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.
In 1934 Frank Coyne, an orphan who
had lived with foster parents on Pierson Road, had just graduated from Northern
High School.
Frank got a job and started
saving money so he could live on his own. Frank’s only family in the area was
the Hillakers. Frank was close to their son, his cousin Leroy.
Frank loved to hunt. On February
18th, Mrs. Hillaker took Frank to buy a hunting rifle. Leroy was at his side in
the downtown sporting goods store while Frank was picking out his gun. The boys
were excited to practice shooting it.
Afterward they finished shopping
Mrs. Hillaker took the boys back to Frank’s home on Pierson Rd.
A bunch of the neighborhood kids
gathered around to see Frank’s new piece of machinery. Frank and his older
brother took turns shooting a target on a tree. The group of kids watched with
excitement and were amazed by how good of a shot Frank was.
After a while, Frank put up a new
target on the tree and had all the boys gather around the side of the tree to
prove that could he could hit the target even while distracted.
The boys quickly gathered to the
side, as Frank took his shot, Leroy noticed he was on the wrong side and tried
to cross to the other side.
The bullet entered the front of
Leroy’s head killing him instantly. The death was ruled accidental, and no charges
were filed.
Leroy was only twelve years old and
a student at Emerson Junior High.
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