Author plans N.D. book tour

Vernon Keel, author of the recently released novel, “The Murdered Family,” will be traveling through North Dakota during the last half of April to talk about his book and visit with people about the story of the Wolf family murders.

The novel tells the story of the 1920 murders of Jacob Wolf, a German from Russia immigrant, his wife, five of their six daughters and the hired boy on their farm near Turtle Lake, about 60 miles north of Bismarck. It examines historical and legal records to tell a story that raises questions about the guilt of the neighbor farmer sentenced to life in prison for the crime.

The farmer denied his guilt and said his confession was obtained under duress, intimidation and fear. He argued he had been beaten by the officers who interrogated him and told the safest place for him was prison as a mob wanted to lynch him. Doubt remains as to who really committed this crime.

Here is the list of events scheduled:

April 20 — Ashley, Dakota Family Restaurant, 2 p.m. Hosted by the Ashley Arts Council.

April 21 — Bismarck, North Dakota Prairie Public Radio. Guest on “Hear it Now,” with host Merrill Piepkorn, 3-4 p.m.

April 24 — Bismarck, Barnes and Noble Bookstore, 2-4 p.m.

April 30 — Fargo, Germans from Russia Heritage Collection, North Dakota State University Libraries, 3-4:30 p.m.

April 30 — Fargo, Barnes and Noble Bookstore, 5-7 p.m.

May 1 — Fargo, North Dakota Newspaper Association annual convention, Doublewood Inn, 3 p.m.

Keel, who began his career in journalism at his hometown newspaper just three miles from where the Wolf family was murdered, will return to North Dakota this summer to make presentations at the annual convention of the Germans from Russia Heritage Society in Bismarck July 21-25.

Tags: diversions, arts, book