Milton Babich

Timeline

• March 20, 1949 — Firefighters were summoned to the Milwaukee River after a truck driver reported seeing a woman jump into the water; the woman refused a lifeline and slipped under the water.
• March 23, 1949 — Milwaukee police began tracking a new lead after Kathleen Birmingham vanished.
• February 10, 1949 — Detectives retraced Patricia Birmingham’s steps on the last day anyone saw her alive; Babich scheduled an after-school rendezvous with her.
• June 21, 1949 — Babich entered prison in Waupun, Wis., after the guilty verdict.
• February 1958 — Babich was released from prison.

Background

Patricia Birmingham was 16 when she died. Her sister was Kathleen Birmingham, 17. Patricia Birmingham vanished 38 days earlier and was later identified as the body found in the Milwaukee River.

The case involved a gang of juvenile thieves and suspicion fell on four teenage troublemakers who knew Patricia Birmingham from school.

Milwaukee police put out a warrant for Kathleen Birmingham’s reported “runaway lovers,” accusing Milton Babich of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

The offence

Patricia Birmingham was found as a corpse in the Milwaukee River after being thought to have committed suicide. She had been shot in the head. Around her legs was an ankle bracelet of cloth and wire attached to a 38-pound building block. She was not treated as a suicide.

Milwaukee police theorized that Patricia Birmingham may have recognized one of the burglars and that the burglars decided she had to be silenced.

Milton Babich told police that it was an accident. Babich told police that he bought a pistol, drove to a secluded spot on Feb. 10, tried to scare Patricia Birmingham, and during an attempt to get the gun away from her, “the gun went off” and she slumped over.

Babich disposed of Patricia Birmingham’s body by stealing a concrete block, tying her legs to it with wire and strips of an old shirt that had belonged to his father, and tossing the weighted corpse from a dock used to dispose of snow.

Investigation

Firefighters started dragging the river immediately and found no trace of the suicide. Their grappling hooks pulled up two items of interest: a maroon bicycle and the body of Patricia Birmingham.

Detectives continued looking for the suicide and eventually found the body of Florence Wynne, 42.

Detectives later retraced Patricia Birmingham’s route on Feb. 10 and determined that the route she took home from school passed by a house that had been burglarized that same afternoon.

Suspicion fell on four teenage troublemakers who knew the victim from school after the homicide was discovered to be connected to a missing person case.

Arrest

Kathleen Birmingham had left her parents a note saying that she had eloped with her sweetheart, Milton Babich, 19, and they had been planning it for some time. Milwaukee police put out a warrant for the runaway lovers, and police waited for them when they returned home with groceries.

Trial

The case focused on Milton Babich. Detectives had learned that Babich and Patricia Birmingham scheduled an after-school rendezvous and that Babich wanted Kathleen to intervene to smooth out a problem he was having with her.

Babich told police that he never kept the appointment. He said that around 2 p.m. he stopped by the lingerie shop where Kathleen Birmingham worked and that Kathleen was “all smiles.” He said that seeing no need for help patching up the quarrel, he broke his date with the younger sister.

Witnesses cast doubt on his story. Several witnesses said they had seen Babich in his father’s car, driving past the Birmingham home sometime between 3:30 and 4 around the time Patricia disappeared.

Patricia Birmingham’s school friend Ruth Miller said that she and Patricia Birmingham walked home together, parting about 6 blocks from her home. Ruth Miller recalled Patricia saying: “I've got to hurry,” Ruth recalled Pat saying, “because I'm going to meet Milton Babich.”

After 48 hours of grueling interrogation and four days after the body was pulled from the watery grave, detectives learned what happened to Patricia Birmingham.

Babich had killed Patricia Birmingham. He told police it was an accident. Babich said that late in December Patricia Birmingham learned something about Kathleen Birmingham—something deeply humiliating—because Kathleen was pregnant. Babich said Kathleen’s pregnancy could not be kept secret once Patricia found out, and Patricia started “blabbing” and spread the news all over the school.

Babich said that in early February he decided something had to be done, and that murder was never on his mind. He said he bought a pistol and made a date to talk with Patricia Birmingham. On Feb. 10, Babich picked Patricia up in his father’s car and said the gun had been tucked into the glove compartment.

Babich’s account included these statements:

• Babich said: “She just laughed.”
• Babich said: “I took the gun out of the glove compartment and laid it on the seat between us, just to scare her.”
• Babich said: “But she thought it was a toy pistol and grabbed for the barrel.”
• Babich said: “I tried to get it away from her and the gun went off.”
• Babich said: “She slumped over.”

Kathleen Birmingham stood by Milton Babich despite the confession and put the blame on her sister. After Babich’s arraignment, Kathleen Birmingham told reporters through tears: “Patricia was a little devil and liked to tease.”

The jury found Babich guilty of murder in the first degree, which carried a life sentence. The verdict was announced after a deliberation of 75 minutes.

As the verdict was announced, Babich’s bride screamed and collapsed.

Babich said: “Gosh, I'll be an old man before I get out,” as he entered the prison in Waupun, Wis., on June 21, 1949. He was listed as convict No. 30816.

Sentencing

Milton Babich was sentenced to life in prison. He entered prison in Waupun, Wis., on June 21, 1949.

Outcome

Babich took advantage of educational and rehab programs. He was described as an exemplary prisoner and earned parole in less than nine years.

In February 1958, Babich stepped out of prison and headed for a new home and a new life in an undisclosed state.

Newspapers reported that wherever he went, his wife and their child were already there, waiting for him.

Other details

Kathleen Birmingham gave birth to their daughter a little more than a month after Babich entered prison. Kathleen Birmingham vowed to wait for him, even if she had to raise their child on her own. As it turned out, she did not wait all that long.

Patricia Birmingham’s body was found with an ankle bracelet of cloth and wire attached to a 38-pound building block. Babich sat in the car for a half an hour with the corpse by his side before driving to dispose of it.

“Wed or Dead? Sister of Slain Girl Is Hunted Through Nation” was the Daily News headline on March 23.