In 1882, wealthy Florida citrus grower Samuel McMillan disappeared from his home near Sanford. Seventeen days later, his body was discovered at the bottom of Crystal Lake.

A young Englishman named Archie Newton was accused of the murder, convicted, and then ultimately acquitted after his conviction was overturned. So who really killed Samuel McMillan?

And how did a very real, very gruesome murder become the legend of the Headless Miser, a ghost said to wander the area searching for his missing head?

Come along with us as we explore the case of Samuel McMillan and how he became the Headless Miser of Sanford.

Resources:

Fink, Andrew. Murder on the Florida Frontier: The True Story behind Sanford’s Headless Miser Legend. The History Press, 2012.