Robert Wilhelm

Robert Wilhelm writes about historical true crime with a particular interest in nineteenth-century American murders. His blog Murder by Gaslight (murderbygaslight.com), “A compendium of information, resources, and discussion on notable nineteenth century American murders,” has been running continuously since 2009. In his weekly posts, Robert has written the stories of more than 500 American murders. He also maintains a smaller blog, The National Night Stick (night-stick.com), presents illustrations and articles on crime, eccentricity, and the sporting life in 19th Century America.

His latest book, So Far from Home: The Pearl Bryan Murder (Night Stick Press, 2021), relates the events surrounding the sensational 1896 murder of Pearl Bryan in the Highlands of Kentucky. Robert is also the author of The Bloody Century (Night Stick Press, 2014), a survey of 50 of the most intriguing murder cases from the archives of American crime. Wicked Victorian Boston by Robert Wilhelm (The History Press, 2017) documents vice and crime in nineteenth-century Boston and the efforts of reformers to control it. His Murder and Mayhem in Essex County chronicles murders and other capital crimes in Essex County Massachusetts, from the Puritans to the turn of the twentieth century.