Many famous murders in Alabama made headlines over the years. In 2006, Betty was remarried in prison to Bill Campbell - an Army contractor who became highly obsessed with Betty after seeing her story on TV. Rumors swirled that Maxwell, known to perform voodoo rituals, had killed five members of his family. Richard Hawes was the only suspect and as he was taken to jail, he continued to claim his innocence. On July 25, 1972 Jean Heller of the Associated Press broke the story that appeared simultaneously both in New York and Washington, that there had been a 40-year nontherapeutic experiment called 'a study' on the effects of untreated syphilis on Black men in the rural south" A class action suit was filed and the experiment stopped. [1] Wed love to hear your thoughts! Peggy was acquitted, but Betty was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole. She was known as The Giggling Granny and the Lonely Hearts Killer. After six months with no leads or suspects, their attention focused on Walter McMillian. Click here to read more. On July 8, 1918, Alabama Gov. The creepiest place in Alabama is a haunted bridge known as Hells Gate Bridge. Walter Cagle was a large man who lived in an isolated area atop Sand Mountain and gained a reputation for being able to foretell the weather. Austin Mize, disappeared in Bermuda Triangle, 1900-1918. ", (Albert Fuller is shown on the left looking at the spot where Patterson was killed in the AP Photo), Albert Fuller, assassin of Albert Patterson, 1919-1969. 1856-1896. John Wesley Hardin, Texas outlaw with Alabama in-laws, 1853-1895. Peacock said legend states the brothers were so despised that they were buried facing west instead of the traditional east when they were cut down from the gallows., (A late-19th century photo of John Kirkham from Barbara Kim Thigpen), John K. McEwen, beloved businessman and reader, 1856-1939. . He was waylaid while collecting taxes and the bandits Charles Kelley and John Hipp stole the $2,000 he'd collected. Time Magazine wrote: "William C. Rice, who died in 2004, built this 'garden' as a testament to his salvation by Christ in the late 1970s. After WWII, Thompson opened a law practice in Luverne in Crenshaw County. Like Emmas body, Irenes body was also weighted down with iron. ", (Grave of Allen Page by Melody via FindaGrave.com), The Ward Brothers, outlaws, Irvin (1828-1859), Stephen (1834-1859), The Ward brothers are buried in the Ward-Witherington Cemetery in Conecuh County. Then suddenly the truth was revealed. ", (A portrait of Aaron Burr in 1802 by John Vanderlyn via Wikipedia Commons). On December 4, 1888, two boaters, John Keith and Ben Culbalson, discovered the body of a young white female in East Lake. He left his law office at 9 p.m. and was walking near the Elite Caf when an assailant shot him three times. Read all the AL.com coverage of the Bentley scandal here. "My course is run," Lewis said before he went to the gallows. Did you already know about these murders? In 1976, Clarence Norris, the only one living at the time, was pardoned by then-Gov. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! Bill eluded them, hijacking a train car in the process. In addition, the major was erroneously credited as the man who wrote the bugle call played at military funerals, "Taps. After a duel with Alexander Hamilton in which Hamilton was killed, Aaron Burr, former war hero, was suddenly a wanted man. Because Richard was away on business a lot, Emma was left alone to tend to their daughters. In May of 1992, Betty Wilson and her twin sister, Peggy Lowe, were arrested and tried for hiring James White to kill Betty's wealthy, well-known husband, Dr. Jack Wilson, an eye surgeon in Huntsville, Alabama. Willie Maxwell, the Alexander City man known as the Voodoo Preacher, claimed to be the"seventh son of the seventh son"and people seemed to die wherever he went. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. In 2013, Gov. According to the CDC, the homicide rate in Alabama as of 2020 was around 12.8 per 100,000 residents. He and Starr, also a famous outlaw, may have been romantically involved. Cherry died in prison on November 18, 2004 at the age of 74. The study later became controversial: "When penicillin became the standard treatment for the disease in 1947 the medicine was withheld as a part of the treatment for both the experimental group and control group. He is best known for his Stand in the Schoolhouse Door when he blocked the entrance to the University of Alabama in an attempt to stop the enrollment of black students. Hearing of Burr's plans, Thomas Jefferson declared him a traitor and issued an order for his arrest. Sequoyah, who lived in later life in DeKalb County, is known for inventing a syllabary in 1821, making it possible for the Cherokee to read and write. Cagle died of a heart attack in 1938 and was buried in a 3-foot-wide casket in Thrasher Cemetery. Gayle claimed the ad was meant as but was convicted. Ethel's parents, overcome with the loss of their young daughter, buried her in Newville Baptist Church Cemetery in Henry County. Construction on the home was begun in 1852. Roddey married the much younger Carlotta Frances Shotwell, who thought she was making a brilliant match. Hal Hollinger, slave and freedom fighter, unknown birth-death in early-1800s. During questioning he indicated that he was responsible for at least 12 deaths. The ultimate reason why he murdered all three was because in order to remarry, he had to dispose of his wife and children first. Sadly, the following day, Emmas beaten body was discovered in Lakeview Park Lake. Men could come to Miss Kate's Place any night of the week to enjoy the company of women for a fee - except Thursdays. Some serial killers are known for killing children, like David Meirhofer in Montana. Kate died April 12, 1947, and is buried in Decatur City Cemetery. Lewis Thornton Powell was born in Randolph County on April 22, 1844, to George Cader Powell, a Baptist minister, and Patience Caroline Powell. Kelsey Turner, 28, entered an Alford plea in the case which means she still insists she's innocent but agrees a conviction is highly . The most famous murder in Alabama history is the 1988 Hawes murders, which took place in the city of Birmingham. He led the local Ku Klux Klan in 1868-69, participated in the Meridian riot of 1871, and took part in the killing of two active Republicans, one white and one black, in 1874. As of April 1, there were around 19 reported murders in Alabama in 2021. He made it to Jackson, who gathered 1,200 infantry and 800 cavalry and marched toward Talledega, saving the town. (Memorial to Selocta/Photo by Wrong Way Dave via FindaGrave.com), Selocta Chinnabee, Indian general, birth unknown-1835. On January 15, 1947, 22-year-old Elizabeth Short was found dead in residential Los Angeles. (1970 photo shows Manson Family follower Patricia Krenwinkel/AP/File Photo). On December 7, 1888, Mayes Hawes admitted that Richard told her he was divorced and only had one son, Willie. Hawes was charged with all three murders, but the trial focused on May's murder. However, when May found out he was responsible for the death of her mother and sister, he knew he had to do something to keep her from telling. This terrorist attack by the Ku Klux Klan on a black church is still the most notorious in Alabama history for its senselessness as well as for how long justice was delayed. Mize was a sailor aboard the collier USS Cyclops when it vanished that March along with 306 crew members and passengers on its way from Brazil to Maryland. Reynolds opened fire and killed Colbert Sheriff Charles Gassaway, his brother, Deputy William Gassaway, Deputy Jesse Davis, Deputy James Payne, Deputy Pat A. Prout, Deputy Bob Wallace and Hugh Jones. If anyone has more information, email kkazek@al.com. Charles Bannister is referred to in a number of historical records as a "notorious outlaw" and a "whitecapper." His trial, with a change of venue to Miami, in June, 1979, was the first nationally televised . A former Playboy and Maxim model entered a plea deal this week in the death of a 71-year-old psychiatrist who paid her $3,200 per-month rent until he abruptly stopped in 2018. The homicide rate in Alabama, as of 2017, was 12.9, meaning that there are almost 13 homicides per 100,000 individuals living in Alabama. Lackey was sentenced to death on April 3, 2008, and was later executed in Alabama by lethal injection on July 25, 2013. The Murder of Kate Ragsdale Ragsdale, a 73-year-old retired Librarian, was found brutally murdered in her home February 24, 2013. At the time of his killing, he was wanted for murder and arson. Search the internet for James Earl Files + JFK and you'll find numerous interviews with a man who says he was the shooter on the "grassy knoll" in Dallas, who killed President Kennedy in 1963. On December 4, 1888, May's body was found in East Lake. Alabama: The Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing (1963) Source: O'Halloran, Thomas J. In May 2002, Bobby Frank Cherry was convicted of four counts of murder and sentenced to life in prison for his involvement in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, which killed four African-American girls. His reign of terror lasted six years. In 1896 Railroad Bill met his demise in front of Wards General Store in Atmore. While some homicides received more attention than others, all were very horrible events that shouldve never happened. According to the Clarke County Museum, sometime in the early 1800s, Hal, an "enormous" and strong slave, took his wife and several others to the southernmost portion of Clarke County. Richards associate, John Wylie, was eventually brought to trial for the murders of Emma and Irene. Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. According to journalist Lee Peacock, a mob of about 100 people lynched Kelley and Hipp after their capture. Aileen Wuornos had a tragic childhood, having been abandoned by her mother and raised by her grandparents. The remains were never identified. Police caught up to Bundy near the Florida-Alabama state line on February 15. The "garden" was a collection of folk art crosses and signs on his Prattville property that admonished passersby "Hell is Hot Hot Hot," "Jesus Saves" and "Repent." Audrey Elaine Reed Ferguson, 1978 Audrey Elaine Reed Ferguson went to a coin laundry near her home in Prichard on the night of September 5, 1978. ALASKA: The Coulthurst family murders in Craig. Anodd footnotes about the case: She reportedly asked that her body be donated to science so people could figure out why she killed. Carter was injured but Burrow was struck in the chest and died. (Retrospective article from The Tuscaloosa News, June 24, 1973), Bill Wilson, wrongfully convicted man, ca. To answer how many homicides in Montgomery, Alabama, 2021, we must look at the same report, which is from 2019. It's unclear what happened to the younger brother, Willie Hawes. ", Marvin Franklin Hubbard, battle of Alcatraz, 1912-1946. Here's some of America's most notorious female criminals: 1. On Jan. 17, 1957, brothers Clarence, John and Alfred Anglin robbed the Bank of Columbia in Houston County. He would also later play for the Philadelphia Eagles football team. Who did I choose for your county? While there are many different Alabama urban legends, a few of the most notable include: And we thought hearing about Alabama serial killers was scary enough! Some of the most famous Alabama murders over the years include the 2005 murder of Charles Newman, who was killed on Halloween night by Andrew Lackey, later named the Halloween Killer; the 1941 Gibson Family Murders; and the 2001 unsolved murder of Shannon Paulk. ", (Source: Society for American Baseball Research), Edwin Alabama Pitts, pro baseball and football player, 1909-1941. "Alaska's Dirty Dozen," by Tom Brennan. More than 200,000 unsolved cases have gone cold since 1980, and murder clearance rates continue to drop. John S. Barker, who advised his congregation that making whiskey was legal as long as it was sold to "non-believers," that a husband and wife of different religious beliefs should separate, and that his followers must "donate" to the church, although in reality he sent thugs to their homes to collect money, according to the 1973 book "A History of Limestone County" by Robert Henry Walker. Alabama has many different urban legends, ranging from the dark and sinister to the downtown creepy. The victims were identified as Jerome Maurice. An article in the Coosa River Newsat the time said he was killed by a man named Will Chandler, who used Smith's own gun against him, following a dispute of unknown origin. (A photo of John Samuel Barker contributed by TheRestorationMovement.com), Rev. Initially, Robert Bruce Sims, born in 1839, seemed an unlikely outlaw. Although she was never charged with the deaths of her husbands, she became known as the Black Widow of Hazel Green. Phillip Henry Pitts, builder of Pitts Folly, ca. He died near the Texas-Mexico border. An entertainer who played "Pogo the Clown" at children's parties, John Wayne Gacy was one of the most infamous serial killers in America. When he was hanged, his executioners dug a hole beneath his dangling feet to accommodate his height. The guards didnt know he had a gun in his food sack. The legend of Railroad Bill began in the winter of 1894 when railroad employees began noticing a vagrant illegally riding the trains on the L&N Railroad line in southern Alabama near the Florida line. . Robert Bentley, embattled current governor, 1943-?? According to Tuskegee University the purpose of the "Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male" was to find proven treatments for the disease. She was also accused of killing another niece, Shirley's older sister Polly. Burrow had been captured and taken to jail in Linden when he charmed the guards, asking for food. The victims were 37-year-old Connie R. Woolfolk of Flossmoor, Illinois; 22-year-old Sarah Szafranski of Oak Forest; 42-year-old store manager Rhonda McFarland of Joliet; 33-year-old Carrie Hudek Chiuso of Frankfort; and 34-year-old Jennifer Bishop of South Bend, Indiana. On Oct. 9, 1890, Rube was captured and shot to death. She is thought to have killed two other children but denied it. Selocta donned the head and skin of a pig and pretended to rout as he made his way past the unsuspecting Red Sticks. When bones were discovered in spring of 1912 by a local farmer and his son fishing in the Warrior River, local resident Jim House remembered that Jenny Wade Wilson and her 19-month-old baby had not been seen since 1908. Jackson honored Selocta by giving him the rank of general. Her body was so mutilated that the woman who discovered ita mother on a walk with her young daughterthought she had stumbled upon a mannequin. Wed love to hear from you in the comments section! Kennedy. Bobby Frank Cherry, bomber, 1930-2004 Bobby Frank Cherry, born in Clanton, Ala., was a member of the Ku Klux Klan who was charged with murder in 2000, 37 years after a church bombing that killed. Hal and three other slaves were killed and the others recaptured. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. Benjamin Meeks Miller, frugal governor, 1864-1944. CNN Former University of Alabama basketball player Darius Miles, 21, who was arrested for his alleged involvement in a shooting that killed a 23-year-old woman last month, will be held without. She was arrested, put on trial, and denied by Roddey. Many people take him seriously. Thank you! Alberta Stewart was 21 years old when she married 81-year-old Civil War veteran William Jasper Martin on Dec. 10, 1927. The sixth woman was also held captive but managed to survive. Hart was raised 2 miles from Camp Scott. Guy Hunt, born in Holly Pond in Cullman County, was the states first Republican governor since the Reconstruction era. Charles Bannister, outlaw, unknown birth and death. ", Charles Kelley, birth unknown-1892; John Hipp, birth unknown-1892, On Dec. 17, 1892, two well-known outlaws gunned down local tax collector C.J. John S. Barker, cult leader, birth unknown-1934. Other famous murders in Alabama include mass murders, including the 2009 Geneva County Massacre and the 1963 Baptist Church Bombing. She was riding with her husband, H.C. Price Jr., when the lights on their car suddenly stopped working and it careened over an embankment. Love Alabama? "Hieroglyphics" Author:. What is the most famous murder in Alabama history? These murders resulted in a deadly riot and "The Magic City" soon gained national media attention. For the next 125 years, people claimed the hole would always return no matter how many times it was filled. 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