The Big Story

Respected Chemist Dead

English · True Crime

This episode of The Big Story recounts the disappearance of Dr. Ernest Watzl, a chemist specializing in water purification. In 1929, Watzl left home saying he was traveling to Philadelphia for a business opportunity. His burning car was found beside the Schuylkill River, and investigators suspected he had been murdered after learning he carried a large sum of money.

The case grew more puzzling when Watzl’s private secretary, Mary McGranahan, also disappeared. Her husband accused Watzl of taking her, even as police searched for the missing chemist. The trail eventually led to Vienna, where the couple’s bodies were found in a hotel room in 1930. Their journey had taken them across several countries under assumed names, and the timing of Watzl’s death was tied to a life-insurance policy intended to provide for his family.

Reporter Ike McAnally presents a layered true-crime account of a baffling disappearance, an international flight, and a tragic ending. The story’s final details connect the case to the history of the Vienna hotel where the couple died.

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.