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 the December of 1918 Mr. and
Mrs. Joseph Zabijak had been married for a little over three years.
The couple’s marriage was rocky
from the start.
Joseph had a hard time holding
down a job, and the little money he made, he would waste. Joseph would brag to
his wife about running around with other women, and after the birth of their
second child, he filed for divorce claiming she was an unfit wife.
With the help of her mother she
got the divorce claim appealed due to the fact he had not lived in Flint for a
year. She filed a claim for nonsupport.
Joseph held his mother in law
responsible for their marital troubles.
On Tuesday afternoon Joseph
received the divorce bill from his wife and went to talk with her.
According to the police report,
she asked him what they were going to do, he told her he was going to end their
troubles by killing her.
At the time she was holding their
six month old baby.
Joseph pulled out his gun and
shot her and the baby.
He ran out of the house and over
to his mother in laws. She was in the yard. He fired two shots that hit her in
the neck and killed her instantly.
Then he ran to the church he and
his wife were married in, knelt before the crucifix and started praying for
forgiveness.
After praying he took the pistol,
placed it in his mouth, and fired.
The bullet went through his jaw,
missing his neck and leaving him wounded.
As he reloaded the pistol he was
stopped by a member of the church who had heard the gunfire.
When the police arrived at the
church Joseph confessed to what he had done.
The police officer called the
station and sent officers go to the other two locations.
Officers were already on scene at
Joseph’s wife’s house. A neighbor heard the gunfire and came to help as soon as
she saw him leave.
The wife and the baby were rushed
to Hurley hospital.
The baby died on the way to the
hospital.
The wife’s wound was minor and
she was released to go home after a couple days.
Joseph survived with only a split
tongue and scar on the bottom of his jaw where the bullet exited.
