CHAPTICO, Md. — Ida Mae Kirk, a 76-year-old resident of St. Mary’s County, was killed on Jan. 9, 1933, when a bomb exploded under her car on Route 238 near Chaptico. Kirk had departed that morning with the wife of the Rev. Joseph P. Gibson for a trip to Washington, D.C., after spending the previous night at the rectory next to Christ Church. The explosion occurred less than a mile from the Gibson home. Investigators determined a dynamite stick had been attached to the exhaust pipe, causing a section of the pipe to break off and enter the passenger compartment under the front seat where Kirk was seated. The gas tank remained intact, and Gibson’s wife escaped without injury.
Detectives noted the perpetrator likely had knowledge of explosives, given that the blast targeted Kirk specifically while sparing her companion. Evidence recovered on the Gibson property included a cut shotgun shell and copper wire. A 13-year-old later informed authorities he had discarded the shotgun shell on the property after whittling on it.
Hours after the incident, authorities detained two suspects: John Sylvester Gross, 43, and Paul Thomas, 17. Gross had experience with dynamite from prior work, including on the Kirk property, and had been acquainted with Kirk’s cook. About a month before the explosion, Gross had been prohibited from entering Kirk’s property. Thomas had been raised on the Kirk property since childhood. The two were held in jail for questioning for more than a month but were released without charges filed against them, following interventions by local figures such as a Republican leader and the county attorney.
The motive remained unclear, but attention turned to Kirk’s will, which distributed more than $40,000 to over 15 individuals — a substantial amount during the Great Depression. Disputes over the document’s validity delayed settlement until 1942. Potential motives explored included dissatisfaction among beneficiaries, exclusion of others such as an adopted son named Nigel Dixon, Gross’s banishment from the property, or his connection to the cook.
Just over a year after Kirk’s death, Gross was discovered dead in the middle of a road near his home in La Plata. His body showed signs of having been run over by several cars, leading investigators to suspect foul play, though no conclusions were reached.
Kirk, known locally as the Angel of Budds Creek for her charitable acts, left instructions in her will for a life-size marble statue of a guardian angel to be placed in her family plot at Christ Church in Chaptico. The statue remains there today.
No arrests were made in connection with Kirk’s murder, which stands as an unsolved cold case in St. Mary’s County records. The incident marked a rare instance of such violence in the rural area, drawing widespread attention at the time but yielding no resolutions despite the initial leads.
The case highlighted investigative challenges of the era, including limited forensic capabilities and potential influences from community ties that may have affected the handling of suspects. Kirk’s death disrupted the quiet community of Chaptico, where she had lived and contributed through her philanthropy. The explosion’s precision suggested premeditation, with the device designed to activate during travel, possibly to distance the act from the point of attachment.
Authorities revisited evidence in the following years, but the trail grew cold. The will’s prolonged probate added layers of speculation, as court proceedings examined signatures and intentions without linking directly to the crime. Thomas, the younger suspect, faced no further scrutiny publicly documented, while Gross’s own untimely death raised questions about possible retaliation or cover-up, though unsubstantiated.
St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office has periodically spotlighted the case in efforts to generate new tips, emphasizing the historical significance and the need for closure. The guardian angel statue serves as a lasting memorial, overlooking the cemetery where Kirk is interred.
This event remains one of Southern Maryland’s enduring mysteries, with details preserved in local archives and occasional reviews by law enforcement. No new evidence has emerged in recent decades to alter the case’s status.