Southern Fried True Crime

After Laura Ackerson lost full custody of her sons, she was heartbroken, but she sprang into action. Within 2 weeks, she got another hearing but she still only got weekends. She had to completely overhaul her life. Within a year, Laura found a great apartment and opened her own ad agency—not just a stable job, but a career she was proud of. Meanwhile, Grant Hayes had blown through most of his new wife’s money. His life was swirling down the drain. And with the court ordered pysch evaluation, he knew he was about to lose custody of his kids. Laura had won. He couldn’t let that happen. So when she went missing a month before their next custody hearing, her friends immediately feared the worst. But I’m not sure in their worst nightmares, they could have been prepared to what happened to Laura Ackerson. RESOURCES FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE US National Domestic Violence Hotline thehotline.org websiteUK Domestic Abuse Hotline website Hosted, produced and written by Erica Kelley Researched by Erica and Andrea Marshbank Original Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Edited & Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder & Erica Kelley Case suggested by Marcia Sources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/laura-ackerson-part-2 This episode is brought to you by: #lumepodhttps://tryfum.com/sftc

27-year-old Laura Jean Ackerson had a really tough start in life. The single mother of two worked hard to build her own small support system in Kinston, North Carolina. Her brother and best friend were the only people she really had. After Laura survived a whirlwind relationship with a charismatic but narcissistic musician, she faced a vicious custody battle with him. Grant Hayes was a glorified bar star and lazy husband and father. But by July 2011, Laura was finally slipping out of his controlling and abusive grasp. She was winning. Her abuser had lost control. The most dangerous time for a woman. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Erica Kelley Andrea Marshbank Original Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Edited & Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder & Erica Kelley Case suggested by Marcia Sources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/laura-ackerson RESOURCES FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCEUS National Domestic Violence Hotline thehotline.org websiteUK Domestic Abuse Hotline website This episode is brought to you by:

In December of 2003, 23-year-old Bart Whitaker had just finished his finals and was about to graduate from college. That night, he went to dinner to celebrate with his parents, Tricia and Kent, and his younger brother Kevin. As they returned home and walked through their door, they were ambushed by a masked gunman. Initially, authorities suspected that this was a burglary gone wrong. But before the funerals had even taken place, detectives discovered that Bart had lied about graduating. And that was just the beginning. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Andrea Marshbank and Erica Kelley Original Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Edited & Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder and Erica Kelley Suggested by Jessica, Donna, Michelle, and Kyle Sources: https://southernfriedtruecrime.com/whitaker-family-massacre This episode is brought to you by:

On May 22 1992, Betty Wilson frantically called 911 from her Huntsville, Alabama home. She found her husband, the esteemed Dr. Jack Wilson, in a pool of blood. Someone had bludgeoned and stabbed him to death. Initially, police had no suspects. Until an anonymous tip led them to a man named James White. James confessed to killing Dr. Wilson to prove his love for Betty’s twin sister, Peggy. According to James, Peggy had insisted that he murder her sister’s husband. But, according to Peggy and Betty, James was nothing but a deranged liar. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Andrea Marshbank and Erica Kelley Original Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Edited & Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder & Erica Kelley Sources: https://southernfriedtruecrime.com/jack-wilson This episode is brought to you by:

Late on a Sunday night in September of 2016, Atlanta power couple, Tex and Diane McIver, were driving back into the city and got caught in Atlanta’s notorious traffic. Diane’s best friend was driving as Diane rode in the passenger seat and her husband, Tex, sat directly behind her. When they were stopped in what they considered a dangerous part of town, Tex asked for his gun, and then fell asleep. What happened next would cause one of the most hotly debated criminal cases in recent Atlanta history. I covered this case in August 2019. But In June 2022, the Georgia Supreme Court unanimously reversed Tex’s convictions. This episode is a refresher on the original episode and an analysis on the new developments in the case. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Gemma Harris and Erica Kelley Original Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Edited & Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder & Erica Kelley Sources: https://southernfriedtruecrime.com/tex-mciver-update This episode is brought to you by:

Late on a Sunday night in September of 2016, Atlanta power couple, Tex and Diane McIver, were driving back into the city and got caught in Atlanta’s notorious traffic. Diane’s best friend was driving as Diane rode in the passenger seat and her husband, Tex, sat directly behind her. When they were stopped in what they considered a dangerous part of town, Tex asked for his gun, and then fell asleep. What happened next would cause one of the most hotly debated criminal cases in recent Atlanta history. Written, hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Edited and mixed by Erica Kelley Original Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio **Remastered version Sources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/66-tex-diane-mciver-accident-or-murder

When Officer Keith Turner pulled over a car in Moody, Alabama on June 25, 1998, he thought it was a routine traffic stop. The 29-year-old husband and father had no idea that the men in the car were two escaped convicts, Mario Centobie and Jeremy Granberry. In the span of two days, the armed and dangerous fugitives had already attacked one officer and nearly killed another. As Officer Turner walked toward them, Mario stepped out of the vehicle. He reached through the window as if to retrieve his license, but instead he pulled out a gun and fired three times. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Andrea Marshbank Additional writing by Erica Kelley Original Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Edited & Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder & Erica Kelley Sources: https://southernfriedtruecrime.com/keith-turner This episode is brought to you by:

In November of 1999, 24-year-old Cherica Adams was eight months pregnant when she and the father of her child, 25-year-old Carolina Panthers wide receiver Rae Carruth, went on a double date. They saw a late-night showing of a serial killer flick at the theater. As Rae led Cherica back home to her apartment in his white Ford Expedition, with Cherica following behind in her black BMW, he unexpectedly slowed to a near stop. Confused, Cherica slowed down too. Then, an unknown car pulled up beside her and gunfire rang out. Before the smoke had cleared, Rae was gone—and Cherica had been shot multiple times. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Andrea Marshbank and Erica Kelley Original Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Edited & Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder & Erica Kelley Suggested by: Greg Husketh, Patee, Hannah, and Terina Sources: https://southernfriedtruecrime.com/cherica-adams This episode is brought to you by:

When a charismatic young doctor announces revolutionary treatments for cancer and HIV, patients from around the world turn to him for their last chance. As medical experts praise Serhat Gumrukcu’s genius, the company he co-founded rockets in value to over half a billion dollars. But when a team of researchers makes a startling discovery, they begin to suspect the brilliant doctor is hiding a secret. From Wondery, the new season of Dr. Death: Bad Magic is a story of miraculous cures, magic and murder. Hosted by Laura Beil. Listen to Dr. Death - Bad Magic: http://wondery.fm/MAGIC_SFTC

25-year-old Shadow McClaine was 39 days from retiring from the US Army. She’d begun her service in 2011 and, now, her contract was up. She was thrilled to go back home, enroll in college, and try her hand at a different career. In 2015, Shadow alleged that her ex-husband, an Army sergeant, had sexually assaulted her. After that, Shadow’s experience in the military rapidly deteriorated. As a result, she was eager to start this new path, but she would never get the chance. On the evening of September 2nd of 2016, Shadow sent her mother one final text at 7:07 p.m. She was never seen alive again. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Andrea Marshbank and Erica Kelley Original Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Edited & Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder & Erica Kelley Sources: https://southernfriedtruecrime.com/shadow-mcclaine This episode is brought to you by:

In July of 1994, 42 year old Dolly Rose Grigsby was reported missing after visiting a shopping mall in Bluefield, West Virginia. Her husband, Dan Grigsby, did everything he could to try to find his missing wife and mother of their two children. The more time passed, it appeared what happened to Dolly would remain a mystery forever. But a shocking development three months later blew the case wide open. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Gemma Harris Original Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Edited & Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder & Erica Kelley Sources: https://southernfriedtruecrime.com/dolly-rose-grigsby This episode is brought to you by: LumeDeodorant.com

In the lead-up to Christmas, 1927, the good citizens of Cisco, Texas, were looking forward to celebrating the holiday with their nearest and dearest. But a group of men who rolled into town on the morning of December 23 from Wichita Falls had different ideas. Led by an ex-con in a Santa Suit, their actions at the town’s First National Bank went on to spurn one of the state’s biggest manhunts, ultimately leaving six men dead and numerous others wounded. What unfolded not just over the following week but the next couple of years afterward was equal parts a comedy of errors, a gripping tale of Wild West justice, and a tragedy for those who stepped up to protect and serve during one of the most audacious heists in Southern history. This is the story of the Santa Claus Bank Robbery. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Gemma Harris Original Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Edited & Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder & Erica Kelley Sources: https://southernfriedtruecrime.com/santa-claus-bank-robbery This episode is brought to you by:

20-year-old Barbara Jane Mackle was a Florida heiress whose life took a harrowing turn in December of 1968. She was kidnapped by two strangers who wanted $500,000 in ransom from her mega-rich father, land developer Robert F. Mackle. Until Robert could meet Barbara’s abductors’ demands, his only daughter was buried alive underground in a ventilated box. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Andrea Marshbank Original Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Edited & Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder & Erica Kelley Sources: https://southernfriedtruecrime.com/barbara-mackle This episode is brought to you by:

More than 200 babies, known as the “Hicks Babies,” were sold by Dr. Thomas Hicks from the back of the Hicks Community Clinic in McCaysville, Georgia during the 1950s and 1960s. Until his actions came to light, he was a respected and beloved doctor in McCaysville, known for helping everyone…often taking things like a sack of potatoes in return for payment. Some town residents defend his actions to this day, but the “Hicks Babies,” as they became known, are still struggling to find their birth mothers and come to terms with their origins and the damage Hicks did by keeping his practice shrouded in mystery. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Gemma Harris Original Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Edited & Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder & Erica Kelley Sources:southernfriedtruecrime.com/thomas-hicks This episode is brought to you by:

In April of 1994, Lee Barnett picked up her 11-month-old daughter, Savanna, from her ex-husband Harris Todd’s house in Charleston, South Carolina. They were supposed to return at around six o’clock that evening. But they never showed up. Over the next 20 years, they’d travel the world together, as Lee fled from her child’s father, the FBI, and numerous international agencies. She claimed she was saving her daughter from an abusive father. But Harris claimed that Lee was the actual abuser. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Erica Kelley and Andrea Marshbank Original Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Edited & Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder & Erica Kelley Recommended by Nate and others This episode is brought to you by:

Everyone who frequented Barley’s Taproom & Pizzeria in Knoxville, Tennessee, knew bartender and waitress Carrie Daugherty. She was a friendly 24-year-old woman who had a quick wit and a sweet smile. But, on March 19, 2008, Carrie’s body was discovered on her own front lawn. She’d been brutally murdered. Those who knew Carrie were shocked. This was a woman with no enemies. When the murderer was apprehended, that sentiment was verified—Carrie had no enemies. Because the man who killed her claimed that he’d made a mistake during a bout of insanity. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Erica Kelley and Andrea Marshbank Original Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Edited & Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder & Erica Kelley Recommended by Sarah, Lauren, and others. Sources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/carrie-daugherty This episode is brought to you by:

27-year-old Dorothy “Dolly” Hearn and 33-year-old Jennifer Corbin never met—but the two women had a lot in common. Both were intelligent young women in Georgia who had their whole lives ahead of them, and both of them died under mysterious circumstances that were shockingly similar. When an unexpected phone call revealed that both women had been romantically involved with the same man, a Georgia dentist named Dr. Barton Corbin, everyone had more questions than answers. The ensuing investigation and court proceedings would bring forward decades of secrets. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Andrea Marshbank Additional writing by Erica Kelley Original Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Edited & Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder & Erica Kelley Recommended by Susanna, Maria, and others Sponsors for this episode:

One of my most requested cases for Spooky Season: The Legs Murder Scandal On a rainy and cold January day in 1935, a rabbit hunter came across a sugar sack on a rural road in Laurel, Mississippi. He opened it up and found a pair of legs and part of a lower torso of a white female. On that same day, 57-year-old Daisy Keeton went missing. She was something of a small town celebrity with her and her large family continuously making the gossip pages in the small town of Laurel. Her daughter, 36-year-old Ouida Mae, was telling everyone that her mama was out of town. But the town wasn’t buying it. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Andrea Marshbank Additional writing by Erica Kelley Original Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Edited & Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder & Erica Kelley Recommended by Kristy, Andrea, and many, many others Sources: https://southernfriedtruecrime.com/daisy-keeton Sponsor: Wondery’s ‘I HEAR FEAR’--prepare to be taken on a journey into the unknown Follow I HEAR FEAR on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes of I HEAR FEAR ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus.

On June 12th of 1983, 27-year-old Jerry Lynn Dean and 32-year-old Deborah Ruth Thornton met at a pool party. Right away, their chemistry was apparent—even though their budding relationship was doomed from the start. Jerry had recently separated from his wife, and Deborah was still married. Regardless, Jerry and Deborah decided to have a harmless one-night stand. But that night would turn out to be anything but harmless. By morning, both Jerry and Deborah were brutally killed. The murder weapon? A pickaxe and a hammer. And the murderers? Jerry’s estranged wife’s friends: 23-year-old Karla Faye Tucker and 37-year-old Danny Ryan Garrett. Sixteen years later, in 1998, Karla Faye Tucker would be the first woman executed in Texas in 135 years. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Andrea Marshbank Additional writing by Erica Kelley Original Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Edited & Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder & Erica Kelley Recommended by Eileen and others Sources: https://southernfriedtruecrime.com/karla-faye-tucker This episode is sponsored by EarnIn: They say time waits for no one, and neither should payday--See EarnIn.com/TOS for more details.

In August and September of 1969, one man killed five people in the span of 29 days in Memphis, Tennessee. These violent crimes shook the city of Memphis to its very core. Lock sales skyrocketed. Families adopted large dogs. People refused to leave their house after sunset. It felt like no one was safe. The police searched day and night for this elusive serial killer. They doubled—then tripled—their staff, canceled all vacation time, and poured over $100,000 into paid overtime. But were it not for the brave actions of the killer’s final victim, Mary Christine Pickens, the perpetrator might have walked free for far, far longer. This is part two of a two-part series. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Andrea Marshbank Additional writing by Erica Kelley Original Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Edited & Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder & Erica Kelley Recommended by Kelly and others. Sources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/george-howard-putt-2 This episode is brought to you by: