Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/William Leslie Arnold

The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was keep‎. Sandstein 08:31, 2 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]

William Leslie Arnold[edit]

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Unremarkable crim. WP:NOTNEWS. TheLongTone (talk) 15:14, 25 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Note: This discussion has been included in the list of People-related deletion discussions. CAPTAIN RAJU^(T) 16:21, 25 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]
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Keep, tenuously. The crime itself might not be notable, but being a double murderer, escaping from prison, escaping to several different countries under a false name and being the subject of a cold case, then being the cause of coverage over a decade after he died? Depends on how much coverage on the case before 2023 can be found, but this seems decently notable, presuming there was coverage of the double murder and prison escape at the time in addition to the recent coverage. PARAKANYAA (talk) 09:57, 28 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Simply two different minor news stories. Curious, yes. Notable, no.TheLongTone (talk) 15:24, 28 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

If it has significant coverage from reliable sources over a long period of time then yes, it's notable. PARAKANYAA (talk) 20:55, 28 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

There is significance in the manner in which the subject was found to be in Australia and under the alias John Damon. DNA testing using Public systems, such as Ancestry.com, and authorities tapping into these systems is a very current and relevant/notable topic. Panamax76 (talk) 07:19, 29 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Keep. I came looking for an article after listening to a BBC radio programme that featured the case. [1]. We've also got the recent Guardian and CNN reports. It was reported luridly at the time e.g. [2] Sunday World-Herald October 12, 1958 page B-1 - 'Youth Kills Father, Mother to Get Own Way About Car. Hides Bodies in Back Yard Under Lilacs. Boy, 16 Told Kin Parents on Trip'. The prison escape and cold case follow-ups were also covered over the years. --Cavrdg (talk) 17:12, 28 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Keep: The CNN article from May 2023 provided by Cavrdg indicates ongoing notability. I've also found this article from the Lincoln Journal Star (August 1992): "Escaped murderer gone 25 years now". This indicates there was ongoing public interest in the case, from the 1950s on. Toughpigs (talk) 02:42, 29 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Keep: The Omaha World Herald has an extensive multi-part series on this story. The way he was found in Australia, via DNA and Ancestry.com from unsuspecting relatives is significant, as covered by the BBC radio program "The Gift". This article can be greatly expanded upon. Panamax76 (talk) 05:47, 29 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]
comment I do not buy any of the above. There is no ocontinuing coverage, meaning that the initial murders & subsquent going on the trot are not notable; the subsuquent covearge on his death are likewise simply ephemeral news stories. Television is of course a whirlpool of sensationalist trivia and I can understand how a television program might be made, altho how the thin gruel would furnish a 'mini-series' I cannot imagine. Just another good reason not to have a television, imo.TheLongTone (talk) 15:50, 31 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Okay, let's treat all the breaking coverage for the three separate incidents (the 2023 discovery, the murder and the initial prison escape) as irrelevant. Only counting interim coverage, we have:
- 2022 - (on escape) Back in the day, July 14, 1967; Leslie Arnold escapes from prison
- 2022 - (on murder) Back in the day, Oct. 11, 1958: Leslie Arnold confesses to killing parents and leads police to bodies
- 2015 - A look at prison escapees who got away with it
- 2022 - Band Kid or Budding Psychopath?: The Crimes of Leslie Arnold
- 2017 More coverage: The Mystery of Leslie Arnold
- 2017 1958 Omaha murder, prison escape story inspires new song by Lincoln band
There's a ton more. This is continuous coverage nearly 70 years after the murders occurred. This is clearly a notable case people remember. Also for searching purposes, he was almost always just referred to as "Leslie Arnold". If the page survives the page name should be changed to that - it's the clear common name. PARAKANYAA (talk) 20:20, 31 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

TheLongTone, you know television has existed for decades? You don't have to buy any of it but you do have to point to actual Wikipedia policies. The onus is on you. – The Grid (talk) 20:52, 1 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]

The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.