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.