The violent death of Rex Lee Sr. split St. Johns, Arizona, in two. The town is still trying to move on 88 years later.
An unresolved death, a political dynasty and an Arizona town’s quest to heal |
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| | In 1934, Rex Lee Sr. went hunting with the family he married into — the Whitings — and his friend John Chiono. Lee and Chiono paired off to hunt. What happened next remains a mystery. Lee — whose descendants are some of Utah’s most prominent political figures — was found dead after a two-day search. A bullet struck the front of Lee’s hat, just above the forehead, and passed through his brain. Some believe Lee's death was a hunting accident, while others believe Chiono intentionally killed Lee. But a common narrative may not be what’s most important for the healing process to take place, says Justin Collings, a law professor at BYU who has studied conflict and reconciliation in post-apartheid South Africa and post-Holocaust Germany. “Finding a common narrative is really challenging,” Collings said. “The best you can hope for is people feeling that they have been heard.” |
Read more about how the tiny Arizona town of St. Johns is still trying to move on from Lee's violent death, 88 years later. |
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