Southern Mysteries Podcast

On a quiet night in October 1973, two men fishing along the Pascagoula River in Mississippi walked into the sheriff’s office with a story that would follow them for the rest of their lives. Charles Hickson and Calvin Parker claimed they were taken aboard a strange craft and examined by beings they could not explain. This episode of Southern Mysteries, explores the Pascagoula Incident, the fear and fallout that shaped both men’s lives, and why this Mississippi case still raises questions more than 50 years later. Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries 🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists. 📱 Follow on Social Media: Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources Reuters. “Mississippi man who said he was abducted by aliens dies.” Sept. 13, 2011. https://www.reuters.com/article/world/uk/mississippi-man-who-said-he-was-abducted-by-aliens-dies-idUSTRE78C66R/ WLOX. “Calvin Parker, who claimed he was abducted by aliens in Pascagoula in 1973, has died.” Sept. 2, 2023. https://www.wlox.com/2023/09/02/calvin-parker-who-claimed-he-was-abducted-by-aliens-pascagoula-1973-has-died/ WLOX. “Coast Life: Alleged Pascagoula River Alien Abduction 50-years later.” Oct. 16, 2023. https://www.wlox.com/2023/10/17/coast-life-alleged-pascagoula-river-alien-abduction-50-years-later/ Country Roads Magazine. Alexandra Kennon Shahin, “The Pascagoula Abduction.” Sept.21, 2021 https://countryroadsmagazine.com/art-and-culture/people-places/the-pascagoula-abduction/ Office of the Director of National Intelligence. “2022 Annual Report on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena.” Jan. 12, 2023. https://www.dni.gov/index.php/newsroom/reports-publications/reports-publications-2023/3667-2022-annual-report-on-unidentified-aerial-phenomena Office of the Director of National Intelligence. “ODNI Releases Annual Report on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena.” Jan. 12, 2023. https://www.dni.gov/index.php/newsroom/press-releases/press-releases-2023/3668-odni-releases-annual-report-on-unidentified-aerial-phenomena Office of the Director of National Intelligence. “2022 Annual Report on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena” (PDF). https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/Unclassified-2022-Annual-Report-UAP.pdf U.S. Department of Defense. “Department of Defense Releases the Annual Report on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena.” Nov. 14, 2024. https://www.war.gov/News/Releases/Release/article/3964824/department-of-defense-releases-the-annual-report-on-unidentified-anomalous-phen/ Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

In February 1975, nine-year-old Marcia Trimble vanished while delivering Girl Scout cookies in Nashville’s Green Hills neighborhood, shattering the sense of safety surrounding one of the city’s most affluent communities. Her disappearance and murder became one of Tennessee’s most haunting cold cases, marked by suspicion, unanswered questions, and a mystery that lingered for decades. Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries 🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists. 📱 Follow on Social Media: Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast TikTok @southernmysteries Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources The Tennessean archival reporting on the disappearance, search, and investigation of Marcia Trimble (1975–2009): https://www.tennessean.com/ Nashville Banner historical coverage via Nashville Public Library Digital Collections: https://digital.library.nashville.org/ (digital.library.nashville.org in Bing) Metro Nashville Police Department public statements and case summaries related to the Trimble investigation: https://www.nashville.gov/departments/police (nashville.gov in Bing) Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals opinion in State of Tennessee v. Jerome Sydney Barrett (2009): https://www.tncourts.gov/ Davidson County Criminal Court filings and docket information for Barrett’s prosecution: https://sci.ccc.nashville.gov/ (sci.ccc.nashville.gov in Bing) Vanderbilt University archives documenting the murder of Sarah Des Prez and Barrett’s connection: https://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/speccol/ Belmont University reporting and campus safety archives referencing the February 1975 assault linked to Barrett: https://www.belmont.edu/ A&E Cold Case Files episode “The Girl Scout Murder” (Marcia Trimble case): https://www.aetv.com/shows/cold-case-files (aetv.com in Bing) Nashville Scene long‑form reporting on the Trimble case and the Womack investigation: https://www.nashvillescene.com/ Interviews with Jeffrey Womack published across multiple decades, including retrospective reporting by The Tennessean: https://www.tennessean.com/ Nashville Public Library Metro Archives: Belle Meade and Green Hills neighborhood development history, maps, and planning documents: https://library.nashville.org/research/metro-archives (library.nashville.org in Bing) U.S. Census Bureau demographic data for Nashville and Davidson County (1960–1980): Historical accounts of Belle Meade’s origins and incorporation as an independent city: https://www.citybellemeade.org/ Reporting on the 1979 grand jury indictment of Jeffrey Womack via The Tennessean archives: https://www.tennessean.com/ Coverage of the 2008–2009 DNA breakthroughs and Barrett’s prosecution from The Tennessean and AP News: https://apnews.com/ Academic research on investigative tunnel vision and wrongful suspicion in 1970s policing (National Criminal Justice Reference Service): https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs Oral histories and interviews with Nashville residents who participated in the 1975 search efforts (Nashville Public Library Oral History Collections): https://library.nashville.org/research/oral-history (library.nashville.org in Bing) Contemporary reporting on changes in Tennessee missing‑child protocols influenced by the Trimble case (TBI & state legislative archives): https://www.tn.gov/tbi Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

A storm‑tossed blockade‑runner, a satchel of Confederate gold, and a woman whose secrets shaped the early days of the Civil War—this episode uncovers the life of famed spy Rose O’Neal Greenhow. From Washington parlors to prison cells to the dark waters off Fort Fisher, her story reveals the hidden world of Southern espionage and the final choice that bound her to the cause she refused to abandon. Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries 🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists. 📱 Follow on Social Media: Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast TikTok @southernmysteries Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources Greenhow, Rose O’Neal. My Imprisonment and the First Year of Abolition Rule at Washington. London: Richard Bentley, 1863. Pinkerton, Allan. The Spy of the Rebellion: Being a True History of the Spy System of the United States Army During the Late Rebellion. New York: G.W. Carleton & Co., 1883. Boyd, Belle. Belle Boyd in Camp and Prison. New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1865. Van Lew, Elizabeth. Papers and correspondence, 1860–1870. Library of Virginia, Richmond. Davis, Jefferson. The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government. New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1881. U.S. War Department. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1880–1901. National Archives and Records Administration. “Old Capitol Prison Records,” Record Group 393. Blanton, DeAnne. “Women Soldiers, Spies, and Patriots of the Civil War.” National Archives, 1993. Leonard, Elizabeth D. All the Daring of the Soldier: Women of the Civil War Armies. New York: W.W. Norton, 1999. Wheeler, Richard. Voices of 1861. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1961. Clinton, Catherine. Southern Women in the Civil War. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. McPherson, James M. Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988. Browning, Robert M. From Cape Charles to Cape Fear: The North Atlantic Blockading Squadron During the Civil War. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1993. Fonvielle, Chris E. The Wilmington Campaign: Last Rays of Departing Hope. Campbell, CA: Savas Publishing, 1997. “Wilmington Daily Journal,” October 1864. Coverage of the wreck of the Condor and the death of Rose O’Neal Greenhow. “Richmond Enquirer,” 1861–1862. Reports on the arrest and imprisonment of Rose O’Neal Greenhow. “The New York Times,” August–September 1861. Coverage of Greenhow’s arrest and Pinkerton’s investigation. Library of Congress. “Civil War Glass Negatives and Related Prints,” Prints and Photographs Division. National Park Service. “First Battle of Manassas: Intelligence and Espionage,” Manassas National Battlefield Park. Sutherland, Daniel E. A Savage Conflict: The Decisive Role of Guerrillas in the American Civil War. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2009. Fishel, Edwin C. The Secret War for the Union: The Untold Story of Military Intelligence in the Civil War. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1996. Bakeless, John. Spies of the Confederacy. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1970. Horan, James D. Confederate Agent: A True Story of the Civil War. New York: Crown Publishers, 1954. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies, Series I, Vol. 10. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1900. North Carolina Office of Archives and History. “Fort Fisher and the Blockade Runners,” Raleigh, NC. Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

In 1970, Thomas Gilmore became the first Black sheriff in rural Greene County, Alabama. He refused to carry a gun. How did a man of peace earn the trust to enforce the law in a place shaped by deep racial divides? And why does his story remain largely unknown? Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries 🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists. 📱 Follow on Social Media: Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast TikTok @southernmysteries Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources Richard Bailey — Neither Carpetbaggers Nor Scalawags: Black Officeholders During the Reconstruction of Alabama, 1867–1878. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1572687 Eric Foner — Freedom’s Lawmakers: A Directory of Black Officeholders During Reconstruction . https://uncpress.org/book/9780807858863/freedoms-lawmakers/ Alabama Department of Archives & History — Reconstruction‑era election record. https://archives.alabama.gov Greene County Historical Society. https://www.greenecountyhistoricalsociety.org University of Alabama — Black Belt Heritage Collections. https://guides.lib.ua.edu/blackbelt Birmingham Civil Rights Institute — Oral Histories. https://www.bcri.org/oral-history-project U.S. Department of Justice — Voting Rights Act historical materials. https://www.justice.gov/crt/voting-rights-act-1965 Frye Gaillard — Cradle of Freedom: Alabama and the Movement That Changed America . https://ugapress.org/book/9780820324722/cradle-of-freedom Marshall Frady — The Southerner . https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1358422 Southern Christian Leadership Conference Archives. https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/southern-christian-leadership-conference-sclc Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Digital Gateway. https://snccdigital.org Birmingham News (historical archives). https://www.newspapers.com/paper/the-birmingham-news/268/ Tuscaloosa News (historical archives). https://www.newspapers.com/paper/the-tuscaloosa-news/2681/ Equal Justice Initiative — Historical reports on policing in Alabama. https://eji.org/reports/ Douglas A. Blackmon — Slavery by Another Name. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/18327/slavery-by-another-name-by-douglas-a-blackmon/ Isabel Wilkerson — The Warmth of Other Suns. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/19076/the-warmth-of-other-suns-by-isabel-wilkerson/ This Man Stands Alone (film about Thomas Gilmore). https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250463/ Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

In June 1948, 21-year-old Mary Virginia Carpenter left Texarkana for college in Denton, Texas. She was last seen after a taxi dropped her near Brackenridge Hall at Texas State College for Women. The letter she promised her mother never came, and neither did Virginia. More than 70 years later, her disappearance remains one of Denton’s quiet, enduring mysteries. Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries 🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists. 📱 Follow on Social Media: Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast TikTok @southernmysteries Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources Denton Record‑Chronicle. Coverage of the disappearance of Virginia Carpenter. https://dentonrc.com Texarkana Gazette. Reporting on the Carpenter case and related community response. https://www.texarkanagazette.com Texas Woman’s University Libraries, Special Collections. Historical information on TSCW campus life and 1940s dorm policies. https://twu.edu/library/special-collections/ (twu.edu in Bing) Texas Rangers Hall of Fame and Museum. Background on Ranger Lewis C. Rigler and investigative practices. https://www.texasranger.org The Charley Project. “Mary Virginia Carpenter.” https://charleyproject.org/case/mary-virginia-carpenter (charleyproject.org) The Doe Network. Case File 1198DFTX. https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1198dftx.html (doenetwork.org in Bing) Unsolved Mysteries Wiki. “Virginia Carpenter.” https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Virginia_Carpenter Texas Monthly. “The Phantom Killer.” https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/the-phantom-killer/ FBI Vault. Archival documents related to mid‑20th‑century missing persons investigations. https://vault.fbi.gov Newspapers.com. Digitized historical newspapers used for timeline verification. https://www.newspapers.com Ancestry.com. U.S. Census and public records consulted for background verification. https://www.ancestry.com Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

Off the coast of South Carolina, on Edisto Island, a mausoleum at the back of an old churchyard has become the center of one of the state’s most persistent ghost stories. The name “Legare” is carved over the entrance, and for generations people have whispered that a young woman named Julia was buried alive inside. This episode follows the legend to the historical record and asks what we can really know about the woman whose name turned a family tomb into one of South Carolina’s most talked-about hauntings. Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries 🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists. 📱 Follow on Social Media: Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast TikTok @southernmysteries Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources "Tomb of Julia Legare." South Carolina Picture Project. https://www.scpictureproject.org/charleston-county/tomb-of-julia-legare.html "The Legend of Julia Legare." Edisto Beach. https://edistobeach.com/the-legend-of-julia-legare/ "Presbyterian Church on Edisto Island." South Carolina Picture Project. https://www.scpictureproject.org/charleston-county/edisto-island-presbyterian.html Jaime Rubio. "The True Legend of Julia Legare – Fact vs Fiction." Dreaming Casually, Aug. 7, 2014. https://dreamingcasuallypoetry.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-true-legend-of-julia-legare-fact-vs.html "Julia Georgiana Seabrook Legare (1829–1852)." Find a Grave memorial 65651815. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/65651815/julia-georgiana-legare "Hugh Swinton Legare (1847–1854)." Find a Grave memorial 65655039. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/65655039/hugh-swinton-legare "Presbyterian Church on Edisto Island Cemetery." RootsWeb transcription https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~cemphoto/history/sc/charleston/edisto/scehmedtall.html "Julia Georgianna (Seabrook) Legaré (1829–1852)." WikiTree profile Seabrook-911. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Seabrook-911 "Julia Georgiana Seabrook (1829–1852)." FamilySearch. https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/M4KR-51C/julia-georgiana-seabrook-1829-1852 "William Seabrook (1773–1836)." FamilySearch. https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LKLK-T93/william-seabrook-1773-1836 "Robert Chisholm Seabrook (1821–1852)." FamilySearch. https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/MZJY-FBZ/robert-chisholm-seabrook-1821-1852 "Seabrook Plantation – Edisto Island – Charleston County." .https://south-carolina-plantations.com/charleston/seabrook.html "Cassina Point Plantation." South Carolina Picture Project. https://www.scpictureproject.org/charleston-county/cassina-point-plantation-2.html Historic Houses of South Carolina. J. H. Easterby et al. (PDF). https://archive.org/download/historichousesof00leid/historichousesof00leid.pdf "The South Carolina Historical and Genealogical Magazine, Vol. XVII." (PDF). https://www.carolana.com/SC/eBooks/SCHGM/The_South_Carolina_Historical_and_Genealogical_Magazine_Volume_XVII.pdf "James Hopkinson Papers, 1847–1921." ArchiveGrid / WorldCat summary. https://researchworks.oclc.org/archivegrid/archiveComponent/41963032 "Slaves of James Hopkinson (1810–1875), South Carolina." https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Slaves_of_James_Hopkinson_%281810_-_1875%29%2C_South_Carolina "1865 List of Abandoned Plantations, Edisto Island, South Carolina." https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:1865_List_of_Abandoned_Plantations_Edisto_Island%2C_South_Carolina "Records of the Assistant Commissioner for the State of South Carolina, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands – Berwick Legare, Edisto Island." Smithsonian NMAAHC Freedmen’s Bureau Digital Records. https://nmaahc.si.edu/freedmens-bureau/record/fbs-1662423774659-1662426204172-3 "Lowcountry Ghost Stories." South Carolina Lowcountry Tourism. https://southcarolinalowcountry.com/lowcountry-ghost-stories/ "Old Churchyard Cemetery" brochure, Parish Church of St. Helena, Beaufort (PDF). https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/09fbc323/files/uploaded/Churchyard%20Brochure-website.pdf "Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor." National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/places/gullah-geechee-cultural-heritage-corridor.htm "Port Royal Experiment." South Carolina Lowcountry Tourism. https://southcarolinalowcountry.com/beaufort-the-port-royal-experiment/ "Emancipation Day: The Freed People of Port Royal." South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium.https://www.scseagrant.org/emancipation-day-the-freed-people-of-port-royal/ Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

In the summer of 1924, a railroad worker was found dead near tracks in Little Rock. Weeks later, his wife was found dead in another state. What followed was a series of headlines that pointed to one woman—Winona Spriggs. Her name would appear again and again over the next fifty years, linked to crime, escape, and murder. This is the story of a family broken, and of the woman who never stopped running. Join the Community on Patreon Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries 🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists. 📱 Follow on Social Media: Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources Arkansas Gazette (Little Rock, AR), 1924–1974 Arkansas Democrat (Little Rock, AR), 1924–1954 The Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK), 1924–1954 Tulsa Tribune (Tulsa, OK), 1924–1948 Miami News-Record (Miami, OK), August 1946 The Salinas Californian (Salinas, CA), 1953–1954 The San Bernardino Sun (San Bernardino, CA), October–November 1974 The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, WA), March 16, 1954 Associated Press (AP) wire reports, 1924–1954 Pulaski County Circuit Court records (Arkansas) Oklahoma criminal investigation records (Miami, OK) California Superior Court records (Salinas, CA), 1954 Arkansas State Penitentiary records and parole files Oklahoma Department of Corrections records California Department of Corrections records U.S. Census records (1910, 1920, 1930, 1940) Marriage and divorce records for Winona Spriggs / Winona Green / Winnie Ola Freeman Death records for J.R. Green, Lena Green, Robert Sheldon Wilkinson, Harold Jonassen, and Winnie Ola Freeman Library of Congress, Chronicling America newspaper archive Newspapers.com archival database Ancestry.com historical records Unknown Misandry blog: “Winnie Ola Freeman (Winona Green): The Cat Woman” (2014) Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

In December 1968, Barbara Jane Mackle was kidnapped from a motel room outside Atlanta, Georgia. The circumstances surrounding her abduction were so strange, investigators could barely make sense of them. The search for twenty year old Barbara Jane Mackle became a race against time that gripped her family and drew national attention. Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries 🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists. 📱 Follow on Social Media: Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast TikTok @southernmysteries Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources Miller, Gene. 83 Hours Till Dawn. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1971. “FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives: Ruth Eisemann-Schier, 1969.” Federal Bureau of Investigation, Ten Most Wanted Program Archives. “Kidnapped Heiress Rescued from Buried Box.” The Miami Herald, December 21, 1968. “Barbara Mackle Found Alive.” The Atlanta Constitution, December 21, 1968. “Agents Seize Suspect in Mackle Kidnapping.” The Miami Herald, December 21–23, 1968. “Man Held in Heiress Kidnap Case.” The New York Times, December 22, 1968. “Girl in Box Case.” Los Angeles Times, December 22, 1968. “Suspect Caught in Marsh After Days on the Run.” Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale), December 1968. “Woman on FBI List Seized in Oklahoma.” The Oklahoman, February 8, 1969. United States v. Gary Steven Krist, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, 1969. United States v. Ruth Eisemann-Schier, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, 1969. FBI, Supplemental Case Report: Kidnapping of Barbara Jane Mackle, December 1968 (declassified portions). Jordan, C.D. “Account of the Mackle Kidnapping Rescue.” Interview, FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, 1970. Associated Press. “Heiress Found Alive in Buried Box; Ransom Paid.” December 21, 1968. United Press International. “Search Intensifies for Kidnappers After Ransom Drop Fails.” December 1968. “Krist Granted Medical License Despite Record.” The Indianapolis News, July 23, 1985. U.S. Department of Justice. “South Florida Man Sentenced in Cocaine Trafficking Case.” DOJ Press Release, 2006. “Eisemann-Schier Paroled and Deported.” The Miami Herald, 1973. Emory Wheel (Emory University). “Student Kidnapped from Decatur Motel.” December 18–22, 1968 coverage. “The Mackle Kidnapping Revisited.” People Magazine (retrospective feature), 1998. “Buried Alive: The 1968 Abduction of Barbara Mackle.” CNN.com, Crime Retrospective Series, 2003. “83 Hours in the Earth.” CBS News Sunday Morning, archival retrospective segment. Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

In 1877, a young woman arrived in Jefferson, Texas, wearing diamonds and traveling with a man who claimed to be her husband. Days later, her body was found in the woods, and her name was unknown. She became known as Diamond Bessie, and her death led to one of the most sensational murder trials in Texas history. This episode of Southern Mysteries explores her life, the circumstances of her murder, the trials of Abe Rothschild, and the legacy of a woman the town refused to forget. Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries 🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists. 📱 Follow on Social Media: Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast TikTok @southernmysteries Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) entry on "Diamond Bessie" Handbook of Texas Online Library of Congress Newspaper Archives “East Texas in the 1800s: Jefferson and the Murder of Diamond Bessie,” Jefferson Historical Society Oakwood Cemetery, Jefferson Texas burial records University of North Texas Portal to Texas History The Diamond Bessie Murder Trial – Jefferson Playhouse historical archives “The Jefferson Murders” — archived article from The Dallas Morning News East Texas Tales by Bob Bowman Chronicling America – Historical newspaper records (Library of Congress) Marshall, Texas Capitol Hotel registration archives (via local historical society) “Diamond Bessie Reenactment Keeps History Alive” — Texas Highways Ancestry records and obituaries (Watertown, NY) for Annie Stone / Bessie Moore Archives of the Rothschild family business in Cincinnati (local historical collections) Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

In 1905, eight-year-old Kenneth Beasley, the son of North Carolina State Senator Samuel Beasley, walked out of his one-room schoolhouse in Poplar Branch, Currituck County—and vanished. What followed was one of the most haunting and controversial cases in North Carolina history. A bitter feud between two respected families, a trial built on circumstantial evidence, and a man’s death that left more questions than answers. Over a century later, the disappearance of the senator’s son remains unsolved. In this episode of Southern Mysteries, explore the loss, suspicion, and silence that still echo through the story of Kenneth Beasley—a mystery that has never let go of the Carolina coast. Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries 🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists. 📱 Follow on Social Media: Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast TikTok @southernmysteries Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources State v. Harrison, 146 N.C. 540 (1907) – Official North Carolina Supreme Court opinion detailing the 1907 conviction of Joshua T. Harrison for the kidnapping of Kenneth Beasley; includes procedural history, evidence summary, and court rulings. The News and Observer (Raleigh, N.C.), February 1905 – Original newspaper publication of the anonymous letter alleging a man seen with a crying boy in a buggy near Barco on the day Kenneth Beasley disappeared. The Elizabeth City Economist (Elizabeth City, N.C.), March 1907 – Contemporary reporting on the Pasquotank County trial of Joshua Harrison; includes witness testimony summaries and public reaction to the guilty verdict. The Norfolk Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Va.), September 1907 – Coverage of Joshua Harrison’s suicide at the Gladstone Hotel following the Supreme Court’s decision; includes mention of the suicide note claiming innocence. The Richmond Times-Dispatch (Richmond, Va.), September 19, 1907 – Regional coverage of Harrison’s death and aftermath, quoting Senator Beasley’s reaction that Harrison “took his secret to the grave.” The Atlanta Georgian, September 1907 – Additional newspaper reporting on Harrison’s suicide, reprinting statements from North Carolina officials regarding the case outcome. Currituck County, North Carolina GenWeb Archives – Miscellaneous Newspaper Articles – Digitized transcriptions of early 20th-century reports on the Beasley case, including disappearance coverage, Harrison’s indictment, and excerpts from the Supreme Court opinion. Beach Glass Books – The Senator’s Son: The Shocking Disappearance of Kenneth Beasley, and the Trials of Joshua Harrison by Charles Oldham (2018) – Modern historical investigation into the case; draws from court records, newspaper archives, and local oral history. Most Notorious Podcast – Interview with Charles Oldham (December 7, 2023) – Discussion of the Beasley disappearance and Harrison’s trial; includes historical context on Currituck County politics and the culture of the early 1900s. Strange Company Blog – “Where is Kenneth Beasley?” (January 6, 2020) – Summary of the case using verified newspaper accounts; cites the News and Observer letter and the 1907 court proceedings. Find a Grave – Senator Samuel Mordecai Beasley (1863–1910) – Burial information and biographical details confirming Beasley’s death in Norfolk, Virginia. Find a Grave – Joshua Thomas Harrison (1839–1907) – Burial and genealogical data, confirming Harrison’s identity, family connections, and date of death. Currituck County Historical Society Records – Local archival notes and oral tradition references to the Beasley disappearance; confirm the location of Poplar Branch schoolhouse and family properties. North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources – State Archives, Raleigh – Holding references for Beasley and Harrison court and legislative documents, including the 1906–1907 Currituck Superior Court docket entries. U.S. Census Records, Currituck County (1900 & 1910) – Verification of Beasley and Harrison family members, occupations, and ages. Elmwood Cemetery Records (Norfolk, Virginia) – Burial registry confirming interment of Senator Samuel M. Beasley, 1910. Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

Across the South, the word witch has been used to explain what people fear and cannot control. For generations, healers, midwives, conjurers and root workers carried knowledge their communities needed, yet often faced suspicion when tragedy struck. In this episode of Southern Mysteries, we explore the real lives and southern legends behind those branded as witches. From colonial courts to mountain cabins and coastal swamps, these stories reveal how the line between healing and haunting has always been thin and how fear can turn ordinary people into figures of folklore. Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries 🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists. 📱 Follow on Social Media: Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast TikTok @southernmysteries Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources Anderson, Jeffery E. Conjure in African American Society. Louisiana State University Press, 2005. American Folklife Center, Library of Congress — regional oral history collections on conjure, hoodoo, and midwifery. Anniston Hot Blast and Birmingham Age-Herald (Alabama newspapers), 1880s witchcraft coverage. Deep South Magazine. “Julia ‘Aunt Julie’ Brown: Debunking Her Voodoo Priestess Mythos.” Encyclopedia of Louisiana. “Marie Laveau.” Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities. Encyclopedia Virginia. “Sherwood, Grace (ca. 1660–1740).” Federal Writers’ Project. South Carolina Slave Narratives. Library of Congress, 1938. Ferry Plantation House Museum archives, Virginia Beach, Virginia. Fett, Sharla M. Working Cures: Healing, Health, and Power on Southern Slave Plantations. University of North Carolina Press, 2002. Foxfire 2: Houses and Appalachian Traditions. Edited by Eliot Wigginton. Anchor Books, 1973. Historic New Orleans Collection. “Julia Brown: Hoodoo, Hurricanes, and a Storm-Swamped Ruddock.” L’Observateur (St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana). “Voodoo Queen and Forces Unseen.” Library of Virginia. “The Case of Grace Sherwood, 1706.” Princess Anne County Court Records. Louisiana State Museum archives, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, New Orleans, Louisiana. Long, Carolyn Morrow. A New Orleans Voudou Priestess: The Legend and Reality of Marie Laveau. University Press of Florida, 2006. Martha Ward. Voodoo Queen: The Spirited Lives of Marie Laveau. University Press of Mississippi, 2004. McTeer, J.E. Fifty Years as a Low Country Witch Doctor. University of South Carolina Press, 1971. Mental Floss. “The Legend and Truth of the Voodoo Priestess Who Haunts a Louisiana Swamp.” Milnes, Gerald. Signs, Cures, and Witchery: German Appalachian Folklore. University of Tennessee Press, 2007. National Park Service. “Marie Laveau’s Tomb – St. Louis Cemetery No. 1.” Norton, Mary Beth. In the Devil’s Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692. Vintage Books, 2003. Princess Anne County Order Book, 1695–1709. Virginia State Library microfilm collection. Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. “Granny Women: Healers of the Southern Appalachians.” South Carolina Encyclopedia. “Dr. Buzzard.” South Magazine. “Lowcountry Root Doctors.” The State (Columbia, South Carolina). “In the mid-20th century, even the county sheriff was a witch doctor.” Swannanoa Valley Museum. “Mary Stepp Burnette Hayden: Midwife and Healer of Western North Carolina.” The St. John the Baptist Pioneer, October 1915, hurricane coverage. The Times-Picayune (New Orleans), October 1–3, 1915, storm and casualty reports; obituary, June 17, 1881. Virginia Memory, Library of Virginia. “Good Witch or Bad Witch? The Grace Sherwood Trial and Pardon.” Ward, Martha. Voodoo Queen: The Spirited Lives of Marie Laveau. University Press of Mississippi, 2004. Western Carolina University Digital Humanities Project. “Midwives and the Medicalization of Birth in Appalachia.” Wikipedia (used for verification of geography and storm data): “Frenier, Louisiana” and “1915 New Orleans Hurricane.” Wigginton, Eliot, ed. Foxfire 2: Houses and Appalachian Traditions. Anchor Books, 1973. Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

In 1872, the quiet Georgia town of Surrency became the center of one of America’s strangest mysteries. Inside the home of Allen Powell Surrency, glass shattered, clocks ran backward, and furniture moved without a hand touching it. The events drew scientists, skeptics, and spiritualists, including one from Salem, Massachusetts. Was it a hoax, hysteria, or something that defied explanation? In this episode of Southern Mysteries, uncover the story of the Surrency family and the haunting that shook a town, blurred the line between faith and fear, and became one of the most documented poltergeist cases in U.S. history. Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries 🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists. 📱 Follow on Social Media: Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast TikTok @southernmysteries Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources The Savannah Morning News (Oct–Dec 1872) – Coverage of the Surrency disturbances The Atlanta Constitution (Nov 1872–Jan 1873) – Reports on the “Surrency Mystery” The Augusta Chronicle (Oct 1872) – Editorial accounts of the Surrency haunting The New York Times (Dec 4 1872) – “Spiritual Manifestations in Georgia” The Albany Patriot – Reprinted witness letters and commentary, 1872 The Philadelphia Inquirer (1872–1873) – Syndicated reports on the haunting Harper’s Weekly (1873) – “Poltergeists and the Marvels of Surrency” John W. Truesdell, The Bottom Facts Concerning the Science of Spiritualism (1873) The Boston Globe (1872–1873) – Reports on Charles H. Foster Georgia Historical Quarterly Vol. 47 (1963) – “The Surrency Ghost: A Georgia Poltergeist Reexamined” The Georgia Encyclopedia – Entry on Surrency, Appling County Alan Brown, Haunted Georgia: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Peach State (2008) Charles Elliott, Strange Tales of the South: Haunted Houses and Ghost Legends (1974) Dennis William Hauck, Haunted Places: The National Directory (2002) Jim Miles, Haunted South Georgia (2017) J. Michael Norman, Spirits of the Southeast (2010) Rosemary Ellen Guiley, The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits, 3rd Ed. (2007) Tiya Miles, Phantoms of the Past: The American South and the Supernatural (2021) Alan Gauld & A.D. Cornell, Psychical Research and the Poltergeist (1979) Michael Norman & Beth Scott, Haunted America (1988) Nancy Roberts, Haunted Houses: Tales from the American South (1972) Jim Miles, Haunted Georgia: Ghosts and Legends of the Peach State (2010) Randy Russell & Janet Barnett, Spirits of the South: Ghost Stories of Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi (2000) Alan Dundes, Dictionary of American Folklore (1993) William G. Roll, The Poltergeist Phenomenon (2012) Nancy Roberts, Haunted Houses: Where Ghosts Still Roam (1979) Kathryn Tucker Windham, Southern Spirits: Tales of the Supernatural from the Deep South (1983) Ann Braude, The American Spiritualist Movement, 1848–1920 (2001) Muriel V. Murphree, Mysteries and Legends of Georgia (2009) Georgia Public Broadcasting (2021) – “The Surrency Poltergeist: Georgia’s Most Documented Haunting” Georgia Archives – Appling County records and land grants, Allen P. Surrency estate (1870s–1880s) U.S. Census Records – Appling County, Georgia (1870–1880) Library of Congress Chronicling America – Digitized newspaper archives, 1872–1873 Frank Podmore, The Poltergeist in History (1896) American Hauntings Podcast, Season 4, Episode 14 – “The Surrency Ghost” Beast of Bladenboro – “The Surrency Haunting: Georgia’s Most Infamous Poltergeist” Otherworldly Oracle – “The Surrency Ghosts: True Terrifying Tales of Haunted Georgia” PANICd.com – “ParaPedia: The Surrency Family Poltergeist” US Ghost Adventures – “The Poltergeist of Phelps Mansion” Paranormal Research Society of New England – “Phelps Mansion” American Hauntings Ink – “The Stratford Poltergeist” Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

Across the South, battlefields and forts still bear the weight of the wars fought upon them. In this episode of Southern Mysteries, explore the haunting history of places like Shiloh, Franklin, Vicksburg, and Fort Morgan. From phantom soldiers and restless spirits to the families forever changed by the fighting, these are the stories where Southern history and haunting meet, and where the echoes of war still move through the land. Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries 🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists. 📱 Follow on Social Media: Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Bivouac of the Dead poem and history Emerging Civil War – “Bivouacs of the Dead” and its legacy on battlefields Wikipedia – Theodore O’Hara biography and authorship of Bivouac of the Dead National Park Service – Shiloh National Military Park history and visitor resources American Battlefield Trust – Battle of Shiloh Overview National Park Service – Battle of Stones River history and maps Murfreesboro Historical Association – Legends of the Headless Horseman of Stones River Find a Grave / Military Memorials – Lt. Col. Julius Peter Garesché burial and biographical record National Park Service – Battle of Franklin: Carter House and Lotz House history Battle of Franklin Trust – Carnton Plantation and the McGavock Confederate Cemetery Tennessee Encyclopedia – Carrie McGavock, “Widow of the South” American Battlefield Trust – Battle of Franklin Overview National Park Service – Vicksburg National Military Park history National Park Service – The Shirley House and the Siege of Vicksburg Library of Congress – Civil War Diaries: Emma Balfour of Vicksburg American Battlefield Trust – Battle of Vicksburg Summary Encyclopedia of Alabama – Fort Morgan: History and Civil War significance Alabama Historical Commission – Fort Morgan Historic Site visitor and preservation info Legends of America – Ghosts of Fort Morgan, Alabama Alabama News Center – Fort Morgan’s haunted reputation and legends National Park Service – Fort Monroe National Monument history Encyclopedia Virginia – Fort Monroe during the Civil War and the “Contraband Decision” Fort Monroe Authority – Historic resources and preservation efforts American Battlefield Trust – Fort Monroe overview and historical context Virginia Department of Historic Resources – Fort Monroe National Historic Landmark documentation Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

Across the South, asylums were built with the promise of healing — but inside their walls, countless lives were marked by fear, neglect, and cruelty. In this episode of Southern Mysteries, explore the haunting history of institutions like Broughton Hospital, Cherry Hospital, Central State, and Bryce. From mysterious deaths and forced sterilizations to the tragedy of the Eller twins and the lifetime confinement of Junius Wilson, these are the real horrors that gave rise to Southern asylum ghost stories — and the suffering that still echoes through their halls. Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries 🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists. 📱 Follow on Social Media: Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast TikTok @southernmysteries Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources Associated Press coverage, April 1962 — “Twin Sisters Die Together in Asylum.” Winston-Salem Journal, April 1962 (coverage of coroner Dr. John C. Reece’s statements). Morganton News Herald, April 1971 coverage of Dr. Paul Douglas Boyles and Betty Cheek Yarborough. Associated Press regional wire, April 14–15, 1971. Find a Grave – Betty Jo Eller & Bobbie Jean Eller memorials. Southern Spirit Guide: “Ill Defined and Unknown Cause of Morbidity and Mortality.” Asheville Terrors: “Broughton Hospital.” Schoen, Johanna. Choice and Coercion: Birth Control, Sterilization, and Abortion in Public Health and Welfare. University of North Carolina Press, 2005. Segrest, Mab. Administrations of Lunacy: Racism and the Haunting of American Psychiatry at the Milledgeville Asylum. New Press, 2020. Pennsylvania Hospital Archives – Dr. Thomas Story Kirkbride papers. Grob, Gerald N. The Mad Among Us: A History of the Care of America’s Mentally Ill. Harvard University Press, 1994. Yanni, Carla. The Architecture of Madness: Insane Asylums in the United States. University of Minnesota Press, 2007. “Central State Hospital Cemetery Restoration Project.” Georgia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities. Atlanta Journal-Constitution archival coverage on Central State Hospital. The Crimson White (University of Alabama student paper): “The Hidden History Behind Bryce Hospital” (2023). “Bryce Uncovered: A Look at the Asylum’s Short-Lived Newspaper” (2017). Wyatt v. Stickney, 325 F. Supp. 781 (M.D. Ala. 1971). Alabama Department of Mental Health archives. HauntedPlaces.org – “Bryce Hospital.” Ghost Hunts USA – “Bryce Hospital.” Ghost City Tours – “Central State Hospital.” US Ghost Adventures – “Central State Hospital.” UNC–Chapel Hill Southern Oral History Program — Junius Wilson case archives. News & Observer (Raleigh) coverage of Junius Wilson’s release and life, 1990s–2000s. Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

In 1891, fear and anger in New Orleans boiled over after the murder of Police Chief David Hennessy. Within months, eleven Italian immigrants were dead, their lives taken by a mob in one of the darkest and most violent moments in American history. In this episode of Southern Mysteries, we revisit the events that led to the tragedy 💌 Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries 🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists. 📱 Follow on Social Media: Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast TikTok @southernmysteries Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources New Orleans Public Library – Records of the Board of Police Commissioners, 1890–1891 (detailing Hennessy’s murder, police leadership changes, and subsequent arrests). Library of Congress – Historic photographs of New Orleans docks and immigrant labor, 1891. Smithsonian Magazine – “New Orleans Apologizes for 1891 Lynching of Italian Americans” (April 2019). History.com – “The Grisly Story of America’s Largest Lynching” (2019). American Italian Cultural Center, New Orleans – Archival material on Italian immigration and the 2019 mayoral apology. New Orleans Times-Democrat, October 1890–March 1891 coverage (contemporary reporting on Hennessy’s murder, the trial, and the mob attack). United States Department of State – Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1891 (diplomatic correspondence with Italy following the lynchings). Reimagining Migration – “The Lynching of Italian Immigrants” (educational resource on anti-immigrant violence). Order Sons & Daughters of Italy in America (OSDIA) – The 1891 New Orleans Project (materials on commemoration and memorial efforts). John V. Baiamonte Jr. – “The Mafia and the 1891 New Orleans Lynching: The Question of Criminal Conspiracy” (Louisiana History: The Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association, Vol. 21, No. 3, 1980). Italian Sons and Daughters of America – “Our Darkest Hour: Anarchy, a Lynch Mob and 11 Souls Lost.” All That’s Interesting – “The Tragic Story of the 1891 New Orleans’ Lynchings of Italians.” Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

In June 1955, Judge Curtis Chillingworth and his wife Marjorie vanished from their Manalapan, Florida, beach cottage. There were haunting clues, but no bodies were ever found. Their disappearance exposed corruption in Florida’s courts and led to the downfall of a fellow judge. Curtis was known for integrity, Marjorie for her quiet strength — together, they became the heart of one of Florida’s most infamous true crime cases. Their story, and its unexpected ties to the legend of Trapper Nelson, remains one of Florida’s most haunting mysteries. 💌 Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries 🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists. 📱 Follow on Social Media: Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast TikTok @southernmysteries Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources Palm Beach Bar Association. Memorial Resolution for Judge Curtis E. Chillingworth. (1965) palmbeachbar.org Florida Memory. Justice Curtis E. Chillingworth Temporary Appointment Bio. floridamemory.com The Charley Project. Curtis Eugene Chillingworth Case File. charleyproject.org The Charley Project. Marjorie McKinley Chillingworth Case File. charleyproject.org Crime + Investigation UK. Judge Joe Peel and the Chillingworth Murders. crimeandinvestigation.co.uk The Coastal Star. Manalapan 60 Years On: Chillingworth Murders Still Shocking. thecoastalstar.com Mental Floss. What Happened to Judge Curtis Chillingworth? mentalfloss.com Town of Manalapan. History of Incorporation and Harold S. Vanderbilt. manalapan.org Wikipedia. Curtis Chillingworth. wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtis_Chillingworth Unlikely Friends — A municipal publication from Jupiter, FL, describing the unlikely friendship between Judge Curtis Chillingworth and Vincent “Trapper” Nelson.https://www.jupiter.fl.us/DocumentCenter/View/301/Judge-Chillingworth-Murder Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

In February 1922, a road crew in rural Copiah County, Mississippi, stumbled upon a horrifying scene—a woman’s charred remains hidden in a ravine known as Dark Hollow. For two days, her identity was a mystery. When a child's discovery of a burned key ring offered a name, the investigation quickly escalated into one of Mississippi’s most shocking murder cases of the 1920s. This episode of Southern Mysteries unravels the tragic life and violent death of Ada Drury Converse. From a difficult upbringing and early motherhood to a string of marriages and financial success, Ada's life was marked by struggle—and, ultimately, betrayal. 💌 Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries 🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists. 📱 Follow on Social Media: Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast TikTok @southernmysteries Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources Feb 20, 1922 – Selma Woman Killed by Husband, Uncle Charges. The Selma Times-Journal, Page 1 – Newspapers.com Feb 23, 1922 – Sons of Mrs. Ada Drury Converse Held on Questioning of Death. The Montgomery Advertiser, Page 3 – Newspapers.com Feb 23, 1922 – Converse Held in Houston in Copiah Murder. Jackson Daily News, Page 1 – Newspapers.com Feb 26, 1922 – Mrs. Converse Wrote to Son Since Arrest. The Selma Times-Journal, Page 1 – Newspapers.com Mar 01, 1922 – Sheriff Confident Milton Drury Killed His Mother. The Selma Times-Journal, Page 1 – Newspapers.com May 13, 1922 – Milton Drury Please Guilty to Murder of Mother. The Montgomery Advertiser, Page 1 – Newspapers.com May 19, 1922 – Drury Says Pleaded Guilty to Avoid Hangman’s Noose The Winona Times, Page 1 – Newspapers.com Sep 15, 1933 – Infamous Copiah Murderer Once Again at Liberty. Clarion-Ledger, Page 1 – Newspapers.com Sep 20, 1933 – Normal People Won’t Waste Sympathy on this Convict. Clarion-Ledger, Page 6 – Newspapers.com Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

In 1957, Arkansas attorney Maud Crawford vanished from her home in Camden without a trace. Her disappearance became one of the state’s most enduring mysteries. This episode of Southern Mysteries examines Maud Crawford’s life, the corruption she uncovered, and the investigation that revealed what may have led to her disappearance. 💌 Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries 🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists. 📱 Follow on Social Media: Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast TikTok @southernmysteries Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources Maud Robinson Crawford – Encyclopedia of Arkansas Clyde Falwell Crawford (1894–1969) – Find a Grave Memorial Maud Robinson Crawford (1891-1957) - Find a Grave Memorial Maud R. Crawford (1891–1957) – Arkansas Women's Hall of Fame Maud Robinson Crawford – The Charley Project Cold Case, Southwest Arkansas: A Look at Two Unsolved Cases in the Region – [Arkansas True Crime Blog or Archive Source] “The Disappearance of Maud Crawford” – YouTube Small Town’s Biggest Secret: Author Says Arkansas Woman’s 1957 Disappearance Is Full of Corruption – KLRT FOX16 The Disappearance of Maud Crawford. Beth Brickell. https://www.amazon.com/Disappearance-Maud-Crawford-Beth-Brickell/dp/1628909587 Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

In the spring of 1955, the quiet community of Warren County, Tennessee was shattered by the brutal murders of the Bratcher family. Henry Bratcher, his wife Vassie, their young daughter Lily May, and toddler granddaughter Charlotte Ann were found dead on their family farm outside McMinnville. As the investigation unfolded, it became clear the killer was not a stranger. The case would become one of the most haunting crimes in Tennessee history. In this episode of Southern Mysteries, we explore the lives of the Bratcher family, the events that led to their deaths, and how their loss changed a community forever. 💌 Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries 🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists. 📱 Follow on Social Media: Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast TikTok @southernmysteries Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources Four Found Slain in Warren. The Nashville Tennessean, March 28, 1955. 4 Found Slain in Warren; Murder Suspect is Jailed. Chattanooga Daily Times, March 28, 1955. Young Tennessee Farmer Confesses Brutal Slayings. Bristol Herald Courier, March 29, 1955. Warren July Called in Death. The Nashville Tennessean. March 30, 1955. Gibbs Indicted in Warren Deaths. The Nashville Banner. April 2, 1955. Slayer of Four is Ordered to Asylum for Observation. Chattanooga Times, April 2, 1955. Trial on May 10 for Billy Gibbs. Chattanooga Times, May 3, 1955. Gibbs Blames Four Slayings on Drinking. Nashville Banner, May 25, 1955. Billy Gibbs Dies in Electric Chair, Confessed Slayer of 4 in Warren. Chattanooga Times, May 7, 1957 Find A Grave. Henry Bratcher. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33581745/henry-bratcher Find A Grave. Vassie Fields Bratcher. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33581724/vassie-bratcher Find A Grave. Lily May Bratcher. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33581700/lily_may-bratcher Find a Grave. Billy Thomas Gibbs. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/136592059/billy_thomas-gibbs Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

In spring 1894, a courtroom became the stage for a scandal that gripped the nation. Kentucky Congressman William Breckinridge faced a lawsuit from Madeline Pollard, who claimed he promised to marry her after nearly ten years together, then broke that promise. The trial exposed a hidden affair, secret meetings, and disputed truths between a rising politician and a woman left behind. The scandal captivated newspapers, packed courtrooms, and reshaped public opinion about one of the South’s most prominent figures. 💌 Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries 🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists. 📱 Follow on Social Media: Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast TikTok @southernmysteries Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources “Sex, Scandal, and Suffrage in the Gilded Age.” The Historian: A Journal of History, vol. 42, no. 2, Feb. 1980, pp. 225-243. Lexington, Fayette. The Celebrated Case of Col. W. C. P. Breckinridge and Madeline Pollard. Chicago: Current Events Publishing, 1894. Ross, Shelley. Fall from Grace: Sex, Scandal, and Corruption in American Politics from 1702 to the Present. New York: Ballantine Books, 1988. “William Breckinridge Breach of Promise Trial, 1894.” Encyclopedia.com, “Madeline Pollard and the Gilded Age’s #MeToo Moment.” Wednesdays Women, “The Fall of Louise of Breckinridge.” StrangeCo, 13 Apr. 2017, Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

In 1948, Robert Mallard, a Black World War II veteran, was murdered by a white mob in Toombs County, Georgia. His wife, Amy Mallard, witnessed the attack—and instead of arresting the killers, authorities charged her with his murder. Set in the heart of the Jim Crow South, this episode of Southern Mysteries explores the deeply rooted racism that allowed a lynching to go unpunished while a grieving widow was put on trial. Learn how Amy Mallard found the courage to speak out, and how the national outrage that followed became part of the growing civil rights movement. 💌 Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries 🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists. 📱 Follow on Social Media: Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast TikTok @southernmysteries Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources The Mallard Murder Case – New Georgia Encyclopedia Amy Mallard Photo – New Georgia Encyclopedia “Just Another Killing” – TIME Archive (1948) Original TIME Magazine Report (1948) Strange Fruit and Spanish Moss – Blog post on Robert Mallard (2016) The Atlanta Constitution – Nov. 29, 1948 The Macon News – Dec. 2, 1948 The Atlanta Constitution – Dec. 10, 1948 The Macon News – Dec. 11, 1948 The Atlanta Journal – Dec. 11, 1948 The Macon News – Dec. 13, 1948 The Atlanta Constitution – Dec. 14, 1948 The Macon News – Dec. 15, 1948 The Atlanta Constitution – Jan. 12, 1949 The Macon News – Jan. 12, 1949 The Atlanta Constitution – Jan. 13, 1949 The Atlanta Journal – Jan. 13, 1949 The Atlanta Constitution – Jan. 14, 1949 The Atlanta Constitution – Jan. 15, 1949 The Atlanta Constitution – Jan. 15, 1949 (cont’d) The Atlanta Constitution – Jan. 16, 1949 The Atlanta Constitution – Jan. 17, 1949 The Atlanta Journal – Jan. 17, 1949 The Atlanta Constitution – Jan. 18, 1949 The Atlanta Constitution – Jan. 19, 1949 Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

In the 1920s, a Virginia horse named Lady Wonder stunned the public with her supposed psychic powers - spelling out answers, solving crimes, even picking presidents. Was she a telepathic marvel, as Dr. J.B. Rhine believed? Or a clever illusion, as magician John Scarne claimed? Discover the story behind the horse that made America believe. 💌 Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries 🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists. 📱 Follow on Social Media: Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast TikTok @southernmysteries Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources “Meet Lady Wonder, the Psychic Horse Who Appeared Twice in LIFE.” LIFE Magazine retrospective. Life.com “Lady Wonder: The Psychic Horse.” Strange Company Blog by Undine, May 2016. strangeco.blogspot.com Newspaper Archives via Newspapers.com: Roanoke Times, March 1957 – Obituary and public reaction to Lady’s death; The Knoxville News-Sentinel, 1952 – Reports on Lady’s police involvement; Richmond Times-Dispatch, 1948 – Coverage on Lady’s election predictions; Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), feature on John Scarne’s skepticism. Find a Grave Memorial – Claudia Fonda findagrave.com The Story of Beautiful Jim Key by David Hoffman (public domain archive) Internet Archive Jim Key Digital Archive – Missouri State Library Missouri Digital Heritage State Symbols – Missouri Wonder Dog and Related Animal Curiosities sos.mo.gov Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

In the winter of 1926, the quiet town of Farwell, Texas was shaken by the discovery of nine bodies buried beneath a home. The man responsible, George Hassell, had already taken lives in another state and wasn’t finished confessing. What followed was a case so disturbing it blurred the lines between serial killer, mass murderer, and family annihilator. In this episode of Southern Mysteries, we explore the chilling crimes of George Jefferson Hassell, one of the South’s most unsettling killers. Want more Southern Mysteries? Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries Connect Website: southernmysteries.com Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources Roth, Mitchell P. Man with the Killer Smile: The Life and Crimes of a Serial Mass Murderer. University of North Texas Press, 2023. Available on Amazon Roth, Mitchell P. Interview. PBS: The Bookmark, November 9, 2023. Watch the Interview “Texas Farmer Dying After 9 Bodies Found.” The Decatur Daily, December 24, 1926. View Article “Hassell, Leaving Death Cell, Advises Women Read Writings of Paul.” The Austin American, April 7, 1927. View Article Hassell v. State, 107 Tex. Crim. 541, 298 S.W. 293 (Tex. Crim. App. 1927). Read Case Summary “Hasell Electrocuted Early Friday at Huntsville.” The Huntsville Times, February 10, 1928. View Article “George J. Hassell’s Murderous Ways.” Texas Genealogy Trails. Read Article “Death House Slayings Gain Attention.” Whittier Daily News, August 30, 2017. Read Article Find a Grave Memorials: George Jefferson Hassell Susan Frances “Susie” Ferguson Hassell Thomas Virgil Hassell Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

In the final episode of Mystery on Montford Avenue, we explore the fallout from the case and how this mystery faded into the shadows of Asheville’s past. 🎧 All four episodes are now available. You can binge the entire series today. 🔍 Full source list available at southernmysteries.com ◼️ Music: Out of the Mines and Devouring the Whole, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina 💛 Join Southern Mysteries on Patreon for access to Ad-free Episodes, the show archive and bonus content. “Much Obliged" tier members access more including the patron exclusive podcast Audacious: patreon.com/southernmysteries 🕯️ Follow Southern Mysteries Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast Instagram: southernmysteries 🎤 Southern Mysteries Podcast returns to our regular, bimonthly release of new episodes on Monday, June 9. Make sure you follow the show where you're listening so you never miss a new episode.

In the summer of 1927, Anna Montague stood trial for the death of Mary Cooper. As testimony unfolds, shocking evidence and conflicting accounts raise new questions. Was the case against Anna Montague as solid as it seemed? 🎧 All four episodes are now available. You can binge the entire series today. 🔍 Full source list available at southernmysteries.com ◼️ Music: Out of the Mines and Devouring the Whole, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina 💛 Join Southern Mysteries on Patreon for access to Ad-free Episodes, the show archive and bonus content. “Much Obliged" tier members access more including the patron exclusive podcast Audacious: patreon.com/southernmysteries 🕯️ Follow Southern Mysteries Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast Instagram: southernmysteries

Hours after Mary Cooper was buried in Riverside Cemetery, her case took a shocking turn. As investigators reexamine their theory, suspicion turns toward the people who lived inside Mary’s home. Listen as the investigation deepens and a quiet Asheville neighborhood is pulled into the mystery. 🎧 All four episodes are now available. You can binge the entire series today. 🔍 Full source list available at southernmysteries.com ◼️ Music: Out of the Mines and Devouring the Whole, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina 💛 Join Southern Mysteries on Patreon for access to Ad-free Episodes, the show archive and bonus content. “Much Obliged" tier members access more including the patron exclusive podcast Audacious: patreon.com/southernmysteries 🕯️ Follow Southern Mysteries Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast Instagram: southernmysteries

In May 1927, the quiet Asheville, North Carolina neighborhood of Montford was rocked by a shocking discovery. Mary Cooper—a respected widow known for her kindness and community spirit—was found dead in a vacant lot near her home. Investigators made a quick determination, but not everyone agreed with their conclusion. In this first episode of Mystery on Montford Avenue, we explore the life of Mary Cooper, the atmosphere of 1920s Asheville, and the troubling details that began to surface after her death. What really happened on Montford Avenue that spring night? 🎧 All four episodes are now available. You can binge the entire series today. 🔍 Full source list available at southernmysteries.com ◼️ Music: Out of the Mines and Devouring the Whole, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina 💛 Join Southern Mysteries on Patreon for access to Ad-free Episodes, the show archive and bonus content. “Much Obliged" tier members access more including the patron exclusive podcast Audacious: patreon.com/southernmysteries 🕯️ Follow Southern Mysteries Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast Instagram: southernmysteries

The American circus promised wonder and spectacle—but behind the big top was a hidden world of danger, tragedy, and loss. In this episode, we explore the dark history of the circus, from deadly train wrecks and animal attacks to the mysterious death of aerialist Eva Clark. Discover the true stories of Clyde Beatty’s near-fatal encounter with lions and tigers, the public executions of elephants Mary and Black Diamond, and how their legacies changed the circus forever. Want more Southern Mysteries? Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries Connect Website: southernmysteries.com Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources "Elephant Parade Erwin 2018." Elephant Parade. https://www.elephantparade.com/parades/erwin-2018 "From the Circus Train Wreck to the Man o’ War: History of the Railroad in Columbus (Part 3 of 3)." Historic Columbus. https://www.historiccolumbus.com/post/from-the-circus-train-wreck-to-the-man-o-war-history-of-the-railroad-in-columbus-part-3-of-3 "Mary the Elephant Hanging: 100 Years Later." WBIR-TV Knoxville. https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/mary-the-elephant-hanging-100-years-later/51-ee92f081-718d-4da6-bb6d-8be8dbe2b8b6 The Tennessean, via Newspapers.com. Image of article on Black Diamond the elephant. https://www.newspapers.com/image/385756327/?match=1&terms=black%20diamond%20elephant The Daily Times (Maryville, Tennessee), via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/898209095/ "Clyde Beatty." Circuses and Sideshows. https://www.circusesandsideshows.com/owners/clydebeatty.html "Elephant Hotel Historical Marker." Explore PA History. https://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-A-1DB Wikipedia contributors. Various entries on Mary the Elephant, Black Diamond, and circus history. Wikipedia. https://www.wikipedia.org "Execution of Mary the Elephant." WHSV-TV. https://www.whsv.com Aine Norris. Circus history articles. AineNorris.info. https://www.ainenorris.info Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina

In 1942, the state of Louisiana executed a woman in the electric chair for the first and only time in its history. She was young, beautiful, and utterly devoted to the man she loved, a Texas outlaw. Toni Jo Henry was willing to do anything to free him from prison which led her down a dark path…the cold-blooded killing of an innocent man. Toni Jo claimed her accomplice pulled the trigger. He said she did. Was Toni Jo Henry a ruthless killer, or a woman trapped by her tragic past and her devotion to the wrong man? Want more Southern Mysteries? Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries Connect Website: southernmysteries.com Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources The Times: Former Shreveport Girl to Face jury for Lake Charles Slaying, March 24, 1940 The News Star: Toni Jo Henry is denied new trial, May 25, 1942 The Atlanta Journal: Woman Slayer, Awaiting death in chair, wisecracks over fate, August 4, 1942 The Town Talk: High Court denies stay of execution for Toni Jo Henry, November 4, 1942 Shreveport Journal: Toni Jo Henry Executed, November 28, 1942 Del Rio News Herald: Kin of Toni Jo Henry Claim body for burial, November 30, 1942 The DeQuincy News: Burks to follow Toni Jo to chair, High Court rules, December 4, 1942 Greenville News: Trip of Death Ends as Burks electrocuted, March 24, 1943 State v. Henry, 196 La. 217, 198 So. 910 (La. 1940) M. Watt Espy Papers: Documentation for the execution of Harold Burks, Toni Henry, 1943-03-23 Harold Burks executed on 1943-03-23 in Louisiana (LA); Toni Henry executed on 1942-11-28 in Louisiana (LA) Find A Grave: Joseph Prince “Joe” Calloway Find A Grave: Claude David “Cowboy” Henry Find A Grave: Toni Jo Henry/Annie Beatrice McQuiston Nola Mae Ross: Crimes of the Past in South Louisiana, 2004 Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

A cool September afternoon on a trail in Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Three friends are chatting as they hike. And then… in minutes, one of them disappears. No sound. No clue. Just… gone. Polly Melton’s disappearance has left investigators and amateur sleuths searching for answers for over four decades Want more Southern Mysteries? Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries Connect Website: southernmysteries.com Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources National Park Service: Cold Cases, Thelma Pauline "Polly" Melton NamUs: #MP14284, Thelma Pauline Melton Asheville Citizen-Times: Dogs Are Unable to Find Lost Hiker, September 28, 1981 The Knoxville Sentinel News: Search for Hiker Eases: Rangers feel woman no longer in park, October 1, 1981 Winston Salem Journal: Search for hiker continues, October 1, 1981 The Charlotte Observer: Female Hiker, 58, still missing in Smokie, October 1, 1981 Asheville Citizen-Times: Organized Search ends for missing woman, October 6, 1981 The Charlotte Observer: Terror is when a loved one vanishes in the mountains, November 20, 1981 Asheville Times: Disappearance Still A Mystery, December 24, 1981 The Charlotte Observer: Mystery not solved but ending, July 3, 1991 Find A Grave: Pauline “Polly” McAllister Melton 10 News: Appalachian Unsolved: Polly Melton Missing in the Smokies, December 8, 2017 Investigating Agency: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation 615-744-4000 Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

The Carver Murder Trial of 1930 drew national attention for its brutality and mystery. Ruth Carver, her two-year-old son Lee, and family employee Ben Whitehead were all found dead in their Florida home. Ruth’s husband, William Carver, claimed he killed Whitehead in defense of his family, but shifting testimony and new evidence led to multiple murder trials. Nearly a century later, the true story remains a haunting mystery. Want more Southern Mysteries? Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries Connect Website: southernmysteries.com Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources Carver v. State, 101 Fla. 1421, 134 So. 62 (Fla. 1931) Criminal Genealogy. (2020, November). William Raymond Carver Murder. Retrieved from Criminal Genealogy Blog The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, April 4). 1st Degree Murder Warrant for Carver. Retrieved from Newspapers.com The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, April 5). More About Wife. Retrieved from Newspapers.com The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, April 6). Cleared by Grand Jury but Being Appealed. Retrieved from Newspapers.com The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, April 7). Life Insurance Policy. Retrieved from Newspapers.com The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, April 15). Defense Obtains 30 Day Delay in Case. Retrieved from Newspapers.com The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, May 12). Carver Placed on Trial - Court Packed. Retrieved from Newspapers.com The Orlando Evening Star. (1930, May 14). Jury Tours Crime Scene. Retrieved from Newspapers.com The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, May 18). Defense Fights for Carver’s Life…He Testifies at Trial. Retrieved from Newspapers.com The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, May 19). Hatchet Shown in Court. Retrieved from Newspapers.com The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, May 21). Found Guilty - Motive Was $1000 Life Insurance Policy. Retrieved from Newspapers.com The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, May 24). Carver Asks for 2nd Trial. Retrieved from Newspapers.com The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, June). Last Chance Plea for New Trial (Details of Juror Who Was in Carver Home on Afternoon of Murders!) Retrieved from Newspapers.com Find A Grave. Frances Louise Van Midde. Retrieved from Find A Grave Find A Grave. Lee Townsend Carver. Retrieved from Find A Grave Find A Grave. Ruth Emilie Carver. Retrieved from Find A Grave Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

Explore the surprising family ties that connected Abraham Lincoln to the Confederacy. While Lincoln fought to preserve the Union, his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, had siblings who sided with the South—raising suspicions about her loyalty. Discover how these family divisions reflected the greater turmoil of a nation at war and uncover the personal struggles of the Todds and the political challenges they created for President Lincoln during the Civil War. Want more Southern Mysteries? Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries Connect Website: southernmysteries.com Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources Berry, Stephen. House of Abraham: Lincoln and the Todds, a Family Divided by War. Houghton Mifflin, 2007. Susannah J. Ural (2/26/2025) The War In Their Words: I Do Not Think of Peace. HistoryNet Retrieved from https://www.historynet.com/war-words-not-peace/. Gaton, K.B. (2010). Family Divided: The Todd Sisters Living in Selma During The American Civil War.University of Georgia. "Find a Grave", database, Find a Grave (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 3 February 2025), memorial page for Nathaniel Henry Rhodes Dawson (1829-189) "Find a Grave", database, Find a Grave (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 3 February 2025), memorial page for Elodie Breck Todd Dawson (1840-1877) "Find a Grave", database, Find a Grave (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 3 February 2025), memorial page for Martha Todd White (1833-1868) Life in Civil War America. National Park Service, Civil War Service. Retrieved from https://npshistory.com/publications/civil_war_series/4/sec1.htm Scots in the American Civil War. James and Alexander Campbell: Brother against Brother at Secessionville. Retrieved from https://www.acwscots.co.uk/campbell.htm Feinauer, J.J. (4/20/2015) Brother against brother: The legacy of divided families during the civil war. Daily American. Retrieved from https://www.dailyamerican.com/story/lifestyle/family/2015/04/10/brother-against-brother-the-legacy-of-divided-families-during-the-civil-wa/116323338/ Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

On a sunny May morning in 1947, a doctor from San Antonio ambushed Willard York and his family near New Braunfels, Texas. The doctor's plan to kill the entire family failed when 13-year-old Ann York escaped. Investigators found that both the shooter and Mr. York faced financial troubles, raising questions about whether the attack stemmed from revenge or a mental breakdown, as the doctor claimed he could not remember the incident. Want more Southern Mysteries? Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries Connect Website: southernmysteries.com Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources Fort Worth Star-Telegram: San Antonio Broker’s Hearing Here April 17, April 11, 1947 Shamokin News-Dispatch: Girl Identifies Texas Physician as Slayer of Four, May 25,1947 Valley Morning Star: Arraignment of Dr. Ross In Killing of W. York Postponed. May 27, 1947 Corpus Christi Caller-Times: SEC Drops Action Against Broker Willard H. York, June 24, 1947 The Tribune: Venue Change Given in York Murder Trial, September 13, 1947 Corsicana Daily Sun: Girl Survivor of Shooting Says Dr. Ross Slayer of 4, October 16, 1947 Fort Worth Star-Telegram: State Rests Its Case at Ross Trial, October 17, 1947 Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Ross ‘Scared’ Her, Patient Tells Court, October 18, 1947 The Tyler Courier-Times: Ross’ Claim Money Taken is Revealed, Oct 19, 1947 Corsicana Semi-Weekly Light: Other Doctors Tell Jury Ross “Insane” on Shooting Date, Oct 21, 1947 Lubbock Morning Avalanche: Ross is Given Death Penalty for Slaying, October 24, 1947 The Salem News: Rule Doctor in Murder is Insane, June 17, 1949 The Brownsville Herald: Court Affirms Damages to York Family, June 19, 1950 Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Doctor Denied Writ of Error, October 5, 1950 Lubbock Morning Avalanche: Board Allows Death Sentence to Stand for Dr. Lloyd Ross, August 7, 1957 Case Text: Ross v. York, 233 S.W.2d 347 (Tex. Civ. App. 1950) Daily News: JUSTICE STORY: Betrayal at the hands of Dr. Death, March 21, 2020 History.com: SEC: Securities and Exchange Commission FindAGrave.com: Dr. Lloyd I. Ross FindAGrave.com: Gertrude Ann York Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

One of the strangest cases in all their years of police work. Those were the words of seasoned detectives in Louisville, Kentucky, who worked on the Torture House case. A century ago, this case made national headlines when Richard Heaton was murdered by William Gates, who had been kidnapped and held in a home on 34th Street in Louisville. Want more Southern Mysteries? Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries Connect Website: southernmysteries.com Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources New York Times: Shackled to Bed, Man Gets Free Kills Captor, March 9, 1924 New York Times: Slayer of Heaton Cleare; Coroner's Jury Finds Killing Justifiable to Escape Mutilation, March 15,1924 Paducah News-Democrat: Gates freed of murder charge, March 16, 1924 Florence Morning News: Gates admit visit with Heaton to Lake City, March 16,1924 The Winchester Sun: Gates arrested after freedom on new warrant, March 17, 1924 The Owensboro Messenger: Gates is held on fugitive charge, March 18, 1924 The Frankfort State Journal: Gates Tells of Trips to Texas and South, April 9, 1924 The Louisiana Herald: Lake City Expecting William Gates, April 24, 1924 The Lousiville Courier-Journal: Gates Bares Torture Plot Details; Hidden Pistol Saved Victim From Heaton;, March 10, 1924 The Louisville Courier-Journal: Frank Cordell on Trial, April 9, 1924 Historical Crime Detective: The Torture House 1924 FindAGrave.com: Richard Hartwell Heaton FindAGrave.com: Mary Leahy Wiesen Heaton Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

Over 80 years ago, a coal mining town in Tennessee was rocked by the murders of two wealthy sisters and their 16-year-old houseworker. Who had the motive to kill the sisters, and why would someone harm the teenager who worked for them? In 2001, a former police chief claimed to have solved the case and named several suspects, but it remains shrouded in mystery. Want more Southern Mysteries? Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime, and more when you patronize the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries Connect Website: southernmysteries.com Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources The Commercial Appeal: Mystery Surrounds Tennessee Murders, Feb 6, 1940 Knoxville Sentinel-Times: Hint Murder Tale Not Yet Told, Feb 7, 1940 Knoxville Sentinel-Times: Oliver Springs Divided Over Theories of Sisters’ Slayings, Feb 8, 1940 The Knoxville Journal: Sheriff Offers Slaying Case Reward, Feb 8, 1940 The Knoxville Journal: Jurors reject Murder-Suicide Theory, Feb 14, 1940 The Knoxville Journal: Slain Sisters Cousin was Mysteriously Killed, Feb 18, 1940 Oliver Springs Historical Society: Historical Timeline of Oliver Springs Oliver Springs Historical Society Newsletter: The Richards Sisters Murders The Tennessean: Clearing of suspect deepens 60 year old mystery, January 27, 2001 Seattle PI: The cousin did it, investigator says, November 15, 2001 WBIR 10 News: Appalachian Unsolved: Murder in the mansion, May 22, 2023 Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

On Christmas Day in 1929, the community of Germanton, North Carolina, was forever changed by the tragic murders of seven members of the Lawson family. One fact remains indisputable: Charlie Lawson was responsible for the deaths of his family. However, the question that has lingered for nearly a century is: why did he commit such a heinous act? Want more Southern Mysteries? Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries Connect Website: southernmysteries.com Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources Greensboro Daily News: Stokes Farmer Murders Family, Dec 26, 1929 Greensboro Daily News: Victims to be Buried in Single Grave, Dec 27, 1929 Statesville Record and Landmark: Only One Member of Family of 9 Left, Dec 30, 1929 The Sentinel: No Report on Brain of Charlie Lawson, Jan 7, 1930 Statesville Record: Commercializing the Lawson Home, Feb 3, 1930 PlanetSlade: So hard to die: Murder of the Lawson Family Murderpedia: Charles Davis Lawson CLEWS: Christmas Murders and the Lawson Family Massacre, December 2006 M. Bruce Jones with Trudy Smith: White Christmas, Bloody Christmas, 1990. Trudy Smith: The Meaning of Our Tears Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

Meet Kinnie Wagner, a lesser known outlaw of the 1920s. Folk songs were written about him in the 1920s and he gained legendary status by escaping jail several times…even escaping the electric chair in Tennessee. Want more Southern Mysteries? Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries Connect Website: southernmysteries.com Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources Scott County Historical Society: Kinnie Wagner, Scott County's Notorious Outlaw Murderpedia: William Kenneth “Kinnie” Wagner The Paris News: Bad Man of 15 Years Has Escaped Again, November 1, 1940 The Tennessean: Cowboy Desperado Defiant Under Death Sentence, May 15, 1925 Nebraska Daily News-Press: Tune Up That Guitar, Wagner’s Outlawing Again, November 29, 1940. Kingsport News: Kinnie Wagner Died in Prison, March 10, 1958. Kingsport Times: Thousands Flock to funeral Home to See Kinnie Wagner, March 12, 1958 The Jackson Clarion-Ledger: The Story of Kinnie Wagner, 7 part series. April 6-12, 1958 Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

On a sweltering day in August 1925, Mary Vickery vanished from Coxton, Kentucky. Several months later, her remains were found in an abandoned mine located just outside the town. A local taxi driver was apprehended, tried, and sentenced to life in prison for the teenager's murder. In the spring of 1927, a young woman appeared in Harlan County with information that could clear his name. Want more Southern Mysteries? Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries Connect Website: southernmysteries.com Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources The Lexington Herald: Coxton Child Still Missing, August 30, 1925 The Harlan Daily Enterprise: Vickery Girl Still Missing, September 18, 1925 The Harlan Daily Enterprise: Dabney Caught: Now in Jail, March 5, 1926 The Harlan Daily Enterprise: Dabney Given Life for Slaying of Vickery Girl, April 2, 1926 The Atlanta Constitution: When Justice Triumphed, September 4, 1932. Kidnapping, Murder and Mayhem: “She Rose from the Dead”, September 10, 2020. The Messenger: Marie Jackson fails to know Mary Vickery, March 22, 1927 The Park City Daily News: A Woman Scorned, March 22, 1927 The Lexington Herald: Senate Bill Asks $5,000 to Repay Harlan Man for Erroneous Imprisonment, February 15, 1928 The Voice: An Act of Revenge, August 17, 1935 National Register of Exonerations: Condy Dabney Edwin Borchard: Convicting the Innocent: Errors of Criminal Justice (1932) FindaGrave: Condy Ulysses Dabney, 1895-1966 Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

Anna Hauptrief was the first known female serial killer in Texas. Her 1924 case was known as one of the most sensational and unexplainable in Texas court history. Want more Southern Mysteries? Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries Connect Website: southernmysteries.com Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources The Houston Post: Suspect Mother of Poisoning Five. July 24, 1924. The Houston Post: Bodies Taken From Graves. July 31, 1924. Belleville Daily Advocate: Woman Held for Death of Five Persons. September 9, 1924. The Houston Post: Hauptreif, Although Crippled, By Wife’s Poison, Loves Her. October 14, 1924. The Austin American: Anna Hauptreif Hangs Herself in Jail. November 1, 1924 The Waco News: Mrs. Hauptreif’s Burial Place is Changed By Her Father’s Demand. November 3, 1924. The Austin American: Hauptreif Goes to Grave. November 3, 1924. Unknown Gender History: Annie Hauptreif, Texas Black Widow Serial Killer – August 11, 2011. FindAGrave.com: William Louis Hauptreif San Marcos Daily Record: A San Marcos Serial Killer. October 31, 2019. Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

The Koreshan State Historic Site in Estero, Florida is one of the most peculiar historic sites in the American South. This state park showcases the life of Dr. Cyrus Teed, the founder of Koreshanity. Those who joined this religious and scientific movement sought immortality through celibacy and believed the entire universe existed within a giant, hollow sphere. The Koreshan Unity has been dubbed “one of the most bizarre” communal utopian societies organized in the 19th century. They were forced to relocate several times until they found a permanent home in the swamplands of southwest Florida. Want more Southern Mysteries? Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries Connect Website: southernmysteries.com Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Recommended Reading The Allure of Immortality: An American Cult, a Florida Swamp, and a Renegade Prophet by Lyn Millner Waco: David Koresh, the Branch Davidians, and A Legacy of Rage by Jeff Guinn Episode Sources WGCU Gulf Coast Life: The connection between Cyrus Teed and the Koreshans and David Koresh and the Branch Davidians. March 14, 2023. The Koreshnans: Archives of former holdings of the Koreshan State Historic Site. Florida State Parks: Koreshan State Historic Site World Religious and Spirituality Project: Koreshans by Lyn Millner WGCU: Florida History: Koreshan Unity: A Quest for Utopia | Untold Stories | Florida History US Department of the Interior: Preserving America’s Utopian Dream, 2001. “Dr. Cyrus Teed and the Koreshan Unity Movement” by Catherine Anthony Ohnemus. Florida Rambler: Koreshan State Park is Florida’s strangest historic site. August 3, 2024. Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

In May 1904, the residents of Yazoo City, Mississippi witnessed a devastating fire that destroyed half of their town. This fire was believed to be the result of a curse spoken by a woman known as the Witch of Yazoo, just before her death two decades earlier. Willie Morris, a writer and native of Mississippi, shared the legend in his book, "Good Old Boy." Following his passing in 1999, he was buried in Glenwood Cemetery in Yazoo City, 13 paces due south of the Witch of Yazoo's grave. Many mysteries surround this tale: Was the witch a historical figure, a character inspired by a resident, or a legend passed down through generations? Who rests beneath the marker commemorating one of the South's most famous witches? Want more Southern Mysteries? Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries Connect Website: southernmysteries.com Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources The Times-Democrat: Mississippi Matters, Yazoo City Fire. May 27, 1904 Jackson Daily-News: Committees are active today for the Yazoo City Fire Sufferers. May 27, 1904. The Yazoo Herald: Chained Grave Holds Jealous Wife, Says Longtime Yazoo City Resident. July 5, 1978. Yazoo Herald: Letters to The Editor, Vay McGraw. November 23, 1991. Yazoo Herald: It’s Time To Bury The Witch of Yazoo for Good. April 4, 1998 Yazoo Herald: Letters to the Editor, Willie Morris, April 11, 1998. The Clarion-Ledger: Willie Morris to be buried near witches grave. August 5, 1999. The Delta Statement: Into the Fire, March 2, 2022. Yazoo County Convention and Visitors Bureau: Witch of Yazoo Clarion Ledger: The Witch of Yazoo still haunts the town she burned. October 28, 2014. National Park Service: Nehemiah “Skip” James, October 2017. McElreath, Leisa & Lindsley, Ashley. (2018). 1904 DESTRUCTION OF YAZOO CITY: A CASE STUDY OF COMMUNITY RESILANCE. 10.13140/RG.2.2.13079.68002. City of Yazoo: The History of Yazoo City, Visit Yazoo: 10 Can’t Miss Spots Independent Order of Oddfellows: History of American Odd Fellows Yazoo Herald: Vay Gregory McGraw. May 9, 2023. The ParaInvestigator YouTube: According to Local Legend: The Mystery of the Yazoo Witch. January 5, 2024 Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

State Solicitor George Bailes described the murder of Faye New as the most heinous crime ever committed in Jefferson County, Alabama. Faye New's story is shrouded in mystery and sorrow. She was a lively young woman, renowned for her warm smile and compassionate nature. In 1934, tragedy struck when she disappeared after agreeing to accompany a young man for a car ride on a summer evening. Search parties were organized, and the next day, Faye's lifeless body was discovered in a ditch at the edge of a cornfield. For months, local newspapers extensively covered every aspect of this murder mystery. Was it a crime of passion committed by a young man who professed his love for her? Or did the man who offered her a ride bring an end to a promising young life? Want more Southern Mysteries? Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries Connect Website: southernmysteries.com Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources Encyclopedia Alabama: Irondale, Alabama BhamWiki: Woodlawn Findagrave: Faye News Findagrave: Ashley Cain Findagrave: Dorsie New Findagrave: Lonnie New The Birmingham News: Woodlawn High Senior Faye New. February 9, 1930 The Birmingham Post-Herald: Co Ed Missing; 2 Men Quizzed. August 22, 1934. The Birmingham News: Girl Found Dead. August 22, 1934. The Birmingham Age-Herald: Taylor is Jailed in Co-ed Death. August 23, 1934 The Birmingham News: Police, Solicitor, Increase Activity in Taylor’s Case. August 25, 1934. The Birmingham News: Special Jury Probes Murder of Faye New. August 27, 1934. The Birmingham Post-Herald: Co Ed Death Jury Indicts Taylor. August 28, 1934. The Birmingham News: 34 to be Called in Taylor Trial. August 28, 1934. The Birmingham News: Jury is selected with hearing of witnesses next. September 4, 1934 The Birmingham News: Cain is calm as lawyer charges him with killing. September 6, 1934 The Birmingham News: Harold Taylor Gives His Version of Fatal Ride with Faye New. September 7, 1934. The Birmingham News: Taylor Repeats Denial of Guilt. September 7, 1934. The Birmingham News: Taylor’s Fate Now in Jury’s Hands.September 8, 1934 The Birmingham News: Faye New’s Death is still a baffling puzzle to police. September 10, 1934 The Birmingham News: Mother of Slain Faye New Weeps. September 10, 1934. The Atlanta Constitution: Taylor is Cleared of Attack Charge. September 11, 1934 The Birmingham Post: Detectives Back on Co-Ed Murder. September 12, 1934 The Birmingham Post-Herald: Taylor, Freed, Is Happy at Home. September 10, 1934. The Birmingham Post: Harold Taylor Fined as Drunk. June 12, 1935 The Birmingham Post: Father and Son Will Face Peace Warrants. October 23, 1935. The Birmingham Post: Charges dropped against father and son. November 2, 1935 The Birmingham News: Faye New’s Diary Is Buried with Slain Co-ed. August 25, 1936. The Birmingham Post: Faye New Father Succombs. December 31, 1936. The Birmingham Post: Faye New Slaying, Six Years Old, Still Unsolved. August 19, 1940. Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

In this episode of Southern Mysteries, host Shannon Ballard delves into the perplexing case of David Glenn Lewis, a well-respected lawyer from Amarillo, Texas, who vanished under mysterious circumstances in January 1993. Despite being a beloved family man and community leader, David's disappearance left his family and law enforcement with more questions than answers. David's body was found 1,600 miles away in Washington State, identified only years later through the use of Google by a determined detective. The discovery solved one mystery but deepened another: how did David end up in Washington, and what led to his tragic death by a hit-and-run driver? Want more Southern Mysteries? Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries Connect Website: southernmysteries.com Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: [email protected] Episode Sources Fort Worth Telegram Star: Amarillo Police Are Stumped in Search for Missing Lawyer. June 27, 1993. Juneau Empire: Experts say that Roberts may indeed have amnesia. July, 17, 1997 NBC News: Google used to identify long-lost victim. October 8, 2004. The Crime Wire: The Strange Disappearance and Death of David Glenn Lewis. June 23, 2024 Seattle Post-Intelligence Reporter: 1993 hit-run victim is finally identified. October 9, 2004 NPR Morning Edition: For Man With Amnesia, Love Repeats Itself. December 13, 2012 Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

The death of Mary Ravenel remains one of Charleston’s most baffling mysteries. The 64 year old widow was found slumped on the sidewalk near her home on November 1, 1933. People stopped to help and transported Mary to the hospital. She complained of unbearable pain but doctors were unable to determine the source of her injuries and Mary died. Investigators struggled to answer the question of how Mary Ravenel died? Was it accidental? Or cold blooded murder? Want more Southern Mysteries? Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries Connect Website: southernmysteries.com Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast Instagram: @explorethesouth Email: [email protected] Episode Sources South Carolina Bandits, Bushwackers, Outlaws, Crooks, Devils, Ghosts and other assorted characters By Carole Marsh South Carolina Killers: Crimes of Passion by Mark Jones Charleston Historical Exhibits and Information: The Mysterious Death of Mary Ravenel, 1933 South Carolina Encyclopedia: Ravenel, St. Julien SC Picture Project: Palmer Home Charleston Raconteurs: William Ravenel House The Asheville Times: Bullet Pierced Body of Woman Found in Street, November 2, 1933 Greensboro Record: Strange Death of Charleston Woman Is Veiled in Mystery, November 3, 1933 The Charlotte Observer: Stray Bullet Kills Woman, November 3, 1933 The State: Mrs. Ravenel Told Hospital ‘A Man Hit Me’, November 3, 1933 Florence Morning News: Woman’s Death Still Mystery, November 4, 1933 The Gazette: Mrs. Ravenel’s Slayer Never Apprehended, October 4, 1936 The State: Ravenel Death Still Unsolved, April 5, 1938 The Columbia Record: Charlotte Storm Kills 30, September 29, 1938 Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

In 1931, 18 year old Helen Spence became a household name, and Arkansas folk hero, after she sought vengeance for the death of her father and stepmother. Over the next three years, the media followed Helen’s trial, imprisonment, second murder charge, prison escapes, and her murder at the age of 22. Want more Southern Mysteries? Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries Connect Website: southernmysteries.com Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast Instagram: @explorethesouth Email: [email protected] Episode Sources Encyclopedia of Arkansas: Helen Spence (1912–1934) People’s River History Project: A Secret History of American River People Denise White Parkinson: Daughter of the White River: Depression-Era Treachery and Vengeance in the Arkansas Delta Only In Arkansas: River of Redemption: The Helen Spence Story The Daily World: Decisions of the Arkansas Supreme Court, January 13, 1930 The Shreveport Journal: Wounded Man is Thrown in River, April 24, 1930 Hope Star: Body of Timber Worker, Drowned in River, Found, June 5, 1930 The Columbus Ledger: Girl Kills Accused Slayer of Father in Courtroom, January 20,1931 The Barre Daily Times: Young Woman Didn’t Trust Jury with Trial, January 20, 1931 Sun Herald: Courtroom Slayer Gets Five Year Term, April 2, 1931 Reading Times: Arrest Trusty for Killing Girl Who Fled Prison, July 13, 1934 Daily News: Tragedy of Helen Spence Eaton, July 22, 1934 Hope Star: Martin Acquitted in Eaton Slaying, September 28, 1934 Arkansas Times: The river people, August 17, 2006 Fox 16 TV: River Justice: pardon sought for Delta folk hero Malvern Daily Record: Helen Spence: An Arkansas Folk Hero for the Ages, March 6, 2023 Episode Music Impromptu, Traveler and Unanswered Questions by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Dr. Jacob Herman Feist was one of Nashville’s most eligible bachelors when he was accused of murder following the disappearance of his lover, Mrs. Mangrum. Was one of the city’s most prominent citizens one of its earliest known serial killers or a womanizer who was destroyed by accusations and gossip? Want more Southern Mysteries? Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries Connect Website: southernmysteries.com Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast Instagram: @explorethesouth Email: [email protected] Episode Sources The Tennessean Sadie Goldstein Obituary, May 11, 1903 The Tennessean Dr. Feist’s Denial, May 16, 1903 Grundy News Sadie Goldstein, May 21, 1903 Feist Court Case J. Herman Feist vs. The State Knoxville Sentinel Saw Dr. Feist Embrace Woman, January 29, 1907 The Journal and Tribune Morbid Crowd Fed Salacious Morsels, Jan 30, 1907 The Tennessean May Not Go On Witness Stand, Jan 31, 1907 Nashville Banner Dr. Feist Witnesses Last Scene of the Trial with no Visible Emotion, Feb 16, 1907 Nashville Banner Defense Asks for Adjournment, March 26, 1907 The Tennessean Treatment of Dr. J. H. Feist The Tennessean The Feist Case, April 4, 1978 The Baldwin Times Dr. Feist Dies at Tensaw Home, October 23, 1952 Genealogy Trails Davidson County J. Herman Feist Bio Notorious Nashville Scoundrels, Rogues and Outlaws, By Brian Allison Find a Grave Dr. Jacob Herman Feist (1873-1952) Episode Music Impromptu and Unanswered Questions by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

On May 4, 1931, William and Mamie Wagner were murdered at their home in northwest Mississippi. The Jackson Clarion-Ledger called the murders of one of the most prominent couples in the area, “the most brutal tragedy that has ever happened in this section of Mississippi”. Want more Southern Mysteries? Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries Connect Website: southernmysteries.com Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast Instagram: @shannonballard_ Email: [email protected] Episode Sources The Commercial Appeal Mass Meeting on Charges Relative to Death of Rev H.P. Gibbs, May 6, 1899 State Historical Society Archives Anti-Lynching Bill, 1921 The Greenwood Commonwealth Water Valley Merchant and Wife Slain, May 5, 1931 Biloxi Sun Herald Sheriff Gets Confession in Wagner Crime, May 6, 1931 The Clarion-Ledger Atrocities in Northern Part of State Bringing Intense Police Efforts, May 7, 1931 The Clarion-Ledger Murder Victims Are Laid to Rest, May 8, 1931 The Clarion-Ledger Verdict Carries Dealth Penalty For Whitaker in Wagner Slayings, June 12, 1931 North Mississippi Herald The Infamous History of Water Valley, May 14, 2008 North Mississippi Herald Century Old Jail Is Piece Of History, April 6, 2011 Hill Country History Water Valley (1858) Ancestry.com William Buford Wagner, Jr. Water Valley Chamber of Commerce Attractions - Carnival Info Episode Music Impromptu and Unanswered Questions by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/