In 1955, the nation was stunned by the deliberate destruction of United Air Lines Flight 629, a crime committed by a young man driven by resentment toward his mother.
On November 1st, 1955, United Air Lines Flight 629, a DC-6B with 44 people on board, took off from Stapleton Airport in Denver, Colorado, heading for Portland, Oregon. Just 11 minutes later, the plane crashed onto a sugar beet farm near Longmont, Colorado, killing all 39 passengers, including an infant, and five crew members. Among the victims was the wife of a presidential aide, adding to the profound shock and sorrow felt nationwide.
The FBI quickly joined the investigation, offering their expertise in victim identification. Fingerprint experts were flown in from Washington, D.C., arriving at the crash site the following day. The bodies were transported to a temporary morgue in Greeley, Colorado, where the FBI team began the painstaking task of identifying the deceased.
Of the 44 victims, nine had already been identified by relatives or personal belongings. The remaining 35 were fingerprinted, and 21 of these were positively identified through the FBI's extensive fingerprint files, which held over 109 million records. These identifications were made possible by fingerprints taken for various reasons during the victims' lifetimes, such as naturalization processes, military service, employment in defense plants during World War II, or personal requests for identification records.
The remaining 14 victims, whose fingerprints did not match any records, were eventually identified by their loved ones or through personal effects.
This tragic event not only marked a significant moment in aviation history but also highlighted the evolving role of forensic science in criminal investigations, setting the stage for future advancements in solving complex cases.
While the identification of the crash victims was underway on November 2 and 3, FBI agents from the Denver Field Office collaborated closely with United Air Lines and the Civil Aeronautics Board to investigate the wreckage. The FBI Laboratory’s full resources were offered to assist, and at the request of the Civil Aeronautics Board, a lab expert was dispatched to the scene on November 2. From November 2 to 7, this expert, along with Civil Aeronautics Board investigators, conducted a thorough visual examination and collected wreckage fragments.
During this examination, it became evident that the plane’s tail section had been cleanly severed from the rest of the aircraft, as though sliced by a knife, and landed relatively undamaged about a mile and a half away from where the engines and nose section had impacted. Debris from the middle section was scattered widely between these two points.
Despite a meticulous inspection of the wreckage by engineers from United Air Lines, the Douglas Aircraft Corporation, and other manufacturing experts, no evidence was found that suggested a mechanical failure or explosion caused by a malfunction.
On November 7, 1955, the chief investigator of the Civil Aeronautics Board announced that there were signs of sabotage, prompting the FBI to launch a criminal investigation the following day. Agents were assigned to gather eyewitness accounts, trace all cargo, mail, and baggage, conduct background checks on passengers and crew members, and supervise the ongoing search for evidence in the wreckage.
In the days immediately following the crash, four teams of interviewers—composed of officials from the Civil Aeronautics Board and United Air Lines—interviewed approximately 200 residents within a 140-square-mile area around the crash site. Out of these, 37 individuals provided potentially valuable information, which was documented in signed statements and reviewed by the FBI. These accounts, combined with other evidence, pointed to an initial explosion occurring while the plane was operating normally. Witnesses described seeing fiery debris falling from the sky, and a flare—standard equipment on the plane—detached, ignited, and floated down slowly. A second explosion, likely involving one or more fuel tanks, occurred when the plane’s engines and forward section hit the ground.
Further investigation revealed that the explosion took place around 7:03 p.m., roughly eight miles east of Longmont, Colorado, at an altitude of 10,800 feet above sea level. To meticulously document the wreckage recovery process, a surveyor was hired to map out the crash site. The entire area was divided into 1,000-square-foot grids, and each piece of wreckage was cataloged based on its precise location.
As the search continued, small metal fragments were discovered that did not belong to the plane or its known cargo. These fragments, coated in a gray soot-like substance, were later identified as remnants of a six-volt battery—a key component in the bomb that destroyed the plane. Additional analysis of the wreckage revealed foreign deposits consistent with the residue left by dynamite, leading the FBI to conclude that dynamite had likely been used in the explosion.
All recovered wreckage was transported to a warehouse at Stapleton Airport, where it was guarded and painstakingly examined. A full-size model of the plane’s central section was constructed from wood and wire netting, and all recovered parts were placed in their proper positions, resembling a giant jigsaw puzzle. This careful reconstruction allowed investigators to pinpoint the explosion's origin to cargo pit number four, near station 718, where heavy fuselage fragments had been shattered by an intense blast. The presence of soot deposits and the damage pattern confirmed that the explosion had occurred at this location, leading to the eventual identification of the bomb’s components and the unraveling of the case.
The suspect in the investigation gradually emerged as Jack Gilbert Graham, the son of crash victim Daisie E. King. During the FBI's thorough investigation, agents began to focus on the backgrounds of each of the 44 victims, looking for any potential motives for homicide. They also investigated individuals who had canceled their reservations or failed to board the flight.
In their pursuit, agents recovered a significant amount of personal effects from Mrs. King, including items that revealed more about her life and relationships. Among these effects was a newspaper clipping that mentioned Graham's criminal past, including charges of forgery and his placement on a "most wanted" list in Denver in 1951. Despite this, very little of Mrs. King's luggage was found at the crash site, leading investigators to speculate about the nature of the explosion.
Insurance policies were another focal point of the investigation. A duplicate travel insurance policy on Mrs. King's life was discovered hidden in Graham's home. This policy, worth $37,500, named Graham as the beneficiary. Additional policies worth $12,500 each were also found, with other family members listed as beneficiaries.
The relationship between Graham and his mother was fraught with tension. They frequently argued, and Graham had a troubled history, including suspicions of theft and fraud. Witnesses described their relationship as combative, and there were suggestions that Graham had previously been involved in suspicious activities, including a truck accident that appeared to be an attempt to collect insurance money.
Graham's criminal record was extensive, beginning with a forgery conviction in 1951, where he forged checks and fled after stealing $4,200. His past also included a run-in with the law in Texas, where he was arrested for violating liquor laws. Despite this, he had been granted probation and had managed to maintain employment and make restitution payments.
Further details from Graham's background, such as his brief service in the U.S. Coast Guard, during which he went AWOL for 63 days, added to the growing suspicion against him. His life had been marked by reckless behavior, poor decisions, and a difficult relationship with his mother, which made him a prime suspect as evidence continued to mount against him.
Jack Gilbert Graham, convicted of bombing United Airlines flight 629 on November 1, 1955, in order to collect life insurance money from his mother's death.
Jack Graham was first interviewed on November 10, 1955, with his half-sister present. During this interview, Graham provided background information about himself and his family.
Graham mentioned he was born on January 23, 1932, in Denver, Colorado. His father, William Graham, died when Jack was about three years old, and his biological mother was Daisie E. King. Mrs. King married John Earl King in 1941, and they lived on a ranch near Toponas, Colorado, until 1948, when most of the ranch was sold. After that, his mother and stepfather lived in Yampa, Colorado, until John Earl King's death on October 16, 1954.
Following Earl King's death from heart disease, Daisie King and her daughter moved to Goodland, Florida, where Mrs. King owned a house on Marco Island. Mrs. King stayed there until February 1955, when she returned to Denver to assist Mrs. Jack Graham, who had just given birth to her second child.
According to Graham, after Mrs. King's return to Denver, she lived at his home at 2650 West Mississippi Avenue, except for times when she was in Steamboat Springs and Yampa, Colorado, managing business interests or traveling out of state. He said his mother bought the residence at 2650 West Mississippi Avenue for him in December 1954, and considered it her home.
Graham stated that in the spring of 1955, his mother bought property, built, equipped, and opened a drive-in restaurant at 581 South Federal Boulevard, Denver, which he managed. He claimed that the drive-in was not financially successful, though it was more profitable when he personally operated it. Graham also mentioned that during May 1955, unknown vandals caused significant damage to the windows of the drive-in, and in September 1955, a gas explosion and fire occurred at the drive-in early one morning.
Graham explained that someone had disconnected a gas line, allowing gas to fill the room until it reached a pilot light on a water heater, causing the explosion. He added that three dollars in small change was missing from the cash register, and some furniture had been damaged. The total damage was around $1,200.
Graham also mentioned that he had experienced bad luck with a new 1955 Chevrolet pickup, which had stalled on a railroad track and was hit by a train.
During the interview, Graham provided information about his mother's activities on November 1, 1955, and her plans for her trip to Alaska. He described her luggage but claimed little knowledge of its contents, stating that his mother never allowed anyone to help her pack, and he had not assisted her with packing. He mentioned that Mrs. King had a large amount of shotgun shells and rifle ammunition for hunting caribou in Alaska.
On November 11, 1955, Mrs. Gloria A. Graham, Jack Graham’s wife, stated that she married Jack in 1953 and had lived with him since then. They had two children, one about 20 months old and the other about nine months old.
Mrs. Graham confirmed that Daisie King had lived with them at 2650 West Mississippi Avenue periodically from December 1954 until her death. Mrs. King traveled extensively and spent much of the summer of 1955 managing her business in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
Mrs. Graham provided details about Mrs. King’s activities before and on November 1, 1955, including a description of the luggage Mrs. King took on her trip to Alaska. However, she could not provide any specific details about the contents of the luggage. She explained that Mrs. King was meticulous about packing and did not allow anyone to help her.
Mrs. Graham said that on November 1, 1955, her husband gave Mrs. King a gift before she left for the airport. Mrs. Graham believed the gift was a small set of tools, such as drills, files, and cutting tools, for making art objects out of sea shells.
According to Mrs. Graham, her husband had mentioned getting such a tool set as a Christmas present for his mother. Mrs. Graham did not know the details of the purchase but remembered that Jack Graham brought a wrapped package into the house on November 1, 1955, and took it to the basement, where Mrs. King was packing. She assumed the package contained the tool set, but she did not know if Jack had actually given it to his mother.
Further interviews on November 11 and 12, 1955, with relatives and associates of Daisie King and Jack Graham did not yield additional information, except for what was provided by a neighbor of one of Jack Graham’s relatives on November 11, 1955.
This neighbor reported hearing that before Mrs. King’s planned trip to Alaska, Graham was very interested in buying a tool kit to give his mother as a Christmas present. She heard that Graham had searched Denver and eventually found the tool kit he wanted. She also heard that Graham wrapped the gift in Christmas paper and placed it in his mother’s luggage before she boarded the plane.
This neighbor also heard that shortly after Mrs. King left Denver on the plane, Jack Graham became very ill, and his face turned pale. She said Graham and his wife, Gloria, apparently overheard someone say that an airplane had crashed. Upon hearing this, Graham allegedly responded, “That is it.”
According to this neighbor, since the crash, Jack Graham had not eaten or slept much and had spent most of his time pacing inside and outside his home.
Since a description of Mrs. King’s luggage had been obtained, several broken and torn fragments of luggage were brought to the Denver FBI Office on November 12, 1955. This luggage generally matched the description of Mrs. King’s luggage.
On November 12, 1955, Jack Graham and his wife, Gloria, were contacted by telephone and informed that the FBI had these fragments and requested that they come to the FBI office to identify any of the fragments as belonging to Mrs. King.
The Grahams voluntarily appeared at the Denver FBI Office the next day and identified some pieces of a dark brown suitcase as part of the smaller suitcase Mrs. King took on her trip. They also identified a piece of a red and black plaid canvas bag as possibly belonging to one of the bags she had taken.
After identifying the luggage fragments, Graham was asked further questions about the reported ammunition and Christmas gift his mother had taken on her trip. The information Graham provided about the ammunition was consistent with his earlier statements. However, his account of the Christmas present did not match the information given by his wife.
Graham stated that he had intended to buy a tool set for his mother, but after learning that the type he wanted was unsuitable, he never purchased it. He speculated that his wife might have thought he had bought the tools.
Graham was then questioned in detail about his activities at the Denver Municipal Airport on November 1, 1955, and his statements were consistent with what he had previously said. He could not explain why he had mailed himself a trip insurance policy his mother took out at the airport, naming him as the beneficiary, other than mentioning that he had mailed two similar policies for which his sister and aunt were the beneficiaries. He said he thought he had thrown these insurance policies in a trash can at the airport, as he had not yet received the one he mailed to himself.
Graham added that after his mother’s departure, he, his wife, and son went to the airport coffee shop to have dinner. He said he became ill after starting to eat and went to the men’s restroom, attributing his illness to excitement about his mother’s departure and poor food at the coffee shop.
Since there were discrepancies between Graham’s statements and those of his wife, FBI agents were sent to the Graham residence to interview Mrs. Graham again and obtain a signed statement about the inconsistencies in her story compared to her husband’s.
Because of these discrepancies, Graham was informed that the FBI considered him a suspect. He was advised that he did not have to make any statement and that anything he said could be used against him in court. He was also told he had the right to consult an attorney.
Graham stated that he had no objection to signing a statement agreeing to voluntarily submit to a polygraph examination and to consent to a search of his home, cars, and property. He then read and signed such statements.
FBI agents searched Graham’s home, cars, and property.
During the search, a small roll of copper wire with yellow insulation was found in the pocket of a work shirt belonging to Graham. This wire appeared to be the type used in detonating primer caps. The trip insurance policy for Daisie E. King, dated November 1, 1955, with Jack Graham as the beneficiary, was also found hidden in a small cedar chest in one of the bedrooms of Graham’s home.
Subsequently, Graham was questioned primarily about the discrepancies between his statements and those of his wife and others interviewed by the FBI. Agents were sent to verify the accuracy of Graham’s additional statements. Upon their return, Graham was confronted with their findings, and he was unable to explain the inconsistencies in several areas.
At this point, Graham was informed of the FBI Laboratory's findings regarding the examination of wreckage fragments from the crash. He then confessed to causing the explosion at the dairy drive-in he managed in Denver and admitted to leaving his 1955 Chevrolet on a railroad track to be struck by an oncoming train.
Graham ultimately confessed to his role in the plane crash, describing the device he had constructed to carry out the crime. He explained that he had assembled a time bomb using 25 sticks of dynamite, two electric primer caps, a timer, and a six-volt battery.
A signed statement detailing these admissions was obtained from him, and on November 14, 1955, a complaint was filed before a U.S. Commissioner in Denver by an FBI special agent, charging Jack Gilbert Graham with sabotage.
Graham later appeared before the U.S. Commissioner, where he was informed of the charges against him and given the opportunity to post bond, which was recommended by the U.S. Attorney at $100,000. He was remanded to the custody of the U.S. marshal in lieu of bond.
On November 17, 1955, Graham was charged with murder in the State Court in Denver, Colorado, and was held without bail pending future hearings. The charge was for the murder of his mother, Mrs. Daisie E. King, age 54.
Following Graham’s arrest, an investigation was launched to trace the origin of the materials used in constructing the time bomb.
This investigation led to the discovery, on November 17, 1955, of a supply company in Denver, Colorado, where Graham had been identified as purchasing a 60-minute “on-type” timing device on October 26, 1955, which he exchanged a few days later for a 60-minute “off-type” timing device.
On November 19, 1955, a store manager in Kremmling, Colorado, recalled selling 20 to 25 sticks of dynamite and two electric blasting caps to an individual in October 1955. The manager believed that Graham matched the description of the person who had made the purchase.
On November 21, 1955, the manager identified Graham in a lineup as the person who had bought the dynamite and blasting caps from him in October.
A significant aspect of the investigation was the account provided by Graham’s half-sister.
She expressed that she had never felt comfortable around Graham in recent years; he was sullen and had "pent-up violence," which made her uneasy. She described him as having a warped sense of humor, recounting incidents that she found disturbing. For instance, while living with her and her husband in Alaska, Graham worked as a dragline operator for the CAA. He once told them that, frustrated by a bolt he couldn’t loosen, he used dynamite to blow it off.
She also remembered a comment Graham made after the United Air Lines plane crash, jokingly imagining the chaos caused by shotgun shells going off inside the plane, with the passengers and pilots, including their grandmother, "jumping around."
The half-sister had long believed that Graham was mentally unstable and had shared her concerns with her husband and another relative. She recalled instances when she had been the target of Graham’s violent temper—once, he knocked her down and kneed her in the chest, causing injury to her ribs. On another occasion, he threatened her with a hammer, forcing her to lock herself in a room to escape.
She recounted a summer 1955 incident where Graham awoke to find his wife missing. After discovering her playing cards with his sister and their mother, he became inexplicably enraged and slapped and backhanded his wife multiple times. Their mother, Daisie King, became extremely frightened during this outburst, evidently fearing that Graham might harm her as well.
After two continuances, Graham was arraigned in Denver District Court on December 9, 1955. Immediately following his arrest, he transferred most of his property to his wife, Gloria, declared himself unable to afford legal counsel, and accepted the services of three prominent Denver attorneys appointed by the court.
The State of Colorado charged Graham with the murder of his mother. He entered pleas of “not guilty” and “not guilty by reason of insanity, before, during, and after the alleged commission of the crime.” The court accepted only the pleas of “not guilty” and “not guilty by reason of insanity at the time of the alleged crime.”
Graham was sent to Colorado Psychopathic Hospital for evaluation by two defense and two court-appointed psychiatrists. During an interview with one of the doctors, he claimed that his confession was influenced by a photograph he saw at the FBI office. The picture depicted the capture of Nazi saboteurs during World War II, and it gave him the idea to confess that he had used dynamite to blow up the United Air Lines airplane.
All four psychiatrists found Graham legally sane, and he was returned to the Denver County jail. He behaved as a model prisoner, spending his time quietly reading and chatting with guards. On the evening of February 10, 1956, around 5:30 p.m., a deputy sheriff was drawn to Graham’s cell by the sound of heavy breathing. The prisoner was slumped on the floor, with his socks twisted tightly around his neck, using a piece of rolled cardboard for added leverage. The guard quickly loosened the garrote, and a doctor was summoned immediately to administer sedatives. Graham was placed in a straitjacket for the night. The following day, he was transferred to the psychiatric ward at Colorado General Hospital, where he was restrained and closely monitored by four guards.
No further chances were taken with Graham, who was now under constant 24-hour surveillance by vigilant attendants. The psychiatrists resumed their interviews with him, during which he spoke freely about himself.
He reaffirmed that his confession about murdering the plane's passengers was true. He recounted that after deciding to kill his mother, he purchased a timer and dynamite and constructed a homemade bomb. While his mother was occupied with last-minute preparations for her trip, he placed the bomb in her old suitcase, securing it with extra webbing. They then left for the airport, accompanied by his wife and children, who were there to see their grandmother off. Graham dropped off his mother and family at the terminal before parking the car. He set the bomb's timer before retrieving the suitcase from the car and taking it to the counter to be weighed before being loaded onto the plane.
When asked about his feelings regarding the crime, Graham coldly responded that he knew there were about 50 or 60 people on board the DC-6B, but the number of lives lost didn’t matter to him—it could have been a thousand. He remarked that "when their time comes, there is nothing they can do about it." He expressed relief in confessing to the doctor, admitting that he had been troubled by his conscience.
On February 24, 1956, Graham withdrew his insanity plea and was returned to the Denver County Jail. His trial was scheduled for April 16, 1956.
In December 1955, the Colorado Supreme Court had banned photography in state courts, following Canon 35 of the American Bar Association. However, after public hearings, the decision was reversed, giving judges the discretion to allow or prohibit media coverage. The judge presiding over Graham's trial allowed sound-on-film recording, press photography, and radio broadcasts, but banned live television coverage.
Graham's attorneys requested a complete ban on television cameras during the trial. The judge permitted limited media presence but respected the wishes of any witness or the defendant who objected to being photographed. Graham was the only person to make such a request, and the judge had a switch on the bench to control the camera feed when necessary.
A booth was constructed in the back corner of the courtroom for camera equipment, and a local newspaper installed a direct telephone line from the court to its editorial room. Wire services set up teletype machines and telephones in nearby city hall space. A few photographers, including those representing national media, received permission to use small cameras without flash attachments.
The trial broke records in Colorado for the number of jurors examined—231 in total. The primary reasons for juror dismissal were fixed opinions on Graham's guilt or opposition to capital punishment.
The final jury was a diverse cross-section of American life, including housewives, typists, a movie executive, an engineer, a truck driver, a saleslady, a telephone technician, a lithographer, a bookkeeper, and a salesman. The women on the panel requested a sewing machine for their dormitory, while the men played cards and checkers in their spare time.
On the first day of the trial, and nearly throughout, hundreds of people lined up outside the courtroom, hoping to secure a seat. Many brought their lunches, unwilling to risk losing their spot. One woman, the wife of the United Air Lines pilot of the ill-fated flight, was saved a seat each morning by the guard at the door. She sat just a few feet from Graham during the trial.
Graham appeared calm and unconcerned throughout the proceedings. Though he had lost some weight since his arrest, he looked healthy. He wore a neat suit each day, slouched in his chair, chewed gum, and occasionally conferred with his attorneys. The District Attorney, in his opening statement, asserted that the state would prove Graham had planned his mother’s murder “coldly, carefully, and deliberately.”
One crucial piece of evidence was a yellow wire, the same type used in electric dynamite caps, found at Graham’s home during an FBI search. The prosecution planned to prove that Graham had purchased about 25 sticks of dynamite, a timer, a battery, and dynamite caps, which he placed in his mother’s luggage. The explosion in cargo pit number four of the airliner, they argued, was caused by dynamite.
The foundation of the prosecution’s case established the Denver District Court's jurisdiction, the flight schedule of the United Air Lines Mainliner, and the identification of Mrs. Daisie E. King. Testimony confirmed that Mrs. King and her luggage were on the plane when it left Stapleton Air Field in Denver on November 1, 1955. Ground crew personnel testified that the airplane was functioning properly at takeoff.
Six state witnesses described the explosion of the DC-6B airliner east of Longmont, Colorado. United Air Lines employees, Civil Aeronautics Board investigators, and a Douglas Aircraft Corporation engineer presented evidence about the crash scene, the removal of bodies, and the identification of wreckage. Three witnesses testified that the explosion had occurred in cargo pit number four.
On the ninth day of the trial, the defense challenged the admissibility of FBI testimony and evidence in federal court, arguing that Graham’s confession was obtained under duress and without proper advisement of his rights. They also contended that the search of Graham’s home was conducted without his consent. The federal judge dismissed the motion after FBI agents testified that Graham had been fully advised of his rights and had signed eight waivers of search. The trial continued in state court.
An FBI Laboratory expert testified that the gray residue found on airplane parts from cargo pit number four was from dynamite. The expert also identified metal and carbon fragments from the wreckage as components of a specific type of battery. Additionally, an FBI agent testified that wire found in Graham’s shirt pocket matched wire from an electric dynamite cap.
The owner of an electric company testified that Graham had briefly worked for him in October 1955 and had inquired about timers that could be used with a battery. A salesman from a Denver electric wholesale house testified that Graham had purchased a 60-minute timer during October, representing himself as an employee of the Colorado-Texas Pump Company.
A credit manager from a Denver Chevrolet company testified that Graham, unable to pay a $50 deductible on his 1955 Chevrolet pickup, had commented on how easy it would be to blow up an airplane using nitroglycerin. Graham observed how luggage was handled at Stapleton Airport and said it would be easy to place a bomb on an airplane.
The prosecution rested its case after 15 days, having called approximately 80 witnesses and introduced 174 exhibits. The defense called eight witnesses but offered no evidence to rebut the prosecution’s claims that Graham had placed a dynamite bomb in his mother’s luggage.
Though Graham had previously stated that he would refute the prosecution’s evidence, he ultimately refused to testify in his defense.
On May 5, 1956, after just 69 minutes of deliberation, the jury found Graham guilty of first-degree murder and recommended the death penalty.
Two of Graham’s attorneys filed a motion for a new trial, but on May 15, 1956, the judge denied the motion. Graham took the stand, stating that he did not want a new trial or an appeal to the State Supreme Court, claiming his attorneys had filed the motion without his consent.
The judge sentenced Graham to death during the week of August 26, 1956, with the exact date and time to be determined by the warden of the Colorado State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado.
On August 8, 1956, the Colorado Supreme Court stayed Graham’s execution after his attorneys filed a formal appeal, again against his wishes. However, on October 22, 1956, the Colorado Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s decision and set the execution for the week ending January 12, 1957.
Graham was executed in the gas chamber at the Colorado State Penitentiary on Friday, January 11, 1957, and was pronounced dead at 8:08 p.m.
Reflecting on the complexities of human relationships, it's clear that the bonds we form during our formative years deeply influence the connections we seek out and the ways we interact with others throughout our lives. If we don't address the issues that arise within those early relationships, we risk carrying unresolved emotions and behaviors into our future interactions. By acknowledging and working through these challenges, we open the door to healthier, more fulfilling relationships and personal growth.
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