It made me wonder if Seattle had any epic true crime tales to contribute.
So, I went hunting through some of Seattle’s history and I came upon the story of Charles Hopkins, the Tattooed Bandit. And, today just happens to be the 100th anniversary of his final capture. It’s like it was meant to be.
Charles left England for the sea when he was a child. During his travels, he fell in love with a girl named Ethel and had “TRUE LOVE” tattooed across his hands to prove his passion. Romantic, right? (This is why he’s called the Tattooed Bandit.)
Eventually, after committing a few smaller crimes in Ellensburg, the police sent him to Canada… where he committed a few more crimes. After being arrested (again), he escaped to Seattle. There, he murdered a man for his money.
On the run, Hopkins avoided capture and left bodies in his wake. He was now wanted Dead or Alive.
And, exactly 100 years ago, on March 31,, 1914, a City Marshal arrested Hopkins, the TRUE LOVE bandit, for the last time.
Visit historylink.org and read the entire, fascinating story.
Find the clues, pursue the murderer, and capture him before he escapes!
I suspect that this could make a very compelling true crime hidden object game, too. What do you think?