Cold Case Files: Haskell County widow and former mental health hospital patient found strangled in 1991
- Dennis McCaslin
- 12 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Louise Irene Swanson Bonham was born on September 5, 1910, in Blossom, Texas. Her father was a French immigrant. She grew up in the Haskell County area of Oklahoma with three sisters.She married Robert Degen Bonham in 1935. They had one son, who died in 1956. `
Records show she was a patient at Eastern State Mental Hospital in 1950. She lived alone in McCurtain, a small rural town in Haskell County, Oklahoma. At age 80, on June 20, 1991, she was found strangled in her home by deputies from the Haskell County Sheriff's Office.
No public reports mention signs of forced entry or immediate witnesses. The case stands out for how little information exists about it. No newspaper articles or news reports from 1991 or any later year have been located. I`
F cebook groups and other "cold cas"e sites`notesthat zero media articles were found on the murder. The case has never been covered by national television programs, including shows like Unsolved Mysteries, or by any major newspapers. This complete absence of public attention in a small rural area with limited law enforcement resources has kept nearly all details hidden from view.
. Investigator looked into possible connections to family members, acquaintances, or other leads, but the case produced no arrests. No suspect has been identified publicly.The murder remains unsolved.
The Haskell County Sheriff's Office keeps the file open.If you have any information about the death of Louise Irene Bonham on June 20, 1991, in McCurtain, Oklahoma, contact the Haskell County Sheriff's Office at (918) 967-2400. Any detail could help.A photograph of her at around age 20 has been shared in online cold case discussions.
