Murder Victim. The daughter of prominent banker Perry Parker, she was unwittingly handed over to her killer by the school registrar at Mt. Vernon Junior High School. On December 15, 1927, her abductor, William Edward Hickman, claimed to be a coworker of Mr. Parker who had been seriously injured in an automobile accident and was calling for his daughter. When asked which daughter he meant (as Marion was a twin), he said "the smaller one." On the morning of December 17, Parker received a telegram from "George Fox" reiterating an earlier demand from "The Fox" for $1500 in $20 gold certificates in exchange for his daughter's life. Parker agreed to do whatever he needed for the safe return of his daughter, he arrived at the drop alone with the ransom money. He handed over the money to a young man who was waiting for him in a parked car. When he gave the money to Hickman, he was able to see his daughter sitting in the passenger seat next to him, bundled up to the neck. Marion did not move or acknowledge her father but her eyes appeared to be open so he assumed she had been chloroformed. Handed the money, Hickman took off but stopped down the street, pushing Marion out of the car before speeding away. When Parker got to Marion and took her in his arms he saw that not only was she dead, but she had been savagely mutilated. LAPD, the LA County Sheriff, and the District Attorney's office had put all available men into the search for Marion. At that time it was the largest single manhunt in the city's history. Suspicion settled upon Hickman, a former employee of Parker. Several years before the abduction, Hickman had been arrested on a complaint made by Parker regarding stolen and forged checks. The towel that was on Marion's body was the break that sent the police in the direction of Hickman. A week after the murder, officers Tom Gurdane and Buck Lieuallen found Hickman in Echo, Oregon. On October 19, 1928, Hickman mounted the 13 steps to the top of the gallows. He never expressed any remorse for what he did. Artifacts from the Marion Parker case are on display at the L.A. Police Museum.