Murder on the Silver Meteor

Overnight on the 98 Silver Meteor to New York, not everyone was sleeping. James Wilson was determined to rid himself of gambling debt by collecting on his wife’s life insurance policy. He mashed up her blood pressure medication, planning to slip it into her coffee the next morning while she went to the restroom.

At 8:10 am, just after departing Richmond, the train came to an abrupt halt. Announcements called for all staff to make their way to the dining car. Passengers were told we had stopped due to a medical emergency. The crew followed protocols and provided CPR until authorities arrived. Mrs. Wilson was pronounced dead at 9:04 am. The dining car and the Wilsons’ stateroom became a crime scene.

Passengers disembarked and waited alongside the train on North Center Street, beside the School of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology at Randolph-Macon College. We sipped coffee, and an old woman flicked her burning cigarette into the yard. We chatted with our Amtrak attendant about travel and New York musicals. A black Mercedes ambulance arrived, pushing its way through the crowd before stopping in front of the dining car. We were asked to board the train to avoid witnessing the removal of Mrs. Wilson’s remains, along with her husband, who hadn’t shed a single tear. The train resumed its journey by 10:54 am.Read more