In the tumultuous life of Kelsey Grammer, there have been numerous disasters and tragedies.
Some of these misfortunes were self-inflicted, such as DUIs, car crashes, jail time, and conniving spouses.
However, there are other tragedies that have rocked his life, which he had no control over.
One well-known tragedy is the abduction, rape, and murder of Grammer’s sister, Karen, in 1975 by Freddie Glenn and his accomplices.
Grammer’s relentless efforts to keep Glenn from being released in 2009 have made this story widely recognized.
Another tragic incident occurred on July 24, 2020, when Grammer’s daughter, Spencer, was attacked by a knife-wielding man at a restaurant in New York.
She bravely intervened to protect another person from harm.
However, there is an untold tragedy in Kelsey Grammer’s life that has not received as much attention.
On April 24, 1968, his father, Frank Allen Grammer Jr., was brutally murdered.
Reports from that time state that Grammer’s father fell victim to Arthur Bevan Niles, a man consumed by racial hatred, during a month-long wave of racially motivated violence.
Frank Grammer’s Journey to the U.S. Virgin Islands
The Grammer family has left an indelible mark on the world.
Kelsey’s grandfather, Frank A. Grammer Sr., and grandmother, Edna Grammer, were well-respected members of the Ocean Grove, New Jersey community.
They lived in a spacious house just a few blocks from the beach.
Sadly, Edna Grammer passed away during surgery in 1948, leaving behind her husband and their son, Frank A. Grammer Jr.
Frank Grammer Sr. went on to become the Dean of Admissions at Newark College of Engineering and eventually remarried Wilma Horster, one of the school’s secretaries.
Meanwhile, Frank Grammer Jr., at the age of nineteen, left Hopatcong, New Jersey, and moved to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
In St. Thomas, Frank Grammer, now 25 years old, made a name for himself.
He established a music store, published a local newspaper called “Virgin Islands View,” and became a prominent figure in Charlotte Amalie.
His newspaper often criticized what he considered “local insanities.”
For twelve years, Frank Grammer thrived in St. Thomas.
However, an event that occurred nearly 2,000 miles away would eventually lead to his tragic demise.
On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.
Niles’ Trail of Crimes
On April 9, the day of King’s funeral, Arthur Bevan Niles, a taxi driver and a vehemently anti-white individual residing in the U.S. Virgin Islands, covered his taxi with racist slogans.
The police ordered Niles to remove his cab from the streets due to the offensive statements it displayed, such as “Kill the white pigs.”
Niles also attempted to set fire to a house and two rental cars at the Cyril E. King Airport.
Furthermore, he planted a bomb in the St. Thomas offices of the International Telephone and Telegraph Co., which fortunately did not detonate.
During the night of April 24, 1968, Niles arrived at Frank Grammer’s house.
He deliberately set fire to Grammer’s car as a ploy to lure him outside.
When Frank Grammer stepped out to investigate, Niles shot and killed him.
Arthur Bevan Niles was apprehended and later found fit to stand trial by the USVI district court on February 10, 1969.
However, due to his paranoia, Niles was deemed unable to represent himself and was assigned legal counsel.
Niles’ Threats and Release
At an unknown date, possibly in 1994, Arthur Niles was released from prison and relocated to Randallstown, Maryland, near Washington D.C.
It is worth noting that Niles’ son, Navaldo “Rico” Niles, resided in the same area.
Rico was born on April 9, 1968, just two weeks before his father’s violent rampage began.
In 2002, District Judge Richard A. Cooper issued a restraining order to prevent Niles from contacting his 34-year-old son.
In response, Niles wrote a threatening letter to Judge Cooper, stating, “Then, I would have to come back to Maryland to kill you, your honor.”
During a bail hearing on November 22, Niles declared:
“Just keep me in jail where I can be safe, and you can be safe.
Or put me in the gas chamber.
I do not deserve to live because I have killed people, and I am not sorry for what I did.
I would be content and happy to be in jail if you could find a cell for me to be alone.”
Shortly before the hearing, Niles had been arrested at Lowe’s Home Improvement in Waldorf, Maryland, while in the company of his son, Rico, for violating the restraining order.
Niles argued in court that the restraining order falsely portrayed him as a child abuser.
In his defense, Niles proclaimed, “I’m a killer, not a child abuser.”
Arthur Bevan Niles Today
Arthur Bevan Niles is still alive.
His wife, Jean Niles, passed away on November 30, 2013, in Newton, North Carolina.
Her obituary stated that she was survived by her husband of 52 years, Arthur Niles, who resides in St. Thomas, VI.
In 2015, Niles’ son, Rico, posted a message stating that his father was “high-spirited and healing” after an undisclosed medical procedure.
It seems that some reconciliation occurred between Rico and his father, as Rico expressed his love for him and wished him the best during his recovery.
Sadly, Navaldo “Rico” Niles battled heart disease and passed away on August 3, 2016.
