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1926–27 Tampa murders

SOLVED1926Tampa, Florida3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Benjamin Levins 1927
Benjamin Levins 1927 — Credit: Carl T. Thoner died 1938 · Public domain

Between April 1926 and May 1927, ten people were murdered in Tampa, Florida, in a series of incidents that Tampa investigators and later accounts believed were connected, though only some were formally adjudicated.

The first killing occurred on April 28, 1926, when Tampa police were called to 508 Nebraska Avenue after reports that newspaper vendor Charles "Blind Charlie" Manuel was attacking a woman. Officers found Emma Hilliard decapitated and Manuel, intoxicated, holding a knife. Manuel, who claimed Hilliard was his girlfriend despite her being married, pleaded guilty in July 1926, though he said he had no memory of the crime due to intoxication and relied on witness accounts.

On June 28, 1926, three members of the Rowell family and their tenant, mechanic Charles Alexander, were found killed with an axe at 116 South Nebraska Avenue. Rumors circulated that family patriarch Bee Rowell had claimed Manuel was innocent of the Hilliard killing and knew the real culprit. Investigators questioned several people but filed no charges, and a re-examination of the Hilliard case found the witnesses against Manuel to be unreliable, though insufficient evidence existed to clear him.

On May 27, 1927, five members of the Merrell family, including five-week-old Lester Merrell, were found killed in their home. Two children, Kenneth (15) and Hugh (8), survived; Hugh had hidden under a bed during the attack. An unusual hammer, a railroad spike driver, was recovered at the scene, suggesting the attacker might be a railroad worker.

The day after the Merrell killings, Lieutenant D. Z. Meeks located evidence at a nearby lumber yard suggesting someone had camped there, including broken matches matching those found at the crime scene. Officers arrested Benjamin Franklin Levins, an itinerant laborer, at the site. Physical evidence, including a matching boot print, tied him to the Merrell home. Levins initially implicated an acquaintance, Leonard Thompson, but after viewing the victims' bodies multiple times, Levins confessed, stating he had mistaken the Merrell family for a previous occupant, the Ryles family, against whom he apparently held a grievance.

Public anger following news of the confession led to a mob of more than 1,500 people storming the county jail on May 29, 1927. Florida National Guard troops opened fire, ultimately killing four people and wounding 33 during two rushes on the jail. Twenty men were arrested; seven later pleaded guilty to lesser charges and paid fines, while charges against six others were dismissed.

Levins was later moved to Orlando, where he also confessed to the Rowell murders. At his July 1927 trial, he claimed self-defense in the killing of Herman Merrell and said Thompson had killed the rest of the family, but he was convicted of the Merrell murders and sentenced to death. Thompson was acquitted in a separate trial. Levins was executed in Florida's electric chair on November 22, 1927, maintaining his innocence to the end without a formal final statement. Manuel, who had pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the Hilliard case, was released from prison on November 15, 1930.

Key facts

Victims
Caroline Rowell, Lester Merrell, Eva Rowell, Hugh Edward McRae, Nettie Merrell, Charles Alexander, W. E. Browning, Herman Merrell, S.J. Ellis, Earl McGill, Bee Dee Rowell, Emma Hilliard, Ralph Merrell, Buddy Merrell, Hal Pifer, Mildred Merrell
Date
1926
Location
Tampa, Florida
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 1926-04-28

    Emma Hilliard is found decapitated at 508 Nebraska Avenue; Charles "Blind Charlie" Manuel is arrested at the scene.

  2. 1926-06-28

    Three members of the Rowell family and tenant Charles Alexander are found hacked to death with an axe at 116 South Nebraska Avenue.

  3. 1926-07

    Charles Manuel pleads guilty in the Hilliard killing.

  4. 1927-05-27

    Five members of the Merrell family, including infant Lester Merrell, are found killed in their home; two children survive.

  5. 1927-05-28

    Lieutenant D. Z. Meeks discovers evidence at a lumber yard leading to the arrest of Benjamin Levins overnight; Leonard Thompson is also arrested.

  6. 1927-05-29

    A mob of over 1,500 people storms the Tampa county jail; National Guard troops open fire, killing four and wounding 33.

  7. 1927-06

    Levins is transferred to an Orlando jail and confesses to the Rowell family murders.

  8. 1927-07

    Levins' trial is held in Orlando; he is convicted of the Merrell murders and sentenced to death.

  9. 1927-08

    Leonard Thompson is acquitted in a separate trial approximately three weeks after Levins' conviction.

  10. 1927-11-22

    Benjamin Levins is executed in the electric chair at the Florida State Prison in Raiford.

  11. 1930-11-15

    Charles Manuel is released from prison.

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People

  • Caroline Rowell

    VICTIM

    94-year-old member of the Rowell family killed with an axe on June 28, 1926.

  • Lester Merrell

    VICTIM

    5-week-old infant of the Merrell family, killed May 27, 1927.

  • Eva Rowell

    VICTIM

    16-year-old member of the Rowell family killed with an axe on June 28, 1926.

  • Hugh Edward McRae

    VICTIM

    Resident of Ontario, Canada, killed during the May 29, 1927 jail riot.

  • Benjamin Franklin Levins

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of the Merrell family murders and executed on November 22, 1927; also confessed to the Rowell family murders.

  • Nettie Merrell

    VICTIM

    Drink stand operator, killed with her family on May 27, 1927.

  • D. Z. Meeks

    LAW ENFORCEMENT

    Tampa Police lieutenant who discovered evidence leading to Levins' arrest.

  • Charles Alexander

    VICTIM

    40-year-old mechanic and tenant of the Rowell household, killed with an axe on June 28, 1926.

  • W. E. Browning

    VICTIM

    43-year-old killed during the May 29, 1927 jail riot.

  • Herman Merrell

    VICTIM

    Carpenter, killed with his family on May 27, 1927; also known as "Looney" Merrell.

  • S.J. Ellis

    VICTIM

    Wounded during the jail riot and later died from injuries.

  • Leonard Thompson

    ACQUITTED

    Arrested in connection with the Merrell murders after being named by Levins; acquitted at a separate trial.

  • Earl McGill

    VICTIM

    Employee of the Sinclair Oil Corporation, killed during the May 29, 1927 jail riot.

  • Bee Dee Rowell

    VICTIM

    45-year-old Rowell family patriarch and grocery clerk killed with an axe on June 28, 1926.

  • Emma Hilliard

    VICTIM

    Found decapitated on April 28, 1926, at 508 Nebraska Avenue.

  • Ralph Merrell

    VICTIM

    11-year-old child of the Merrell family, killed May 27, 1927.

  • Charles Manuel

    CONVICTED

    Pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the killing of Emma Hilliard; released from prison November 15, 1930.

  • Buddy Merrell

    VICTIM

    3-year-old child of the Merrell family, killed May 27, 1927.

  • Hal Pifer

    VICTIM

    33-year-old bus driver from Ocala, killed during the May 29, 1927 jail riot.

  • Mildred Merrell

    VICTIM

    5-year-old child of the Merrell family, killed May 27, 1927.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Archival records

  • Benjamin Levins 1927

    newspaper

    Benjamin Levins 1927

    Credit: Carl T. Thoner died 1938 · Public domain · Source

Places

Tampa, Florida

27.9506, -82.4572

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Between April 1926 and May 1927, ten people were murdered in Tampa, Florida, in a series of attacks including the killing of Emma Hilliard, the axe murders of the Rowell household, and the murders of the Merrell family. Benjamin Franklin Levins was convicted and executed for five of the killings, though all ten deaths were believed to be connected.
Where did the murders happen?
Tampa, Florida.
Who was convicted?
Benjamin Franklin Levins (Convicted of the Merrell family murders and executed on November 22, 1927; also confessed to the Rowell family murders.) and Charles Manuel (Pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the killing of Emma Hilliard; released from prison November 15, 1930.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved. Last verified July 2026.
More cases in Florida

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDIC1926–27 Tampa murdersWikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. OFFICIAL / AGENCYContemporaneous coverage — chroniclingamerica.loc.govchroniclingamerica.loc.gov · 2026-07-07
  3. PRESS4 Dead, 33 Wounded in Tampa Rioting; Troops Restore Order Around JailThe New York Times · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 07, 2026
Last verified against sources
JUL 07, 2026