Belva Gaertner murder case
E947995
The Belva Gaertner murder case was a sensational 1920s Chicago homicide trial involving a glamorous nightclub singer accused of killing her lover, which later inspired the character of Velma Kelly in the play and musical "Chicago."
Statements (48)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
court case
ⓘ
criminal case ⓘ homicide case ⓘ murder trial ⓘ |
| hasCharge | murder ⓘ |
| hasContext | Prohibition-era Chicago nightlife ⓘ |
| hasCulturalImpact |
contributed to mythos of glamorous female killers in Chicago
ⓘ
helped shape narrative of Chicago as a city of crime and jazz age excess ⓘ |
| hasDefendant | Belva Gaertner NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| hasDefendantOccupation |
cabaret singer
ⓘ
nightclub performer ⓘ |
| hasDefenseArgument |
Belva Gaertner was too drunk to remember events
ⓘ
Walter Law may have committed suicide NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| hasInspirationFor |
Velma Kelly
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
musical Chicago NERFINISHED ⓘ play Chicago ⓘ |
| hasLegalIssue |
credibility of intoxicated witnesses
ⓘ
use of circumstantial evidence ⓘ |
| hasLocation |
Chicago
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Illinois NERFINISHED ⓘ United States NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| hasMediaType | newspaper coverage ⓘ |
| hasNotableFeature |
allegations of jealousy and infidelity
ⓘ
heavy alcohol use ⓘ involved glamorous nightclub singer ⓘ jury acquittal despite incriminating circumstances ⓘ public fascination with female defendants ⓘ sensational press coverage ⓘ tabloid-style reporting ⓘ |
| hasOutcome | acquittal ⓘ |
| hasProsecutionArgument | Belva Gaertner shot Walter Law in her car GENERATED ⓘ |
| hasRelatedCase | Beulah Annan murder case ⓘ |
| hasSetting | Prohibition era NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| hasTheme |
celebrity and crime
ⓘ
crime of passion ⓘ gender and justice ⓘ |
| hasTimePeriod | 1920s ⓘ |
| hasVictim | Walter Law NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| hasYear | 1924 ⓘ |
| inspiredWorkBy | Maurine Dallas Watkins NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| involvedObject |
automobile
ⓘ
bloodstained car ⓘ |
| involvedWeapon | revolver ⓘ |
| isPartOf | Chicago Jazz Age crime history ⓘ |
| isReportedBy | Maurine Dallas Watkins NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| isReportedIn | Chicago Tribune NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| wasTriedIn |
Cook County
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Cook County Criminal Court NERFINISHED ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.