Black powder dynamite is both efficient and hazardous. Its general commercial use is to clear land of large debris like boulders and tree stumps. Though it has only 20 to 30 percent of the explosive power of full nitro dynamite, if that power is multiplied and applied to a human body, the effect is devastating.

April 21, 1955, was the last day of Oliver Smith's life. Twelve sticks of black powder explosive had been bound with black tape and mounted to the underside of the driver's seat in Smith's 1952 Buick sedan. He'd been driving around Portland for two days, unaware of Death waiting beneath his seat cushion. Late that evening, Smith got into his car, turned the key, hit the starter switch, and died instantly in a blast that destroyed the vehicle and obliterated the 35-year-old attorney and new husband.

Episode Host: Josh McCullough

For photos and sources for today’s episode, check out the Murder in the Rain Episode Blog.

If you’d like more episodes of Murder in the Rain, Patreon members at the $5/mo+ level, gain access to exclusive episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and more.

Join us this year at the True Crime and Paranormal Podcast Festival July 12th-14th in Denver, Colorado! Don’t forget to use our code RAIN15 to get 15% off of your tickets. It’s a great time to connect with podcasts as well as families impacted by the cases we discuss. We had a blast last year and we think you will too.

Join us this year at True Crime Fest Northwest in Portland, Oregon from August 30th through Sept 1st. You can get your tickets at TrueCrimeFestNorthwest.com! Use promo code RAIN10 for 10% off your tickets.

Follow us on:

• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/murderintherain/
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/mintherain/
• Twitter https://twitter.com/murderintherain
• TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@em_murderintherain
• Website https://www.murderintherain.com/
• Email murderintherain@gmail.com