Blue Ridge True Crime

We're heading down a dark trail into one of Appalachia's most enduring mysteries. In May of 1866, Laura Foster rode out on her family's mare and vanished into the North Carolina mountains. Her body was later found in a shallow grave, sparking a manhunt, a sensational trial, and a public hanging that would be immortalized in a folk song known around the world. But what  really  happened to Laura Fo...

Travel back to September 12, 1952, in the small town of Flatwoods, West Virginia. What began as a flash in the sky witnessed by a group of boys playing football quickly spiraled into one of America's most bizarre and enduring UFO encounters. This is the story of the terrifying, ten-foot-tall Flatwoods Monster—a story of mass hysteria, Cold War anxiety, and the two fascinating paranormal investigat...

Everyone knows the story of the Salem witch trials. But a century later, accusations of witchcraft arose in the backcountry of South Carolina. This is the chilling, bizarre, and largely forgotten story of the Winnsboro witch trials, where an elderly man and two women were accused of levitating cows and turning people into horses. We’ll examine the primary sources, explore a possible medical explan...

In this episode, we explore the surprisingly dramatic history of the pocket watch. These intricate machines have been silent witnesses to historic moments, from a secret message hidden inside Abraham Lincoln's watch and the sunken submarine that changed naval warfare, to a deadly train wreck that revolutionized timekeeping, and a stolen watch that brought down a terrifying highway killer. Sources...

In the summer of 1927, the murder of a 15-year-old mill worker named Gladys Kincaid plunged the town of Morganton, North Carolina, into chaos. It triggered the largest manhunt in Western North Carolina history for a suspect named Broadus Miller. In the conclusion of this two-part story, host Alfred Dockery is joined by historian Dr. Kevin Young, author of  The Violent World of Broadus Miller , to...

In the summer of 1927, the murder of a 15-year-old mill worker named Gladys Kincaid plunged the town of Morganton, North Carolina, into chaos. It triggered the largest manhunt in Western North Carolina history for a suspect named Broadus Miller. In this first of a two-part episode, host Alfred Dockery is joined by historian Dr. Kevin Young, author of  The Violent World of Broadus Miller , to unrav...

A dead man falls from a clear night sky, landing in a quiet Knoxville neighborhood. He was wearing combat fatigues, Italian loafers, and had a duffel bag of cocaine strapped to his waist. This is the bizarre, true story of Drew Thornton, a former narcotics officer, lawyer, and army paratrooper who became a legendary drug smuggler. In this episode, we unravel the mystery of his final, fatal jump, e...

In this episode, we examine the lives of two legendary North Carolina hermits: David Greer, the Hermit of Bald Mountain, and Robert Harrill, the Fort Fisher Hermit. David Greer became a hermit due to unrequited love and became famous for the murder of Holland Higgins. Robert Harrill left a state mental institution in 1955 and hitchhiked to Fort Fisher, where he lived for 17 years. His mysterious d...

John “Paul” Scott of Leitchfield, KY, was serving 30 years for bank robbery (really burglary) for attempting to rob the Farmers and Traders Bank in Campton, KY, and for stealing two Thompson submachine guns from a Danville, KY, National Guard Armory, which were used in a shootout with police after a night watchman caught him and his two accomplices in the act. An attempted escape from the Atlanta...

Three stories of moonshiners who would rather shoot it out than surrender, including the legendary  Lewis Redmond , Moonshine King of the Carolinas, Garrett Hedden , the meanest moonshiner in Tennessee, and Josiah “Joe Banty” Gregory , a little man with a blazing temper. A live talk from the Pickens County, SC, library. Sources Blue Ridge True Crime Sources & Links Explore More Content Blue Ridge...

In this episode of the Blue Ridge True Crime Podcast, host Alfred Dockery explores the tales of two infamous North Carolina moonshiners - the elusive Charles Folias, known as the whiskey caveman, and Huldah Nines, a cunning woman blockade distiller. Delving into stories of underground stills, dangerous encounters, and clever evasions of the law, Alfred seeks to separate fact from fiction. While Fo...

The Legendary Otto Wood: Ballads and Banditry in Appalachia In this episode of the Blue Ridge True Crime Podcast, host Alfred Dockery talks with Trevor McKenzie, the author of 'Otto Wood, the Bandit.' They explore Otto Wood's life, including his numerous prison escapes, his legend in Appalachian ballads, and his notorious exploits across multiple states. Trevor delves into how Otto crafted his own...