Southern Fried True Crime

In January of 1999, 30 year old Belinda Temple, who was eight months pregnant, was found shot to death in her closet in Katy, Texas. Her husband, David Temple, was the obvious first suspect. But there wasn’t much evidence to connect him to the murder and he was seen on store cameras during the suspected time of the murder. But he had the oldest motive in the world. And Harris County DA’s Office wo...

A prominent southern family made their mark in Memphis, Tennessee and the tiny town of Horseshoe Lake, Arkansas with descendents dating back to the Civil War. Known for their philanthropy as much as their prosperity, the Snowden family were pillars of their community. They were eccentric and fun-loving, but also duty bound to their family name and heritage. And then the same man, 24 years apart, w...

In 1960, 25 year old Irene Garza was raped and murdered in McAllen, Texas. The Mexican-American former beauty queen, was a devout catholic and a pillar of her community. She was last seen going to confession on Holy Saturday before Easter. The McAllen community was outraged and heartbroken and there was a massive investigation. And then the investigation quietly stopped. With no answers, the McAll...

**This episode contains explicit language. It is marked explicit in all podcast platforms. Please, if cursing offends you, do not listen to this and then complain about the language.** *We have a frank discussion about rape culture, including the Cosby case and other societal problems with sexual assault. We also discuss the pandemic and vaccination. If these subjects offend you, you are better of...

1994, a 15 year old boy did the unthinkable. He ambushed his mother and younger sister and shot them to death. All because he was angry over being grounded. He planned their murders, and 3 more family members for weeks before the ambush. And most of it was caught on a recording device on his home phone. But still, the question remains, at 15 years old, was Nathan Callahan old enough to be held res...

In 2009, on the 4th of July, the body of football legend Steve McNair was found in a condo in Nashville, Tennessee. The married family man was killed by his girlfriend, in an apparent murder/suicide that shocked Nashville and the nation. But for years, conspiracy theories have persisted about what really happened. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and Written by Erica Kelley Additiona...

In June of 1994, a car was found in a ditch on a deserted stretch of Little Mountain Road in Newberry, South Carolina. A woman was found slumped over the steering wheel. Though the road was in a rural area thick with woods and steep ravines, where accidents often happen, police immediately suspected foul play. The woman, named Vickie Lander Beckham, had horrific injuries to her face and neck that...

In 1981, a young woman in the tiny town of Grundy, Virginia, was brutally raped and murdered. Her assailant was quickly identified and convicted. But in his fight against the justice system and manipulation by the media, his victim, 19 year old Wanda McCoy, was ignored and forgotten for decades. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched & Written by Hannah Newcomb Additional Writing by Erica...

In the summer of 1991, the small town of Cherryville, North Carolina, was horrified by two double murders. A local was quickly targeted by police, a man related to one of the families. And it destroyed his life. Another accidental death was tied to the murders, brought on by the fear of one of Cherryville’s residents. When the real killer was found, the town was able to breathe a sigh of relief. B...

In September of 2011, a 25 year old woman from Hendersonville, TN, traveled to a wedding near her alma mater, Western Kentucky University. While at the wedding, she changed in front of the entire wedding party. And then posed for photos in a bridesmaid’s dress she had been fitted for 9 months earlier. No one noticed anything unusual about Lindsey Lowe’s appearance or behavior. But 2 days later, sh...

In late November of 1989, the burning body of a 33 year old woman was found in a wooded area in the Mississippi Delta. Olivia Browning was the ex-wife of a prominent planter’s son named Ralph Hand III. Local gossips said that though Ralph and Olivia divorced, they had a passionate but toxic relationship and couldn’t stay away from each other. After Ralph confessed, and the media gushed about this...

In January of 2005, a family of seven moved to the small city of Nacogdoches, Texas. They seemed happy and were very involved with their church and the community. But that happiness masked a darkness. Shortly before Christmas in 2006, Tim Eubanks suddenly murdered his wife, Tina, unearthing a chasm of pain suffered by her and her children. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written...

For seven days after the New Year, in 2006, Richmond, Virginia was terrorized by spree killers. Two whole families were killed with no apparent motive other than robbery. But the gruesome murders didn’t seem to match that motive. Who would murder little children for some jewelry and cash? What kind of killer is capable of that? Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched & Written by Hannah New...

In April of 2005, a “desperate housewife” banged on her neighbor’s door and said her husband had been murdered. She claimed the man who killed him was still in the house. It didn’t take investigators long to figure out that the wife, Martha Freeman, knew the mystery man who had killed her husband. She had been hiding him in her closet. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by...

In 1997, the small city of Pelham, Alabama was shocked by the brutal quadruple murder of a family. The victims, Randy Duke and Dedra Hunt were engaged to be married, and Dedra’s six year old daughter, Chelisa, and seven year daughter, Chelsea spent their weekends with the couple. Police at first thought it was a triple murder/suicide but soon learned it was an even more senseless and horrific crim...

On New Year’s Day in 2008, a young woman named Meredith Emerson, went missing after she went for a hike with her dog. Searchers and law enforcement began a race against time to find her as tips rolled in. But she had met with a man who was later dubbed the “National Forest Serial Killer.” Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Hannah Newcomb and Erica Kelley Original Graphic...

On August 1, 2000, the body of a young black woman was found behind a middle school in Mayfield, Kentucky. The new mother, 18 year old Jessica Currin, was found partially clothed, badly burned and already decomposing. The incompetence of local police doomed the case from the beginning. The Kentucky State police and then the KBI eventually took over the investigation. But it took a local homemaker,...

In 1994, a New York writer released a very southern gothic, non-fiction, crime novel. “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” became a national sensation. John Berendt’s seductive prose and his cast of eccentric characters drew readers into the lush culture of Savannah, Georgia. But the central plot was a scandal from 1981. Semi-closeted socialite, Jim Williams, had shot his lover dead in the st...

The Death of Andrew Lewis -- a beloved musician is shot. His ex-girlfriend was a witness. The shooter, Eli Miller, was her date and he had been trying to assault Andrew all evening. Miller would claim it was self-defense. But how is shooting someone in the back of the head self-defense? *This is the annual rerelease of Andrew's episode. I wish there was an update, but sadly, there isn't. I will co...

In 1986, a young mother was brutally murdered in her Austin, Texas home, early in the morning, while still sleeping in her bed. Her husband had left for work at 5:30am. Her three year old son was left alone in the house. Unfortunately, the night before, her husband had become disappointed when his wife had been too tired to make love. Michael Morton loved his wife, but he left a note for her that...

RIn the late 80’s and early 90’s, one family of brothers terrorized the Benton County area of northwest Tennessee. The Bruce brothers had rap sheets but the local sheriff could rarely make charges stick because the family intimidated anyone in the community who dared to defy them. In 1991, they were suspected in a double murder and arson but it would take a federal task force to convince witnesses...

In 2002, evil came to the small town of Warsaw, Kentucky. A woman and her children were brutally attacked. The monster who brutalized Carolyn Marksberry and her children was quickly apprehended. And showed remorse. Marc Chapman had a death wish. Written, hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Original Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Additional writing and res...

In late 2018, a privileged 29 year old man from Chuluota, Florida became obsessed with a Bulgarian webcam model. Grant Amato still lived at home with his parents and older brother, Cody. The brothers were born less than two years apart and had always been very close and had the same goals. Both graduated from nursing school, but Grant fell apart in graduate school, flunking out and then getting fi...

A new pastor came to Sellerstown, North Carolina in 1969 with his wife to lead a small congregation and lay down roots for his family. From 1972 to 1976, the pastor, his wife and their two small children were terrorized with bombings and shootings. A powerful man named Horry Watts acted as the small town kingpin of Sellerstown. And he was out for vengeance when Reverend Nicols pushed him out of hi...

In one month in 2008, five patients died at a dialysis clinic in Lufkin, Texas. Many others fell mysteriously ill. All of them had contact with one woman. A licensed vocational nurse named Kim Saenz. Written, hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Original Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Researched by Erica Kelley Edited by Chaes Gray of Gray Multimedia Spons...