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When Priscilla Davis filed for divorce from her husband, Cullen Davis, in 1974, she had no idea that her actions would have such tragic consequences. Less than two years later, on the same day the divorce was finalized and the terms of the alimony were settled, a man wearing a disguise broke into Priscilla’s home and killed her twelve-year-old daughter, then waited for Priscilla to return. When she arrived a short time later, the intruder said hello to Priscilla and her new boyfriend before shooting them both, wounding Priscilla and killing her companion.
Cullen Davis was immediately suspected of the murders and taken into custody, leading to one of the most sensational and captivating trials the country had ever seen. The wealthiest man to ever be tried for murder in the United States up to that point, Cullen Davis was said to be the primary influence for the villainous J.R. Ewing, the main antagonist on the hit television series Dallas, and he more than lived up to the role. Davis’s wealth and status allowed him to control the narrative of the trial, which quickly became an indictment of his former wife, who, despite being the victim of a horrible crime, was vilified by the press and the defense as the real villain in the case.
Although it is nearly five decades in the past, the marriage of Priscilla and Cullen Davis, and the murder trial that followed, are emblematic of many of the issues that the American justice system (and the public) continues to struggle with today including who is and isn’t a victim, and how power and money can control the pursuit and application of justice.
Thank you to David White, of the Bring Me the Axe podcast, for research assistance
References
Brown, Greg. 2016. Texas Tragedy: The Story of Priscilla Davis: A True Story of Money, Murder and Survival. Dallas, TX: CreateSpace.
Cartwright, Gary. 1977. "Rich Man, Dead Man." Texas Monthly, March 1.
Cochran, Mike. 1977. "Davis trial: Haynes says Farr target of shooting." Denton Record-Chronicle, October 25: 5.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram. 1977. "DA's narration to Davis jury detailed but brief." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, August 21: 2.
—. 1976. "Judge defends bond on Davis." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, August 4: 1.
Guzzo, Glenn. 1977. "Davis cries tears of joy after acquittal." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, November 18: 1.
—. 1977. "Davis' fate now in jurors' hands." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, November 17: 1.
—. 1977. "Final arguments begin." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, November 16: 1.
—. 1977. "His innocence avowed, Davis doubts provocation." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, July 7: 1.
—. 1977. "Questioning nets no jurors." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, March 1: 1.
Hollandsworth, Skip. 2001. "Survivor's gilt: convinced that it was her husband who tried to kill her, the Texas socialite devoted herself to the best revenge." New York Times Magazine, December 30.
—. 2000. "Blood Will Sell." Texas Monthly, March 1.
McConal, Jon, and Mark Nelson. 1977. "Few surprised by Davis verdict." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, November 18: 1.
Moore, Dick. 1976. "Slain man was liked by fans, teammates." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, August 3: 1.
Moore, Evan. 1976. "Davis jailed without bond." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, August 20: 1.
—. 1977. "Picture of Priscilla, Rufner not allowed as evidence by judge." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, August 24: 1.
Stiteler, Rowland. 1976. "Blood-spattered white foyer tells story of slayings." Fort Worth Star-Telegram , August 3: 6.
—. 1976. "Davis jailed after slayings." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, August 3: 1.
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
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On the afternoon of September 3, 1878, twenty-two-year-old Mary Stannard d left her home in Madison, Connecticut, telling her father she was going blackberry picking and would be back before dark. When night came and Mary hadn’t returned, her father went out to look for her and eventually found her body by a creek in the woods. The investigation into her murder was truly wild and remains TECHNICALLY unsolved.
Thank you to the amazing Dave White of Bring Me The Axe Podcast for research!
References
Bendici, Ray. 2015. "The CT files: the 'unsolved murder of Mary STAN-ard." Cennecticut Magazine, August 23.
Foote, William. 1970. "Mary STAN-ard, she was murdered." Hartford Courant, March 5: 16.
Hartford Courant. 1878. "Hayden re-arrested." Hartford Courant, October 9: 3.
—. 1878. "Strong circumstantial evidence against a clergyman." Hartford Courant, September 7: 2.
—. 1878. "The Madison murder." Hartford Courant, September 6: 3.
Hayden, Herbert. 1880. The Reverend Herbert Hayden: An Autobiography. Hartford, CT: Press of the Plimptron Manufacturing Co.
New York Times. 1878. "A young woman's ruin and death." New York Times, September 6: 1.
—. 1878. "Is Rev. Mr. Hayden guilty." New York Times, September 14: 5.
—. 1879. "Mary STAN-ard's death." New York Times, November 7: 5.
—. 1878. "Mrs. Hayden's testimony." New York Times, September 21: 1.
—. 1880. "The Hayden case: beginning of the closing arguments." New York Times, January 15: 5.
—. 1879. "The long murder trial." New York Times, November 21: 2.
Pearson, Edmund. 1927. "Mary STAN-ard and the Reverend Mr. Hayden." Vanity Fair, March 01.
Unknown author. 1879. Poor Mary STAN-ard: A Full and Thrilling Story of the Circumstances Connected with Her Murder. New Haven: Stafford Printing Company.
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
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Part 2/2 - On March 19, 1969, thirty-eight-year-old Houston socialite Joan Robinson Hill died at Sharpstown General Hospital from what doctors at the time believed was flu-related symptoms. Hill’s body was quickly taken to the mortuary and embalmed before an autopsy could be performed, violating Texas law and undermining any attempts determine the cause of Joan’s death. Nevertheless, Joan’s father, a wealthy oil tycoon, believed his daughter’s death to be a homicide, used his influence to have her remains exhumed and had not one, but two additional autopsies performed to determine the cause of death.
Despite conflicting reports from the pathologists regarding a cause of death, Joan’s father was eventually successful in convincing the district attorney that her death was no accident, but was in fact murder committed by her husband, John Hill. After two unsuccessful attempts to convince a grand jury of John’s guilt, the district attorney finally convinced a third grand jury that John Hill had intentionally contributed to Joan’s death and he was charged with “murder by omission,” a first in the history of the Texas courts.
John Hill was put on trial for the murder of his wife in the winter of 1971, but the jury would never get a chance to weigh in on his guilt or innocence. In September of 1972, after one mistrial and several delays leading up to a re-trial, John Hill was murdered by an intruder who’d broken into his home. Although investigators believed Hill’s murder to have been a robbery gone wrong, many in Houston suspected Joan’s father, believing his son-in-law had evaded justice, had paid to have John Hill killed, leaving the deaths of Joan and John Hill an enduring mystery.
As always, thank you to the fantastic David White, of Bring Me the Axe Podcast, for research assistance
References
Associated Press. 1971. "Doctor 'hated' first wife." Corpus Christi Times, February 26: 1.
—. 1972. "Houston doctor slain at home." Corpus Christi Times, September 25: 13.
—. 1969. "Meningitis said fatal to socialite ." Corpus Christi Times, October 11: 13.
—. 1971. "Judge calls mistrial in Houston slaying." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, February 27: 12.
—. 1970. "Panel indicts doctor in death of wife." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, May 23: 3.
—. 1973. "District judge clamps lid on Houston doctor's murder." Odessa American, April 27: 3.
—. 1971. "Testimony continues in trial of physician." Odessa American, February 23: 2.
Gonzalez, J.R. 2009. 40 years later: Joan Robinson Hill. March 19. Accessed November 7, 2023. https://blog.chron.com/bayoucityhistory/2009/03/40-years-later-joan-robinson-hill/.
New York Times. 1977. "Oilman is cleared in Houston murder of his son-in-law." New YorkTimes, October 22: 1.
Thompson, Thomas. 1976. Blood and Money: A True Story of Murder, Passion, and Power. New York, NY: Doubleday.
United Press International. 1980. "Heiress may have been toxic shock victim." United Press International, November 23.
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
On March 19, 1969, thirty-eight-year-old Houston socialite Joan Robinson Hill died at Sharpstown General Hospital from what doctors at the time believed was flu-related symptoms. Hill’s body was quickly taken to the mortuary and embalmed before an autopsy could be performed, violating Texas law and undermining any attempts determine the cause of Joan’s death. Nevertheless, Joan’s father, a wealthy oil tycoon, believed his daughter’s death to be a homicide, used his influence to have her remains exhumed and had not one, but two additional autopsies performed to determine the cause of death.
Despite conflicting reports from the pathologists regarding a cause of death, Joan’s father was eventually successful in convincing the district attorney that her death was no accident, but was in fact murder committed by her husband, John Hill. After two unsuccessful attempts to convince a grand jury of John’s guilt, the district attorney finally convinced a third grand jury that John Hill had intentionally contributed to Joan’s death and he was charged with “murder by omission,” a first in the history of the Texas courts.
John Hill was put on trial for the murder of his wife in the winter of 1971, but the jury would never get a chance to weigh in on his guilt or innocence. In September of 1972, after one mistrial and several delays leading up to a re-trial, John Hill was murdered by an intruder who’d broken into his home. Although investigators believed Hill’s murder to have been a robbery gone wrong, many in Houston suspected Joan’s father, believing his son-in-law had evaded justice, had paid to have John Hill killed, leaving the deaths of Joan and John Hill an enduring mystery.
As always, thank you to the fantastic David White, of Bring Me the Axe Podcast, for research assistance
References
Associated Press. 1971. "Doctor 'hated' first wife." Corpus Christi Times, February 26: 1.
—. 1972. "Houston doctor slain at home." Corpus Christi Times, September 25: 13.
—. 1969. "Meningitis said fatal to socialite ." Corpus Christi Times, October 11: 13.
—. 1971. "Judge calls mistrial in Houston slaying." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, February 27: 12.
—. 1970. "Panel indicts doctor in death of wife." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, May 23: 3.
—. 1973. "District judge clamps lid on Houston doctor's murder." Odessa American, April 27: 3.
—. 1971. "Testimony continues in trial of physician." Odessa American, February 23: 2.
Gonzalez, J.R. 2009. 40 years later: Joan Robinson Hill. March 19. Accessed November 7, 2023. https://blog.chron.com/bayoucityhistory/2009/03/40-years-later-joan-robinson-hill/.
New York Times. 1977. "Oilman is cleared in Houston murder of his son-in-law." New YorkTimes, October 22: 1.
Thompson, Thomas. 1976. Blood and Money: A True Story of Murder, Passion, and Power. New York, NY: Doubleday.
United Press International. 1980. "Heiress may have been toxic shock victim." United Press International, November 23.
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
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It’s Listener Tales 81 and you know the drill…..! It’s brought to you by you, for you, from you, and ALL ABOUT YOU! In this installment we have haunted clown sightings, almost run ins with the most notorious serial killers, spooky choirs& creepy men abroad. If you’ve got a listener tale please send it on over to Morbidpodcast@gmail.com with “Listener Tales” somewhere in the subject line :)
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
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This episode is a fan favorite that was originally published as Episode 281…
For this Holiday week, we wanted to bring you a lighter (?) episode, although it’s really not so light at all! Alaina’s kids have gotten super into the Wizard of Oz and so she decided to do dive into the dark happenings during filming. All kinds of atrocities went down and we are pretty confident that you’ll never watch this movie the same! Sorry…. we mean you’re welcome!
References:
-https://www.amazon.com/Making-Wizard-Oz-Aljean-Harmetz/dp/1613748329/ref=sr_1_2?crid=TWGV0EMUDT2P&keywords=the+making+of+the+wizard+of+oz+book&qid=1637775119&sprefix=the+making+of+the+wiza%2Caps%2C161&sr=8-2" target="_blank"
-The Making of the Wizard of Oz By Aljean Harmetz (Be wary that this book is fascinating but uses some outdated language when referencing certain people)
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
On May 20, 1947, decorated army veteran Jack Kettlewell and his friend Ronald Barrie barely escaped a devastating housefire at Ronald’s cabin along the Severen River in rural Ontario, Canada. One day later, Jack’s twenty-two-year-old wife, Christina Kettlewell, was discovered dead a short distance from the cabin, lying face down in a pool of shallow water and still wearing the pajamas she had on the night of the fire. During the autopsy, it was discovered that Christina’s lungs were clear of smoke and her body was free of any burns or other signs of violence; rather, as unbelievable as it seemed, the cause of death was drowning.
Christina and Jack had married in a secret ceremony held just eight days before the fire, leading many to wonder whether her new husband had something to do with her death. Was it a crime of passion? A calculated murder to cash-in on a life insurance policy? Or was it truly just a tragedy? And what of Ronald Barrie’s presence on the trip? If it was indeed a honeymoon of sorts, why had the young newlyweds brought along a friend?
In the months that followed, Christina Kettlewell’s mysterious death captivated the residents of eastern Canada. With each new day, a piece of the puzzle seemed to fall into place, indicating that the mystery might soon be solved. Yet by mid-summer, a police investigation and the coroner’s inquest had failed to provide an explanation for Christina’s death or a satisfactory conclusion to the case. Today, more than seventy-five years later, the death of Christina Kettlewell remains one of Ontario’s most enduring mysteries.
Thank you to the wonderful David White, of the Bring Me the Axe Podcast, for research assistance!
References
Isai, Vjosa. 2017. What happened to Toronto's 'eight-day bride?'. July 4. Accessed November 27, 2023. https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/what-happened-to-toronto-s-eight-day-bride/article_1a09012b-13fa-5931-b512-7cc331d56ed4.html.
Kingston Whig-Standard. 1947. "Coroner's jury to view place bride died." Kingston Whig-Standard, June 25: 1.
North Bay Nugget. 1947. "Open verdict is returned in Kettlewell case." North Bay Nugget, June 26: 1.
Owen Sound Daily Sun-Times. 1947. "Possibility of suicide in drowning of bride investigated by police." Owen Sound Daily Sun-Times, mAY 23: 1.
Sun Times. 1947. "Open verdict is returned by Kettlewell case jury as no decision reached." Sun Times, June 26: 1.
—. 1947. "Open verdict is returned by Kettlewell case jury as no decision reached." Sun Times, June 26: 1.
Toronto Daily Star. 1947. "Police report distrubance before Christina married." Toronto Daily Star, May 28: 2.
—. 1947. "Suicide notes bride's expert tells inquest." Toronto Daily Star, June 20: 1.
Windsor Star. 1947. "Police hint at foul play in mystery." Windsor Star, May 22: 1.
—. 1947. "Probe for missing cash in honeymoon mystery." Windsor Star, May 26: 1.
—. 1947. "Statement of Ronald Barrie reveals some strange events." Windsor Star, June 21: 8.
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
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On November 2, 1984, fifty-two-year-old Velma Barfield was executed by lethal injection at North Carolina’s Central Prison, bringing an end to years of legal appeals and emotional debates over the death penalty and how, when, and to whom it gets applied. For six years, Barfield had sat on death row following her conviction for the poisoning murder of her boyfriend Stewart Taylor in 1976; however, during her trial she confessed to killing at least four other people.
Velma Barfield’s trial came at a time in the United States when Americans were just beginning to grapple with the concept of a serial killer, and the idea that a woman could commit such heinous acts seemed entirely inconceivable. Although woman had been sentenced to death for murder before in the US, none had confessed to methodically killing multiple people in such a callous way and for such a trivial reason. The debate only became more complicated following her death sentence, an already complicated subject among Americans that became exponentially so in 1984, when Barfield’s case and personal story became a major talking point for politicians running for office around the state.
Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for Research!
References
Associated Press. 1984. "Hunt hopes Barfield's death will be deterrent." Asheville Citizen-Times, November 3: 1.
—. 1978. "Woman charged in poisoning ." Charlotte Obvserver, March 15: 1.
Barfield, Velma. 1985. Woman on Death Row. Nashville, TN: Oliver-Nelson .
Bledsoe, Jerry. 1998. Death Sentence: The True Story of Velma Barfield's Life, Crimes, and Punishment. Dutton: Boston, MA.
Carroll, Ginny. 1978. "Confessed poisoner awaits death." News and Observer, December 10: 1.
Charlotte Observer. 1984. "New Evidence: Velma Barfield's Sickness." Charlotte Observer, October 31: 12.
Journal Wire. 1984. "200 gather at funeral of Velma Barfield." Winston-Salem Journal, November 4: 35.
Margie Velma Barfield v. James C. Woodward, Secretary of Corrections; Nathan A. Rice,warden; Rufus Edmisten, Attorney General, Appellees. 1984. 748 F.2d 844 (US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, November 1).
Maxwell, Connie. 1984. "State executes Velma Barfield." Chapel Hill Newspaper, November 2: 1.
Monk, John, Sue Anne Pressley, and Gary Wright. 1984. "Velma Barfield executed by injection." Charlotte Observer, November 2: 1.
Ness and Observer. 1978. "Jailed woman eyed in more deaths." News and Observer, March 15: 1.
New York Times. 1984. "Relatives of murder victims urge no clemency for Carolina killer." New York Times, September 20: B15.
News and Observer. 1980. "Lawyer says he coached Mrs. Barfield." News and Observer, November 18: 17.
Pearsall, Chip. 1978. "Barfield jury calls for death." News and Observer, December 3: 1.
Stein, George. 1978. "Arsenic trail: Lumberton asks where it will end." Charlotte News, May 27: 1.
The Robesonian. 1969. "Parkton man succumbs to smoke inhalation." The Robesonian, April 22: 1.
Tilley, Greta. 1980. "She doesn't want to die." News and Record, September 21: 1.
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
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Deep in the woods near Cornwall, Connecticut, in a valley known as the Dark Entry Forest, lie the remains of the small village of Dudleytown. Settled in the mid-eighteenth century by British colonists, Dudleytown was a thriving mining community that for provided charcoal and other minerals for the growing steel industry in and around New England. But by the late nineteenth century, the mining industry had shifted west and slowly, but surely the population of Dudleytown shrank until there, by the early twentieth century, there were only a handful of people living in the village. By 1924, the village of Dudleytown was completely abandoned and fell into the ownership of a private trust, who sought to restore the forest ecosystem to its pre-colonial health.
In retrospect, historians and others familiar with the region have cited a variety of social, economic, and ecological reasons for the collapse and abandonment of Dudleytown, yet there are those who believe the abandonment of the village has a darker and more supernatural explanation. There were rumors of widespread madness among the villagers, unexplained deaths and other tragedies, and a curse that dates back to the founding of village in the 1740s.
Today, the area is said to be haunted and, despite being private property, it has become a popular destination for ghost hunters and legend trippers who are determined to find out whether Dudleytown is truly a cursed village or just a victim of shifting social and economic trends.
Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring me the Axe Podcast for Research!
References
Barlow, Bart. 1980. "A lost town populated by legends." New York Times, October 26: C2.
Campos, Chris. 1976. "The death of a town is the life of a curse." The Journal, May 29: 1.Cornwall Conservation Commission. 2012. The Land and People of Cornwall, Connecticut: A Conservation Perspective of Our Town's Natural Treasures. Historical evalutation, Cornwall, CT: Cornwall Conservation Commission.
Cornwall Historical Society. 2014. The Truth about Dudleytown. September 29. Accessed October 29,2023. http://cornwallhistoricalsociety.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-truth-about-dudleytown.html.
Drozdowski, Ted. 1978. "Old ghouls still haunt state's cliffs, villages." The Morning Record and Journal, October 28: 35.
Hartford Courant. 2006. "True curse haunting family's forest land was progress." Hartford Courant, October 25: B2.
Hutter, David. 2008. Man pays price to spot Dudleytown ghosts. August 3. Accessed October 3, 2023.
https://www.registercitizen.com/news/article/Man-pays-price-to-spot-Dudleytown-ghosts-12147138.php.
New England Historical Society. n.d. The Dudleytown Curse, Connecticut's Village of the Damned.
Accessed October 3, 2023. https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/the-dudleytown-curse-connecticuts-village-of-the-damned/.
Pallatto, John. 1980. "Only the ghost hunters walk in legend-cursed Dudleytown." Hartford Courant, November 1: 9.
Pettit, John. 1996. "The spirits were willing, but the flesh was weak." Record Journal, October 31: 1.
Revai, Cheri. 2006. Haunted Connecticut: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Constitution State.
Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books.
Rierden, Andi. 1989. "A hamlet that can't get rid of its ghosts." New York Times, October 29: C2.
Ryan, Bill. 1986. "Dudleytown legend haunts Cornwall." Hartford Courant, April 13: 12.
Siedzik, Jason. 2011. In Cornwall, Dudleytown movie makers arrested. December 8. Accessed October 3, 2023. https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/In-Cornwall-Dudley-Town-Movie-Makers-Arrested-16886230.php.
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
On March 19, 1960, Kansas City police were called to the home James and Sharon Kinne for what they believed was an accidental shooting. According to Sharon, she had found their two-year-old daughter lying on the couple’s bed, a gun near her hand and her father’s body next to her with a large hole in his head. Unable to find evidence to the contrary, the shooting was ruled an accident and Sharon collected on her husband’s life insurance policy. It wasn’t until a few months later, when the wife of Sharon’s new boyfriend went missing and eventually turned up dead, that investigators came to believe that James Kinne’s death was no accident.
Sharon Kinne was eventually arrested and charged with the murders of her husband James and of Patricia Jones, the wife of Sharon’s boyfriend at the time of her arrest. During the course of their investigation, detectives began unraveling a lurid tale of infidelity and conspiracy that resulted in at least two murders. Ultimately, Sharon would be acquitted of her Patricia Jones’ murder, and would be tried three times for the murder of James Kinne.
Before she could be tried for a fourth time, Sharon fled to Mexico with the help of yet another boyfriend, where she killed Francisco Parades Ordoñez in what she claimed was self-defense. The Mexican authorities rejected that claim and in 1964 Sharon was tried and convicted for murder, receiving a ten-year prison sentence. However, after serving just five years of her sentence, Sharon Kinne escaped the Mexican prison and has been on the run ever since. Today, more than fifty years later, she is still considered a fugitive with active warrants out for her arrest.
Thank you to the wonderful David White, of the Bring Me the Axe pod, for research assistance
References
Doyle, Patricia Janson. 1962. "Sharon thinks of trial, jury and jail." Kansas City Times, January 13: 1.
Hays, James C. 1997. I'm Just an Ordinary Girl: The Sharon Kinne Story. Leawood, KS: Leathers Book Publishing.
Kansas City Star. 1961. "Anxious in his hunt for wife." Kansas City Star, June 16: 1.
—. 1961. "'Changed her story on gun'." Kansas City Star, June 15: 1.
—. 1960. "Fin a woman slain in woods." Kansas City Star, May 28: 1.
—. 1962. "'Fixed a price for his death'." Kansas City Star, January 9: 1.
—. 1960. "Officers study life of families in slaying probe." Kansas City Star, May 28: 1.
—. 1960. "Puzzled over a fatal shot." Kansas City Star, March 20: 1.
—. 1960. "Rap coroner in slaying probe." Kansas City Star, June 2: 1.
—. 1960. "Weird ties in murder probe." Kansas City Star, May 29: 1.
Kansas City Times. 1962. "Boldizs views offer as jest." Kansas City Times, January 10: 1.
—. 1969. "Kinne Search Widens." Kansas City Times, December 9: 1.
—. 1962. "Mrs. Kinne found guilty." Kansas City Times, January 12: 1.
—. 1961. "Sharon Kinne goes free." Kansas City Times, June 23: 1.
—. 1962. "Somber Sharon Kinne starts jail routine." Kansas City Times, January 12: 1.
Kelleghan, Kevin. 1969. "Sharon Kinne hunt eases up." Kansas City Times, December 18: 31.
Maryville Daily Forum. 1961. "Testimony on death gun to KC jurors." Marysville Daily Forum, June 19: 1.
Olwine, Margaret. 1974. "Sharon Kinne: Is she free forever, part II." Kansas City Star Magazine, February 17: 14.
—. 1974. "Sharon Kinne: Is she free forever?" Kansas City Star Magazine, February 17: 17-19.
Weber, David. 1964. "Sharon Kinne in jail." Kansas City Star, September 20: 1.
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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