Graves County, Chapter 6 | Something Rotten

Just how far are cops and prosecutors allowed to go in their pursuit of justice – and who do we hold accountable when their whole case falls apart? These are questions that Quincy Cross, Tamara Caldwell, and Jeff Burton live with every day. Meanwhile, answers to why Jessica Currin’s murder investigation went so wrong in the first place may lie somewhere in the beginning. 

Key figures in this chapter:

Tom Mangold: British journalist who covered the Jessica Currin case and worked alongside citizen investigator Susan Galbreath. 

Tim Fortner: The lead Mayfield Police detective on Jessica’s murder case.

Ronnie Lear: Assistant Chief of the Mayfield Police in the early 2000s. 

Michael Greisz: Mayfield Chief of Police from 2004 to 2005. 

Wayne Potts (1939-2019): Former Mayor of Mayfield. 

Joe Currin: He is still waiting for answers on the death of his daughter. 

Quincy Cross: He is in prison, fighting for an evidentiary hearing and the chance at a new trial.  

Tamara Caldwell and Jeff Burton: They are still hoping to clear their names. 

David Cross and Rachelle Brown: Quincy Cross’ father and sister. 

Darra Woolman: Our source.

**Editorial Note** This case involved many defendants throughout the years and investigations by three law enforcement agencies. There was a lot we couldn’t get to, including the fact that two more men were charged in Jessica’s case: Isaac Benjamin and Austin Leech. Benjamin pled guilty to complicity to tampering with evidence and served just over one year in prison. Leech went to trial for perjury and tampering with evidence – the only other defendant to stand trial – and was acquitted in 2009. 

For photos and images from this chapter, visit Lava for Good

Graves County is hosted by Maggie Freleng, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and one of the hosts of Lava For Good’s Wrongful Conviction, and is executive produced by Gilbert King. 

New episodes of Bone Valley Season 3 | Graves County are available every Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts. To binge the entire season, ad-free, subscribe to Lava for Good+ on Apple Podcasts.

Graves County is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Graves County: Chapter 5 | The Receipts

Prosecution witness Rosie Crice was the first person to publicly say that law enforcement made her lie on Quincy Cross and his co-defendants – but she wouldn’t be the last.  

Key figures in this chapter:

Vinisha Stubblefield: the last known person to see Jessica Currin alive and one of the prosecution’s main witnesses.

Rosie Crice: Victoria Caldwell’s sister. She was a prosecution witness. 

Miranda Hellman: Attorney with the Kentucky Innocence Project working on Quincy Cross’ post-conviction case. 

Ken Nixon: Exoneree and volunteer with the Kentucky Innocence Project. 

Victoria Caldwell: the prosecution's key witness. 

Bob O’Neil: Agent with the Kentucky Bureau of Investigation (KBI). 

Tamara Caldwell: Victoria and Rosie’s cousin. She was convicted of manslaughter and abuse of a corpse.  

Brenda Jackson: Tamara Caldwell’s mom

Noble Faulkner: Private investigator, Brenda Jackson’s common-law husband.  

Others: Victoria and Rosie’s mom, Wanda; KBI agent Lee Wise; Kentucky Assistant Attorney General Barbara Maines Whaley; Citizen investigator Susan Galbreath; British journalist Tom Mangold; and Susan’s friend, Lacey Gates.   

For photos and images from this chapter, visit Lava for Good

Graves County is hosted by Maggie Freleng, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and one of the hosts of Lava For Good’s Wrongful Conviction, and is executive produced by Gilbert King. 

New episodes of Bone Valley Season 3 | Graves County are available every Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts. To binge the entire season, ad-free, subscribe to Lava for Good+ on Apple Podcasts.

Graves County is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Graves County: Chapter 4 | My Girl Susan

Soon after Jessica Currin’s death, Victoria Caldwell came forward with a story different from the one she told at trial and implicated two completely different people. But the investigation into those suspects ended after Mayfield Police bungled the investigation and Susan Galbreath – with the help of Tom Mangold –  homed in on Quincy Cross.

Key figures in this chapter:

Jeremy Adams: The purported father of Zion, Jessica Currin’s son. He was first charged with her murder. 

Carlos “Lolo” Saxton: Jessica Currin’s last known boyfriend. He was first charged with complicity to commit murder.  

Donna Adams (1958-2019): Jeremy Adams’ mom and alleged friend of Susan Galbreath. 

Nette Todd: Jeremy Adams' girlfriend during the early 2000s. She joined Susan Galbreath for parts of her investigation.  

Miranda Hellman: Attorney with the Kentucky Innocence Project who worked in the post-conviction case for Quincy Cross.

John Poole: Private investigator, three-time Mayfield councilmember, and the uncle of Jeff Burton. Jeff Burton was convicted of manslaughter and abuse of a corpse.  

Lacey Gates (1971-2022): A friend of Susan Galbreath. She helped her with the investigation. 

Rosie Crice: Victoria Caldwell’s sister and a prosecution witness. She later recanted her testimony in the trial of Quincy Cross. 

Others: Citizen investigator Susan Galbreath; British journalist Tom Mangold; former Mayfield Police detective Tim Fortner; Jessica’s dad Joe Currin; Victoria Caldwell, the state’s key witness; and source Darra Woolman.   

For photos and images from this chapter, visit Lava for Good

Graves County is hosted by Maggie Freleng, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and one of the hosts of Lava For Good’s Wrongful Conviction, and is executive produced by Gilbert King. 

New episodes of Bone Valley Season 3 | Graves County are available every Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts. To binge the entire season, ad-free, subscribe to Lava for Good+ on Apple Podcasts.

Graves County is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Graves County: Chapter 3 | Persons of Interest

Six years after Jessica’s death, agents with the Kentucky Attorney General’s office took over her murder investigation. After pinpointing their main suspects with the help of citizen investigator Susan Galbreath, the agents conducted a series of unorthodox interrogations that elicited key confessions and led to the trial and conviction of Quincy Cross. 

Key figures in this chapter:

Susan Galbreath (1960 - 2018): Citizen investigator.

Greg Stumbo: Attorney General of Kentucky from 2004 - 2008. He promised Joe Currin that he would solve his daughter’s murder. He revamped the Kentucky Bureau of Investigation (KBI). 

Lee Wise and Bob O’Neil: Agents with the Kentucky Bureau of Investigation (KBI). They ran the interrogations that elicited key confessions later used in the 2008 trial and conviction of Quincy Cross. 

Rosie Crice: Victoria Caldwell’s sister. Served as a corroborating witness for the prosecution.  

Quincy Cross: Convicted of murder and currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. 

Tamara Caldwell: Served almost six years in prison for manslaughter in the second degree. Victoria and Rosie’s cousin.  

Jeff Burton: Served almost eight years in prison for manslaughter in the second degree.

Victoria Caldwell: The state’s key witness in the trial of Quincy Cross. Served less than three months in jail for being an accomplice to the crime.  

Vinisha Stubblefield: The other main witness in the trial of Quincy Cross and the last known person to see Jessica Currin alive. Served six months in jail for being an accomplice to the crime.  

Barbara Maines Whaley: The lead prosecutor in the trial of Quincy Cross. Assistant Attorney General at the Kentucky AG’s office. 

David Cross: Quincy Cross’s father. He was born and raised in a small town in Tennessee. 

Darra Woolman: Fighting alongside David Cross’s family to get Quincy Cross out of prison.  

For photos and images from this chapter, visit Lava for Good

Graves County is hosted by Maggie Freleng, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and one of the hosts of Lava For Good’s Wrongful Conviction, and is executive produced by Gilbert King. 

New episodes of Bone Valley Season 3 | Graves County are available every Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts. To binge the entire season, ad-free, subscribe to Lava for Good+ on Apple Podcasts.

Graves County is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Graves County: Chapter 2 | Jessica

Joe Currin did right by Mayfield. He played defense for the beloved high school football team, went to church every Sunday, ran his own business, and became a lieutenant for the fire department. So when his daughter Jessica was brutally killed, Joe thought Mayfield would do right by him. Instead, her case went unsolved for years.

Key figures in this chapter:

Joe Currin: Jessica’s father. A lieutenant with the Mayfield Fire Department, bailiff, business owner, and churchgoer – Joe had to fight for years to get law enforcement to solve his daughter’s murder case.  

Jessica Currin (1981 - 2000): In the summer of 2000, Jessica had a seven-month-old baby named Zion. She had just moved out on her own and was dating a boy she really liked.  

Vinisha Stubblefield: A friend of Jessica and the last known person to see her alive. She was 16 at the time. Citizen investigator Susan Galbreath became convinced that Vinisha knew more than she was letting on about Jessica’s death.  

Quincy Cross: He was 23 at the time and lived across the border in Tennessee. He went to Mayfield for a party the same Saturday night Jessica was last seen alive. He was arrested early Sunday morning for drug possession along with many other partygoers from ta house at Chris Drive. 

Jessica Lindsey: Jessica Currin’s best friend. They went to Graves County High together. She recalls Jessica as a sweet girl who stood up for herself and for others. 

Tim Fortner: The lead detective in Jessica Currin’s murder investigation. He was a patrolman with the Mayfield Police Department who had just been promoted to detective. This was his first homicide investigation, and he ran it from August 2000 until the case was transferred to the Kentucky State Police in 2003. 

Susan Galbreath (1960 - 2018): After watching police bungle Jessica's murder case, Susan began her own citizen investigation in 2004 with the blessing of the Kentucky State Police. 

Victoria Caldwell: She moved to California as a teen after Jessica’s death and made contact with Susan Galbearth on Myspace seven years after the murder, saying she knew things but was afraid for her life. 

Tom Mangold: He traveled to Mayfield to report with Susan Galbreath in the spring of 2004 and then wrote two articles that year  – one for The Age and one for The Independent – pointing at Quincy Cross as the main suspect.  

Darra Woolman: Our source.

For photos and images from this chapter, visit Lava for Good

Graves County is hosted by Maggie Freleng, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and one of the hosts of Lava For Good’s Wrongful Conviction, and is executive produced by Gilbert King. 

New episodes of Bone Valley Season 3 | Graves County are available every Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts. To binge the entire season, ad-free, subscribe to Lava for Good+ on Apple Podcasts.

Graves County is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1

We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Graves County: Chapter 1 | Something Stinks

On August 1, 2000, the body of 18-year-old Jessica Currin was found outside of the middle school in Mayfield, KY. Jessica was a new mom and the daughter of a lieutenant with the fire department. Her case would go unsolved for years, until a local homemaker, a British journalist, and a few local girls came forward with a story that law enforcement would use to convict six people – including one man for life. It’s a good story: an ordinary woman helps solve a crime and bring justice to a small town. Maybe too good to be true.

Key figures in this chapter:

Jessica Currin (1981 - 2000): 18-year-old from Mayfield, KY. A new mom and the daughter of a lieutenant with the fire department. 

Susan Galbreath (1960 - 2018): Mayfield, KY homemaker originally from Chicago, IL. Received an “outstanding citizen” award from the Kentucky Attorney General’s office for her help in solving Jessica Currin’s murder.  

Tom Mangold: British investigative reporter who covered Jessica’s murder and helped Susan Galbreath with her citizen investigation. She helped find Victoria Caldwell. 

Victoria Caldwell: Mayfield, KY local who was 15 at the time of Jessica’s death and would end up being the state’s key witness in the trial of her accused killer. She was also convicted as an accomplice to the crime. 

Quincy Cross: A Tennessee man convicted of the kidnapping, rape, and murder of Jessica Currin in a 2008 capital murder trial. Currently serving life in prison without parole. He dated Tamara Caldwell.  

Tamara Caldwell: Mayfield, KY local convicted of manslaughter and abuse of a corpse. She took a plea after Quincy Cross’s 2008 trial. Served almost six years. She is Victoria Caldwell’s cousin.   

Darra Woolman: She leads the "Department of Collaborators" – a group of folks from all walks of life committed to helping people in prison and connecting them with resources. 

For photos and images from this chapter, visit Lava for Good

Graves County is hosted by Maggie Freleng, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and one of the hosts of Lava For Good’s Wrongful Conviction, and is executive produced by Gilbert King. 

New episodes of Bone Valley Season 3 | Graves County are available every Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts. To binge the entire season, ad-free, subscribe to Lava for Good+ on Apple Podcasts.

Graves County is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we’re bringing you something new.  An introduction to Lava for Good’s newest investigative series – it's called “Graves County” and it will be released right here in the Bone Valley feed. You’ll see it shown here as “Bone Valley Season 3 ” and while there are many familiar themes - this is an entirely new show told by a different host - Maggie Freleng,  Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and one of the hosts of Lava For Good’s Wrongful Conviction.
The first two episodes of Graves County will be out on September 17th - right here in the Bone Valley feed. Subscribers to Lava For Good+ on Apple Podcasts will be able to listen to the entire series the same day.
As an introduction to the new series, Gilbert King sat down with Maggie for a Q&A about her experience reporting this show for over 2 years and what she learned along the way.

Bone Valley is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Season 1 of Bone Valley, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Gilbert King tells a story of a man, Leo Schofield, fighting to prove his innocence in the case of his wife Michelle’s murder.

In Season 2, “JEREMY” Gilbert King brings us a story about her actual killer, Jeremy Scott, fighting to prove his guilt. The State of Florida does not believe either man.

Bone Valley Season 3 | GRAVES COUNTY is a new story about a new case. A story that shares many familiar themes with the first two seasons of Bone Valley - an unspeakable crime, a dubious investigation, half-truths that ensnare innocent people, and heartbroken families caught in the middle.

GRAVES COUNTY is hosted by Maggie Freleng, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and one of the hosts of Lava For Good’s Wrongful Conviction and is executive produced by Gilbert King.

Maggie is going to take us to a small town in Graves County, Kentucky, where a terrible discovery on the front lawn of a middle school invites a string of amateur and professional investigators to try to solve a murder. Maggie is the latest investigator to get pulled in. And she’ll take all of us along as she teases out this complicated web of rumors and lies, and perhaps even the truth.

Bone Valley Season 3 | GRAVES COUNTY will be available every Wednesday beginning September 17 wherever you get your podcasts. To binge the entire season, ad-free, starting September 17, subscribe to Lava for Good+ on Apple Podcasts.

Bone Valley is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nick, Amanda, and three Georgetown undergraduates set out to re-investigate Kevin Herrick’s conviction, combing through trial transcripts, police reports, and overlooked details. What they uncover reshapes everything: a hidden police report that ties the crime to a different man with a violent record—a document Kevin’s defense never saw. For Amanda, it’s a discovery that could finally crack open a case buried for more than thirty years, and it raises a new possibility after decades of silence; maybe Kevin really is next.

Bone Valley is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.