Episode 24: Azzie Martin – Ashburn, GA

A small Southern town, a late-night chicken supper, and a young woman whose disappearance exposed the deep racial divides of 1930s Georgia.

Episode Summary

In this week’s episode of True Crime Unwind, we’re sharing the story of 27-year-old Azzie Martin, a hardworking cook from Ashburn, Georgia, whose mysterious death has haunted the town for nearly nine decades.

In December of 1937, Azzie was hired to cook for a “midnight chicken supper” at the Evans House—one of the finest homes in Ashburn. The party was hosted by 26-year-old Ila Mae Hickox and attended by a group of young white men and women from well-known local families. Azzie was the only Black person there that night.

By morning, she was gone. Her family reported her missing the next day, insisting she had never made it home. For months, rumors swirled—some said she fell and hit her head, others whispered that something much darker had happened.

Three months later, Azzie’s remains were found near the Little River. A coroner’s jury ruled that she died “at the hands of unknown parties,” but no one was ever charged. Despite conflicting testimonies, growing suspicion, and public attention from Black newspapers across the country, the case quietly faded away.

Decades later, the story still lingers in Ashburn—alongside whispers of guilt, silence, and even hauntings tied to the old Evans House. Azzie’s grave is unmarked, and her case remains unsolved, but her name continues to be spoken thanks to local historians and community members determined not to let her be forgotten. Azzie’s story isn’t just a mystery—it’s a reminder of how easily justice could be denied in the Jim Crow South, and how the echoes of those failures still matter today.

If you have any information about the death of Azzie Martin or family history connected to the case, please contact: The Turner County Project – [email protected]

You can also visit their website to learn more about Azzie’s story and other documented local histories: www.turnercountyproject.org

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