect that that man was Don. There were fingerprints that belonged to a women on the phone in the hotel room as well.
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#3
The last theory is that Owen was killed for being unfaithful. A newspaper published a story about the murder in room 1046 but it went differently than what happened. A newspaper received a call after the article was published from a woman saying that what they wrote was wrong and that Roland T. Owen will not be buried in a paupers grave. When asked how she knew what happened she said,"Never mind. I know what I'm talking about...he got into a jam." After this she hung up the phone. Another man called the funeral home and asked them to move the funeral to a different location so it would be closer to his sister. He kept mentioning his sister and even said," Cheaters usually get what coming to them."
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For more details on the theories watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDeFSOUHdH4&t=6s
Works Cited
Multiplayer, B. (2017, September 01). The Creepy Murder In Room 1046. Retrieved May 6, 2019, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDeFSOUHdH4&list=PLD8iUdp33PqQw7u1vHwhIcDLCjU45kOb-&index=17
Serena, K. (2017, December 15). The Unsolved Mystery Of The Gruesome Murder In Room 1046. Retrieved May 6, 2019,
from https://allthatsinteresting.com/room-1046
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDeFSOUHdH4&list=PLD8iUdp33PqQw7u1vHwhIcDLCjU45kOb-&index=17
Serena, K. (2017, December 15). The Unsolved Mystery Of The Gruesome Murder In Room 1046. Retrieved May 6, 2019,
from https://allthatsinteresting.com/room-1046