Welcome to the first murder trial in the American judicial system; it’s March 31, 1800 and you are here. Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr defend their client, Levi Weeks, who’s been charged with the beating and murder of his girlfriend Elma Sands. In this episode, Elma’s cousin recounts the night of the murder. Elma’s uncle creates chaos in the courtroom. Several boarders from their house testify about Elma, and a theory emerges that could ruin the prosecution’s case.
Erased: The Murder of Elma Sands is released weekly, every Wednesday, wherever you get your podcasts. To hear all six episodes right now, ad-free, subscribe to Lava for Good+ on Apple Podcasts.
Erased: The Murder of Elma Sands is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.
Elma Sans was twenty two years old when she was murdered in New York City. Her body was thrown into the Manhattan Well on December twenty second, seventeen ninety nine, and this became a sensational story. It was gruesome, it was shocking, it was scandalous. Everyone called it the crime of the century. But now nobody knows the name Elma Sands. When I stumbled upon the Manhattan Well, I was working as a tour guide. It's in the basement of a clothing store in Soho. It's unmarked, seemingly random. It's this big pillar of old bricks, incongruous with everything around it, and I watched people pass by it with no idea that a twenty two year old was killed right there, and.
I couldn't believe that.
But when stories don't get told and histories aren't protected, they get erased. Elma's murder case went to trial, and that trial shaped the justice system that we have today. The defense lawyers on the case were Aerin Burr and Alexander Hamilton, and their client, the guy Elma was sleeping with, faced a death sentence. Everyone knew it would be a big show, so for the first time in US history, there were stenographers in the courtroom taking notes, leaving us several partial written accounts of this trial. I've created this dramatic adaptation of all my research to share this truly unbelievable story with you. I'm Alison Flom and this is erased the Murder of Elma Sans.
Are you ready?
Our story begins on March thirty first, eighteen hundred, at City Hall on Wall Street. The proceedings were scheduled for ten am and the trial was open to the public. The courtroom was packed with massive crowds spilling out onto the streets chanting, and inside the courtroom.
Order constable, can you shut the windows?
Good?
Bring in the prisoner.
They brought Levi Weeks into the courtroom in chains. Levi was this refined, privileged guy who was looking way different than usual. He'd been sitting in jail for three months and it showed. And this was the first time people were seeing Levi since things were normal since before he was indicted for the brutal beating and felonious murder of Alma Sands.
The prisoner, Levi Weeks fleets not.
Guilty, accused, was actually not allowed to testify in their own trials, so Levi would sit silently the entire time. So you won't hear from Levi in the courtroom, but you'll hear a lot about.
Him rather than defending his own case. Levi, Weeks has exercised a new American right to a private council.
Which means he hired private defense attorneys, which people didn't usually do at this time. This was all new and completely revolutionary. Levi sat at a table with his lawyers Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton standing beside him. Notorious frenemies, yes, but they worked as a team on this case. They'd been preparing for months, and they were excited for this performance.
You look forward to presenting your case, Ran.
And then at the opposite table was a sweaty, anxious, very underprepared prosecutor, the Assistant Attorney General, Kidwalader d Coldet.
Good morning, folks.
There were several stenographers in the courtroom to take notes and publish their account of the trial, which had never happened before.
Of the New York States of Freemia, and.
Judge John Lansing presided. He was boisterous, he was emphatic, he was excited, about justice, but he didn't know how it should go. The key players here knew that they were figuring it all out along the way, but at the beginning most of them acted like they knew exactly what was going on.
Proceed, mister Colden, right, yes, your opening remarks, Coldon right now, right at your earliest convenience.
Yes.
If you're thinking Coldin is fumbling this from the beginning, you're not wrong. Coldon's career as a lawyer so far has been pushing papers. It's been admin He's never done anything like this before. The jurors were all friends and colleagues with each other and with Alexander Hamilton and the judge and Aaron Burr, but not Colden. So Colden was left out. He was underqualified and underconnected. He started by trying to paint a vivid picture of Alma Sans for the jury like this.
Her name was Julielma, but everyone called her Alma.
Everybody liked her.
She was a sweet, happy, virtuous girl until she met that man right there, Levi Weeks murdered Alma in cold blood.
Levi tricked her because he's a liar. He lured her in, deluded her into thinking they'd be married, and she believed him, poor poor thing. The night of December twenty second, Alma Sands thought Levi was going to marry her, but instead he strangled her then tossed her body into the Manhattan Well, Levi is malicious, dangerous, guilty. I'll prove to you the undeniable truth that Levi Weeks murdered Alma Sands and he thought he'd get away with it. Mister Weeks should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
The law is whatever we say it is.
You got that right.
Your client took a human life. Mister Burke.
They get easy cold, and you look nervous.
And do you look like a murderer's attorney, mister Hamilton.
Call your first witness coldon.
Shouldn't I wait for the defense to make their opening statement.
No, they'll do that later after you present your case.
Proceed, okay, the prosecution.
So the first witness called to testify was Catherine Ring, Alma's cousin. Catherine was intense and New Yorky, but she was a farm girl at heart. She had curly red hair tucked up into her bonnet, and she was like calm and confident as she walked past the jury up to the witness stand. As soon as Coldon introduced her, Missus.
Ring is the wife of Alias Ring. The two of them run a boarding house and millinery out of their home. Are you comfortable, Catherine?
I'm fine? Can I start testifying?
She was ready to go.
The first questions for Catherine were about her boarding house two eight Grenade Street, so the jury could get a sense of where Elma lived.
Can you tell us about it?
My house has seven bedrooms we have My house has seven bedrooms that can be rented out, plus my bedroom or the one I share with my husband. Of course, the house is for young single people. Our borders are usually new to New York, or working or not quite ready to get married yet. Outside the house, the borders do what they want. Inside the house, they follow my rules. They have a nightly curfew, and they pay rent to me each month.
Did Alma pay rent to you?
No? Alma was family. She worked for me in the hat shop with Hope, another one of our boarders.
Does your husband help?
Of course I do.
Of course he does.
Mister Ring helps you in the hatshock.
Oh no, he doesn't really help with that Elias is really busy.
Running the house, protecting the property, keeping track of the finding. Should I actually come up there, it might be easy.
Mister Ring, sit down.
I want to help my wife.
I was just saying that.
Just say anything else, your honor.
The defense requests that the witness's husband be removed from the chambers.
He's disrupted.
I'm helping my wife.
Do you need help, Catherine?
No?
Can I keep going?
Hold on missus Ring. We have to figure this.
Missus Ring's testimony easily could be influenced by her husband's energy.
My energy is fantastic, your honor, remove him.
The witnesses distracted, your honor me.
I'm not the one who got distracted, mister Hamilton.
I'm trying to testify.
I refuse to continue until Elias Ring is removed from the chamber.
So we're gonna do this every time a married woman testifies in an American court room, for fear shall be distracted.
Constable remove Elias Ring from the chambers.
On what grounds it.
Horror.
So, after Elias was escorted out of the courtroom, the lawyers and judge used Catherine's time on the stand to start establishing rules and customs for how everything should go. Before she could even begin telling the jury about Elma, the defense attorneys distracted her and tried to diminish her credibility, But Catherine powered through those distractions. She knew Alma the best of anyone.
On the day of the murder, Alma and Levi were planning to Elo.
Alma said Levi would pick her up at eight, they'd be married and then home before curfew.
Wait, objection, Oh what now, Hamilton, Statements from the deceased are not admissible evidence.
Wait, I can't tell you what my cousin said to me.
No, you cannot, missus Ring.
That can't be.
No yet, that's not a real rule.
Counselors, you're upsetting missus Ring.
I'm not upset. I just don't understand how this could be a rule.
Can we make this simpler for missus Ring somehow?
No, I don't need anything simplified, mister Hamilton, Thank you. Levi wanted to keep Alma a secret. They didn't want anyone to know they got.
Married, and ejection conjecture ruled conjecture.
Conjecture, take it easier, That was conjecture.
Elma and Levi started seeing each other last September.
When I went out of town.
Where did you go?
I went upstate to quarantine.
The winter of seventeen ninety nine to eighteen hundred was a devastating one in New York City. It was freezing and gray and the height of the yellow fever epidemic, so people were falling into delirium and dying. By the thousands. New Yorkers were staying home to shelter from the bitter cold and the raging fever, getting out of Manhattan if they could to avoid the fever. Catherine and the other women in the house went up to New Cornwall in September seventeen ninety nine, but Alma stayed home.
And when you left, what was the dynamic between Elma and Levi?
Well, they were basically strangers when I left.
At that point, Levi was romantically involved with Margaret, another one of our borders. But then I got a letter from my husband saying that Elma and Levi were sleeping in the same room and likely having premarital sex. I came home shortly after.
That, because you had the instinct that Levi might hurt Elma.
Excuse can we hold the witness's husband is back in the chambers?
Your honor. The bench attorneys are scaring my wife, missus ring.
Would you be less frightened if your husband stayed in here?
Oh, I'm seldom frightened, your honor, good constable, Get him out of here.
Your honor.
Okay, So how did you find out about their plan?
The night before Alma died, we were in her room.
So Catherine testified about her time with Alma in the twenty four hours leading up to her death. She told the jury about this moment they had in Elma's room the night before Alma was murdered. I picture Catherine like doing Elma's hair, and Alma explains enthusiastically.
Eloping is modern and dignified. I thought you'd be into this idea. No more premarital sex.
In your house.
Plus, I know you hate scandals and crowds and fuss.
But I like weddings.
Don't you want a wedding?
What shoes do you think I should wear tomorrow?
Ding?
Do you think Hope will lend me her good slippers?
Not your most subtle topic change, but Hope slippers are too big for you.
They're warm in case I have to walk.
There will be no walking to your wedding. Tell Levi to pick you up in a sleigh with blankets.
Levi doesn't have horses, will hum borrow's brother's Ezra has tons of horses.
I don't want to ask him to ask Ezra for anything.
Hold on, did Leevi I din get his brother's blessing for this? What does Ezra have to say about it all?
My sweet angel cousin, I am excited to marry Levi tomorrow. Please be excited for me, or at least pretend everything is normal.
The next day, so it's the day of the murder? Right December twenty second, seventeen ninety nine. What do you remember?
Levi went out to his brother's house.
In the morning.
When did Levi return to the house around noon?
When he came in, I was making soup and the Borders were at the table looking at the newspapers.
Whoo, Levis with the new law.
You're mocking really weird, Levi.
I slipped on some ice this morning. Oh no, you fell busted my knee. It's no big deal.
It looks bad. You should rest.
I'm all right for.
Really, you should stay in tonight and play King's Cop with us.
I can't rest. I've got plans tonight plans.
It's Sunday night and it's freezing here.
Let me wrap your knee, okay, So Elma wrapped up his knee in cloth, which was kind of an intimate act.
Sit I gotcha.
But the people in the house already knew that Alma and Levi were seeing each other. That's part of the reason there was so much pressure on them to get married, because the house was meant for single people. So Catherine went on telling the court that after Elma wrapped up Levi's knee, they sat together in the parlor for a while.
Tea till mid afternoon, and then Levi left again, and Alma went upstairs to get dressed.
And when did you come back downstairs?
Around eight pm?
She looked so beautiful, hey, everyone.
So Alma came down into the parlor all dressed up.
Whoa, Alma, what is that gorgeous thing?
It's a hand muff. Rich people have them.
If you can't picture this weird accessory, it's like a big piece of rigatoni made of scarf material that you can put both your hands in for warmth. If they come back into fashion, you're welcome.
I borrowed it from missus Osbourne.
Oh, missus Osborne.
Yeah, she said, if I don't give it back tomorrow morning, she'll have my spleen on a silver spoon or something.
Well, you look amazing, way better than usual.
What's sweet?
And what's the occasion? Just going for a walk all dressed up like that?
Yeah?
I wanted to feel good.
Why do you keep looking at the front door?
I don't what time is it?
Ato? Six? H?
Really?
Ato seven?
Maybe your time piece is fast?
Are you waiting for someone?
Leave her alone, Russell?
I want to know.
Well, Alma doesn't have to tell you anything, drunkie. You are maxed out on whiskey for the night, Russ, I'm cutting you off.
Fine, then I'm off to bed. And everyone's so boring lately.
So after Russell went off to bed, there were no other borders in the room. It was just Catherine, Alma, and Elias, who Catherine explained was in and out of sleeping. And then a few minutes after eight, Levi came in. He and Elma had a weird performative interaction in the doorway.
It went like this, Oh it's Levi, What a surprise, Hey, Alma, this is right. I was just headed out for a while, and I was just swinging by so pleasant, running into you.
Likewise Elma and everyone nice, running into everyone here where we all live.
Bye, Alma, Bye, okay bye.
I'll see you at some point in the future when we let me see each other.
Honey, Catherine, what's going on?
Oll'swell, Elias? You dozed off?
What time is it?
It's eight ten, sweetheart.
Oh, let's go.
To bed, all right, I'm headed out for a bit.
Wait didn't didn't you just get home?
I did? And now I'm going back out. I'll be home by kurfey.
Wait, Levi before you go?
Yeah, are you?
Are you a man with integrity?
Would you say?
Like?
Are you a good man?
I have tons of integrity? Catherine like, maybe even too much?
No, Wow, that's a.
Sweet dreams.
Okay, good night.
Back in the courtroom, Catherine tries to continue testifying through the constant interruptions.
Moments later, as I tucked my husband into bed, the front door opened and shut again, And then I heard whispers from my front porch.
Hold on, missus Ring, you heard whispers?
Yeah, I did, mister Hamilton through my window?
Who was whispering?
LEVI weeks talking to someone?
What were they saying, Well, they were quiet whispers, so I couldn't exact.
You don't know who was whispering or what they were saying, so you have no information.
Really, I have information.
This is Ring a simpler question. How far is your bedroom from the porch where you heard the whispers.
Up one staircase out the door, and how far is your bedroom from the stairs.
I'm not sure two yards.
Maybe you don't seem sure of anything, Catherine.
I'm very sure. I heard whispers on my porch. I tucked my husband into bed, and then I went back downstairs. I sat in the rocking chair for a while. I was awake when Levi got home after he murdered my.
Cousin, checktion, conjecture, curfew came and passed.
I sat there, thinking, maybe Elma and Levi slept elsewhere, a friend's house perhaps, but they never.
Communicated any plan like that.
Levi's apprentice had been expecting him home, waiting up for hours.
His apprentice, missus Ring.
Levi's a house carpenter and always has a young man shadowing him. At this point it was this kid, William Anderson. The carpenter shares a rented room with the apprentice, while he studies.
Is it okay? If I sleep right here on.
The floor, you'll be freezing.
I'm so tired, missus Ring.
LEVI I should have told you he was going out.
It's all right.
No, he's selfish.
I don't like that.
I think he's just eccentric, ma'am.
It's not eccentric.
He locked you out of your room on a Sunday night.
Well, it's really his room, Missus Ring.
It's my house and it's your shared room as long as you work for him.
Goodness, this makes me frustrated. I'll bring you a pillow at least.
Oh, mister Weeks.
Oh, didn't think anyone would be awake.
We're awake.
Where's my cousin?
Good evening, mister Week's.
Uh?
May I have the keys?
It's past curfew, LEVI sorry, mister Anderson.
Here you go, Thank you, sir.
I'll leave it unlocked unless are you sleeping in Elma's room?
Go to bed now? Oh?
Sorry, sorry, good night, sir, Missus Ring.
Good night?
Where were you? LEVI?
Where's Hope?
What did you say?
Hope?
I'm just wondering what's Hope doing? Is she sleeping?
Probably she's been in her room since before.
Tea, is Elma sleeping too? No, No, Elma's not sleeping.
Alma is not home yet?
Really, but where is she?
Wasn't she with you tonight?
Naturally, Catherine got worried and then suspicious where was Alma? The fact that Levi came home after curfew with no idea where Elma was and was then unfazed to hear that she wasn't home yet when they were supposed to be getting married. It left Catherine completely shook, and so Levi's reaction that night became central to the prosecution's case against him.
And how exactly did mister Weeks respond when you asked about Elma?
He looked pale and agitated, like he was hiding.
Something, objection speculation.
Leeve I didn't say anything.
He just did this, wait, what do you mean, missus Rain?
He took his hand like this, He covered one of his eyes and half of his mouth, and he took a deep breath. It was strange behavior, even for him.
Did you tell mister Weeks, hey, you're acting strange right now?
Why would I say that, mister Burr.
What did you say to Leva?
I told him I thought Elma was still out, probably alone.
Are you trying to stress him out?
I was trying to figure out where my cousin was. Mister Hamilton, Levi went up to bed. Didn't seem worried at all that Alma was still out in the cold, totally vulnerable.
Mister Weeks was tired, missus ring. He had a full day.
I was tired too, mister Hamilton. But I stayed up waiting all night for Elma. She never came home.
Around sunrise, I searched the whole house again, double checked every room. But then it was time to make food for the borders. Levi came to breakfast in a panic.
Where is she? Catherine? I searched the house. She's not here anywhere.
Do we have more biscuits on a trey?
Honey? But be careful, Levi.
Can you come here for a moment.
Enough, I'm very worried. Tell me where Alma is.
I don't know, Catherine. You're the one who always knows where she.
Is, except when she's with you.
Maybe she's hiding from me?
Hiding?
Would she hide from her husband?
Hold on husband?
Oh, don't bother pretending, Levi. Alma told me everything.
She said that you two went to a loaf last night and that I could expect you both home before curfew.
You're crazy, That is so ridiculous.
You not gaslight me, Levi. I know you two got married.
I've never married girl that Ezra's consent. Can you imagine he killed me?
Alma said you had his blessing.
Well I don't. Zra says I shouldn't date anyone right now. He has huge dreams for me. Liar, my brother thinks Alma is below me.
Alma is so.
High above you in literally every category.
I was born into a specific group. Catherine, Alma is just an orphan.
If that were true, she'd still be perfect.
But Alma isn't an orphan.
Yes she is.
You don't know her at all.
She has a dad in the South somewhere, and her mom is upstate.
I just saw her in September.
I thought she had no family.
I am her family, and you are a stranger. Alma was with you last night, and now she's missing.
She's not missing.
Then tell me where she is.
I don't know.
Then go find her.
What if I can't, you have to.
So when Catherine confronted Levi the next morning, he immediately just started crying, trembling, yelling, what are you doing?
Levi stopped.
All he could say was he's ruined, over and over and over.
He cried and cried, saying his future is doomed. All I could think about with Alma.
Was Levi still limping at this point?
What was that, mister Burr during.
This conversation with missus Ring. I'm just wondering, was Levi Weeks still limping from his slip several days before?
I have no idea. He was wailing in my kitchen, going on and on and on.
You weren't paying attention to his disposition.
He was walking.
His disposition was crisis distressed.
You would say, Levi Weeks has a kind disposition in general, a kind yes, missus Ring, A kind disposition.
Sure, he's kind.
Gentleman of the jury, Catherine Ring admits that Levi Weeks is kind. She always liked him.
That's not what I said, mister Burr.
But you found him to be kind, missus Ring. Where did almiss sleep?
Huh?
Her room was on the third floor, but last fall she started sleeping in the back room on the second floor with Levi sometimes, missus Ring.
A quick question about that back room on the second floor, is that the room that shares a wall with your neighbor's house.
Yes, mister Watkins built that plaster partition a few years ago.
Is that the second floor bedroom the most secluded and isolated of the rooms in the house.
I mean, I suppose.
That might be why Levi and Alma spent so much time in there, just to have some privacy.
Oh, your nails feel so good?
WHOA?
Keep doing that on my chest.
I'm practicing my penmanship.
Wait, can you read and write pretty well?
I'm getting a little better.
Oh huh. I wonder if my brother knows that you're literate.
You never asked me about myself? So how it is?
R No?
I ask you stuff all the time.
Ask me something right now, anything, I'll answer.
Okay, okay.
Do you.
Think I'm going to be rich and successful?
That's your question for me? Like?
What if I become so important that one day they name a holiday after me?
If I who would name a holiday after you?
Wow? Elma?
Wow? I knew you didn't believe me. Of course I believe is No, No, you don't.
You don't wake up, mister Watkins.
I don't care. Rise and shine, mister Watkins. Morning, wakey, wakey out you have.
To speak quieter.
Fine, fine, fine.
Come here, give you your face. I love you.
Oh, we've got a situation. You're gonna be late to mass.
No, it's not even a thirty yet.
But your nightgown is suddenly disappearing. It's it's a mystery. Is that somehow these bloomers are flying down your legs. They can't be stopped.
I wonder where they're going.
I know where I'm going.
Hey, just jumping in here to keep it PG. Also, Alma and Levi were often interrupted by their creepy housemate like this, god o.
Sure, pervert.
I'm so sorry.
Was just a were you watching her?
Oh, don't flattery yourselves.
I was going to fight the fact that next door.
Wawkins doesn't even sell cigarettes on Sundays.
This room isn't even on your way to the Watkins.
You were trying to see Elma naked again. You're a creep Croucher, Get out of here.
Richard Croucher was an older British merchant who lodged at the boarding house. Croucher was like menacing, ugly, scary and mean. He'd ultimately actually be declared criminally insane. More on that later, but in seventeen ninety nine. He was just grossly obsessed with Elma, and he did not.
Like Levi Weeks.
So Coldon used Croucher's testimony to further illustrate Levi's unpredictable, suspicious behavior after Alma disappeared.
My name is Richard Croucher. I'm a lodger at two hundred and Night, Greenwich.
Straight and you witnessed closely Levi and Elma's relationship.
I watched Leevi ruin.
Hey, guess Elma changed when she started singing the defendant. Her light dimmed in his company. I'm certain she was frightened of him. He's a frightening man.
Look at him, mister Croucher, How did you know Levi was guilty?
My bedroom is right below Levi's. He didn't sleep for days after Wilma disappeared. I found that most suspicious. I could hear Levi all through the night, dragon furniture, hammering, hasting.
Gentlemen of the jury. While everyone else in New York City looked for Alma Sands. Levi Weeks was moving furniture, not sleeping.
And though this seemed like a win for Colden's case, it was probably naive of him to call a witness who was notoriously controversial and gossipy. So to confirm what we just heard, Colden called Levi's apprentice to the stand.
William Anderson. You share Levi's bedroom at the Ring's house. Is that right?
I share his room and I know he was sleeping.
So he wasn't awake worried about Alma.
You're contradicting yourself.
So Levi week slept soundly on December twenty second to your note.
Because you have no case he did. Yes, And the night after that this is so hard to watch.
Levi slept soundly again.
And the third night called in, your embarrassing yourself. Please answer me, sir?
Can someone get Cad Walader a calendar?
The third night, Christmas night, Levi slept fine. Again.
I think it's clear our client had no trouble sleeping that week.
What about the fourth night?
Is this a joke?
Objection your honor?
One more question, then move it along, cold In.
I'm just asking, mister Anderson, did Levi show signs of anxiety or have trouble sleeping on the fourth night after Alma disappeared? I suppose so, but so yes, you saw change in Levi's behavior after Alma had been gone for three days.
Well, first I thought he'd caught the fever. But he wasn't sweating. He was just shaky, shaky, how shaky, like his girlfriend just died.
I don't know. Hold on, did Levi I seem to know Alma was dead at this point.
On the fourth night after Alma disappeared, Levi woke up in the middle of the night with bad dreams. According to his apprentice, William, this was the first time since Alma's disappearance that Levi showed any real concern about it. That Levi even seemed phased about Elma disappearing.
Sorry, how are you?
No?
No me?
It's your apprentice, help me.
You're having a.
Mind right, So Levi's anxiety continued to increase after Elma disappeared, and to reinforce this even further, and to confirm that Levi's behavior following the murder was erratic, Coldon called up Hope Sands, Alma's second cousin and another resident at the boarding house. Hope was a freckly, dark haired girl with a heart of gold. She was self assured and she had no problem speaking her mind about Levi To the jury.
She told them.
Levi was a total zombie. After Alma vanished, he was exhausted and pale, and he came to me completely Mannic Hope, come here, I am working Levi. I need to talk to you, and I need to finish these hats. The Rings are struggling with the rent because of those empty rooms.
Yes, I help the Rings too, we all do.
You are helping Catherine and Elias with their financial issues? How specifically?
I paid two months re in advance just to keep their doors open.
You didn't pay anything. Everyone knows your brother pays for you, so so as Roe's rich, I've seen his house, I don't feel.
Bound for you.
I'm in crisis.
Stop pig.
You're messing with this brette, but get off of my sewing.
That hats are not urgent. I'm your friend and I need your help.
So you're not really my friend. You're a housemaid who I accidentally slept with a few times.
What do you want?
Le Bay?
Just sign this? What is it?
It's standard?
This basically says you've hooked up with every girl in this house.
No, no, it says I treated every girl the same way I treated Elma.
Where did you even get a document like this.
My brother hired attorneys just in case, just in case, what just in case, just if the body is found close to here or nearby body.
So everyone was still hopeful that Alma might come home or that she would be found alive, except for Levi Weeks. He assumed that Alma was dead and that he would be implicated. And as Hope asked, where did he even get a legal document like this? At the time of this trial, Levi's older brother, Ezra was building a mansion uptown for Alexander Hamilton. It's called The Grain. It's still there right now. And in New York, guys like Hamilton and Burr had all the power socially, politically, legally financially, but personally they didn't have any cash. So both Burr and Hamilton were in debt all the time, and for the mansion project, Hamilton would have owed a favor to his architect extraordinaire, Ezra Weeks. The least he could do was draw up some preliminary legal paperwork to protect Ezra's little brother Levi, but Hope refused to sign. She knew something wasn't right.
It's just a precaution. Keep me protected so the police don't show up and hould me off to Bridewell in Chain's.
Can you imagine he's Alma dead?
I don't know if she said her life, just sign.
This and I said no way, And then he had the audacity to ask me to get Catherine's signature.
And did you, of course not, Hope.
Do you think people liked Levi before he was accused of this horrible thing?
Uh?
You know, like everyone was fine with him when he moved in last July.
And clearly you liked him, maybe a little too much.
People liked Levi, yes, until he murdered.
Elma, and Hope went on to testify about an interaction that she had with Levi a few nights after the murder. She was in Catherine's room at the time, trying to figure out where Elma could be, and Levi barged in there.
Like this Belleview is first thing on your list tomorrow, but then you have to check all the hospitals.
Oh ladies, ladies, you're being such down as you're bumming everybody out.
Go away, Levi.
Oh Catherine, girls, just let this go. She's gone, What Alma's gone? Nothing to do about it? Shut up?
Why would you say that.
Alma probably got sick of this depressing boarding house and ended it just like she said she would.
Yeah, I heard her say that, but she never meant like in her life. It is a figure of speech.
Everyone says it to clarify everyone threatens to end their own lives.
Yes, yes, I've said. You know, if blah blah blah, I'd kill myself.
There's no possible way that Alma wanted to commit suicide.
How would you know that?
I knew Alma very well, mister.
Hamilton, but not as well as Levi I did.
Right, Maybe Levi I knew her more intimately at the end.
So if Levi said that Alma probably killed herself, then Elma probably killed herself.
Wouldn't you say?
No?
I wouldn't say that at all, Sir.
Alma never said anything like that, your honor, you have to believe us.
Hope didn't be here.
I was only saying if Alma accidentally took too much laudanum, but her psycho boyfriend drove her to do it. So Alma's death is Levi's fault regardless.
Wonderful. Nothing further but I step.
Down, man, And once it was said from the witness stand that Elma may have once colloquially threatened to take her own life. The defense attorneys were ready to build their case on that idea. But if Levi Weeks had an alibi, why didn't that come out right away? And why were the most powerful attorneys in Manhattan so focused on eviscerating the character of the dead twenty two year old. In the next episode, the prosecution stumbles upon a secret that threatens the defense's entire case. This is erased, Stay with Us erased. The Murder of Elma Sands is a production of Lunch Plans and Lava for Good Podcasts in association with Signal Company Number One. The show is narrated, written, and produced by me Alison Flamm. It stars Alison Williams as Catherine Ring, Tony Goldwyn as Alexander Hamilton, Barry Sheck as Aaron Burr, and Jason as Judge John Lansing.
Our executive producers are.
Alison Williams, Jason Flamm, and Kevin Wartis. This show is produced by Goldhalk Productions. The show is sound designed and mixed by Steve Bond. The music is composed and performed by Sasha Putnam. The producer for goldhalk Is Andy Goddard, with production management from Emma Hearn, the executive producer for goldhalk Is John Scott Dryden. You can listen to every episode of Erased the Murder of Elma Sands right now ad free by subscribing to Lava for Good plus on Apple Podcasts. You can also follow the show on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter at Lava for Good and For more information on this story, plus a complete list of our incredible cast, visit lavafgood dot com. Slash Erased