Southern Fried True Crime

In November of 2016, a 16 year old girl from Knoxville, Tennessee was murdered by her ex-boyfriend. Emma Jane Walker had been a victim of coercive control for two years before he killed her. Emma’s parents saw the signs and did everything right. The United States needs to follow the lead of many UK countries who have passed coercive control laws. Coercive control is the cornerstone of intimate partner violence and usually the starting point, especially in abusive teenage relationships. US National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233UK Domestic Abuse Hotline: 0808 2000 247Australia Rape & Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-737-732Canada: http://thelifelinecanada.ca./help/call/Sources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/76-emma-jane-walkerSuggested by Melissa ReidWritten, hosted, produced by Erica KelleyResearch Assistant Haley GrayEdited by Chaes GrayOriginal Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison-Gamma RadioMerch | Donate | In the Media:https://southernfriedtruecrime.com @southfrie

In 1985, a nineteen year old girl was picked up on a deserted road, handcuffed, shackled and ghostly pale. The story she told her rescuer and law enforcement was unbelievable. She had been held captive and repeatedly raped by a sexual sadist. But he didn’t just violate her sexually, he drained her blood. And drank it in front of her. Sources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/75-the-vampire-rapistWritten, hosted & produced by Erica KelleyResearched by Haley GrayEdited By Chaes GrayOriginal Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison | Gamma Radiohttps://southernfriedtruecrime.com (merch | donate | in the media)@southfriedtruth (Twitter) @southernfriedtruecrime (Insta)https://www.facebook.com/southernfriedtruecrime/https://www.youtube.com/southernfriedtruecrime

One of Charleston’s most enduring legends and ghost stories is that of Lavinia Fisher. Her ghost is said to haunt the grounds of the Old City Jail, where she was imprisoned for a year, before being hanged with her husband from the gallows, for highway robbery. She also carries the dubious title of America’s first female serial killer. But it’s not true. Much of what is known about Lavinia Fisher is legend, told for over 200 years, growing more bloody and salacious as time goes on. But her real story, is more tragic. And much more haunting.Sources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/74-lavinia-fisherWritten, hosted, produced by Erica KelleyResearched by Erica KelleyEdited by Chaes GrayCase Suggested by Haley GrayOriginal Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison-Gamma RadioMerch | Donate | In the Mediahttps://southernfriedtruecrime.com@southfriedtruth (Twitter) @southernfriedtruecrime (Insta)https://www.youtube.com/southernfriedtruecrimehttps://www.facebook.com/southernfriedtruecrimeTo bo

In 2004, a man named John Paul Chapman was arrested for the brutal rape and murder of Lisa Marie Nichols, in Mobile, Alabama. Authorities soon realized that the man they had in custody was not the real John Chapman, who was incarcerated in Missouri. They had Jeremy Bryan Jones, a drifter from Oklahoma, who they would soon find out was a serial rapist and murderer. The failure of the FBI’s fingerprint database, IAFIS, would let this monster go undetected for four years. Case suggested by Aaron of the Generation Why Podcast as we were touring the Museum of Death in New Orleans after CrimeCon and came across the story of the Redneck Ted BundySources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/73-the-redneck-ted-bundyAdditional Reading: Blood Lust by Sheila JohnsonWritten, hosted, produced by Erica KelleyResearched by Erica KelleyEdited by Chaes GrayOriginal Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison-Gamma RadioMerch | Donate | In the Media:https://southernfriedtruecrime.com @southfriedtruth (Twitter)

In 1984, a vicious sexual sadist was terrorizing the Tampa Bay Area of Florida. He preyed on sex workers, and other vulnerable women, murdering at least ten young women before he was caught. He oddly let one girl go in November and she would be the break law enforcement needed to unmask the Tampa Bay Serial Killer. Police didn’t realize when they arrested Bobby Joe Long that was he was also a brutal serial rapist who had attacked around 50 women over 4 states and was known all over Florida as the Classified Ads Rapist. Sources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/72-bobby-joe-longCase suggested by Liz HoytWritten, hosted, produced by Erica KelleyResearch Assistance by Haley GrayEdited by Chaes GrayOriginal Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison-Gamma RadioMerch | Donate | In the Media:https://southernfriedtruecrime.com @southfriedtruth (Twitter) @southernfriedtruecrime (Insta)https://www.facebook.com/southernfriedtruecrimehttps://www.youtube.com/southernfriedtruecrime

The public is fascinated by love triangles. Add in betrayal and murder and you’ve got the plot to a novel, a movie or a soap opera. People cannot get enough of the romantic notion of a beautiful woman, torn between her love of two men. In 1999, Dr. Michelle Theer had been leading a secret life on the internet. She was married to Air Force Captain Marty Theer, who had no idea his wife was posting a dating profile online and meeting many men for anonymous sex. By the year 2000, Michelle was in a serious relationship with one of these men. And she set in motion a plan not to just get rid of her husband, but also her lover so she could begin a new life, far away from Fayetteville, North Carolina.Suggested Reading: The Officer’s Wife by Michael FreemanSources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/71-dr-michelle-theerWritten, hosted, produced by Erica KelleyResearched by Erica KelleyEdited by Chaes GrayOriginal Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison-Gamma RadioMerch | Donate | In the Media:htt

In 2010, a Georgia Glynn County police officer, Lieutenant Cory Sasser, was involved in the shooting of an unarmed woman. Though he was cleared of wrong doing by a grand jury, the decision was controversial and the bad press followed him for years. In 2018, his wife Katie Sasser, could no longer deal with his mental health issues. When she left him, he became suicidal and then full of rage. His colleagues at the police department would give him the benefit of the doubt every time, despite many red flags. Sources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/70-the-crimes-of-lieutenant-cory-sassersuggested by: Amy M. & Julie G.Dash Cam Footage of the Caroline Small shooting:https://www.ajc.com/news/raw-dashcam-video-from-the-shooting-caroline-small/9w3QrU1BbW1qtFqd1XWV7O/Written, hosted, produced by Erica KelleyResearched by Haley GrayEdited by Chaes GrayOriginal Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison-Gamma RadioMerch | Donate | In the Media:https://southernfriedtruecrime.com @southfriedtruth

In 1969, the mysterious death of a beautiful Houston socialite would captivate Texas. Soon it would become a national scandal. Joan Robinson Hill’s father, a rich and powerful oilman, would set set in motion a chain of events so incredible, it seems like fiction. All in the name of grief and revenge. Suggested Reading: Blood and Money by Thomas ThompsonSources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/69-joan-robinson-hillWritten, hosted, produced by Erica KelleyResearched by Erica KelleyEdited by Mike BussingOriginal Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison-Gamma RadioMerch | Donate | In the Media:https://southernfriedtruecrime.com @southfriedtruth (Twitter) @southernfriedtruecrime (Insta)https://www.facebook.com/southernfriedtruecrimehttps://www.youtube.com/southernfriedtruecrime

In May of 2010, the mistress of an Alabama County Commissioner was found shot to death in her driveway. It looked like suicide and Angel Downs did have a prior suicide attempt. But her boyfriend, Commissioner Stephen Nodine, was seen driving away from her house right after neighbors heard the shot. Sources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/68-the-politicians-mistress-angel-downsWritten, hosted, produced by Erica KelleyResearched by Haley GrayEdited by Chaes GrayOriginal Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison-Gamma RadioMerch | Donate | In the Media:https://southernfriedtruecrime.com @southfriedtruth (Twitter) @southernfriedtruecrime (Insta)https://www.facebook.com/southernfriedtruecrimehttps://www.youtube.com/southernfriedtruecrime

In 1987, an ambitious rookie FBI agent came to Pikeville, Kentucky for his first posting out of the academy. He soon met a girl from the nearby holler who worked as an informant. Susan Daniels Smith lived a life of poverty, violence and misery. And then she met Mark Putnam and became obsessed. Major Source: Above Suspicion by Joe SharkeySources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/67-the-killing-of-fbi-informant-susan-daniels-smithWritten, hosted, produced by Erica KelleyResearched by Erica KelleyEdited by Chaes GrayOriginal Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison-Gamma RadioMerch | Donate | In the Media:https://southernfriedtruecrime.com @southfriedtruth (Twitter) @southernfriedtruecrime (Insta)https://www.facebook.com/southernfriedtruecrimehttps://www.youtube.com/southernfriedtruecrime

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. A major source for this episode was the Atlanta Journal Constitution. For extensive trial coverage and analysis, check out their amazing podcast: https://www.ajc.com/news/breakdownSources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/66-tex-diane-mciver-accident-or-murderWritten, hosted, produced by Erica KelleyResearched by Erica KelleyOriginal Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison-Gamma RadioMerch | Donate | In the Media:https://southernfriedtruecrime.com @southfriedtruth (Twitter) @southernfriedtr

In the early morning hours after the 4th of July in 2004, A young couple was brutally stabbed to death on Robins Air Force Base in Georgia. There was another friend in the house who was also stabbed but escaped and miraculously survived. This vicious blitz was carried out by a fellow airman. What led to the gruesome attack after the 4th of July celebrations? Sources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/65-double-murder-on-robins-air-force-baseCase Suggested by Kelly & Alaina CoatesWritten, hosted, produced by Erica KelleyResearched by Haley GrayOriginal Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison-Gamma RadioMerch | Donate | In the Media:https://southernfriedtruecrime.com @southfriedtruth (Twitter) @southernfriedtruecrime (Insta)https://www.facebook.com/southernfriedtruecrimehttps://www.youtube.com/southernfriedtruecrime

In 1980, a sixteen year old white girl named Cheryl Dee Fergeson was raped and murdered in a high school auditorium in Conroe, Texas. Suspicion immediately fell on the only black janitor, though three other white janitors were present. A Texas Ranger looked Clarence Brandley in the face and said “One of you is gonna hang for this. Since you’re the ni**er, you’re elected”. What followed was more than just a miscarriage of justice. The police, prosecutor and three judges colluded to frame Clarence Brandley with nothing but pure racism in their hearts. Suggested Reading: White Lies: Rape, Murder and Justice Texas Style by Nick DaviesSources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/64-the-murder-of-cheryl-fergesonCase Suggested by Hannah ThayerWritten, hosted, produced by Erica KelleyResearched by Erica Kelley, assisted by Haley GrayEdited by Chaes GrayOriginal Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison-Gamma RadioMerch | Donate | In the Media:https://southernfriedtruecrime.com @southfriedtruth (T

In 2003, eighteen year old freshman, Katie Autry, was raped, beaten and set on fire in her dorm room at Western Kentucky University. Two suspects would soon emerge. One white, from a wealthy family. The other mixed race, from a poor family. The case would consume WKU, Bowling Green and the rest of Kentucky, with loyalties on both sides. To this day, many locals believe that one of those boys got away with murder. Suggested Reading: Bluegrass: A True Story of Murder in Kentucky by William Van MeterSources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/62-the-rape-murder-of-katie-autryCase suggested by listeners Mike & Kaneal Whitlow Written, hosted, produced by Erica KelleyResearched by Erica KelleyOriginal Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison-Gamma RadioMerch | Donate | In the Media:https://southernfriedtruecrime.com @southfriedtruth (Twitter) @southernfriedtruecrime (Insta)https://www.facebook.com/southernfriedtruecrimehttps://www.youtube.com/southernfriedtruecrime

In July of 1999, a day trader named Mark Barton went on a killing spree in Atlanta’s financial district. He murdered 9 people that day, wounding 13 more. Two days before this massacre, he murdered his second wife and two children. But he was also suspected of murdering his first wife and her mother six years earlier. Mark Barton is a family annihilator, spree killer, mass murderer and possibly, a serial killer. He fits into every classification or none of them. Sources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/61-mark-barton-family-annihilator-spree-killerSuggested Reading: “Murder at the Office” by Brent Doonan and “Delivered from Evil” by Ron FrancellWritten, hosted, produced by Erica KelleyResearched by Haley GrayOriginal Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison-Gamma RadioMerch | Donate | In the Media:https://southernfriedtruecrime.com @southfriedtruth (Twitter) @southernfriedtruecrime (Insta)https://www.facebook.com/southernfriedtruecrimehttps://www.youtube.com/southernfriedtruecrime

In 1982, America got their own Ken and Barbie killers a decade before the Canadian couple, Paul Bernardo and Karla Holmolka horrified the world with their depraved crimes - kidnapping, torturing and murdering young girls. Americans Alvin and Judith Neelley started out with petty crimes, dubbing themselves Boney and Claude. And then they escalated. Unlike Karla, Judith didn’t get a deal with the devil. Instead, at 18 years old, she became the youngest woman in the US to be sentenced to the death penalty. Sources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/60-boney-claude-alvin-and-judith-neelleyWritten, hosted, produced by Erica KelleyResearched by Erica KelleyOriginal Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison-Gamma RadioMerch | Donate | In the Media:https://southernfriedtruecrime.com @southfriedtruth (Twitter) @southernfriedtruecrime (Insta)https://www.facebook.com/southernfriedtruecrimehttps://www.youtube.com/southernfriedtruecrime

Today is a very special cross over episode with my friends from Trashy Divorces. We are discussing the murders of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman, as well as OJ Simpson’s two trashy divorces. This is not my usual format and there is indeed the explicit language I’m always warning you about. Suggested Reading: Without a Doubt by Marcia ClarkThe Run of His Life by Jeffrey ToobinIn Contempt by Christopher DardenSuggested Viewing:ESPN’s documentary: OJ Simpson: Made in AmericaAmerican Crime Story’s The People vs OJ SimpsonIf you or anyone you know are in danger, there are resources to help you. You are not alone. Please reach out:US National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233UK Domestic Abuse Hotline: 0808 2000 247Australia Rape & Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-737-732Canada: http://thelifelinecanada.ca./help/call/Hosted by Erica Kelley and Alicia & Stacie from Trashy DivorcesEdited and produced by: Trashy DivorcesResearched by Erica Kelley and Alicia & Stacie of Trashy DivorcesOriginal Graphic Art

This is the conclusion to Miami Beach Royalty: The Novack Murders. Within three months of each other, Bernice and Ben Novack Jr were brutally murdered. These were gruesome, vicious attacks and they were meticulously planned and executed. But the conspirators weren’t as smart as they thought. And after the criminal proceedings finally ended, the fight over Ben Novack Jr’s fortune became another epic battle.Sources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/57-58-the-novack-murders-parts-1-2 Suggested Reading: The Prince of Paradise by John Glatt & Fools Paradise by Steven Gaines for more history of Miami Beach and an interview with Ben Novack Jr.Written, hosted, produced by Erica KelleyResearched by Erica KelleyOriginal Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison-Gamma RadioMerch | Donate | In the Media:https://southernfriedtruecrime.com @southfriedtruth (Twitter) @southernfriedtruecrime (Insta)https://www.facebook.com/southernfriedtruecrimehttps://www.youtube.com/southernfriedtruecrime

The history of the infamous Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach is fascinating. Mobsters, movie stars and and scandal helped the brilliant and ruthless hotelier Ben Novack Sr. propel his hotel onto the world stage, where it remains today. But the brutal murders of his ex-wife Bernice and son, Ben Jr. rocked America and the squabble over the Novack fortune is still winding through the Florida probate courts to this day. Sources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/57-58-the-novack-murders-parts-1-2 Suggested Reading: The Prince of Paradise by John Glatt & Fools Paradise by Steven Gaines for more history of Miami Beach and an interview with Ben Novack Jr.Written, hosted, produced by Erica KelleyResearched by Erica KelleyEdited by Chaes GrayOriginal Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison-Gamma RadioMerch | Donate | In the Media:https://southernfriedtruecrime.com @southfriedtruth (Twitter) @southernfriedtruecrime (Insta)https://www.facebook.com/southernfriedtruecrimehttps://www.youtube.

In October of 1987, a beautiful Texas socialite and businesswoman was poisoned with strychnine. It was in the bottle of NyQuil she often used to help her go to sleep. Patsy Bolton Wright was a share holder in the Southwest Historical Wax Museum in Grand Prairie, Texas. Less than a year after her murder, the wax museum was burned to the ground by an arsonist. Neither crime has ever been solved. Sources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/56-poisoning-patsyWritten, hosted, produced by Erica KelleyResearched by Erica & Vincent from the Gone Cold Podcast - Texas True Crime Original Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison-Gamma RadioMerch | Donate | In the Media:https://southernfriedtruecrime.com @southfriedtruth (Twitter) @southernfriedtruecrime (Insta)https://www.facebook.com/southernfriedtruecrimehttps://www.youtube.com/southernfriedtruecrime