On Wednesday, October 22, 2025, the Oneida County Library hosted author Kevin Sorensen, who spoke about the background of his self-published historical novel, Hinckley Murder: Franklin, Idaho 1881.While the basic historical facts are known and documented, many details of the story had to be surmised by the author, making it an historical novel.

Kevin Sorensen was born in Burley where he lived for 16 years.  He graduated from Weber High School after his family moved to Warren, Utah. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in history from Brigham Young University and a Juris Doctorate from Gonzaga University.  Over 40 years ago, he moved to Alaska where he and his wife Dina still live in Palmer.  They have four adult children.

Beginning his presentation, Sorensen first noted that in 1881, Franklin was part of the super-county called Oneida that encompassed most of southeastern Idaho. While the murder occurred in the city of Franklin, the trial and subsequent events occurred in Malad City, the seat of Oneida County.

Joel Hinckley was the victim in this murder case.  At the time, he was the station manager for the Franklin Depot, which was where the railroad ended at that time, making it a very busy station. Late at night, two wandering reprobates, Michael Mooney and Frank Barnes, accosted Joel in the station waiting room where the safe was, and one of the men, generally thought to be Mooney, shot and killed Joel.

Sorensen became interested in this story when he learned that Joel Hinckley was the brother of Sorensen’s great-grandmother.  He spent several years researching over 150 newspaper articles from all over the country, often confronted by conflicting details.  As he could not find any surviving copies of The Idaho Enterprise from that era (it was published in Oxford at that time), most of his information came from the Blackfoot Register and family accounts.

After getting caught, Frank Barnes confessed to the shooting, but Michael Mooney was tried and convicted of the murder because the one eyewitness said that the taller of the two men (Mooney) had pulled the trigger. 

The trial of Michael Mooney was a big event in Oneida County as it led to the first hanging in territorial Idaho.  The public was not allowed into the area where the hanging took place, but dozens of boys and men climbed on nearby haystacks and watched the proceedings.

Barnes was also tried for murder and was sentenced to 20 years in the Idaho Penitentiary. He served 15 before being paroled.

The disposition of Mooney’s body is up for debate. Sorensen thinks that the undertaker probably followed what was often done with bodies that were not claimed – they were sold as cadavers.  However, many people in Malad are sure that Michael Mooney was buried in Pleasantview on the Palmer ranch.  In fact, Edna Palmer has stated many times that she has seen and heard the ghost of Michael Mooney.  “Mooney’s ghost” still haunts the Palmer ranch, according to legend. (There is some irony to the fact that Kevin Sorensen lives in Palmer, Alaska.)

Kevin Sorensen donated a box of his books to the Oneida Pioneer Museum to thank the community for allowing him to present in Malad and to thank the Museum for some of the resources he used in the book. The 300-page hardback book will sell for $25 at the Museum.  As the Museum is closed for the season, please contact Jean Thomas or Dotty Evanson to purchase a copy of this book that tells one of the fascinating stories from Oneida County’s history.