Murder in the Mining City: An 80-year-old unsolved killing and a family secret unravels Story behind the Lady in Room Number Nine "I didnât realize my grandmother was murdered till I was in high school," said Larry Ohman, author of Lady in Room Number Nine. By: Kaitlyn Aguiles - MTN News Posted at 9:01 AM, Feb 08, 2021 and last updated 2021-02-08 14:13:31-05 BUTTE â "I didnât realize my grandmother was murdered till I was in high school," said Larry Ohman, author of Lady in Room Number Nine. On the morning of April 19, 1940, groans could be heard coming from room nine in the Empire Hotel.