famous murders in alabama

The body was laid out to the general public at the local funeral parlor in hopes that someone would be able to identify her. The outlaw brothers were executed on Nov. 18, 1859, for murder: Irvin and Stephen Ward were hung for the murder of Allen Page during a failed cotton wagon robbery near Brewer Creek in Conecuh County, Ala. A posse caught the brothers, who confessed." He was assigned to round up troops for the Confederacy, but, according to accounts, became a violent man. These murders resulted in a delay riot that quickly garnered media attention across the country. More than 200,000 unsolved cases have gone cold since 1980, and murder clearance rates continue to drop. Murder of Judge Edward Aaron - Birmingham, Alabama 1957. Guy Hunt, born in Holly Pond in Cullman County, was the states first Republican governor since the Reconstruction era. Read all the AL.com coverage of the Bentley scandal here. (Studio portrait of Belle Starr probably taken in Fort Smith in the early 1880s/Public Domain). His sons took the Booth monument to a stonecutter who removed the inscription and re-inscribed it as Pink's grave marker, where it remains today, Lewis Powell, Lincoln assassination conspirator, 1844-1865. On Jan. 17, 1957, brothers Clarence, John and Alfred Anglin robbed the Bank of Columbia in Houston County. One of the most famous true crime books was written about the case, titled "Blood and Money," which in turn inspired a 1981 TV movie, "Murder in Texas," starring Sam Elliott, . A $25,000 reward is still being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction. ", Railroad Bill, legendary outlaw, ca. Middleton reportedly fled to Briartown in Indian Territory where he lived with Belle Starr and her gang. The bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham in 1963 took the lives of Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley, Addie Mae Collins and Denise McNair, and injured about 20 others. It was a bomb. Kate died April 12, 1947, and is buried in Decatur City Cemetery. Some currently unsolved Alabama murders, better known as Alabama cold cases, as posted on the Attorney Generals website, include the 2011 murder of Sherri Terese Smith, the 2007 murder of Kimberly Compton Whitton and the kidnapping of her daughter, Haleigh Culwell Whitton, the 2001 murder of Shannon Nicole Paulk, and the 1999 murder of Gennice Shoma Thrash, among many others. She also reputedly killed three other husbands, two children, her mother, her two sisters, a grandson and a mother-in-law. They were wrong. 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. The case was an immediate sensation. While some homicides received more attention than others, all were very horrible events that shouldve never happened. Ira Bowman Thompson was a distinguished Alabama attorney and politician who served in World Wars I and II. On April 22, 1889, the Hawes trial began at the Jefferson County Courthouse. BhamWiki.com says: "The Hawes murders were a notorious and sensational crime discovered in December 1888 that produced a deadly riot and gained nationwide media attention for the young city of Birmingham." The victims are Robert Lee Brown, 26; Chelsea Marie Reed, 22; Justin Kaleb Reed,. Get more stories delivered right to your email. One legend claims "he burned the Fayette County Courthouse in 1866, to delay the trial over his debt situation involving his father's will." DALLAS COUNTY, AL (WSFA) - Jan. 21, 2015, Kirby Brown, all of 22 years old, was found lying on his back shot to death near his home in the Pine Glen Estates off Highway 80 near Selma. Jackson honored Selocta by giving him the rank of general. There was no physical evidence that connected either sister to the crime. ", (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. 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. His trial, with a change of venue to Miami, in June, 1979, was the first nationally televised . 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! In 2016, there were around 30 murders in Montgomery, Alabama, alone. After years of being terrorized by Sims and his followers, a posse and hundreds of outraged residents surrounded the Sims home on Christmas Eve 1891, cornering Sims, his wife, their children and several church members. 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. Hells Gate Bridge is located in Oxford, Alabama, and acquired its name from the legend involving a young couple who drove off the bridge into the water below. Of those, 126 were African American, 27 were Caucasian. Carter was injured but Burrow was struck in the chest and died. Sadly, the following day, Emmas beaten body was discovered in Lakeview Park Lake. John Wylie was brought to trial for the murders of Emma and Irene, but the case was dismissed due to lack of evidence. Lackey then stabbed Newman more than 70 times. According to a Journal of American History description of the book "Alabama's Outlaw Sheriff Stephen S. Renfroe," his two years as Sumter County sheriff were "followed by six years of bizarre activities as a fugitive from justice before being lynched in July 1886. . (Source: Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain), Pat Garrett is known as the man who killed outlaw Billy the Kid. This was the question on everyones minds. In 1870, in a period of political unrest during Reconstruction in the South, members of the Ku Klux Klan were busy in Alabama terrorizing those who supported black residents holding office. Studies show the state ranking at or near the top in the nation for the . As for notorious Alabama criminals, some of the most famous include Nancy Hazel Doss, also known as the Black Widow killer, who killed up to 11 family members; Bobby Frank Cherry, a Ku Klux Klan member who was convicted of four counts of murder after the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in 2002; and Joseph Dewey Akin, who was a doctor suspected of killing over 100 people during his 10-year career in medicine. Alabamas murders rate is the second highest in the United States, just behind Louisiana, whose homicide rate is 14.4 homicides per 100,000 residents. Dr. Wilson had planned a trip to Santa Fe to help their marriage, but the night before they were to leave on their trip, Betty found her husband clubbed to death. Kennedy. Ragsdale lived in Tuscaloosa's upscale Highlands neighborhood, and to this date, no suspect has been identified in the case. He would guess their ages and vocations and was usually correct. 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. Krenwinkel fought extradition to Californiabut eventually returned to California to stand trial. These murders resulted in a deadly riot and The Magic City soon gained national media attention. Jennifer is the Alabama staff writer for Only In Your State and has nearly 15 years of professional writing experience. James K. McCollum was the son of Fayette County's first settlers. Legend holds that as Wells peered out of the North window as a mob gathering below, lightning struck nearby, indelibly etching his image on the pane. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. Alberta Martin, last Confederate widow (contested), 1906-2004. On February 28, 1890, Richard was executed, and people were paying up to $200 a ticket to watch. Wallace is known for his pro-segregation stance in the 1960s, famously saying in his 1963 inaugural address he stood for "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever." The Morrison sibling gang, which at one point included eight brothers, were friends of notorious outlaw Bart Thrasher. According to legend, he spent his time sitting and watching wild animals and could forecast the severity of winter based on their actions, such as how many nuts the squirrels were storing. Also, read about another Calhoun County "notorious" killer, Audrey Marie Hilley, here. After the children were found chained at the bottom of Lakeview Lake a mob came to the jail for vigilante justice and 10 people were killed by deputies. Beginning in 1972, Gacy tortured, raped, and murdered 33 young men, most of whom were just teenagers. He also passed a state bank holiday in March 1933, eight days before Franklin D. Roosevelt declared a national bank holiday as his greatest achievement. ", (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. John McEwen was born and died in Coosa County, and in between was a well-known businessman. She died in 2004 at the age of 97and was buried with much fanfare in New Ebenezer Cemetery in Coffee County. He was captured a few days later and killed by Murdoch M. Fountain, who was named sheriff. They took about $19,000 in cash but were later arrested. He organized bands of 15 or 20 of these outlaws and obtained military supplies from the federal troops along the coast and made frequent and daring trips into the county to raid the farms and families." On May 3, 1889, Hawes received the death penalty. Audrey Marie Hilley was an American murderer who was found guilty for poisoning her husband, Frank Hilley, with arsenic. In 2013, Gov. 1868. For 35 years, he ran a mercantile that he built himself from local stone in the 1890s. He was one of three inmates killed after a failed escape attempt led to a two-day battle in which two guards also died. Selocta donned the head and skin of a pig and pretended to rout as he made his way past the unsuspecting Red Sticks. 1839-1904. The legend is printed on a historical marker outside the courthouse, which replaced the previous facility after a fire in 1876: "A freedman, Henry Wells, was accused of burning the second [courthouse] on Nov. 16, 1876. In June 1977, Maxwell's 16-year-old stepdaughter became the latest victim in the spree but no one had proved Maxwell's involvement. At the girl's funeral, Robert Lewis Burns, the girl's uncle, took justice into his own hands and shot 52-year-old Maxwell to death. Many famous murders in Alabama made headlines over the years. She did not go into trances but instead read the grounds left in the bottoms of coffee cups. . Middleton was later accused of killing Sheriff J. H. Black of Lamar County, Texas. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! The bombing resulted in the death of a spectator and wounded 111 others. Dig deeper The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. In later life, he traveled Indian territories and had hopes of reuniting the Cherokee people. Lackey confronted Newman and as Newman called 911, Lackey began firing shots. 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. Many witnesses came forward claiming Betty wished her husband was dead. (Source: Reita Jones via Encyclopedia of Alabama), Christopher Sheats, declared neutrality in Civil War, ca. On September 24, 2012, Bishop was sentenced to life in prison without parole. (Source: San Francisco Chronicle March, 1895). Hal and three other slaves were killed and the others recaptured. Alaska is no stranger to violent crime. Edwin Collins "Alabama" PittsJr., born in Opelika, was a convicted felon who served time in Sing-Sing for armed robberies. Mr. McMillian was an unlikely suspect. In addition, the major was erroneously credited as the man who wrote the bugle call played at military funerals, "Taps. Click hereto read more. On December 7, 1888, Mayes Hawes admitted that Richard told her he was divorced and only had one son, Willie. Due to lack of evidence, the case was dismissed. Read more here. ", Nancy Nannie Hazel Doss, black widow killer, 1905- 1965. The most famous murder in Alabama history is the 1988 Hawes murders, which took place in the city of Birmingham. Guy Hunt, born in Opelika, was a convicted felon who time... 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