Pickerington Murder Mystery Night Returns August 2

June 28, 2026
From the Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce

The second annual Pickerington Murder Mystery Night, hosted by the Pickerington Area Chamber and presented by the City of Pickerington, will take place Saturday, August 2, from 4 to 8 p.m. in Olde Pickerington Village.

This year’s story—again created by PACC President Kim Barlag—is inspired by the public’s fascination with true crime. It’s based on a real-life bank robbery and features a brand-new Pickerington Perps podcast. Do your part: Organize a team and help solve the mystery of missing money and murder.

Pickerington’s first bank robbery occurred around noon on October 1, 1954, when three armed men entered the Pickerington Bank and forced the employees into the vault. A fourth man—the getaway driver—waited at the wheel of a Chrysler sedan parked in the rear alley. In just 10 minutes, the robbers made off with $17,720.10. In their haste, they overlooked a $7,300 deposit from the Creamery sitting on the counter.

Joseph Sanders, John W. Lane, and Richard C. Williamson were caught and, in May 1956, sentenced to long terms in federal prison. Newspaper articles from the time never identified the fourth man, and he was never charged. Most of the money was never recovered.

Recently, journalist Newt Caster of the Central Ohio Gazette received an anonymous deathbed confession—allegedly from the unknown fourth man involved in the robbery. [Click here to read the letter.] Apparently, at least one bank bag full of money remains hidden somewhere in Pickerington. Hear more from Pickerington Police Chief Cheney and local Picktown Perps podcaster Trés Vain in this live video report.

Despite Chief Cheney’s warnings, Olde Pickerington Village is suddenly swarming with cutthroat treasure hunters. The race to find the money is getting dangerous… heck, someone’s going to get killed if this keeps up!

More than 200 people participated in the first Pickerington Murder Mystery Night held last summer.

We need you—our community members—to register a team of detectives to interrogate these treasure hunters, question local business owners, and gather clues to find the missing money… and possibly a murderer.

Preregister your team of investigators for $75 per team of four ($20 for each additional member). Then, on August 2 from 4 to 8 p.m., check in at the registration tent, where you’ll receive instructions, storyline materials, suspect lists, clue locations, and business/vendor maps. Develop your team strategy, then roam Olde Pickerington Village to interrogate suspects, visit clue stations and businesses, get tips from real detectives, solve puzzles, and collect CSI analysis… then solve the crime!

Teams who register by July 14 will receive detective kits and swag bags for each member. Supplies may vary for later registrations. You must preregister to participate.

Prizes will be awarded for Best Team Costumes and for the Top Team of Sleuths.