Southern Mysteries Podcast

By Shannon Ballard

Unearthing the forgotten, the mysterious, and the legendary—one Southern story at a time. Hosted by Shannon Ballard, Southern Mysteries explores the rich and often untold history of the American South... more

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How many episodes does Southern Mysteries Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 185 episodes available.

Southern Mysteries Podcast episodes:

March 17, 2025Episode 161 Murder in Sebring - The William Carver Murder Trials
The Carver Murder Trial of 1930 drew national attention for its brutality and mystery. Ruth Carver, her two-year-old son Lee, and family employee Ben Whitehead were all found dead in their Florida home. Ruth’s husband, William Carver, claimed he killed Whitehead in defense of his family, but shifting testimony and new evidence led to multiple murder trials. Nearly a century later, the true story remains a haunting mystery.
Want more Southern Mysteries?
Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries
Connect
Website: southernmysteries.com
Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast
Instagram: @southernmysteries
Email: [email protected]
Episode Sources
Carver v. State, 101 Fla. 1421, 134 So. 62 (Fla. 1931)
Criminal Genealogy. (2020, November). William Raymond Carver Murder. Retrieved from Criminal Genealogy Blog
The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, April 4). 1st Degree Murder Warrant for Carver. Retrieved from Newspapers.com
The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, April 5). More About Wife. Retrieved from Newspapers.com
The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, April 6). Cleared by Grand Jury but Being Appealed. Retrieved from Newspapers.com
The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, April 7). Life Insurance Policy. Retrieved from Newspapers.com
The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, April 15). Defense Obtains 30 Day Delay in Case. Retrieved from Newspapers.com
The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, May 12). Carver Placed on Trial - Court Packed. Retrieved from Newspapers.com
The Orlando Evening Star. (1930, May 14). Jury Tours Crime Scene. Retrieved from Newspapers.com
The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, May 18). Defense Fights for Carver’s Life…He Testifies at Trial. Retrieved from Newspapers.com
The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, May 19). Hatchet Shown in Court. Retrieved from Newspapers.com
The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, May 21). Found Guilty - Motive Was $1000 Life Insurance Policy. Retrieved from Newspapers.com
The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, May 24). Carver Asks for 2nd Trial. Retrieved from Newspapers.com
The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, June). Last Chance Plea for New Trial (Details of Juror Who Was in Carver Home on Afternoon of Murders!) Retrieved from Newspapers.com
Find A Grave. Frances Louise Van Midde. Retrieved from Find A Grave
Find A Grave. Lee Townsend Carver. Retrieved from Find A Grave
Find A Grave. Ruth Emilie Carver. Retrieved from Find A Grave
Episode Music
Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.
...more
27min
March 03, 2025Episode 160 Lincoln’s Rebel Relatives: When Family Stood on Opposing Sides
Explore the surprising family ties that connected Abraham Lincoln to the Confederacy. While Lincoln fought to preserve the Union, his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, had siblings who sided with the South—raising suspicions about her loyalty. Discover how these family divisions reflected the greater turmoil of a nation at war and uncover the personal struggles of the Todds and the political challenges they created for President Lincoln during the Civil War.
Want more Southern Mysteries?
Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries
Connect
Website: southernmysteries.com
Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast
Instagram: @southernmysteries
Email: [email protected]
Episode Sources
Berry, Stephen. House of Abraham: Lincoln and the Todds, a Family Divided by War. Houghton Mifflin, 2007.
Susannah J. Ural (2/26/2025) The War In Their Words: I Do Not Think of Peace. HistoryNet Retrieved from https://www.historynet.com/war-words-not-peace/.
Gaton, K.B. (2010). Family Divided: The Todd Sisters Living in Selma During The American Civil War.University of Georgia.
"Find a Grave", database, Find a Grave (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 3 February 2025), memorial page for Nathaniel Henry Rhodes Dawson (1829-189)
"Find a Grave", database, Find a Grave (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 3 February 2025), memorial page for Elodie Breck Todd Dawson (1840-1877)
"Find a Grave", database, Find a Grave (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 3 February 2025), memorial page for Martha Todd White (1833-1868)
Life in Civil War America. National Park Service, Civil War Service. Retrieved from https://npshistory.com/publications/civil_war_series/4/sec1.htm
Scots in the American Civil War. James and Alexander Campbell: Brother against Brother at Secessionville. Retrieved from https://www.acwscots.co.uk/campbell.htm
Feinauer, J.J. (4/20/2015) Brother against brother: The legacy of divided families during the civil war. Daily American. Retrieved from https://www.dailyamerican.com/story/lifestyle/family/2015/04/10/brother-against-brother-the-legacy-of-divided-families-during-the-civil-wa/116323338/
Episode Music
Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.
...more
34min
February 17, 2025Episode 159 Unraveling the Mystery of Dr. Death and the York Family
On a sunny May morning in 1947, a doctor from San Antonio ambushed Willard York and his family near New Braunfels, Texas. The doctor's plan to kill the entire family failed when 13-year-old Ann York escaped. Investigators found that both the shooter and Mr. York faced financial troubles, raising questions about whether the attack stemmed from revenge or a mental breakdown, as the doctor claimed he could not remember the incident.
Want more Southern Mysteries?
Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries
Connect
Website: southernmysteries.com
Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast
Instagram: @southernmysteries
Email: [email protected]
Episode Sources
Fort Worth Star-Telegram: San Antonio Broker’s Hearing Here April 17, April 11, 1947
Shamokin News-Dispatch: Girl Identifies Texas Physician as Slayer of Four, May 25,1947
Valley Morning Star: Arraignment of Dr. Ross In Killing of W. York Postponed. May 27, 1947
Corpus Christi Caller-Times: SEC Drops Action Against Broker Willard H. York, June 24, 1947
The Tribune: Venue Change Given in York Murder Trial, September 13, 1947
Corsicana Daily Sun: Girl Survivor of Shooting Says Dr. Ross Slayer of 4, October 16, 1947
Fort Worth Star-Telegram: State Rests Its Case at Ross Trial, October 17, 1947
Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Ross ‘Scared’ Her, Patient Tells Court, October 18, 1947
The Tyler Courier-Times: Ross’ Claim Money Taken is Revealed, Oct 19, 1947
Corsicana Semi-Weekly Light: Other Doctors Tell Jury Ross “Insane” on Shooting Date, Oct 21, 1947
Lubbock Morning Avalanche: Ross is Given Death Penalty for Slaying, October 24, 1947
The Salem News: Rule Doctor in Murder is Insane, June 17, 1949
The Brownsville Herald: Court Affirms Damages to York Family, June 19, 1950
Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Doctor Denied Writ of Error, October 5, 1950
Lubbock Morning Avalanche: Board Allows Death Sentence to Stand for Dr. Lloyd Ross, August 7, 1957
Case Text: Ross v. York, 233 S.W.2d 347 (Tex. Civ. App. 1950)
Daily News: JUSTICE STORY: Betrayal at the hands of Dr. Death, March 21, 2020
History.com: SEC: Securities and Exchange Commission
FindAGrave.com: Dr. Lloyd I. Ross
FindAGrave.com: Gertrude Ann York
Episode Music
Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.
...more
25min
February 03, 2025Episode 158 The Louisville Torture House
One of the strangest cases in all their years of police work. Those were the words of seasoned detectives in Louisville, Kentucky, who worked on the Torture House case. A century ago, this case made national headlines when Richard Heaton was murdered by William Gates, who had been kidnapped and held in a home on 34th Street in Louisville.
Want more Southern Mysteries?
Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries
Connect
Website: southernmysteries.com
Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast
Instagram: @southernmysteries
Email: [email protected]
Episode Sources
New York Times: Shackled to Bed, Man Gets Free Kills Captor, March 9, 1924
New York Times: Slayer of Heaton Cleare; Coroner's Jury Finds Killing Justifiable to Escape Mutilation, March 15,1924
Paducah News-Democrat: Gates freed of murder charge, March 16, 1924
Florence Morning News: Gates admit visit with Heaton to Lake City, March 16,1924
The Winchester Sun: Gates arrested after freedom on new warrant, March 17, 1924
The Owensboro Messenger: Gates is held on fugitive charge, March 18, 1924
The Frankfort State Journal: Gates Tells of Trips to Texas and South, April 9, 1924
The Louisiana Herald: Lake City Expecting William Gates, April 24, 1924
The Lousiville Courier-Journal: Gates Bares Torture Plot Details; Hidden Pistol Saved Victim From Heaton;, March 10, 1924
The Louisville Courier-Journal: Frank Cordell on Trial, April 9, 1924
Historical Crime Detective: The Torture House 1924
FindAGrave.com: Richard Hartwell Heaton
FindAGrave.com: Mary Leahy Wiesen Heaton
Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.
...more
34min
January 20, 2025Episode 157 Murder at the Richards Mansion
Over 80 years ago, a coal mining town in Tennessee was rocked by the murders of two wealthy sisters and their 16-year-old houseworker. Who had the motive to kill the sisters, and why would someone harm the teenager who worked for them? In 2001, a former police chief claimed to have solved the case and named several suspects, but it remains shrouded in mystery.
Want more Southern Mysteries?
Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime, and more when you patronize the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries
Connect
Website: southernmysteries.com
Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast
Instagram: @southernmysteries
Email: [email protected]
Episode Sources
The Commercial Appeal: Mystery Surrounds Tennessee Murders, Feb 6, 1940
Knoxville Sentinel-Times: Hint Murder Tale Not Yet Told, Feb 7, 1940
Knoxville Sentinel-Times: Oliver Springs Divided Over Theories of Sisters’ Slayings, Feb 8, 1940
The Knoxville Journal: Sheriff Offers Slaying Case Reward, Feb 8, 1940
The Knoxville Journal: Jurors reject Murder-Suicide Theory, Feb 14, 1940
The Knoxville Journal: Slain Sisters Cousin was Mysteriously Killed, Feb 18, 1940
Oliver Springs Historical Society: Historical Timeline of Oliver Springs
Oliver Springs Historical Society Newsletter: The Richards Sisters Murders
The Tennessean: Clearing of suspect deepens 60 year old mystery, January 27, 2001
Seattle PI: The cousin did it, investigator says, November 15, 2001
WBIR 10 News: Appalachian Unsolved: Murder in the mansion, May 22, 2023
Episode Music
Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.
...more
28min
December 16, 2024Episode 156 Blame No One But I: The Lawson Family Murders
On Christmas Day in 1929, the community of Germanton, North Carolina, was forever changed by the tragic murders of seven members of the Lawson family. One fact remains indisputable: Charlie Lawson was responsible for the deaths of his family. However, the question that has lingered for nearly a century is: why did he commit such a heinous act?
Want more Southern Mysteries?
Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries
Connect
Website: southernmysteries.com
Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast
Instagram: @southernmysteries
Email: [email protected]
Episode Sources
Greensboro Daily News: Stokes Farmer Murders Family, Dec 26, 1929
Greensboro Daily News: Victims to be Buried in Single Grave, Dec 27, 1929
Statesville Record and Landmark: Only One Member of Family of 9 Left, Dec 30, 1929
The Sentinel: No Report on Brain of Charlie Lawson, Jan 7, 1930
Statesville Record: Commercializing the Lawson Home, Feb 3, 1930
PlanetSlade: So hard to die: Murder of the Lawson Family
Murderpedia: Charles Davis Lawson
CLEWS: Christmas Murders and the Lawson Family Massacre, December 2006
M. Bruce Jones with Trudy Smith: White Christmas, Bloody Christmas, 1990.
Trudy Smith: The Meaning of Our Tears
Episode Music
Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.
...more
24min
December 02, 2024Episode 155 Appalachian Outlaw Kinnie Wagner
Meet Kinnie Wagner, a lesser known outlaw of the 1920s. Folk songs were written about him in the 1920s and he gained legendary status by escaping jail several times…even escaping the electric chair in Tennessee.
Want more Southern Mysteries?
Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries
Connect
Website: southernmysteries.com
Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast
Instagram: @southernmysteries
Email: [email protected]
Episode Sources
Scott County Historical Society: Kinnie Wagner, Scott County's Notorious Outlaw
Murderpedia: William Kenneth “Kinnie” Wagner
The Paris News: Bad Man of 15 Years Has Escaped Again, November 1, 1940
The Tennessean: Cowboy Desperado Defiant Under Death Sentence, May 15, 1925
Nebraska Daily News-Press: Tune Up That Guitar, Wagner’s Outlawing Again, November 29, 1940.
Kingsport News: Kinnie Wagner Died in Prison, March 10, 1958.
Kingsport Times: Thousands Flock to funeral Home to See Kinnie Wagner, March 12, 1958
The Jackson Clarion-Ledger: The Story of Kinnie Wagner, 7 part series. April 6-12, 1958
Episode Music
Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.
...more
22min
November 18, 2024Episode 154 The Curious Case of Condy Dabney
On a sweltering day in August 1925, Mary Vickery vanished from Coxton, Kentucky. Several months later, her remains were found in an abandoned mine located just outside the town. A local taxi driver was apprehended, tried, and sentenced to life in prison for the teenager's murder. In the spring of 1927, a young woman appeared in Harlan County with information that could clear his name.
Want more Southern Mysteries?
Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries
Connect
Website: southernmysteries.com
Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast
Instagram: @southernmysteries
Email: [email protected]
Episode Sources
The Lexington Herald: Coxton Child Still Missing, August 30, 1925
The Harlan Daily Enterprise: Vickery Girl Still Missing, September 18, 1925
The Harlan Daily Enterprise: Dabney Caught: Now in Jail, March 5, 1926
The Harlan Daily Enterprise: Dabney Given Life for Slaying of Vickery Girl, April 2, 1926
The Atlanta Constitution: When Justice Triumphed, September 4, 1932.
Kidnapping, Murder and Mayhem: “She Rose from the Dead”, September 10, 2020.
The Messenger: Marie Jackson fails to know Mary Vickery, March 22, 1927
The Park City Daily News: A Woman Scorned, March 22, 1927
The Lexington Herald: Senate Bill Asks $5,000 to Repay Harlan Man for Erroneous Imprisonment, February 15, 1928
The Voice: An Act of Revenge, August 17, 1935
National Register of Exonerations: Condy Dabney
Edwin Borchard: Convicting the Innocent: Errors of Criminal Justice (1932)
FindaGrave: Condy Ulysses Dabney, 1895-1966
Episode Music
Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.
...more
27min
November 04, 2024Episode 153 The First Female Serial Killer in Texas
Anna Hauptrief was the first known female serial killer in Texas. Her 1924 case was known as one of the most sensational and unexplainable in Texas court history.
Want more Southern Mysteries?
Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries
Connect
Website: southernmysteries.com
Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast
Instagram: @southernmysteries
Email: [email protected]
Episode Sources
The Houston Post: Suspect Mother of Poisoning Five. July 24, 1924.
The Houston Post: Bodies Taken From Graves. July 31, 1924.
Belleville Daily Advocate: Woman Held for Death of Five Persons. September 9, 1924.
The Houston Post: Hauptreif, Although Crippled, By Wife’s Poison, Loves Her. October 14, 1924.
The Austin American: Anna Hauptreif Hangs Herself in Jail. November 1, 1924
The Waco News: Mrs. Hauptreif’s Burial Place is Changed By Her Father’s Demand. November 3, 1924.
The Austin American: Hauptreif Goes to Grave. November 3, 1924.
Unknown Gender History: Annie Hauptreif, Texas Black Widow Serial Killer – August 11, 2011.
FindAGrave.com: William Louis Hauptreif
San Marcos Daily Record: A San Marcos Serial Killer. October 31, 2019.
Episode Music
Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.
...more
23min
September 23, 2024Episode 152 Cyrus Teed and the Koreshan Unity
The Koreshan State Historic Site in Estero, Florida is one of the most peculiar historic sites in the American South. This state park showcases the life of Dr. Cyrus Teed, the founder of Koreshanity. Those who joined this religious and scientific movement sought immortality through celibacy and believed the entire universe existed within a giant, hollow sphere. The Koreshan Unity has been dubbed “one of the most bizarre” communal utopian societies organized in the 19th century. They were forced to relocate several times until they found a permanent home in the swamplands of southwest Florida.
Want more Southern Mysteries?
Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries
Connect
Website: southernmysteries.com
Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast
Instagram: @southernmysteries
Email: [email protected]
Recommended Reading
The Allure of Immortality: An American Cult, a Florida Swamp, and a Renegade Prophet by Lyn Millner
Waco: David Koresh, the Branch Davidians, and A Legacy of Rage by Jeff Guinn
Episode Sources
WGCU Gulf Coast Life: The connection between Cyrus Teed and the Koreshans and David Koresh and the Branch Davidians. March 14, 2023.
The Koreshnans: Archives of former holdings of the Koreshan State Historic Site.
Florida State Parks: Koreshan State Historic Site
World Religious and Spirituality Project: Koreshans by Lyn Millner
WGCU: Florida History: Koreshan Unity: A Quest for Utopia | Untold Stories | Florida History
US Department of the Interior: Preserving America’s Utopian Dream, 2001. “Dr. Cyrus Teed and the Koreshan Unity Movement” by Catherine Anthony Ohnemus.
Florida Rambler: Koreshan State Park is Florida’s strangest historic site. August 3, 2024.
Episode Music
Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.
...more
38min

FAQs about Southern Mysteries Podcast:

How many episodes does Southern Mysteries Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 185 episodes available.

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