In April 2008, neighbors in Vidalia, Georgia, were jolted awake by the sound of a shotgun blast. The man who died that morning was no stranger — Sonny Graham was a beloved golf director, a husband, a father. But Sonny also carried a secret: the transplanted heart of another man who had died by suicide more than a decade earlier. That man’s widow, Cheryl, had since become Sonny’s wife. What unfolded was a story so eerie it captured headlines across the world: two suicides, one heart, one wife. But behind the sensational coverage was something far more
complicated — a collision of love, survival, stigma, and myth-making.
In this episode, Bailey and Chelsea unravel the haunting symmetry of Sonny Graham and Terry Cottle’s lives. From the quiet desperation inside a South Carolina trailer, to the medical miracle of a transplant, to the crushing burden of being turned into a symbol, this is the story of how communities cling to folklore when the truth feels unbearable — and why even a heart strong enough to beat twice couldn’t carry the weight of a legend.
Resources:
Struggling with Suicidal Thoughts?
For the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, Call/Text 988
Previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the 988 Lifeline
provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and
crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals
in the United States.
Find a Therapist:
Psychology Today: Health, Help, Happiness + Find a Therapist
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Depression Resources:
Helpful Online Resources for Depression (webmd.com)
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References:
Associated Press. (2008, April 6). Recipient of suicide victim’s heart kills self 12 years later. The Seattle Times.
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/recipient-of-suicide-victims-heart-kills-self-12-years-later/
Associated Press. (2008, April 6). Man with suicide victim’s heart takes own life. NBC News.
https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna23984857
Associated Press. (2008, April 7). Same fate for donor, recipient. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-
2008-apr-07-na-oddheart7-story.html
Associated Press. (2008, April 7). Transplant patient in bizarre suicide. Otago Daily Times.
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/world/transplant-patient-bizarre-suicide
Associated Press. (2008, April 7). Heart transplant recipient dies same way donor did (suicide). WFMY News 2.
https://www.wfmynews2.com/story/news/2008/04/07/heart-transplant-recipient-dies-same-way-donor-did-suicide/16660567/
Associated Press. (2008, April 7). Heart transplant man dies like suicide donor. The Telegraph.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1584391/Heart-transplant-man-dies-like-suicide-donor.html
Associated Press. (2008, April 13). Transplant patient in bizarre suicide. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/transplant-
patient-in-bizarre-suicide/
Associated Press. (2008, August 31). Transplant tragedy: 2 men, 2 suicides, 1 heart, 1 widow. Deseret News.
https://www.deseret.com/2008/8/31/20266449/transplant-tragedy-2-men-2-suicides-1-heart-1-widow
Associated Press. (2008, September 1). 2 suicide victims shared same heart, wife. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/2-
suicide-victims-shared-same-heart-wife/
Associated Press. (2008, September 7). 2 men, 2 suicides, 1 heart and 1 widow. SFGate. https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/2-
men-2-suicides-1-heart-and-1-widow-3181340.php
Associated Press. (2008, August 31). 2 men, 2 suicides, 1 heart and 1 widow. The Bend Bulletin.
https://www.bendbulletin.com/localstate/2-men-2-suicides-1-heart-and-1-widow/article_7f1f66c4-6d9a-5c90-8a77-
Evening Standard. (2012, April 12). Man given heart of suicide victim marries donor’s widow … then kills himself in exactly the same
way. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/man-given-heart-of-suicide-victim-marries-donor-s-widow-then-kills-himself-in-
exactly-the-same-way-7629461.html
The Island Packet. (2009, November 22). Questions linger after suicide ruling in Graham death. The Island Packet.
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-island-packet/142814707/
The Times and Democrat. (2010, February 22). GBI: Heart recipient committed suicide. The Times and Democrat.
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-times-and-democrat/142669372/
Snopes. (2024, March 9). 2 men shared same heart, same wife, same cause of death? Snopes. https://www.snopes.com/fact-
check/suicide-heart-widow/
