Blue Ridge True Crime

<p>In September 1909, six members of the Meadows family, including three young children, were murdered with an axe and a gun in their remote Virginia log cabin, which was then set on fire. Forty days later and eighty miles away, four members of the Hood family were killed in nearly identical fashion near Beckley, West Virginia. Was Howard Little, a convicted murderer with a questionable pardon, responsible for the Laurel Creek killings? Or did a drifting serial killer known as the "Man from the Train" strike twice and then disappear?</p><p>In this episode, we examine the fragmentary newspaper accounts, the role of the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency, the trial of Howard Little, and an eerie coincidence of gravestones.</p><p>Links</p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.oocities.org/rmbaker66/jstsmrdr.html">Robert Baker’s Laurel Creek Murders Page</a></p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/240825835/elizabeth_betsy_justus">Betty Justus Grave</a></p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/64274136/george_washington-hood">George Hood Grave</a></p><p></p><p><strong>Explore More Content</strong></p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://blueridgetruecrime.substack.com/">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Blue Ridge True Crime Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/@BlueRidgeTrueCrime-op7qe">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/@BlueRidgeTrueCrime-op7qe">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Blue Ridge True Crime YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠</a></p>

<p>In May 1974, 17-year-old Margaret Harritt set out on the Appalachian Trail with a friend, hoping for an adventure. Days later, she found herself tied to a tree, watching a stranger named Ralph decide her fate. This episode traces the harrowing story of a hike that turned into a nightmare, and the investigation that finally brought a killer to justice.</p><p></p><p><strong>Podcast Sources</strong></p><p>"The Stranger in the Shelter" by Earl Swift, Outside Magazine, November 5, 2018</p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://blueridgetruecrime.com/category/sources-links/">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Blue Ridge True Crime Sources &amp; Links⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><strong>Explore More Content</strong></p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://blueridgetruecrime.substack.com/">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Blue Ridge True Crime Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/@BlueRidgeTrueCrime-op7qe">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/@BlueRidgeTrueCrime-op7qe">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Blue Ridge True Crime YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠</a></p>

<p>When the body of a young girl is discovered in an abandoned Kentucky mineshaft, the small town of Harlan believes they have finally found missing 14-year-old Mary Vickery. A local taxi driver quickly becomes the prime suspect, and a star witness comes forward with damning testimony. The case seems open and shut. But sometimes, justice takes an unexpected turn, and the truth can be stranger than fiction.</p><p><strong>Podcast Sources</strong></p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://blueridgetruecrime.com/category/sources-links/">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Blue Ridge True Crime Sources &amp; Links⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><strong>Explore More Content</strong></p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://blueridgetruecrime.substack.com/">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Blue Ridge True Crime Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/@BlueRidgeTrueCrime-op7qe">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/@BlueRidgeTrueCrime-op7qe">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Blue Ridge True Crime YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p></p>

<p>We're heading to Point Pleasant, West Virginia, to uncover the true story of the <strong>Mothman</strong>. From four teenagers fleeing a winged creature at 100 mph to the bizarre phenomena that followed, including flying saucers and a telepathic alien named<strong> Indrid Cold.</strong> </p><p>We explore whether there was a link between the Mothman and the Silver Bridge disaster that killed 46 people. Plus, we dissect John Keel's chaotic book: <em><strong>The Mothman Prophecies</strong></em><strong>,</strong> work to separate fact from folklore, and trace how a local monster became a global icon.</p><p><br></p><p><a href="https://youtu.be/k7p06V3Jrlk?si=meyD5unxduEmCWP0">Indrid Cold: The Woodrow Derenberger Interview on YouTube</a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Podcast Sources</strong></p><p><a href="https://blueridgetruecrime.com/category/sources-links/">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Blue Ridge True Crime Sources & Links⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><strong>Explore More Content</strong></p><p><a href="https://blueridgetruecrime.substack.com/">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Blue Ridge True Crime Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@BlueRidgeTrueCrime-op7qe">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@BlueRidgeTrueCrime-op7qe">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Blue Ridge True Crime YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠</a></p>

<p>In February 1968, the small town of Gaffney, South Carolina, was plunged into darkness. Over eight terrifying days, a serial killer known as the Gaffney Strangler claimed the lives of three women, taunted the local newspaper, and left a community barricaded in their homes.</p><p>This is the story of how a cryptic phone call to a newspaper editor led police to two bodies, exposed a wrongful conviction, and sparked one of the largest manhunts in the county’s history. </p><p>Join us as we explore the forensic limitations of 1968, the hunt for a predator, and the shocking end to the Gaffney Strangler’s reign.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Podcast Sources</strong></p><p><a href="https://blueridgetruecrime.com/category/sources-links/">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Blue Ridge True Crime Sources & Links⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><strong>Explore More Content</strong></p><p><a href="https://blueridgetruecrime.substack.com/">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Blue Ridge True Crime Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@BlueRidgeTrueCrime-op7qe">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@BlueRidgeTrueCrime-op7qe">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Blue Ridge True Crime YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠</a></p>