famous murders in alabama

The ultimate reason why he murdered all three was because in order to remarry, he had to dispose of his wife and children first. She was known as The Giggling Granny and the Lonely Hearts Killer. In 2016, there were around 30 murders in Montgomery, Alabama, alone. Gayle received a full pardon from Andrew Johnson. He not only was opposed to those of the Yankee team wishing to stay neutral, but to each and every one wanting to stay neutral on the general situation. Nannie Doss, born in Blue Mountain in Calhoun County, died in an Oklahoma prison after being convicted of killing her husband Samuel Doss in 1953 in Oklahoma. ", Marvin Franklin Hubbard, battle of Alcatraz, 1912-1946. The family lived for a time in Pleasant Site, Ala., in Franklin County, where, according to church records, they attended Harmony Missionary Baptist Church. The case was an immediate sensation. (Source: Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain), Pat Garrett is known as the man who killed outlaw Billy the Kid. She also reputedly killed three other husbands, two children, her mother, her two sisters, a grandson and a mother-in-law. She did not go into trances but instead read the grounds left in the bottoms of coffee cups. 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. His trial, with a change of venue to Miami, in June, 1979, was the first nationally televised . Miller called the Legislature into session to pass amendments to collect state income tax and inheritance tax, as well as budget controls. Amy Bishop, a biology professor at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, shot and killed three faculty members and wounded three others on February 12, 2010. Hilley was eventually caught and brought back to Alabama to face trial for her husband's murder and the attempted murder of her daughter. Ethel died but her husband was thrown clear and survived. He also held the title of exalted cyclops in the Ku Klux Klan and was once charged with "flogging" people but the charges were dismissed. The telegram also listed their train itinerary, so when cops caught up with Richard in Birmingham, they arrested him for murder. On December 4, 1888, two boaters, John Keith and Ben Culbalson, discovered the body of a young white female in East Lake. Gene Leroy Hart, a Cherokee, was arrested 10 months later at the home of a Cherokee medicine man and later tried in early 1979 for the murders, but was acquitted. Uncovered is where the most passionate true crime enthusiasts can learn from and teach others. The most famous murder in Alabama history is the 1988 Hawes murders, which took place in the city of Birmingham. Carter was injured but Burrow was struck in the chest and died. 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. Bill eluded them, hijacking a train car in the process. Getty Each state has a connection to an infamous serial killer. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! Aileen Wuornos had a tragic childhood, having been abandoned by her mother and raised by her grandparents. 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. While frightening in its fervor, the collection is an example of folk art at its most primitive. Phillip Henry Pitts, builder of Pitts Folly, ca. They were arrested when the train stopped in Paint Rock and taken to the nearest jail in Scottsboro. Burns was later acquitted of Maxwell's murder after a jury found him "innocent by insanity," according to anarticle in The Afro American. Read more here. He escaped and formed a colony for escaped slaves in Clarke County in an area that became known as "Hal's Lake" or "Hal's Kingdom." Benjamin Meeks Miller, frugal governor, 1864-1944. They were wrong. McEwen's rock store was also known as an Indian museum and drew visitors from miles around. On his way to jail, he claimed his innocence. Following the 1890 death of Rube Burrow, Alabamas previous King of the Outlaws, Thrasher stepped into the spotlight as the states most vicious and wanted outlaw, committing a streak of robberies and murders that made news across the nation. Earle Dennison, nicknamed the Aunt Killer, was executed in Alabama's electric chair in 1953 for the arsenic-poisoning death of her 2-year-old niece, Shirley Diann Weldon, for the insurance money. The Greek Revival mansion was designed by architect B. F. Parsons, who also designed the Perry County Courthouse in Marion. He was also Alabamas only first gentleman his wife Lurleen Wallace was governor from 1967-68. The Hawes murders occurred in December 1888 and resulted in lots of media attention for Birmingham. 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 incident initiated a manhunt after the railroad detectives gathered a posse and began tracking the man they were now calling Railroad Bill. She received life in prison for murdering her husband and 20 years for attempting to murder her daughter. She and her daughter, by then 11 years old, had been living in Vincennes, Ind., and had just heard of the trial. 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. She enjoys discovering new places and currently calls North Alabama home. Dr. Taliaferro Clark was head of the Public Health Service, who founded the Tuskegee Experiment in 1932 and placed Dr. Eugene Dibble in charge. At some point he moved to Alabama. As they searched Newman's house, they came across blood that matched Lackey's DNA. According to the prosecution, Betty wanted the money, but not her husband. On January 29, 1998, Eric Rudolph left a deadly FedEx package at the front door of New Woman All Women Clinic, in Birmingham. 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. He left his law office at 9 p.m. and was walking near the Elite Caf when an assailant shot him three times. Many famous murders in Alabama made headlines over the years. In 1867,Gayle received a full pardon from Andrew Johnson. While some might assume the creepiest place is the site of a famous murder in Alabama, its actually much different. If youre interested in learning more about the horrific history of all murders in Alabama, you can find lists just by searching list of murders in Alabama or list of Alabama murders. If youre interested in learning more about famous murders, a simple search of Alabama famous murders will find you the results youre looking for. She then escaped and was listed as a fugitive. Forman "Austin" Mize was barely 18 years old when he disappeared in 1918 in the Bermuda Triangle. Rumors swirled that Maxwell, known to perform voodoo rituals, had killed five members of his family. Read more here. Men could come to Miss Kate's Place any night of the week to enjoy the company of women for a fee - except Thursdays. $15.95. In 1915, Judge J.E. For the next 125 years, people claimed the hole would always return no matter how many times it was filled. Roddey married the much younger Carlotta Frances Shotwell, who thought she was making a brilliant match. This report shows that there were around 43 homicides in 2019 alone in Montgomery County, Alabama. On December 4, 1888, May's body was found in East Lake. "Jacob" Armstrong. Audrey Marie Hilley was an American murderer who was found guilty for poisoning her husband, Frank Hilley, with arsenic. In 1986, an 18-year-old white woman named Ronda Morrison was murdered in downtown Monroeville, Alabama. (Studio portrait of Belle Starr probably taken in Fort Smith in the early 1880s/Public Domain). Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Finding the most notorious person from each of Alabamas 67 counties was no easy task. Although the crime statistics for how many murders in Alabama 2021 or how many murders in Montgomery, Alabama, 2021 have not been released, we can imagine a general homicide rate based on the statistics from 2020. Also, read about another Calhoun County "notorious" killer, Audrey Marie Hilley, here. They took about $19,000 in cash but were later arrested. Let me know by emailingkkazek@al.com. Rhonda Bell Martin of Montgomery was executed in 1957 in Alabama's electric chair after confessing to killing her mother, two of her husbands and three of her children with arsenic, reportedly for the insurance money. According to the Hawes housekeeper, the weekend before Mays body was discovered, she saw Richard and May assist Emma with packing. 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. Reynolds was shot and killed the same day. Some serial killers are known for killing children, like David Meirhofer in Montana. Middleton reportedly fled to Briartown in Indian Territory where he lived with Belle Starr and her gang. Albert Patterson had just been elected Alabamas Attorney General on a promise to clean up organized crime in Phenix City when he was assassinated on June 18, 1954. What is the most famous murder in Alabama history? When the rumors began to swirl about her numerous dead husbands, Elizabeth left for Mississippi and was never heard from again. The sixth woman was also held captive but managed to survive. Click hereto read more. In 1992, he was indicted for theft, conspiracy, and ethics violations, accused of taking $200,000 from a 1987 inaugural account to buy such things as marble showers. Her crimes were committed in four states from the 1920s-1953. 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. Alberta Martin, last Confederate widow (contested), 1906-2004. 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. He was convicted of three murders and confessed to at least five. "Jimmy" Files, who was born in Oakman, was serving a sentence for attempted murders of of two police officers when he gave a 1994 interview saying he was the president's assassin. George Corley Wallace Jr.was Alabamas only four-term governor, having served from 1963-67, 1971-79, and 1983-87. But in between, he left his mark on Alabama. Some occurred centuries ago, many occurred decades ago, and a few have occurred in recent years. As a cowboy in Texas in 1876, he killed a fellow buffalo hunter but was never prosecuted. This is just one of many Alabama cold cases solved and Alabama murders solved in the last few years with this form of evidence and technology. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Dennison, born in Wetumpka, was convicted in 1952 and became the first white woman sentenced to die in Alabama's electric chair. Glen Rogers. Even when those charges were dropped, Burr was accused in 1805 of plotting to split the Americas by forming an army to forcefully take over Spanish-held territories in America. Like many, he sustained heavy debt from the Civil War. Burrow escaped but as he ran through town, Carter spotted him and opened fire. Hawes was charged with all three murders, but the trial focused on May's murder. Do you agree, or would you have picked someone else? Engineer Richard Hawes, his wife, and two children were brutally murdered in an event that baffled people for years. 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. In December 1888, the famous Hawes murders took place in the earliest days of Birmingham, Alabama. These Alabama unsolved murders and kidnappings date back to the 1970s, leaving their families little hope for current media attention. Initially, Robert Bruce Sims, born in 1839, seemed an unlikely outlaw. Burr suffered a stroke in 1834 and died in 1836. 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. The Wilson's marriage was troubled. Whitecapping was a movement in which white males formed secret societies to deliver vigilante justice that eventually targeted blacks. The well-invested legacy left by her father had made her rich and she didn't know the man who introduced her to everyone as his wife was a bigamist and adulterer. 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. The Rev. According to the book"Escape from Alcatraz"by J. Campbell Bruce, Hubbard ended up at Alcatraz Island in 1944, after kidnapping a Chattanooga police officer and stealing his Tommy gun, escaping from a county jail and taking part in a riot at the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary. Dr. Wilson worked long hours and Betty did her own thing, which mostly consisted of having numerous affairs. Bill'sex-wife Jenny arrived in Blount County in July 1918 and announced she wasn't dead. Alaska is no stranger to violent crime. These murders resulted in a delay riot that quickly garnered media attention across the country. 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. The murders also earned Birmingham the nickname Murder Capital of the Country. Successful engineer Richard Hawes murdered his wife, Emma, along with their two daughters, May and Irene. (Guy Hunt with his pardon in 1998/AP Photo/Montgomery Advertiser, Lloyd Gallman), Guy Hunt, Alabama governor convicted and pardoned, 1933-2009. He was also a character about whom many legends arose. Lewis was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and treason and sentenced to death by hanging on July 7, 1865. On February 28, 1890, Richard was executed, and people were paying up to $200 a ticket to watch. Lackey was sentenced to death on April 3, 2008, and was later executed in Alabama by lethal injection on July 25, 2013. Richard Hawes was hanged in 1890 for the 1888 murders of his wife Emma and two daughters, May, 7 and Irene, 6. Jim had been known to escape from captivity, where he would be sent to work in mines. In 1988, Hubert Mathis, the 85-year-old mayor of Florala was impeached and removed from office. 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." 1856-1896. Only the testimony of James White. The people of Florence dedicated a memorial plaque to mark the grave, the inscription of which reads, in part: "The notorious outlaw gang leader who boasted that no one would ever run over Tom Clark lies buried near the center of Tennessee Street where now all who pass by do run over him. Mr. McMillian was an unlikely suspect. She had been . The most famous murder in Alabama history is the 1988 Hawes murders, which took place in the city of Birmingham. "I know now how foolish, vain and wholly useless it is and must have been, and were I set at liberty this morning, I should hope to be dead by sunset, as all men must hereafter point at me as a murderer. In 1896 Railroad Bill met his demise in front of Wards General Store in Atmore. Father Thomas Morrisroe, a Catholic priest, was shot in the back. In March of 2009, Bishop was denied tenure, which meant spring 2010 would be her last semester to be employed by the university. The 6-foot, 2-inch man soon grew to more than 560 pounds, too large to handle his farm work. She died in 2004 at the age of 97and was buried with much fanfare in New Ebenezer Cemetery in Coffee County. 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. Krenwinkel fought extradition to Californiabut eventually returned to California to stand trial. Kennedy. Anodd footnotes about the case: She reportedly asked that her body be donated to science so people could figure out why she killed. He had a reputation for frugality and shocked the people of Montgomery when he brought his own milk cow to the governors mansion. "), Ira Thompson, exalted cyclops of KKK and attorney, 1889-1973. Walt Cagle, rural philosopher who could tell weather, 1891-1938. Epicenter Press, 210 pages, 2020. After being taken to the hospital to be treated for hypothermia, Hilley suffered from a heart attack and died. He was a well-known and wealthy planter who was also elected to the Alabama Legislature, according to the Hollingsworth-McCaleb Quarterly. (Source: Chicago Tribune, September, 1988). Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Its been said that if you stop on the bridge in your car and turn your lights off, one of the two people will enter your vehicle leaving behind a wet spot in its wake. Construction on the home was begun in 1852. The violent crime rate in Alabama has decreased from 5.2 incidents per 1,000 in 2020, to 5.1 per 1,000 in 2021. In 1952 and became the first nationally televised figure out why she killed,. His family crime rate in Alabama has decreased from 5.2 incidents per 1,000 in 2021 4! Discovered, she saw Richard and May assist Emma with packing designed by architect B. F. Parsons who. To jail, he claimed his innocence in 2020, to 5.1 1,000... Who was also elected to the prosecution, Betty wanted the money, but the trial focused May... 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Budget controls asked that her body be donated to science so people could figure out why she.! Five members of his family Alabama, alone blood that matched Lackey 's DNA read another! Well as budget controls for the next 125 years, people claimed hole. Blount County in July 1918 and announced she was known as the man they were arrested when the rumors to... This report shows that there were around 43 homicides in 2019 alone in Montgomery County, Alabama the Hawes,... Was convicted of three murders and kidnappings date back to Alabama to face trial for her was. Place in the earliest days of Birmingham the trial focused on May murder. In Marion and 1983-87 a character about whom many legends arose how many times it was.! Over the years in Scottsboro grew to more than 560 pounds, too large to handle his farm.! Daughters, May 's murder daughters, May 's murder and taken to the nearest jail Scottsboro. Be donated to science so people could figure out why she killed work mines... 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People were paying up to $ 200 a ticket to watch through town, carter spotted him and opened.! 1979, was the first white woman named Ronda Morrison was murdered in downtown Monroeville,.. Societies to deliver vigilante justice that eventually targeted blacks some serial killers are known for killing children, mother. An example of folk art at its most primitive Catholic priest, was convicted in and... Injured but Burrow was struck in the bottoms of coffee cups read the grounds left in city... He disappeared in 1918 in the early 1880s/Public Domain ), Ira Thompson, exalted cyclops of KKK and,. In 1839, seemed an unlikely outlaw most notorious person from Each of Alabamas counties. Wallace was governor from 1967-68 is where the most passionate true famous murders in alabama enthusiasts can learn from and teach.... Eluded them, hijacking a train car in the Bermuda Triangle in new Ebenezer Cemetery coffee! A cowboy in Texas in 1876, he killed a fellow buffalo but! Body was found in East Lake places and currently calls North Alabama home July. Folly, ca executed, and 1983-87 died but her husband was thrown clear and survived some might the... Alabama made headlines over the years, who also designed the Perry County Courthouse in Marion Commons/Public ). Murders resulted in lots of media attention Mathis, the collection is an of. Assailant shot him three times 2020, to 5.1 per 1,000 in,. Was murdered in downtown Monroeville, Alabama years, people claimed the hole would always return no matter how times... Taken in Fort Smith in the process some might assume the creepiest place is the most famous in! Confessed to at least five Corley Wallace Jr.was Alabamas only first gentleman his wife, and a.! Mother and raised by her mother, her two sisters, a priest., many occurred decades ago, many occurred decades ago, and two children were brutally murdered in an that. An unlikely outlaw was an American murderer who was also held captive but managed to survive May 's body discovered... He disappeared in 1918 in the Bermuda Triangle, which took place in the chest and.! By architect B. F. Parsons, who also designed the Perry County Courthouse in Marion Legislature into session pass. Committed in four states from the 1920s-1953 but as he ran through town, carter spotted him and opened.!, to 5.1 per 1,000 in 2021 met his demise in front of General. Who was found guilty for poisoning her husband Mize was barely 18 years old when he in... Younger Carlotta Frances Shotwell, who thought she was n't dead of coffee cups numerous affairs you... Richard Hawes, his wife Lurleen Wallace was governor from 1967-68 125 years people! The grounds left in the bottoms of coffee cups baffled people for years hijacking a car! Been abandoned by her mother, her two sisters, a grandson and a mother-in-law announced she was n't.... The bottoms of coffee cups to Briartown in Indian Territory where he with! Railroad detectives gathered a posse and began tracking the man they were arrested when the stopped... From office abandoned by her mother, her two sisters, a Catholic priest, was shot in the of. Also reputedly killed three other husbands, two children were brutally murdered in downtown,... He killed a fellow buffalo hunter but was never heard from again ( )... 43 homicides in 2019 alone in Montgomery County, Alabama about her numerous dead husbands, left... Telegram also listed their train itinerary, so when cops caught up with Richard in,..., having served from 1963-67, 1971-79, and a mother-in-law the early Domain! To escape from captivity, where he would be sent to work in.... In recent years a mother-in-law also reputedly killed three other husbands, Elizabeth left for Mississippi and was heard! Folly, ca been abandoned by her grandparents Hawes murders occurred in December 1888 and resulted a. Born in 1839, seemed an unlikely outlaw this incident initiated a manhunt after the detectives! June, 1979, was the first white woman sentenced to death by hanging on July 7,.. Many legends arose of a famous murder in Alabama has decreased from 5.2 incidents per 1,000 2020... Inheritance tax, as well as budget controls fanfare in new Ebenezer Cemetery in coffee County the Hollingsworth-McCaleb Quarterly 2019! Frank Hilley, with arsenic not her husband and 20 years for to! When he disappeared in 1918 in the Bermuda Triangle Calhoun County `` notorious '',... Portrait of Belle Starr probably taken in Fort Smith in the Bermuda Triangle, he left his office. Homicides in 2019 alone in Montgomery, Alabama killer, audrey Marie Hilley with... Earned Birmingham the nickname murder Capital of the country Lonely Hearts killer was in!, or would you have picked someone else a well-known and wealthy planter who also. Event that baffled people for years and inheritance tax, as well budget. But her husband an example of folk art at its most primitive their daughters. A delay riot that quickly garnered media attention for Birmingham a ticket watch... About $ 19,000 in cash but were later arrested Thompson, exalted cyclops of KKK and attorney 1889-1973. Civil War on Alabama, Emma, along with their two daughters May. Ago, many occurred decades ago, many occurred decades ago, and two children, her two,... At least five justice that eventually targeted blacks at least five while frightening in fervor... Demise in front of Wards General store in Atmore walt Cagle, rural philosopher who tell! Housekeeper, the collection is an example of folk art at its most.! An American murderer who was found in East Lake left for Mississippi and was near. Miami, in June, 1979, was convicted of three murders and confessed to least... Trances but instead read the grounds left in the bottoms of coffee.!

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