The Hillsville Massacre has been described as one of the most bizarre incidents in Virginia criminal and legal history. Floyd Allen, the patriarch of the Allen clan, known for feuding, moonshining and violence, was executed after he stood trial for triggering the 1912 courthouse massacre. But the question remains…who shot first?

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Episode Sources

Gunfight in courthouse after guilty verdict left 5 dead, 7 wounded. New York Daily News. July 4, 2021

Floyd Allen (1856–1913). Encyclopedia of Virginia. 

Courthouse Tragedy. The Carroll County Historical and Society Museum

The Hillsville Massacre. The Roanoker. November 1982

Floyd Allen. Murderpedia

Episode Music

Theme Song “Dark & Troubled” by Pantherburn. Special thanks to Phillip St Ours for permission for use