Freaky Flint History with Joe Schipani - Love Spurned August 16th, 1922


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.

Love Spurned August 16th, 1922

Koznier Delkowski emigrated from Russia to Chicago and then moved to Grand Rapids two years before moving to Flint.

Shortly after moving to Flint, he met Josephine and it wasn’t long before they were married. Friends of the couple claimed that the marriage would never last. Josephine was not over her ex and this caused numerous fights between her and Koznier.

Because of this Koznier didn’t trust in his new bride. He and spent a lot of time following her when she thought he was working.

One day Koznier caught his new bride spending time at the home of her ex-boyfriend. Josephine was unaware of her husband’s knowledge of the affair until the next morning when a strange man delivered a note saying she must die for her sins.

Josephine reported the threat to the police, but she had no evidence that the note came from her husband, so there was nothing that they could do. She was afraid of being alone with Koznier so she decided to invite some friends over for dinner. When her husband arrived home from work she discretely patted him down checking for weapons. She found none.

Everything seemed to be going well so Josephine started thinking perhaps her husband didn’t send the note. Before the guests arrived she even mentioned the note to Koznier. He played it off like he knew nothing about it.

Soon after the couple’s guests arrived dinner was served. Over dinner one of the friends noted it was the happiest she had ever seen the couple. But it didn’t last. Soon the couple started arguing about the note. Koznier finally admitted to writing it before pulling out a pistol and shooting Josephine then turning the gun to his own head and firing two more shots.

The bullet that hit Josephine grazed her left arm and she was treated and released from Hurley hospital a couple hours later.

Koznier died instantly.

~ 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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