Richard Ivar Hendrickson (1934 - 1977)

Born 20 Sep 1934 in Saint Louis, Gratiot, Michigan

Ancestors

Died 13 Jun 1977 at age 42 in Indianapolis, Indiana

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Biography

"VICTIM SHOT, BEATEN

3 Charged With Murder In Shooting At Tavern

Three men will appear in court today on first-degree murder charges stemming from the shooting and beating of a patron of the Kitty Kat Lounge, 701 Massachusetts Avenue. Killed in the incident Saturday night was Richard I. Hendrickson, 42. Police said he was shot five times by the bartender, George C. Gilbert, 31, then dragged outside and beaten by two customers. Gilbert and the customers Willis R. Banks, 28, of the 1200 block of North Park Avenue, and Dale E. Grissom, 28, of the 2900 block of Brookside Avenue were arrested at the scene.

Witnesses said Gilbert threatened Hendrickson with a baseball bat and ordered him to leave the bar after Hendrickson accidentally had struck a female patron while trying to tear a phone book in half. During the ensuing argument between Gilbert and Hendrickson, Banks struck Hendrickson from behind with a pool cue and Hendrickson responded by drawing a .22 revolver from his pants pocket and firing two shots into the wall behind the bar, witnesses told police.

Gilbert, who had walked back behind the bar, took a revolver from beneath the bar and fired eight shots, striking Hendrickson five times, according to witnesses. Hendrickson, who managed to fire another shot before he collapsed, then was taken outside by Banks and Grissom, who allegedly beat him repeatedly and left him lying on the sidewalk in front of the tavern.

Hendrickson was pronounced dead on arrival in Methodist Hospital. Twelve customers were in the tavern during the incident, police said. There were no other injuries."

Publication: The Indianapolis Star
Issue Date: Monday, June 13, 1977
Page: Page 8

"4 Face Murder Charges

Four men charged with murder were ordered held without bond when they appeared yesterday in Municipal Court, Room 10. They were arrested in connection with the Saturday night beating and shooting death of Richard Hendrickson, 42, at the Kitty Kat Lounge, 701 Massachusetts Avenue, police said.

Charged are Richard Miller, 44, 1222 Central Avenue; George Gilbert, 31, 711 North Park Avenue; Willis R. Banks, 28, 1232 North Park, and Dale E. Grissom, 28, 2330 Brookside Parkway. Police said Gilbert, a bartender at the tavern, shot Hendrickson after Hendrickson fired at him. The other three beat him as the pair struggled, police said. Their cases were continued to June 21."

Publication: The Indianapolis Star
Issue Date: Tuesday, June 14, 1977
Page: Page 29

Sources

• "United States Census, 1940," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KSV7-BBQ : accessed 1 February 2015), Richard Hendrickson in household of Arnold Hendrickson, Tract 3, Duluth, Duluth City, St. Louis, Minnesota, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 88-13, sheet 2A, family 23, NARA digital publication T627 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012), roll 1972.