Blue Ridge True Crime

Blue Ridge True Crime

por Alfred Dockery | Appalachian True Crime

Historia Crímenes Verdaderos

Temporada 1

The Forgotten South Carolina Witch Trials

Everyone knows the story of the Salem witch trials. But a century later, accusations of witchcraft arose in the backcountry of South Carolina. This is the chilling, bizarre, and largely forgotten story of the Winnsboro witch trials, where an elderly man and two women were accused of levitating cows and turning people into horses. We’ll examine the primary sources, explore a possible medical explanation, and investigate a second, possibly mythical, witch trial in Chesterfield, SC, in 1813, the strange case of Barbara Powers. Sources ⁠⁠Blue Ridge True Crime Sources & Links⁠⁠ Explore More Content ⁠⁠Blue Ridge True Crime Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Blue Ridge True Crime YouTube Channel⁠⁠ My Book⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Blood on the Blue Ridge on Amazon⁠⁠ (written with Scott Lunsford)

The Secret Message Inside Abe Lincoln’s Watch

In this episode, we explore the surprisingly dramatic history of the pocket watch. These intricate machines have been silent witnesses to historic moments, from a secret message hidden inside Abraham Lincoln's watch and the sunken submarine that changed naval warfare, to a deadly train wreck that revolutionized timekeeping, and a stolen watch that brought down a terrifying highway killer. Sources ⁠⁠Blue Ridge True Crime Sources & Links⁠⁠ Explore More Content ⁠⁠Blue Ridge True Crime Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Blue Ridge True Crime YouTube Channel⁠⁠ My Book⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Blood on the Blue Ridge on Amazon⁠⁠ (written with Scott Lunsford)

Kevin Young on The Violent World of Broadus Miller (Part 2)

In the summer of 1927, the murder of a 15-year-old mill worker named Gladys Kincaid plunged the town of Morganton, North Carolina, into chaos. It triggered the largest manhunt in Western North Carolina history for a suspect named Broadus Miller. In the conclusion of this two-part story, host Alfred Dockery is joined by historian Dr. Kevin Young, author of The Violent World of Broadus Miller, to discuss the ballads of Gladys Kincaid, as well as the aftermath and legacy of the crime and manhunt. Sources ⁠⁠Blue Ridge True Crime Sources & Links⁠⁠ Explore More Content ⁠⁠Blue Ridge True Crime Substack ⁠⁠⁠⁠Blue Ridge True Crime YouTube Channel⁠⁠ Check out Dr. Young’s book.⁠ The Violent World of Broadus Miller on Amazon⁠

Kevin Young on The Violent World of Broadus Miller (Part 1)

In the summer of 1927, the murder of a 15-year-old mill worker named Gladys Kincaid plunged the town of Morganton, North Carolina, into chaos. It triggered the largest manhunt in Western North Carolina history for a suspect named Broadus Miller. In this first of a two-part episode, host Alfred Dockery is joined by historian Dr. Kevin Young, author of The Violent World of Broadus Miller, to unravel the details of the crime and the frantic, 11-day chase through the foothills of Grandfather Mountain. We explore Miller's mysterious past, the racial hysteria of the era, and the shocking, archaic law that deputized an entire state to hunt one man down. In Part 2, we discuss the aftermath of the manhunt and the ballads of Gladys Kincaid. Join us for the conclusion of this violent and tragic story. Sources ⁠⁠Blue Ridge True Crime Sources & Links⁠⁠ Explore More Content ⁠⁠Blue Ridge True Crime Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠ Blue Ridge True Crime YouTube Channel⁠⁠ Check out Dr. Young’s book. ⁠The Violent World of Broadus Miller on Amazon⁠

Andrew Thornton: The Smuggler Who Fell From the Sky

A dead man falls from a clear night sky, landing in a quiet Knoxville neighborhood. He was wearing combat fatigues, Italian loafers, and had a duffel bag of cocaine strapped to his waist. This is the bizarre, true story of Drew Thornton, a former narcotics officer, lawyer, and army paratrooper who became a legendary drug smuggler. In this episode, we unravel the mystery of his final, fatal jump, explore the dark world of ‘The Company,’ and uncover how a single flight led to a multi-state cocaine hunt, an infamous ‘Cocaine Bear,’ and a tale so strange it had to be true. (00:00) - Intro (00:15) - The Body in the Driveway: An 85-year-old man finds a parachutist's corpse in his gravel driveway on a quiet September morning in 1985. (03:00) - A tale of two epigrams: Thornton saw himself as a warrior poet. (06:00) - Bill Leonard, a Lexington, KY, bodybuilder and martial arts instructor, realized he was in over his head when the Cessna touched down in a swamp in Colombia. (09:00) - Thornton graduates from Sewanee Military Academy in Tennessee. (12:00) - An arsenal in a Philadelphia hotel room. Bradley Bryant is arrested when police discover fake IDs, guns, a telephone scrambler, and a radar jamming device. (14:40) - Did Thornton fake a shooting to stay out of jail? (15:20) - Thornton steps over the edge. Sources ⁠Blue Ridge True Crime Sources & Links⁠ Explore More Content ⁠Blue Ridge True Crime Substack⁠⁠ Blue Ridge True Crime YouTube Channel⁠ My Book⁠ Blood on the Blue Ridge on Amazon⁠ (written with Scott Lunsford)

The Killer and The Philosopher: Two Legendary NC Hermits

In this episode, we examine the lives of two legendary North Carolina hermits: David Greer, the Hermit of Bald Mountain, and Robert Harrill, the Fort Fisher Hermit. David Greer became a hermit due to unrequited love and became famous for the murder of Holland Higgins. Robert Harrill left a state mental institution in 1955 and hitchhiked to Fort Fisher, where he lived for 17 years. His mysterious death in 1972 may have been a murder. Some saw him as a modern-day Henry David Thoreau. 00:00 Intro 01:36 The Murder of Holland Higgins 03:50 A Deranged Trial 05:48 David Greer Facts and Folklore 06:30 The Poll Tax Incident 07:18 Greer’s Life on the Mountain 09:17 The Death of David Greer 11:25 The Fort Fisher Hermit 13:53 Surf, Sand, and the Wild Man 15:15 Hurricanes 16:16 People Problems 17:46 The Hermit Business 19:40 The Hermit’s Mysterious Death 22:13 Harrill’s Legacy 23:16 Epilogue Shout out to Listener Cheryl W for suggesting the change in intro music. Sources Blue Ridge True Crime Sources & Links For more info, click the links below: William Holland Higgins Find a Grave Memorial The Fort Fisher Hermit: Enigmatic Life and Mysterious Death Explore More Content Blue Ridge True Crime Substack Blue Ridge True Crime YouTube Channel My Book Blood on the Blue Ridge on Amazon (written with Scott Lunsford)

John Paul Scott’s Daring Alcatraz Escape

Most people know Alcatraz as the inescapable island prison. But on a freezing December night in 1962, one man proved the experts wrong. John Paul Scott crawled out of San Francisco Bay, hypothermic but alive, the only inmate known to have swum from "The Rock" to the mainland. This episode traces Scott's wild journey from a disastrous Kentucky bank robbery to his eventual ticket to Alcatraz. We unpack the hair-raising escape plan involving banjo strings, surgical gloves, and a prison jacket used as a flotation device. We also explore how Scott's desperate swim and the legendary 1962 escape by Frank Morris and the Anglin brothers may have hastened the prison's closure just months later. Blue Ridge True Crime Website Blood on the Blue Ridge: Historic Appalachian True Crime Stories 1808-2004

Gunslinging Moonshiners: Who Made It Out Alive?

Three stories of moonshiners who would rather shoot it out than surrender, including the legendary Lewis Redmond, Moonshine King of the Carolinas, Garrett Hedden, the meanest moonshiner in Tennessee, and Josiah “Joe Banty” Gregory, a little man with a blazing temper. A live talk from the Pickens County, SC, library. Sources Blue Ridge True Crime Sources & Links Explore More Content Blue Ridge True Crime SubstackBlue Ridge True Crime YouTube Channel My Book Blood on the Blue Ridge on Amazon (written with Scott Lunsford)

NC Moonshine Mysteries: One Tall Tale, One True Legend

In this episode of the Blue Ridge True Crime Podcast, host Alfred Dockery explores the tales of two infamous North Carolina moonshiners - the elusive Charles Folias, known as the whiskey caveman, and Huldah Nines, a cunning woman blockade distiller. Delving into stories of underground stills, dangerous encounters, and clever evasions of the law, Alfred seeks to separate fact from fiction. While Folias' account remains shrouded in mystery and possibly myth, Nines' story is authenticated by multiple newspaper reports and her eventual imprisonment. The episode also highlights the significant role wildlife played in these historical narratives and ends with references for further reading and viewing, including links to related videos and historical resources. Sources Blue Ridge True Crime Sources & Links More from Blue Ridge True Crime Visit our Substack for Articles & Updates Check out our YouTube Channel Additional Links Entertaining Whiskey Caveman Video The Whiskey Was Underground - Wake Forest Museum

Trevor McKenzie on Otto Wood, the Bandit

The Legendary Otto Wood: Ballads and Banditry in Appalachia In this episode of the Blue Ridge True Crime Podcast, host Alfred Dockery talks with Trevor McKenzie, the author of 'Otto Wood, the Bandit.' They explore Otto Wood's life, including his numerous prison escapes, his legend in Appalachian ballads, and his notorious exploits across multiple states. Trevor delves into how Otto crafted his own myth, his criminal activities, and his ultimate demise in a dramatic shootout. The episode also touches on the tradition of Appalachian balladry, its historical significance, and its modern transformations. Sources Blue Ridge True Crime Sources & Links Trevor McKenzie's Book Otto Wood: The Bandit on Amazon More from Blue Ridge True Crime Visit our Substack for Articles & Updates Check out our YouTube Channel

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