John Spicer's Confession

Renovating an old home can sometimes unearth interesting surprises—a lovely hardwood floor under the carpet, a unique tile pattern in the kitchen, or even treasures hidden in the walls. Of all the strange discoveries that might be had, one of the last you’d expect to find is a murder confession. Yet in one home in Fountain, Colorado, that is exactly what the owners found while remodeling in 1986.

The note was discovered on an old piece of molding by the owner’s daughter, who was assisting in the process by removing old nails from discarded wood. They called a reporter, who brought the confession to the police for analysis. They confirmed that the handwriting matched the style of the time it was supposed to be from.

Spicer’s confession reads: “To whoever may happen to find the confession, I, John W. Spicer of the City of Fountain, State of Colorado, being about to shuffle off this mortal act to make this my full confession in the hope that when I am gone it may be found and at last clear up the darkest mystery that ever embraced one in human murder.” The note goes on to describe in detail how Spicer killed Sebastian, as well as the motive: getting $5,000 worth of jewelry and cash from his victim. Despite the brutal nature of his crime, Spicer apparently harbored some remorse. His guilty conscience led him to hide a full confession inside one of the houses he built in Fountain.

At the time the note was found, over 40 years had passed since Spicer died in Florida. Spicer’s last surviving daughter, then 89, confirmed the authenticity of the story. The plank of wood it was written on was kept in the 4th Judicial District attorney’s office in Colorado Springs for over 20 years. Finally, it returned to Fountain, where it is displayed in the local history museum.