Joan Winters
Encyclopedia
Joan Winters was a Broadway
dancer who was arrested as a spy in Istanbul, Turkey in 1933. She was murdered and her body was found near the Garden of Gethsemane, outside Jerusalem.
Her real name was Carol von Niedergesaess. The family name had been changed to Godfrey during World War I
. She was born in Seattle, Washington
where she resided with her family until 1928.
on April 13, 1932. She planned to return to New York City
in time to celebrate her
birthday on December 8, 1933.
employee, Mohammad Karamini, from Madras, in November 1933. The latter had been Winters' guide and was found shot to death. One source
said Winters met Karamani in Athens, Greece and the two arrived in Haifa
on October 29. The couple encountered Arabs outside of Jerusalem who were rioting in protest against increased Jewish immigration into Palestine
. While walking Winters and Karamani were shot by the Arabs.
She died from head injuries and he succumbed from a gunshot wound. Authorities admitted that they were puzzled by the murders.
. He was the head of Godfrey Propeller Adjusting Corporation of Brooklyn. He revealed a letter from his 24-year-old daughter, addressed to her mother. It was received two weeks earlier. Winters wrote that she arrived in Istanbul in early October and was arrested as a spy. She was searched by female police officers who took from her letters which were in her possession. She was questioned and released several hours later.
Two months before Winters' body was located a letter was received by her parents stating that she had met a young Serbian
business man. He had fallen in love with her but his affection was not returned by Winters. The letter was written from Bucharest, Romania. Godfrey said that he sent several letters to the United States State Department, neither of which were answered. Her mother contended Winters intended
to write a book about Palestine.
An East Indian Moslem, Mohamed Ikram, was released as a suspect in the death inquiry in early November 1933.
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
dancer who was arrested as a spy in Istanbul, Turkey in 1933. She was murdered and her body was found near the Garden of Gethsemane, outside Jerusalem.
Her real name was Carol von Niedergesaess. The family name had been changed to Godfrey during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. She was born in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
where she resided with her family until 1928.
Dancer
Winters appeared on Broadway in 1930, as Sue in the drama Bad Girl. She left for EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
on April 13, 1932. She planned to return to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in time to celebrate her
birthday on December 8, 1933.
Murder victim
Winters' corpse was discovered along with the body of an Indian civil serviceCivil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
employee, Mohammad Karamini, from Madras, in November 1933. The latter had been Winters' guide and was found shot to death. One source
said Winters met Karamani in Athens, Greece and the two arrived in Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
on October 29. The couple encountered Arabs outside of Jerusalem who were rioting in protest against increased Jewish immigration into Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
. While walking Winters and Karamani were shot by the Arabs.
She died from head injuries and he succumbed from a gunshot wound. Authorities admitted that they were puzzled by the murders.
Family reaction
Her father, Bert Godfrey, a Brooklyn, New York marine engineer, met reporters in his home at the Hotel St. GeorgeHotel St. George
Hotel St. George, once the largest hotel in New York City, was located in the heart of scenic Brooklyn Heights. Today, it is a landmarked building in the first historically landmarked neighborhood in New York. Its various constituent buildings, mostly surviving, were built between 1885 and 1929,...
. He was the head of Godfrey Propeller Adjusting Corporation of Brooklyn. He revealed a letter from his 24-year-old daughter, addressed to her mother. It was received two weeks earlier. Winters wrote that she arrived in Istanbul in early October and was arrested as a spy. She was searched by female police officers who took from her letters which were in her possession. She was questioned and released several hours later.
Two months before Winters' body was located a letter was received by her parents stating that she had met a young Serbian
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
business man. He had fallen in love with her but his affection was not returned by Winters. The letter was written from Bucharest, Romania. Godfrey said that he sent several letters to the United States State Department, neither of which were answered. Her mother contended Winters intended
to write a book about Palestine.
An East Indian Moslem, Mohamed Ikram, was released as a suspect in the death inquiry in early November 1933.