Buried Bones - a historical true crime podcast with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes · Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts

The Falls Field Tragedy

February 11, 2026·1 hr 23 min·7 clips

Kate and Paul dissect whether deep, regular cuts on a body point to brass knuckles or a waterfall.

This episode of Buried Bones examines the 1857 death of Charles Littles, a prominent Rochester attorney found dead near the Genesee River's Great Falls. Hosts Kate Winkler Dawson, a true crime journalist, and Paul Holes, a retired cold case investigator, apply modern forensic analysis to this historical mystery. The case begins when a search party, looking for a different man who fell from a condemned bridge, discovers Littles' body in an eddy below the 96-foot waterfall. The victim, Charles Littles, was 25, married to 19-year-old Sarah Stout, and known for heavy drinking and multiple extramarital affairs. His body showed a fractured skull, facial bruising, and three deep, regular cuts on his face and the back of his head, which investigators suggested were from a weapon like iron knuckles. Littles was found with valuables, including a gold watch and money, ruling out robbery as a motive. Crime scene evidence indicated a struggle, with bloodstains at multiple elevations on the cliffside and signs the body was dragged toward the river. Sarah Stout had recently left Littles and moved back with her family, alleging he stalked her after she began seeing another man named Mr. Patterson. Her brother, Marion "Ira" Stout, had a criminal past involving forgery and counterfeiting, which only Littles knew about. Investigators also explored Littles' involvement in local "free love" meetings as another potential source of conflict. Paul Holes notes the regularity of the victim's facial cuts could indicate a manufactured weapon, unlike injuries from a natural fall. He explains that geographic areas like riverbanks often become repeat dumping grounds for bodies, citing the modern case of serial killer Warren Forrest near Vancouver. The hosts examine an antique "Apache revolver," a combined knuckle-duster, dagger, and firearm, to understand potential weapons. Holes theorizes the killer was not financially desperate and the motive likely involved personal conflict, such as a love triangle or business dispute. The possibility of an incestuous relationship between Sarah and Ira Stout is raised, based on contemporary gossip about them sharing a bed as adults. The tone is conversational and educational, blending historical storytelling with modern investigative perspectives. The hosts engage in a detailed back-and-forth analysis, using photos and descriptions to visualize the crime scene and evidence. True crime enthusiasts interested in 19th-century cases and forensic reconstruction will appreciate this episode. Listeners preferring fast-paced narratives or solved mysteries might find the historical speculation and unresolved questions less satisfying.

As heard by us

A jealous murder case shaped by a divorce, a dead man, and a timeline that has to hold up.

Buried Bones follows a jealous murder case and keeps its focus on the questions that matter: what happened to Charles Littles, and how Sarah's divorce request fits the timeline.

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Why you'd press play

You want a murder suspicion weighed against physical plausibility.

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