Freaky Flint History with Joe Schipani - Uncle George December 30th, 1926


Flint is well known for its modern violent crimes but Flint's history is filled with little known stories that read stranger than fiction. Gruesome murders, weird accidents, and violent deaths. Join us every Thursday as Joe Schipani details some of the odd but true deaths he found in Flint's archives.

Uncle George
December 30th, 1926

Recently paroled from Jackson prison for attempted murder charges, George Abdella moved to Flint to be close to his family.

His brother Samuel, lived on Jamieson Street in Flint with his wife and daughter Grace. Grace, a hormonal teenager, quickly fell in love with her uncle and George retuned the feelings. The two had been secretly dating for a month, and just after Christmas they announced to Grace’s father, George’s brother, that they planned to marry.

Samuel found this to be quite disturbing, and told them that he would not allow it because it was morally wrong. George tried to convince his brother that it was an old Syrian tradition to marry a family member and that they would be doing their parents, who still lived in Syria and proud. Samuel refused to listen to his reasoning and forbid them from ever seeing each other again. He even went as far as disowning his brother and not allowing him to enter his home.

This sent George, who was already unstable, into a rage. George decided to send a note to Grace asking her to run away with him and get married.

Grace replied with a refusal and stated that she did not want to disobey her father. In her note she ended the relationship with her uncle. George was heartbroken.

On Thursday afternoon, Grace spent most of her day watching her neighbor’s eight year old child, Nellie. The two were having a great time until Uncle George showed up.

He begged Grace to run away with him.

Grace once again refused and asked him to leave. When he refused Grace started screaming for her father.

George pulled out a gun. He told her if he could not have her no one else would. He then pulled the trigger shooting her in the jaw. He ran out of the house when he heard his brother coming. Samuel ran to his daughter’s aid.

As George ran down the road he was met by a mob of Samuel’s Syrian neighbors who heard the gunfire. George was trapped in a vacant yard when the police arrived. He feared going back to prison and figured that he would not get off as easy this time since he was still on parole for an attempted murder charge.
He put the barrel of the gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger dying instantly.


Grace was rushed to Hurley hospital and received surgery. She was lucky the bullet did not hit her brain. She survived the incident. 

~ Joe Schipani is the Executive Director of the Flint Public Art Project and the FFAR Project Assistant at the Community Foundation of Greater Flint.  Find him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HauntedFlint/ 

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