Nittany Nightmare: The Sex Murders of 1938-1940 and the Panic at Penn State By Derek J. Sherwood As the Great Depression hit, Penn State College was cash-strapped and dilapidated. In 1937, underfunded state police fighting a losing battle against striking miners and steel workers in Johnstown called in the National Guard. There were not enough police to cover the state, and it showed. Then someone started killing young women in the area. Dec 21, 2019 • 4 min read