S9 E4 The Coldwater Girl - The Murder of Nellie Griffin 1891

In 1891, a man calling himself Mr. Hendershot walked into the Coldwater State Public School in Michigan and adopted 12-year-old Nellie Griffin. Weeks later, Nellie was found murdered — and “Hendershot” was unmasked as Russell Canfield, a killer hiding in plain sight.

Our latest episode dives deep into this chilling case: the deception, the failure of the orphanage system, the public outrage, and the haunting questions that still linger more than a century later.

Theme song written and recorded by Alan Hunt

Original artwork by Todd Preston

Story researched and written by Tracy Preston

Sources:

• Nellie Griffin was a young girl (reported age around 10–12) who had been an inmate at the State Public School in Coldwater, Michigan. DigMichigan News+2County Journal+2
• In January 1891, a man calling himself “E. Hendershot” approached the orphan asylum/state school and asked to adopt a girl, claiming to be a farmer in Parma, with a wife and two children. Demented Mitten Tours, LLC
• The next day, the man (alone, in his 50s) visited the facility and was allowed to hand-pick a child; he quickly selected Nellie. Demented Mitten Tours, LLC+1
• After her adoption, Nellie disappeared / was murdered. Her body was later identified by officials at the Coldwater State School as her own. County Journal+2Uplink+2
• The name “Russell C. Canfield” emerged as the murderer. He escaped lynch mob violence by pleading guilty and was sentenced to life in prison. Hoosier State Chronicles+4Ann Arbor District Library+4Hoosier State Chronicles+4
• Newspaper reports refer to him as the “inhuman murderer of little Nellie Griffin.” Hoosier State Chronicles+2Ann Arbor District Library+2