she flew half-way across the world to make her husband fulfill his obligations. then she shot him.

a fatal end after surviving world war ii

Las Vegas resident Frank Waters survived his service with the U.S. military in Europe during World War II.  But only a year after the War’s end, the consequences of Frank’s actions overseas followed him thousands of miles back to the middle of the Mojave Desert, leading to a series of events that would ultimately result in Frank’s murder by his estranged wife in front of his young son, followed by a trial that made international headlines.

a war-time romance sours quickly

The first U.S. soldiers arrived in Britain in 1942 to join the war against Nazi Germany.  By the end of World War II, over 3 million American troops had passed through the United Kingdom, and not all of these soldiers went home alone – about 70,000 British women married American soldiers between 1942 and 1945.

One of these unions was between Frank Waters, a resident of Los Angeles that worked as a civilian employee for the Lockheed company, and Bridget McCluskey, a 24-year-old nurse from the small town of Cootehill near the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland that worked at a hospital in Liverpool during the War.  Frank, while on furlough from his work in London, met Bridget in Liverpool and the two were quickly wed.  It was not long before Bridget left her nursing job in Liverpool to move in with Frank back in London.   

Soon after the marriage, Bridget learned she was pregnant.  And not long after that, Frank decided he no longer liked married life.  In October of 1944, shortly after learning of the pregnancy, Frank received orders transferring him to France. Having the perfect excuse to leave his wife, Frank gave Bridget $50, told her that he had paid for the next two weeks of rent on their apartment, and proceeded to move out. 

Frank promised to write after being transferred to France, but he was no better at keeping this promise to Bridget than the others he had made over the course of their whirlwind relationship.  The letters from Frank were few and far between, and when they did arrive they did little to inspire sentimental feelings.  Bridget received a letter from Frank in May of 1945 offering to pay her delivery expenses but denying paternity of their son.  Then, in December of 1945, Bridget received correspondence from Frank containing $150, but the enclosed letter made clear this money was not a Christmas present but was only intended as child support.

Then the letters – and the occasional child support payments – stopped arriving at all.

frank waters seeks a speedy remedy in the divorce capital of the world

Frank Waters was discharged from his civilian service with Lockheed in July of 1945 and returned to his home in Los Angeles.  Frank was anxious to move on with his life and put his wartime experiences, including his wife and child, behind him.  That’s what led Frank in late-1945 to temporarily relocate to Las Vegas to take advantage of the shortest divorce residency requirements in the country.

Nevada had loosened the residency requirements to obtain a divorce during the early years of the Great Depression in an effort to increase tourism to the State, even if it was tourists seeking a quick divorce.  In 1946 as today, a person only had to live in Nevada for six weeks before being eligible to file for divorce.

While Frank followed in the footsteps of countless other “divorce tourists” that took up temporary residence in Nevada, he was different in that his family had links to Las Vegas that stretched back to the town’s founding in 1905. Frank Waters’ father had been among the first real estate developers and land agents to set up shop in the Las Vegas Valley, and the Waters family made a tidy sum by selling real estate and pursuing related business ventures in early Vegas before moving to California. In fact, Frank used his father’s connections with Las Vegas newspaper publisher Charles “Pop” Squires to land a job as a teller at a local bank while he established Nevada residency.

setting a precedent for abandoned war-time wives

After not hearing from her husband for several months, Bridget Waters received notice in October of 1945 that Frank had filed for divorce in Nevada. 

Frank had been expecting an easy uncontested divorce.  After all, his wife lived halfway across the world and international travel was far more costly and cumbersome than it is today, especially in the immediate aftermath of the War.  What Frank didn’t know is that he was one of thousands of former American soldiers and military civilian employees that sought to divorce the women they had married overseas.  And a backlash was building in Britain to what was perceived as American men acting to legally abandon their wives and children.

Women’s advocacy organizations pushed Bridget to contest the divorce in an effort to turn the young nurse into a cause celebre while establishing a legal precedent to protect thousands of other deserted “war brides.” Bridget, furious and heartbroken over news that Frank was seeking a divorce, did not need much convincing. With the advocacy organizations paying for her airfare and legal fees, Bridget flew from London with her infant son, Frank, Jr., and landed in Las Vegas just as the small desert town was heating up in April of 1946.

vegas in 1946: cowboy clientele gives way to mafia management

The Las Vegas of 1946 that greeted Bridget when she stepped off the plane at the tiny airfield that serviced the town was in the infant stages of becoming what we know it as today.  That is the year the brutal but visionary mobster Bugsy Siegel oversaw the opening of the Flamingo Hotel and Casino – the first of the modern-era resorts to line what would become known the world-over as “the Strip.”  But aside from the Flamingo, most of the gaming establishments in 1946 Las Vegas catered to a clientele more comfortable in cowboy boots than loafers.   

Bugsy Siegel was assassinated in his Beverly Hills home a few months after the grand opening of the Flamingo.  But the vision he had of selling a certain type of experience went on to rapidly change the face of Las Vegas.  Before long, the luxury resorts outnumbered the old “sawdust joints” – though a few of them stuck it out successfully, chief among them Benny Binion’s Horseshoe Club.     

Outside of the specks of neon popping up across the valley, most of the 40,000 people that called the isolated desert town home lived a small-town existence that would not have been uncommon in any of thousands of other communities across post-War America – except you would certainly find more cowboy boots and denim jeans than in other places. That’s why it’s no surprise something as sensational as a young woman traveling thousands of miles from overseas to prevent a divorce would cause a stir among the local community.

fighting for her marriage

Bridget did not want a divorce; she wanted a husband.  That is why she reached out to Frank within hours of her arrival in Las Vegas to introduce him to his son.  The meeting went well, but Frank made it clear that he intended to proceed with the divorce case he had filed. 

Bridget retained the services of a local attorney who filed a counterclaim against Frank for “separate maintenance.”  Separate maintenance would leave Bridget’s marriage with Frank legally intact even though the two were separated (which was important to the devoutly Catholic Bridget) and include financial orders for child and spousal support.  If Bridget could not live with Frank and their son as a family, then she would keep the marriage intact and force Frank to fulfill his financial obligations to his family.

There was plenty of legal maneuvering by attorneys for Frank and Bridget leading up to the divorce trial.  Frank’s counsel announced that two surprise witnesses would be arriving from Los Angeles to take sworn depositions at the local courthouse, intimating that the witnesses would testify to alleged “indiscreet actions” by Bridget after Frank transferred to France.  Bridget’s attorney responded to this news by demanding a jury for the divorce trial, which would allow Bridget to play on the sympathies of a local community that would not look kindly on a man failing to support his family.

It is important to remember that spousal and child support laws took on added importance in 1946. While women were encouraged to enter the workforce during World War II, with mass demobilization women were again expected to largely return to the domestic sphere. In addition to systemic barriers to employment, women also were unable to obtain individual consumer credit until the 1970’s. These economic obstacles created a situation where women with children faced a very real threat of being forced into poverty as a result of divorce or separation absent an order of support.

a dramatic divorce trial

The divorce case finally went to trial in July of 1946.  Even though Nevada had established a reputation for loose morals it had not yet become a “no fault” State – meaning a spouse seeking a divorce had to prove one of several grounds for divorce, such as extreme cruelty, adultery, or abandonment.  If you couldn’t prove the grounds for divorce, the divorce wasn’t happening. 

Over the course of two days in a sweltering Las Vegas courtroom a jury of seven women and five men heard testimony from Frank and Bridget. 

Frank and several of his witnesses testified that Bridget had been unfaithful after Frank was transferred to France, including an account of Bridget being in the frequent company of a Royal Air Force officer.  Then for good measure, Frank testified that Bridget had repeatedly “belittled American culture and ideals.” 

On cross-examination, Frank was forced to admit that he had intended to abandon Bridget when he learned of her pregnancy but that he had been too afraid to outright tell her this, then his transfer to France seemed to solve the problem as far as he was concerned.  Frank was also confronted with evidence of letters he had written detailing his own extramarital escapades in France. 

When it came time for Bridget to present her case, she testified in a soft-spoken Irish accent about the difficulties she experienced after she was abandoned by Frank.  “My baby was born in a charity nursing home.  He was delivered by a nurse.  I had waived the services of a doctor because I didn’t feel I could afford the obligation.”  When she was asked about her response to a letter she received from Frank informing her that their marriage had been a mistake, she said, “My heart was broken.  I was still in love with him.”

Bridget also countered Frank’s allegations of infidelity by noting the Royal Air Force officer she had been seen with was her cousin – the same cousin that had served as the best man at their wedding. The jury disapproved of Frank’s hypocrisy, and based upon a finding that he had abandoned Bridget and their son the jury entered a verdict denying the divorce. Bridget was awarded her separate maintenance, custody of their son, and $220 per month in child support from Frank, while Frank was allowed reasonable visitation.

A custody exchange turns deadly

There weren’t many custody exchanges between the separated couple before things took a violent turn. 

Frank’s plans to make a speedy return to Los Angeles after obtaining a Vegas divorce had been derailed.  After his request for divorce was denied, Frank decided to settle into his life in Las Vegas, though the fact he rented a room at a house owned by an elderly woman and her daughter shows he intended to set down the weakest roots possible.  His plan was to spend another year in Nevada, at which point he would be able to seek divorce from Bridget based on new grounds – a period of separation lasting at least three years.

Frank continued his job as a bank teller while exercising a few hours of visitation with his son on the weekends.  But the 38-year-old was bristling under the desert heat over the summer of 1946, eager to find a way to break free from the bonds of matrimony with his estranged wife.  For her part, Bridget seemed agreeable to a divorce at an unspecified future date provided she received assurances that Frank would continue to make his support payments.  Bridget had suffered financial strain over the course of the divorce litigation that led her to obtain work as a housekeeper at a residence in a quiet neighborhood a few blocks north of downtown.

With this background of underlying tension, Frank arrived at 130 Palm Lane around 12:30 p.m. on Labor Day in 1946.  Her boss was out of town on vacation, so just Bridget and her young son were in the home.  Frank’s landlady accompanied him to pick up his son as she always did – Frank wanted a witness for the custody exchanges to support his role as a dutiful father during a future attempt at divorce. 

Bridget answered Frank’s knock and invited him in.  It was not long before Frank broached the same topic he had raised repeatedly since the outcome of the divorce trial in July.  He became irate as he demanded to know what Bridget wanted in order to agree to divorce.  Bridget replied, “Once you make a home for me and the baby, we can talk about divorce.”  She ended the conversation by pointing Frank to the living room where Frank, Jr. was playing on the floor and then stepping outside to take clothes off of the line. 

Bridget reentered the house a few moments later, walked past the living room where Frank was in the process of changing their son’s diaper, and into her bedroom.  She pulled a baby hammerless revolver from a dresser drawer and placed it in her pocket. 

She entered the living room where Frank was crouched over their son playing on the floor.  “Don’t touch the baby,” Bridget said. 

A shot rang out.  Frank slumped forward against the wall.  Frank, Jr. wailed.

Bridget picked up the phone and called the police, informing them between sobs that her husband had been shot.  Frank’s landlady Maude Griffith ran from the car parked outside and into the home where she encountered her tenant motionless on the ground while Bridget paced back and forth, tending to an injury to her baby’s leg.  “What happened?” she asked.

Bridget replied, “Go away from here.  You and your daughter have caused me enough trouble.  She has come between me and my husband.”

It did not take long for police to arrive. There was no way to save Frank. The coroner later found that the .22 bullet fired by Bridget was a “1 in a 1,000 shot.” The round entered Frank’s back and traveled downward directly through his heart without striking a single bone. Bridget was arrested and booked while Frank, Jr. was taken to the hospital to treat a superficial wound to his leg caused by the .22 round.

a widow charged with murder and a public outpouring of support

During her interrogation by Las Vegas police, Bridget admitted that Frank had not made any threatening gestures leading up to the shooting though she stressed he had made a vague promise to “get rid of” her and their baby with a vicious look in his eye.  Clark County District Attorney V. Gray Gubler promptly charged Bridget with open murder, meaning she could be convicted of anything from involuntary manslaughter to first-degree murder.  Keep in mind this was at a time when being found guilty of first-degree murder in Nevada often led to a death sentence that was usually carried out within months.  Bridget was ordered held without bail pending her trial.

While prosecutors acted swiftly to hold Bridget to account, many residents of Las Vegas reacted differently to news of the slaying of Frank Waters.  Local citizens established a legal defense fund that allowed Bridget to retain prominent legal counsel.  The murder of Frank Waters soon became sensational news across the U.S. and Europe thanks in no small part to the work of publicists hired by Bridget’s legal team.  Letters soon started pouring into the city jail from Britain in support of Bridget, many recognizing her actions as a nurse during the war.

District Attorney Gray Gubler vented his frustration about the level of public support for Bridget shortly before her first hearing.  He alleged that Bridget had written letters disparaging American culture and defended the reputation of Frank Waters, noting he had been a lawyer in good standing in California prior to working for Lockheed during the War.  In a sign of the escalating tensions of the Cold War that served as a backdrop to the Waters case, Gubler told the press, “The subscription for Mrs. Waters’ defense is largely typical for America, which is today shipping great quantities of merchandise to a Russia that is closed to Americans...Some are wondering what the situation would be were conditions reversed and had an American girl married a European and shot him in his homeland.” 

As the summer heat gave way to the cooler temperatures of October, domestic and foreign press made their way to a town in southern Nevada that few had even heard of up to that point.  Daily stories rippled across the wire detailing Bridget’s wardrobe choices, and it was the rare article that didn’t feature Bridget carrying her young son in her arms.  A representative from the British consulate in San Francisco even traveled to Las Vegas to ensure Bridget received a fair trial.

Dozens of men and women from across Clark County were summoned as prospective jurors and questioned over several days.  Bridget took offense when District Attorney Gray Gubler asked every prospective juror, “Does a wife have any more right to kill her husband than anyone else?”  Bridget’s retort to this line of questioning was, “Of course a wife has no more right, but she certainly may have more reason than anyone else.”

trial begins: cold-blooded killer or justified homicide?

When the first day of trial opened on October 21, 1946 the tiny courtroom of Judge A.S. Henderson was packed.  The prosecution painted Bridget as a jealous cold-blooded killer willing to place her child in harm’s way while getting revenge for her husband’s dalliances with local women.  Just as during her divorce trial, Bridget did little to contain her emotions as the State presented its case – she softly sobbed, fidgeted with the wedding ring Frank had placed on her finger, and at one point called a deputy district attorney an “idiot” for the way he examined a witness.  Needless to say, there were frequent recesses called during the sensational trial.  

A highlight of the prosecution’s case was when the responding officer testified Bridget said of her husband lying dead feet away, “He can’t take my baby from me now.”  Another key witness was Maude Griffith, Frank’s landlady that had driven him to the fatal custody exchange.  Her testimony supported jealousy as a motive for the killing and defended against charges by Bridget that her daughter had carried on an affair with Frank.  In his closing, the deputy district attorney warned the jury that if they found Bridget not guilty, “She may get a Hollywood contract or do a personal appearance tour.  Perhaps the gun manufacturer will even seek her endorsement of his product.” 

Bridget’s attorneys countered by presenting a series of witnesses that testified to Frank’s rendezvous about town.  There was the owner of a local auto court that told about the time Frank spent the night there with a young woman shortly after Bridget arrived in town to contest the divorce case.  And then there was the witness that lived on Palm Lane who told of a young woman that arrived a few hours after the shooting and broke down crying in front of the home. 

The defense strategy was to play on the sympathy of the jury with a plea of temporary insanity – Bridget only wanted to reconcile with her husband and his constant affairs finally led to a momentary loss of control.  Bridget even took the stand in her defense, and when questioned by District Attorney Gray Gubler about the immediate aftermath of the killing, she stated she “couldn’t be sure about what happened there.”

But the entire defense strategy was derailed when Judge Henderson ruled that the evidence presented did not show Bridget lacked control of her ability to tell right from wrong.  This left a claim of self-defense as the only viable defense strategy for acquittal.  Bridget’s attorneys argued the fact that the killing was done with such a small handgun and that only one shot had been fired demonstrated she could not possibly have acted with premeditation.  Her counsel further highlighted that only a few short months before the slaying a jury had found Frank committed acts of extreme cruelty against Bridget during the divorce case. 

Then, in a last ditch effort to stoke the jury’s emotions, Bridget’s defense attorneys pleaded, “All she has is her baby. Don’t take that lady away from her baby.” The combination of logic and emotion worked. After 15 hours of deliberation, the jury returned a conviction on the lightest possible charge – involuntary manslaughter. Bridget was sentenced to serve 1 to 5 years in the Nevada State Prison.

surprise parole and not the last “war bride” murder in Las Vegas

After serving only 15 months in prison, and over the strenuous objections of Judge Henderson and the Clark County District Attorney, Bridget was paroled on condition that she return to Britain.  The young woman made her way to New York City where she left by ship from Ellis Island for home.  No one greeted Bridget Waters when she disembarked at Southampton.

Bridget was the most notorious case of a “war bride” murdering her American spouse, but she was not the last.  There was the 1949 case of Pamela Hurt out of Indianapolis, a 19-year-old English woman that killed her American husband while he slept, claiming self-defense because her husband had threatened to kill her for engaging in an affair during a separation. Then there also was the 1953 “kiss of death” case where a German woman killed her American husband while driving on a road near Niles, California - before Hildegard Pelton abandoned the scene of the crime, she left a lipstick imprint on her slain husband’s bloodied forehead.

In fact, the Bridget Waters case would not be the last “war bride” murder to shock the residents of Las Vegas. During the early hours of Mother’s Day, 1953, Alice White – a 32-year-old mother of two young children that was pregnant with her third – fired a shotgun into the head of her husband, Sergeant Andrew White, while he slept at their apartment on the grounds of Nellis Air Force Base on the north-eastern edge of Las Vegas. Alice was tried for the murder of her husband that she met during the War, but at trial it came out that Sergeant White was an excessive drinker and had threatened to kill her the night he was shot. The jury found the killing was done in self-defense and Alice went free.

a debt to society paid and a life of service

As for Bridget, she worked as a nurse in Britain and Ireland after her exile from the United States.  She eventually migrated to Canada where she continued to work as a nurse for decades, taking great pride in providing care to members of First Nations.  She passed away in 2005, nearly sixty years after she decided to travel thousands of miles to the middle of the desert to make her husband fulfill his obligations to his family.