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It was getting late on Tuesday, October 15, 1946, when 16-year-old Ruth Smock was startled by the

sound of a screen door creaking behind her.

Ruth had recently moved into a rooming house in Fort Scott, Kansas, to attend a larger

high school that offered more varied classes than the one in her rural Missouri hometown.

Living in the city also allowed Ruth to work part-time as a telephone operator for Southwestern

Bell so she could save some money. The problem was Ruth lived

alone and she wasn't expecting any visitors that evening. A chilling realization quickly set in.

She had left the front door unlocked after returning home from the grocery store earlier.

An unfamiliar man was now standing in her apartment.

The man was tall, appeared to be in his 50s, and was dressed in dirty bib overalls, the kind

typically worn by farmers.

He greeted Ruth casually, saying,

Hi, sis, before reaching for a wall switch and turning off the light.

Moving quickly, the stranger grabbed Ruth and tore at her clothes.

She fought back and managed to press her thumbs into his eyes. This only enraged him further.

I'll fix you so no one will look at you again, he threatened, shoving a rag against Ruth's face.

Ruth felt herself growing dizzy and drowsy. Her vision blurred.

The last thing she saw before her eyes closed completely

...