Southern True Crime Episodes

In this episode, we discuss The Devil in Pew Number 7 by Rebecca Nichols Alonzo, a powerful true story set in rural North Carolina that explores tragedy, faith, fear, and forgiveness. We dive into the shocking events that unfolded in the small community of Sellerstown, NC, the devastating impact they had on one family, and the remarkable journey that followed. This story raises difficult questions about evil, resilience, and what it really means to forgive when the unthinkable happens.

In Moore County, North Carolina, sixteen-year-old Isabel Hussey was traveling from Robbins to Asheboro. She accepted a ride from a stranger and never made it home. What began as a seemingly ordinary decision ended in a brutal murder that devastated a family and shocked the community. In this episode, we examine the life and tragic death of Isabel Hussey, the disturbing background of the man responsible, and the troubling pattern of repeat offenses that raises difficult questions about the justice system — both then and now.

Some stories don't feel finished - and this is one of them. In 2005 and 2006, in Caldwell County, NC, the story of Emily Anderson began to unfold - one that would leave more questions than answers. Some listeners may have heard part of this case before. But if you've ever found yourself wondering what happened next, this episode takes a deeper look. We walk through the full timeline - from the early details to the key moments that shaped the case - bringing together everythin...

In this episode of Hard Times & True Crimes, we take a deep dive into a local Randolph County case that captured the community's attention - the trial of Heather Auman, accused in the death of her husband, MJ, a local firefighter.  After attending the trial in person, we walk you through the case from beginning to end - starting with the events leading up to that day at the lake, the 911 call, and the questions that quickly followed.  Heather claimed that MJ died by suicide. But as investigators began to examine the scene, and as testimony unfolded in court, a different narrative began to emerge.  This episode is based on testimony, evidence, and firsthand observations from inside the courtroom. #JusticeforMJ

On New Year’s Eve, 1947, Winston-Salem was still glowing with Christmas decorations when a tragedy unfolded that shocked Forsyth County and made headlines across the state of North Carolina.  Everett and Margaret Phillips were a devoted couple who waited eight years for their only child, Tommy Lee. They poured their lives into him, indulging him with love, music, and opportunity. But when young love, secrets, and defiance collided, the results were catastrophic.

In the early 1950s, the quiet community then known as Fuquay Springs - today's Fuquay-Varina in Wake County, North Carolina - was shaken by the violent killing of Dr. Cozart, a respected local physician. His sudden death stunned the town and left behind questions that linger more than a century later. In this episode, we revisit the case of Dr. Cozart's murder, exploring the historical records, the small-town setting, and the community impact of a crime that occurred when Fuquay was sti...

In July of 1906, Rowan County, North Carolina, was shaken by one of the most brutal crimes in state history. Isaac Lyerly, his wife Augusta, and two of their young children were murdered in their farmhouse near Barber Junction. Bludgeoned with the family’s own axe and left in a fire meant to destroy the evidence, the crime horrified Salisbury and quickly drew national attention. Three of the surviving Lyerly sisters escaped the burning home, carrying their wounded sister Alice to safety, only...

In February 1988, a single gunshot shattered the quiet of a Durham, North Carolina, neighborhood. Barbara Stager told police her husband Russ's death was a tragic accident. But as investigators dug deeper, the picture-perfect image of a devoted wife began to crack.  In this episode of Hard Times & True Crimes, we step back into the 1980s Durham - a city caught between its tobacco past and high-tech future, where Baptist faith and family values shaped everyday life, and where appearances mattered. Against that backdrop, the story of Russ and Barbara Stager unfolds: a tale of love, betrayal, financial secrets, and deadly deception.  Was it an accident, or something far more sinister? Join us as we explore the twists and turns of a case that shocked North Carolina and left a community asking how well we ever really know the people closest to us.

In the warm summer of 1955, Judge Curtis Chillingworth, Florida’s youngest ever circuit judge and a man known for his fairness would vanish from his beachside cottage in Manalapan, just south of West Palm Beach. His wife, Marjorie, disappeared with him.  Footprints led to the sea and never came back. What followed was one of Florida’s most shocking  true crime cases: a tale of organized corruption, political ambition, and backroom rackets. The judge had made powerful enemies because he didn’t bend the law for anyone. This episode of Hard Times and True Crimes digs into the Chillingworth legacy, the dangerous underground justice system of 1950s Florida, and how one murder unraveled an entire network of dirty power. If you love true crime stories steeped in Southern history, old Florida glamor, and morally complex characters, this is one you won’t want to miss.

In 1931, a little girl named Vera Leonard vanished while waiting for the school bus in Guilford County, NC. Hours later, her body was found in the ashes of her burned-down home. The man arrested—“Will Moore”—turned out to be an escaped convict named Asbury Respus, who would go on to confess not only to Vera’s murder but to as many as nine others across North Carolina. Some of his confessions were confirmed. Others remain unverified. Asbury Respus became North Carolina’s first known serial killer...

In 1949, deep in the Smoky Mountains of Sevier County, Tennessee, a savage double murder shattered the stillness of a quiet Appalachian community. Charlie Perry—a former Knoxville bootlegger turned tourist camp owner—and his longtime housekeeper, Josie Law, were brutally killed in their home at Perry’s Camp, a rustic riverside lodge in Flat Branch Hollow. Charlie had been tortured—his body bearing the marks of cruelty before the final blow was delivered. Josie was slain trying to defend him. Th...

🎙️ Hard Times & True Crimes Show Notes: In the fall of 1927, New Orleans was buzzin’ with jazz, bootleg liquor, and secrets behind every shuttered window. But nothing prepared the city for what was found inside a quiet little apartment at 715 Ursulines Street. Two women—Theresa Moity and her sister, Leonide Dwyer—were brutally murdered, dismembered, and stuffed into a steamer trunk. Their killer? A jealous, unraveling husband with a butcher’s knife in one hand and a Bible in the oth...

In this episode, we revisit the dark case of Kathleen Bedsole's murder in 1983, and the attempted murder of Charles Leonard, Jr., a crime that shook the communities surrounding Birmingham, Alabama to their core. We delve into the disturbed mind of David Duren, the man accused of the brutal killing, and unravel the events that led to one of the most infamous true crime stories in the region. What We Cover: An in-depth look at the night of the murder - what happened, how it was discovered...

Episode Summary: On Valentine’s Day 1971, a young couple Jesse McBane and Patricia Mann vanished after a romantic night in Durham, North Carolina. Days later, their bound and strangled bodies were discovered deep in the woods. Their deaths were no accident—this was a meticulously staged murder. Over 50 years later, the case remains unsolved. Who was behind this horrific crime, and why have investigators struggled to bring justice to Jesse and Patricia? Join us as we unravel the chilling...

In this episode, we delve into the lesser-known case of Ida Ball Warren, a woman from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, whose story shocked the state in 1914. It all began with the discovery of a body in Muddy Creek—a chilling find that, months later, would unravel a dark web of secrets and lead investigators straight to the man's own house. What You’ll Learn in This Episode The events leading up to Garrett Warren’s murder. How the discovery in Muddy Creek led investigators to Ida. Public reacti...

On New Year's Day 1951, a respected member of the Mt. Airy community was targeted in a car bombing. He was a teacher, a new husband, the son of a police chief, and an upstanding citizen. It took two years for the bomber to be apprehended when they targeted another victim. Narrator: Curtis Hildreth Intro and Outro Music: Isaiah Hildreth Sources: Pickens, Cathy. True Crime Stories of Western North Carolina. Arcadia Publishing, 2022. https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-high-point-enterprise-mt...

In 1913 Nancy Ann Kerley's name became infamous in the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina. Her story remains a chilling legend in the region's history. Listen to this episode to find out why. Music By Memphis Robinson Gora Sources: newspapers.com findagrave.com https://www.facebook.com/LadyFromTheMountains13/posts/the-legend-of-nance-dude-stoned-by-children-considered-a-witch-by-some-and-a-com/295072048854981/https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Conard-284https://docsouth.unc.edu/nc/johnson/...

Days before Christmas in 1831, Charlie Silver went missing from his home, leaving behind a young wife and baby. In the mountains of Western North Carolina, his family searched to no avail. Unfortunately, Charlie was eventually found but not all in one piece. Narrator: Curtis Hildreth Intro and Outro Music: Isaiah Hildreth Narrator of The Ballad Of Frankie Silver excerpt - Lily Hildreth Sources: You Tube Documentary - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ6DViANMIc McCrumb, Sharyn. The Ballad of F...

The residents of Cumming, Georgia were in an uproar in 1972 after two sheriff deputies were murdered. Just months later, in the same vicinity, a middle-aged couple was murdered in their bed and the community was on edge. Were the killings connected? Could it be retaliation or was it something else altogether? Was anyone else in danger? Narrator: Curtis Hildreth Intro and Outro Music: Isaiah Hildreth Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62SuK3_9mR4 https://www.newspapers.com/image/398617568...

In 1991, seventeen year old Crystal Faye Todd didn't come after a night out with friends. Her mother instinctively knew something was wrong. Listen to the story of the disappearance, rape and brutal murder of an all-American girl from Conway, South Carolina. Music by Isaiah Hildreth Sources: newspapers.com findagrave.com Forensic Files Southern Fried True Crime Carolina Crimes Send us a text Support the show hardtimesandtruecrimes.com buymeacoffee.com/hardtimesTC

Paul Dennis Reid also known as The Fast Food Killer is Nashville’s most notorious serial Killer. He was convicted and given seven death sentences for murdering seven people from various fast food restaurants in the Nashville area. Sources: Narrator for today’s episode Darlene Hildreth Music Isaiah Hildreth Intro Written by Sherry White Sources: When Nashville Bled: The untold stories of serial killer Paul Dennis Reid written by Judith Yates findagrave.com newspapers.com murderpedia.com True Crim...

Reverend George Washington Carawan was charged and found guilty of the murder of a school teacher named Clement H. Lassiter . After learning the jury had found him guilty and that he would be hanged for his crime, Reverend Carawan pulled a gun and shot the prosecutor and then himself. Male Narrator- Curtis Hildreth Music- Isaiah Hildreth Sources newspapers.com murderpedia.com findagrave.com NCpedia.com murderbygaslight.com goosecreekisland1blogspot.com. Send us a text Support the show hardtim...

Martha McKay was found murdered on her family property in Horseshoe Lake, Arkansas. Her mother was found murdered on the same property twenty-four years earlier. . Travis Lewis was Martha's killer--the same person convicted in the murder of Martha's mother and cousin when he was just fifteen years old. This case is proof that sometimes lightening does strike twice. Music Furry Lewis Public Domain Copywrite free acoustic Delta Blues Instrumental newspapers.com findagrave.com podcast -Southern F...

On March 1, 1922, Tennessee sent four men ( under the age of twenty) to the electric chair to pay with their lives for the life they took. Music by Isaiah Hildreth Male Narrator: Curtis Hildreth Sources: newspapers.com The Appalachian Storyteller wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandler_Motor_Car knoxnews.com https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/crime/2018/08/11/gallows-gurney-six-infamous-east-tennessee-executions-maurice-mays-whitecaps-bluebills-billy-irick/958465002/ Send us a text S...