In Cold Storage: Sex and Murder on the Plains by James W. Hewitt (review)

This book explores a rare occurrence in small rural towns: sensational, widely publicized crime. The author sets out to examine a particularly sensational murder that occurred in McCook, Nebraska, in the 1970s. Hewitt begins by establishing a clear picture of what life was like in a rural Nebraska community in the early to mid-1900s. The context in which the offenders and their victims lived is critical to understanding the events that later unfolded. After detailing the context of life on the plains, Hewitt explains that in 1973 Edwin and Wilma Hoyt disappeared from their farm. The author explores the fear this created in a rural community, the impact of the local media, and how family and neighbors coped with stress and suspicion. Ultimately, this small community learned that this was not simply a missing persons’ case, but a double homicide. The homicide was discovered when the dismembered portions of the Hoyts’ bodies floated to the surface of the local lake. Hewitt discusses how news of this brutal crime seems to have dominated the surrounding communities and shaped residents lives and behaviors.

Hewitt researched the case by exploring existing legal records associated with the case as well as local newspaper reports. He interviewed a variety of residents and families of both the victims and offenders who were familiar with the McCook area and the case. Further, he conducted an interview with Harold Nokes, the man who was ultimately convicted of committing both murders and remains incarcerated in Lincoln, Nebraska. Nokes’s wife and possible accomplice was also contacted by the author, though she refused his requests for an interview. To set the scene, Hewitt describes the background and life events of the offenders, the victims, and many of their family members. He spends a significant portion of the early chapters describing the sexual practices of the victims’ (potentially mentally ill) daughter and her past relationship with the offenders. This seems to have been of particular interest to the crime’s initial investigators as well.

The book concludes with a discussion of Hewitt’s more recent interview with Nokes. The author explores alternative assignments of responsibility for the murders and highlights various discrepancies between Nokes’s current description of the crime and the original confession and investigation. Whether these discrepancies result from the passage of time and the failing memory of an elderly inmate or instead reflect deceptions and inaccuracies in the original investigation cannot be concretely established. Hewitt highlights the fact that a number of crucial questions were never answered in the course of the original investigation. It should be noted that any conclusions appear to be largely based on the author’s own assumptions and speculations.

However, the book could certainly have significant pedagogical value, particularly in criminal justice classrooms. For instance, it allows for exploration of the impact of changes in Nebraska’s justice system. It could provide a valuable opportunity for students to critically explore how police practice, investigation, forensics, oversight, and judicial practice have changed throughout Nebraska’s history. The book would also allow for discussion of the impact of changing social norms on criminal investigation.