Cyrena Jane Manning

Cyrena Jane Manning

Date:

Monday, November 20, 1972

Crime:
Murder
Location:
Franklin, PA USA
Age:

36

Occupation:
Cook and Housekeeper

At about 11:20am on Monday, November 20, 1972, Marion Mortimer, a resident of the 800 block of Elk Street in Franklin, Pennsylvania, noticed a man who she'd seen before walking from the direction of the house of her neighbor two doors down, Mrs. Cyrena Jane "Janie" Manning. He walked over to a blue car with a black top that had an Ohio license plate, got in, and drove away. She recognized the man as "Mrs. Manning's boy friend from Ohio."

A few minutes later, Mrs. Manning's dog began to howl. It wasn't uncommon for the dog to bark, but neighbors hadn't heard it howl in that way before. Annoyed at the noise, Mrs. Mortimer sent her husband, J.E., to try to quiet the dog. He called over the fence for the dog to be quiet. That usually worked, but it didn't this time. He then went to the front door of Mrs. Manning's house, knocked, and didn't get an answer. He looked through the window and saw what he thought was Mrs. Manning lying unconscious on her kitchen floor. Concerned the woman had fainted, he called to his wife and told her what he saw.

Mrs. Mortimer went across the street and grabbed a neighbor to go with her into Mrs. Manning's home. They entered and went through the front room into the kitchen. There, they found Janie Manning lying in a pool of blood. She was dead with puncture wounds all over her body. In the front room, a Bible lay on the table opened to Deuteronomy. A note was placed nearby which read "golden rule" and "stab in the back."

Janie's "boy friend from Ohio" was Frank Howard Sydlowski, a construction worker who had been in town working on Route 8 south of Franklin. He had had a romantic affair with Janie, a recent divorcée and mother of five, during the few months prior. He had even proposed to her. When she rejected his proposal, the affair ended and Frank left angry.

When police, investigating the murder of Janie Manning, knocked on Frank's door in Brookfield, OH later that day, his wife answered the door.

Newspaper Clippings

Venango County, PA Court Documents

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Venango County Docket

Various Dates
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Murder Complaint

11/20/1972
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Murder Complaint, November 21

11/21/1972
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Search Warrant and Affidavit

11/29/1972
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Affidavit of Rights at Arraignment

1/19/1973
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Confinement into Venango County Jail

1/19/1973
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Subpoena Receipt – Dan Evankovich

1/29/1973
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Subpoena Receipt – Coral Manning

1/29/1973
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Subpoena Receipt – J.E. and Marion Mortimer

1/29/1973
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Summons – Dan Evankovich

1/29/1973
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Summons – Howard Griffin and Edward Gabrys

1/29/1973
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Summons – Coral Manning

1/29/1973
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Summons – J.E. and Marion Mortimer

1/29/1973
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$30,000 Bond

2/2/1973
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Discharge from Venango County Jail

2/2/1973
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Summons – Dan Evankovich

2/7/1973
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Summons – Howard Griffin and Edward Gabrys

2/7/1973
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Summons – Coral Manning

2/7/1973
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Summons – J.E. and Marion Mortimer

2/7/1973
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Summons – Howard Griffin and Edward Gabrys, Afternoon

2/7/1973
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Indictment

4/11/1973
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Summons – Dan Evankovich

4/11/1973
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Summons – Howard Griffin and Edward Gabrys

4/11/1973
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Summons – Coral Manning

4/11/1973
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Summons – J.E. and Marion Mortimer

4/11/1973
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Arraignment and Plea of Not Guilty

6/11/1973
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Motion for Inspection

6/26/1973
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Order on Commonwealth to Show Why Motion for Inspection Should Not be Granted

6/26/1973
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Motion to Compel Disclosure of All Evidence Favorable to the Defendant

6/26/1973
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Order on Commonwealth to Show Why Motion to Compel Disclosure of All Evidence Favorable to the Defendant Should Not be Granted

6/26/1973
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Answer to Motion to Compel Disclosure of All Evidence Favorable to the Defendant

6/26/1973
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Application and Order for Change of Venue

6/26/1973
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Motion for the Suppression of Evidence

7/13/1973
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Motion to Continue Until August 27, 1973

7/16/1973
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Motion for Mileage and Attendance Money for Use of State Witnesses

8/21/1973
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Answer to Application for Change of Venue

8/22/1973
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Answer to Motion for Inspection

8/22/1973
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Answer to Motion for Suppression of Evidence

8/22/1973
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Certificate to Produce Witnesses

8/22/1973
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Order Regarding Payment of Witness Costs

8/22/1973
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Subpoena Receipt for Deputy Sheriff Bruce Bequeath

8/27/1973
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Subpoena Receipt for Lieutenant Joseph Murphy

8/27/1973
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Summons – Deputy Sheriff Bruce Bequeath

8/27/1973
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Summons – Deputy Sheriff Carol Faustino

8/27/1973
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Summons – Lieutenant Joseph Murphy

8/27/1973
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Opinion and Order of Court on Motion for Inspection and Motion to Compel Disclosure of All Evidence Favorable to the Defendant

10/23/1973
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Order on Motion for Change of Venue

10/23/1973
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Certified Letter to State Supreme Court Deputy Prothonotary

11/29/1973
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Letter to State Supreme Court Deputy Prothonotary

2/22/1974
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Order for Change of Venue

3/11/1974
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State Supreme Court Receipt of File

3/15/1974
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Letter from Charles Gilchrist Requesting Copy of Indictment

5/10/1974
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Cost of Xerox Copies for Clearfield County

5/24/1974
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Receipt Letter from Clearfield County Clerk of Courts

5/24/1974
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Letter to Clearfield County Prothonotary

7/3/1974
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Commonwealth’s Bill of Costs

11/4/1974
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Conference Expense Report

11/12/1974
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Receipts from Prothonotary – Hearing on Motion for Suppression of Evidence Parts 1 & 2

Unknown Date
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Receipts from Prothonotary – Transcripts

Unknown Date

Clearfield County, PA Court Documents

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Clearfield County Docket

Various Dates