Southern Mysteries Podcast

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: southernmysteriespodcast@gmail.com Episode Sources Greensboro Daily NewsGreensboro Daily News:Statesville Record and Landmark:The Sentinel:Statesville RecordPlanetSladeMurderpediaCLEWSM. Bruce Jones with Trudy Smith:Trudy Smith 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: southernmysteriespodcast@gmail.com Episode Sources Scott County Historical SocietyMurderpedia:The Paris News:The TennesseanNebraska Daily News-PressKingsport NewsKingsport TimesThe Jackson Clarion-Ledger: 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: southernmysteriespodcast@gmail.com Episode Sources The Lexington HeraldThe Harlan Daily EnterpriseThe Harlan Daily EnterpriseThe Harlan Daily EnterpriseThe Atlanta ConstitutionKidnapping, Murder and MayhemThe MessengerThe Park City Daily NewsThe Lexington HeraldThe VoiceNational Register of ExonerationsEdwin Borchard:FindaGrave 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: southernmysteriespodcast@gmail.com Episode Sources The Houston Post:The Houston PostBelleville Daily AdvocateThe Houston PostThe Austin AmericanThe Waco NewsThe Austin AmericanUnknown Gender History:FindAGrave.comSan Marcos Daily Record Episode Music

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: southernmysteriespodcast@gmail.com Recommended Reading The Allure of Immortality: An American Cult, a Florida Swamp, and a Renegade ProphetWaco: David Koresh, the Branch Davidians, and A Legacy of Rage Episode Sources WGCU Gulf Coast LifeThe KoreshnansFlorida State ParksWorld Religious and Spirituality ProjectWGCU:US Department of the InteriorFlorida Rambler: 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: southernmysteriespodcast@gmail.com Episode Sources The Times-DemocratJackson Daily-NewsThe Yazoo HeraldYazoo HeraldYazoo Herald:Yazoo HeraldThe Clarion-LedgerThe Delta StatementYazoo County Convention and Visitors BureauClarion LedgerNational Park ServiceMcElreath, Leisa & Lindsley, Ashley. (2018)City of YazooVisit YazooIndependent Order of OddfellowsYazoo HeraldThe ParaInvestigator YouTube: 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: southernmysteriespodcast@gmail.com Episode Sources Encyclopedia AlabamaBhamWikiFindagraveFindagraveFindagraveFindagrave:The Birmingham NewsThe Birmingham Post-HeraldThe Birmingham NewsThe Birmingham Age-HeraldThe Birmingham News:The Birmingham NewsThe Birmingham Post-HeraldThe Birmingham NewsThe Birmingham News:The Birmingham NewsThe Birmingham NewsThe Birmingham News:The Birmingham News:The Birmingham NewsThe Birmingham NewsThe Atlanta ConstitutionThe Birmingham PostThe Birmingham Post-HeraldThe Birmingham PostThe Birmingham PostThe Birmingham PostThe Birmingham NewsThe Birmingham PostThe Birmingham Post 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: southernmysteriespodcast@gmail.com Episode Sources Fort Worth Telegram Star:Juneau EmpireNBC NewsThe Crime WireSeattle Post-Intelligence ReporterNPR Morning Edition 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: southernmysteriespodcast@gmail.com Episode Sources South Carolina Killers: Crimes of PassionCharleston Historical Exhibits and InformationSouth Carolina EncyclopediaSC Picture ProjectCharleston RaconteursThe Asheville Times:Greensboro RecordThe Charlotte ObserverThe StateFlorence Morning NewsThe Gazette:The StateThe Columbia Record 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: southernmysteriespodcast@gmail.com Episode Sources Encyclopedia of ArkansasPeople’s River History Project:Denise White ParkinsonOnly In ArkansasThe Daily WorldThe Shreveport JournalHope StarThe Columbus LedgerThe Barre Daily TimesSun HeraldReading TimesDaily NewsHope StarArkansas TimesFox 16 TVMalvern Daily Record: 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: southernmysteriespodcast@gmail.com Episode Sources The TennesseanThe TennesseanGrundy NewsFeist Court CaseKnoxville SentinelThe Journal and TribuneThe TennesseanNashville BannerNashville BannerThe TennesseanThe TennesseanThe Baldwin TimesGenealogy TrailsNotorious NashvilleFind a Grave 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: southernmysteriespodcast@gmail.com Episode Sources The Commercial AppealState Historical Society ArchivesThe Greenwood CommonwealthBiloxi Sun HeraldThe Clarion-LedgerThe Clarion-LedgerThe Clarion-LedgerNorth Mississippi HeraldNorth Mississippi HeraldHill Country HistoryAncestry.comWater Valley Chamber of Commerce 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/

The Nelms Sisters Mystery is one of the most sensational mysteries of the early 20th century, that most people have never heard of. In the summer of 1914, Eloise Nelms was in love with an attorney she planned to marry. Her sister Beatrice questioned the attorney’s motives and wanted proof that he had her sister's best interest at heart. The sisters took a train from Atlanta, headed to Texas to meet the attorney. They were never seen alive again. 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: southernmysteriespodcast@gmail.com Episode Sources An Old Coot’s EssaysForgotten StoriesAtlanta West EndThe Atlanta ConstitutionOakland Tribune:Charlotte Daily ObserverTampa Journal:The Atlanta Journal:San Francisco ExaminerThe Atlanta JournaThe Atlanta Journal:The Eugene Guard:The Atlanta Journal:The Macon TelegraphThe Americus Times Daily Recorder:The Atlanta Constitution Episode Music Northern Lights by Chris Hauge. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. Deep Haze by Kevin McLeod. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. Source: http://incompetech.com

The Battle of Blair Mountain, in the summer of 1921, was one of the largest civil uprisings in American History. Violent attacks on Appalachian miners and their families, dangerous working conditions and a forced debt system in company towns contributed to the largest and bloodiest armed uprising since 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: @shannonballard_ Email: southernmysteriespodcast@gmail.com Episode Sources The Road to Blair MountainOn Dark and Bloody GroundNational Park ServiceSmithsonian Magazine:Zinn Education Project:ReImagine AppalachiaWest Virginia Archives & HistoryUnited Mine Workers of America:MuseumJSTOR Daily Episode Music Out of the Mines by Ross Gentry. Used with permission of artist. Resolution by Kevin McLeod. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. Source: http://incompetech.com

The disappearance of 67 year old Ruth Dorsey has perplexed her family, friends and Lee County, Alabama law enforcement for half a century. In the summer of 1974 investigators launched what would become one of the most extensive searches to date in the east central part of the state. Ruth’s disappearance remains one of Alabama’s most baffling mysteries. 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: southernmysteriespodcast@gmail.com Episode Sources The Charley ProjectEncyclopedia of AlabamaOpelika-Auburn NewsOpelika-Auburn NewsOpelika-Auburn NewsOpelika-Auburn NewsOpelika-Auburn NewsOpelika-Auburn NewsOpelika-Auburn NewsOpelika-Auburn NewsOpelika-Auburn NewsOpelika-Auburn NewsRootsWeb Episode Music Not Forgotten by Dan Lebowitz. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

The New Orleans Trunk Murders are a long forgotten dark chapter in the city's history. The gruesome discovery of two dismembered bodies in the French Quarter in October 1927 was one of the most violent crimes reported in the city in the 1920s. 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: southernmysteriespodcast@gmail.com Episode Sources The Historical New Orleans CollectionBayou JusticeAtlas ObscuraSouthern Spirit GuideFrench Quarter Mangement DistrictVieux Carré Digital SurveyFind A GraveFind A GraveFind A GraveThe Evergreen CourantOrlando Evening StarDaily Advertiser: Episode Music Dark Times and Long Note Two by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. Source: http://incompetech.com

William and Ellen Craft escaped slavery in Macon, Georgia by traveling to Philadelphia in 1848. Ellen, the light skinned daughter of her mixed race mother and their enslaver, posed as a young white male planter and William posed as her slave.Their daring escape made international headlines and the Crafts became two of the most famous emancipated people in American 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: @shannonballard_ Email: southernmysteriespodcast@gmail.com Episode Sources Running a Thousand Miles for FreedomTime MagazineSmithsonian MagazineNational Park Service:HistoryGeorgia Women of Achievement:BBC Episode Music Traveller by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. Source: http://incompetech.com

Betty Gail Brown was a sophomore at Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky when she was murdered on campus in 1961.Betty Gail’s murder has haunted Central Kentucky for six decades. Who killed Betty Gail and why? The case remains unsolved despite the police file noting the case was closed due to an arrest. 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: southernmysteriespodcast@gmail.com Episode Sources Recommended ReadDaily News August 1966Find A GraveIndianapolis Star October 1961Lexington Herald-Leader January 1965Lexington Herald-Leader December 1984Lexington Herald-Leader November 2017The Rambler:The RamblerVice: Episode Music Surrender by Dan Lebowitz. Licensed under Creative Commons

On September 4, 1904, Fannie McCue was found dead in a bathtub at the McCue home in Charlottesville, Virginia. Within months a man was arrested, convicted of murder and executed. Doubts linger over his guilt and some believe his execution was staged. What happened in the McCue home the night Fannie was killed? 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 Twitter: @southernpod_ Instagram: @shannonballard_ Email: southernmysteriespodcast@gmail.com Episode Sources Episode Music Theme Song “Dark & Troubled” by Pantherburn. Special thanks to Phillip St Ours for permission for use. Evening Fall Piani by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons.

The Great Gaines Case remains the longest civil litigation in US History. The nearly six decade long court battle involved a wealthy Louisiana politician and merchant’s vast fortune, a hidden marriage and child and property in the heart of New Orleans business district. 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 Twitter: @southernpod_ Instagram: @shannonballard_ Email: southernmysteriespodcast@gmail.com Episode Sources Episode Music Theme Song “Dark & Troubled” by Pantherburn. Special thanks to Phillip St Ours for permission for use. Meditation Impromptu One by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons.