The Stabbin Stylist

Behind the beautiful iron balconies and historic buildings of New Orleans' French Quarter are some seriously disturbing legends, and the Sultan's Palace might be one of the bloodiest. 
This Halloween, we're diving into the mysterious story of a wealthy stranger, a lavish mansion on Dauphine Street, secret parties, and a gruesome massacre that supposedly left an entire household dead. 
Was the mysterious Sultan really murdered along with his companions, or is this one of New Orleans' most elaborate ghost stories? From the bloody legend to the spirits said to haunt the property today, we're exploring one of the French Quarter's most infamous tales, just in time for Halloween!

New Orleans has a long history of dark legends, mysterious deaths, and stories that refuse to stay buried. In this special Halloween bonus episode, we're sinking our teeth into the city's infamous vampire lore, from the mysterious Carter brothers and their alleged blood-drinking rituals to the chilling legend of Jacques Saint Germain, the charming stranger who supposedly vanished without a trace. 

We'll explore the stories that have haunted the French Quarter for generations and the legends that helped earn New Orleans its reputation as one of America's most supernatural cities. So grab a drink, dim the lights, and join us for a little vampire history straight from the Big Easy!

How much history is hiding in the cemeteries we drive past every day?
 This week we're exploring the fascinating and often forgotten stories buried in Cleveland and Bradley County, Tennessee. 
From the final resting place of Cleveland's first sheriff to Civil War soldiers, formerly enslaved men with remarkable stories, mysterious graves, and the history of Fort Hill Cemetery, we're uncovering the people and events that helped shape our hometown. 
We'll visit historic burial grounds, including Pleasant Hill and Clingan Cemetery, and dig into the stories behind the headstones, the lives that history nearly forgot, and the secrets these old cemeteries still hold. You may have driven past these places a thousand times, but you'll never look at them quite the same way again.

We're back with updates on Christa Pike, the woman convicted of the brutal 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer in Knoxville. With Pike's execution approaching, there's plenty to unpack, from the latest legal developments to the controversy surrounding her case.

We're breaking down what's happening, what it means, and why this case continues to make headlines more than 30 years later.

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In December 2000, 10 year old Joshua Lee Walden disappeared from his Chattanooga, Tennessee, neighborhood. Two days later, his body was discovered in a wooded area near East Lake Park.

More than 25 years later, Joshua’s murder remains unsolved, leaving his family and community searching for answers.

In this episode of The Stabbin Stylist, Ashley and Randa revisit one of Chattanooga’s most heartbreaking cold cases, the investigation, and the unanswered questions surrounding Joshua’s death.

🎃 HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM CLEVELAND, TENNESSEE! 💀🍂

Cleveland and Bradley County, Tennessee, have no shortage of haunted history, eerie legends, and Southern Appalachian folklore. And if you grew up around here, chances are you've heard at least one of these stories!

From the mysterious Phantom Monk of Charleston to the heartbreaking history and ghost stories surrounding Nina Craigmiles and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, we're exploring some of the most fascinating local legends that have been passed down through generations.

And of course, we couldn't celebrate Halloween in Cleveland without mentioning our most famous hometown Halloween legend, Tall Betsy! 👻

Just remember, y'all better listen, or Tall Betsy might come looking for you and drop your bones down the Old Arnold Well! 🦴

Whether you're a lifelong Cleveland resident, new to Bradley County, or simply love Tennessee ghost stories, haunted places, Appalachian folklore, and local history, there's something here for you.

🎙️ Listen to The Stabbin Stylist Podcast as we uncover the true history, local legends, and spooky stories hiding in our own backyard.

🔗 https://thestabbinstylist.com

🍁 Looking for Halloween activities, fall festivals, and seasonal events around Cleveland and Bradley County? Check out the local events calendar from Visit Cleveland TN:

https://visitclevelandtn.com/events/

In October 1976, the death of four-year-old Melisha Morganna Gibson shocked Cleveland, Tennessee, and drew national attention to a child welfare system that had already received warnings about the danger surrounding her.

Melisha had been removed from her home as an infant following allegations of abuse and spent much of her young life in foster care. Just months after she was returned to her mother, Wanda Maddux, and stepfather, Ronald Maddux, Melisha was dead. Ronald and Wanda Maddux were later convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 99 years and one day in prison.

But Melisha’s story did not end with a criminal trial.

Her death forced Cleveland and Bradley County to confront difficult questions about how an abused child could have been returned to a dangerous home. The case received national coverage, including an extensive article by Calvin Trillin in The New Yorker, and became part of a larger conversation about child abuse, child protective services, and the responsibility of agencies charged with protecting vulnerable children.

In Cleveland, the response was immediate. Approximately 1,000 people attended Melisha’s funeral. Local advocates pushed for greater cooperation between agencies handling child abuse cases, and the community’s child shelter was renamed the Melisha Gibson Child Shelter in her memory.

Nearly fifty years later, Melisha’s name is still remembered in Cleveland.

In this episode of The Stabbin Stylist, we look back at the short life of Melisha Gibson, the warning signs that came before her death, the investigation and trial that followed, and the lasting impact her case had on child protection in Tennessee and beyond.

In nineteenth century Chattanooga, the booming railroad industry brought more than growth to the city. Saloons, gambling halls, brothels, political corruption, and violence flourished around Chattanooga’s early red-light district—and one woman became infamous enough that her name survived long after the streets she walked disappeared.

Alice Cooper, a successful Chattanooga madam later remembered as the “wickedest woman in Chattanooga,” built her reputation inside the city’s notorious vice district during the late 1800s. But with few official records surviving, the line between the real Alice Cooper and the woman who became a Chattanooga legend has become increasingly difficult to separate. In this episode of The Stabbin Stylist, we explore what is known about Alice, Chattanooga’s forgotten red-light district, her mysterious death, and how the woman eventually buried as the “Lady of the Night” became part of Chattanooga history, Southern folklore, and local ghost stories.

As spooky season creeps into East Tennessee, we’re heading up White Oak Mountain for one of the darkest stories in Bradley County history. On March 14, 1922, Bradley County Sheriff Israel L. Smith joined an early-morning Prohibition-era moonshine raid near Owl Hollow outside Cleveland, Tennessee. Before the sun came up, Smith was shot and killed in the mountains, becoming the only Bradley County sheriff ever killed in the line of duty. What followed was a massive manhunt through the rugged mountains of Bradley and Polk counties for brothers Luther and Jasper Borin.

This week on The Stabbin Stylist, we’re digging into Cleveland, Tennessee in the 1920s, Appalachian moonshine culture, White Oak Mountain, Owl Hollow, Prohibition, and the murder that shocked Bradley County. It’s a story of hidden stills, mountain families, dangerous raids, a storm that helped erase the killers’ tracks, and a piece of local history that happened right here in our own backyard. Follow The Stabbin Stylist for more Cleveland and Bradley County history, East Tennessee true crime, Appalachian stories, local legends, and spooky thangs from around the South.

Step inside two of the most haunted homes in Tennessee as we explore the chilling history of the Lotz House and the Carter House in Franklin, Tennessee. Standing at the heart of the Battle of Franklin, these historic homes witnessed one of the bloodiest battles of the American Civil War, leaving behind heartbreaking stories of death, tragedy, and unexplained paranormal activity. 

From ghost sightings, disembodied voices, and mysterious footsteps to the lingering spirits said to roam the halls, the Lotz House and Carter House have become legendary destinations for paranormal investigators and history lovers alike. Join us as we separate documented history from local legend while uncovering the eerie hauntings, Civil War history, and enduring mysteries that continue to make these Franklin, Tennessee landmarks some of the most haunted houses in the South.