A Murder in Searcy

A Murder in Searcy PDF Author: Deana Hamby Nall
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN:
Category : Murder
Languages : en
Pages : 348

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Book Description
On the morning of September 26, 1974, the body of Fern Cowen Rodgers was discovered on the floor of her home in Searcy, Arkansas. The 68-year-old socialite was murdered, sometime in the night, by two bullets fired into her head. This is the story of that crime and the subsequent investigation and trials. It's a tragic tale that would eventually play out-in bits and pieces-in magazines and newspapers throughout the United States. Authors Deana Nall and Mike Allen provide a fresh look at the decades-old murder-based on court records, police documents and personal interviews-showing exactly what happened in a crime that captured the attention of an entire state, and beyond. "Nall and Allen capably deliver this tale of greed, sex, and betrayal." - Kirkus Reviews "The Porter Rodgers murder case was one of the first stories I covered when I came to Arkansas as a television reporter. Nearly 50 years on, it remains one of the sexiest and most riveting trials ever, and this book takes the reader back in time. Allen and Nall do an excellent job fleshing out the shocking and sensational details from so long ago." - Mel Hanks, former television news journalist "The murder shocked the state, and the trials captivated the public. People still talk about and want to know exactly what happened that day. It's all here - the true story taken from the actual police files, official court transcripts and interviews with the participants." - Chris Raff, Prosecuting Attorney, Arkansas 17th Judicial District (1983-2014) "As someone who was involved in the Rodgers case so many years ago, I was astonished to see how capably authors Nall and Allen brought my memories back so vividly. They captured all the fascinating 'truth is stranger than fiction' aspects of the case, many of which I had forgotten until I read their book. It is a treasure trove of faithful nonfiction storytelling." - Judge Mary McCall Cash, witness for the prosecution in the trials

A Murder in Searcy

A Murder in Searcy PDF Author: Deana Hamby Nall
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN:
Category : Murder
Languages : en
Pages : 348

Get Book Here

Book Description
On the morning of September 26, 1974, the body of Fern Cowen Rodgers was discovered on the floor of her home in Searcy, Arkansas. The 68-year-old socialite was murdered, sometime in the night, by two bullets fired into her head. This is the story of that crime and the subsequent investigation and trials. It's a tragic tale that would eventually play out-in bits and pieces-in magazines and newspapers throughout the United States. Authors Deana Nall and Mike Allen provide a fresh look at the decades-old murder-based on court records, police documents and personal interviews-showing exactly what happened in a crime that captured the attention of an entire state, and beyond. "Nall and Allen capably deliver this tale of greed, sex, and betrayal." - Kirkus Reviews "The Porter Rodgers murder case was one of the first stories I covered when I came to Arkansas as a television reporter. Nearly 50 years on, it remains one of the sexiest and most riveting trials ever, and this book takes the reader back in time. Allen and Nall do an excellent job fleshing out the shocking and sensational details from so long ago." - Mel Hanks, former television news journalist "The murder shocked the state, and the trials captivated the public. People still talk about and want to know exactly what happened that day. It's all here - the true story taken from the actual police files, official court transcripts and interviews with the participants." - Chris Raff, Prosecuting Attorney, Arkansas 17th Judicial District (1983-2014) "As someone who was involved in the Rodgers case so many years ago, I was astonished to see how capably authors Nall and Allen brought my memories back so vividly. They captured all the fascinating 'truth is stranger than fiction' aspects of the case, many of which I had forgotten until I read their book. It is a treasure trove of faithful nonfiction storytelling." - Judge Mary McCall Cash, witness for the prosecution in the trials

Watch You Burn

Watch You Burn PDF Author: Amanda Searcy
Publisher: Delacorte Press
ISBN: 1524700932
Category : Young Adult Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 354

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Book Description
From the author of The Truth Beneath the Lies, which the bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying, Karen M. McManus, called "smart, suspenseful, and unpredictable," comes a psychological thriller about a girl who must keep her arsonist ways hidden--or watch her life go up in flames like a wildfire. Jenny didn't want to move to the creepy, possibly haunted town with her dad. But the cops are on to her, and the only way she can protect herself is by moving as far away from her hometown as possible and staying out of trouble. But even after she moves, Jenny still gets the itch. The itch to light a match and then watch it burn. It's something she hasn't been able to stop, ever since an accident years ago. Now, in a new town, Jenny has the strange feeling that someone is watching her every move. Will her arsonist ways be exposed? Or is the burning truth deep inside her a greater danger?

Remembering Ella

Remembering Ella PDF Author: Nita Gould
Publisher: University of Arkansas Press
ISBN: 1945624191
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 380

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Book Description
In November 1912, popular and pretty eighteen-year-old Ella Barham was raped, murdered, and dismembered in broad daylight near her home in rural Boone County, Arkansas. The brutal crime sent shockwaves through the Ozarks and made national news. Authorities swiftly charged a neighbor, Odus Davidson, with the crime. Locals were determined that he be convicted, and threats of mob violence ran so high that he had to be jailed in another county to ensure his safety. But was there enough evidence to prove his guilt? If so, had he acted alone? What was his motive? This examination of the murder of Ella Barham and the trial of her alleged killer opens a window into the meaning of community and due process during a time when politicians and judges sought to professionalize justice, moving from local hangings to state-run executions. Davidson’s appeal has been cited as a precedent in numerous court cases and his brief was reviewed by the lawyers in Georgia who prepared Leo Frank’s appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1915. Author Nita Gould is a descendant of the Barhams of Boone County and Ella Barham’s cousin. Her tenacious pursuit to create an authoritative account of the community, the crime, and the subsequent legal battle spanned nearly fifteen years. Gould weaves local history and short biographies into her narrative and also draws on the official case files, hundreds of newspaper accounts, and personal Barham family documents. Remembering Ella reveals the truth behind an event that has been a staple of local folklore for more than a century and still intrigues people from around the country.

Markham Street

Markham Street PDF Author: Ronnie Williams
Publisher: Bookbaby
ISBN: 9781667811291
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 296

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Book Description
"Markham Street" is more than a story about systemic racism, police violence, or brutal murder, although it is all of those. Above all, it is the story of one man's enduring love for his lost brother and his devotion to his grieving parents, who kept silent for two and half decades to protect their seven surviving children. Through the lens of his then-thriving Black community of Menifee, Ronnie Williams vividly describes the suffocating misery and debasement of Black families who worked in the cotton fields or as domestic help for white families and businesses. He shares in loving detail how his parents made ends meet through constant work and resourcefulness and raised eight children, six of whom became educators like himself. He also shares his memories of the night his brother died, a night when a literal tornado tore apart his home, while only miles away, a tornado of rage and hate tore apart his family. Most of all, he writes poignantly about his brother Marvin - a prodigy who graduated from high school at the age of 15, Marvin desperately tried to escape the grinding poverty of field labor. He joined the Navy and later the Army, where he became a respected U.S. Paratrooper. At age 20, he was a beloved son, husband, and father. He had a good job, a second child on the way, and a bright future - until the night he was unlawfully arrested on Markham Street and bludgeoned to death by police. The book resounds with the author's unresolved grief over his brother's terrible death, his righteous determination to get justice for Marvin, and his own remarkable, ground-breaking career in the same city where his brother was killed.

Murder by Guile

Murder by Guile PDF Author: Bill Williams
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 1491810467
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 456

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Book Description
Wealthy rural Arizona stockbroker Steven DeMarco stands accused of bludgeoning his ex-wife to death with a golf club on the eve of his first $6,000 alimony payment. But theres no DNA evidence, no murder weapon, and he has an alibi. Or, does he? As the determined sheriff's investigators dig into the murder of Carol Washington, a popular local therapist, counselor and artist, they find multiple girlfriends and boyfriends, one home and two condominiums, motorcycles with GPS maps of Mexico, and three BMWs, all being used by DeMarco, his two daughters and the murdered ex-wife. Based on a true crime story, covered by CBS, NBC and ABC News departments we quickly see some of the surprising pieces of evidence found by investigators such as books on how to commit crimes and not get caught, and a backpack hidden on a golf course with a passport and cash inside.

Arkansas in Ink

Arkansas in Ink PDF Author: Guy Lancaster
Publisher: Butler Center Books
ISBN: 1935106740
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 199

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Book Description
In 1837 Representative Joseph J. Anthony stabs the speaker of the house to death during a debate about wolf pelts. In 1899 Hot Springs police shoot it out with the county sheriffs over control of illegal gambling. In 1974 President Richard Nixon resigns in part due to the outspokenness of Pine Bluff native Martha Mitchell. In this special print project of the online Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture, legendary cartoonist Ron Wolfe brings these and many other stories to life. Accompanied by selected entries from the encyclopedia, Wolfe’s cartoons highlight the oddities and absurdities of our state’s history. Seriously, you couldn’t make up this stuff.

Arkansas Hitchhike Killer, The: James Waybern "Red" Hall

Arkansas Hitchhike Killer, The: James Waybern Author: Janie Nesbitt Jones
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 1467148172
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 144

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Book Description
Faulkner County native Red Hall was a serial killer who confessed to murdering at least twenty-four people. Most of his victims were motorists who picked him up as he hitchhiked around the United States. In the closing months of World War II, he beat his wife to death and went on a killing spree across the state. His signature smile lured his victims to their doom, and even after his capture, he maintained a friendly manner, being described by one lawman as "a pleasant conversationalist." Author Janie Nesbitt Jones chronicles his life for the first time and explores reasons why he became Arkansas's Hitchhike Killer.

Vermilion

Vermilion PDF Author: Nathan Aldyne
Publisher: Felony & Mayhem Press
ISBN: 1937384896
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 241

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Book Description
Two misfit sleuths search for a street hustler’s killer in this mystery series debut first published in 1980 and set in Boston’s gay scene. Daniel Valentine is a gay bartender and former social worker. Clarisse Lovelace is his straight pal who works in real estate. They make an unconventional investigative duo—but sometimes unconventional is exactly what’s called for. When Billy Golacinsky, a teenage street hustler, is found dead on the lawn of a homophobic lawmaker, everyone wants the case swept under the rug. Everyone except Valentine and Lovelace. Now they’re combing through Boston’s gay scene—from bars to bath houses—in a time before AIDS, yet full of other dangers.

The Spy Who Was Left Behind

The Spy Who Was Left Behind PDF Author: Michael Pullara
Publisher: Scribner
ISBN: 1501152149
Category : True Crime
Languages : en
Pages : 352

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Book Description
The shocking true story of international intrigue —“a highly detailed, engrossing work” (Kirkus Reviews)—involving the 1993 murder of CIA officer Freddie Woodruff by KGB agents and the extensive cover-up that followed in Washington and in Moscow. “In a post-truth era, we need a lot more fearless writers like Michael Pullara” (Robert Baer, author of See No Evil). On August 8, 1993, a single bullet to the head killed Freddie Woodruff, the Central Intelligence Agency’s station chief in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. Within hours, police had a suspect—a vodka-soaked village bumpkin named Anzor Sharmaidze. A tidy explanation quickly followed: It was a tragic accident. US diplomats hailed Georgia’s swift work, and both countries breathed a sigh of relief. Yet the bullet that killed Woodruff was never found and key witnesses have since retracted their testimony, saying they were beaten and forced to identify Sharmaidze. But if he didn’t do it, who did? Those who don’t buy the official explanation think the answer lies in the spy games that played out on Russia’s frontier following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. Woodruff was an early actor in a dangerous drama. American spies were moving into newborn nations previously dominated by Soviet intelligence. Russia’s security apparatus, resentful and demoralized, was in turmoil, its nominal loyalty to a pro-Western course set by President Boris Yeltsin, shredded by hardline spooks and generals who viewed the Americans as a menace. At the time when Woodruff was stationed there, Georgia was a den of intrigue. It had a big Russian military base and was awash with former and not-so-former Soviet agents. Shortly before Woodruff was shot, veteran CIA officer Aldrich Ames—who would soon be unmasked as a KGB mole—visited him on agency business. In short order, Woodruff would be dead and Ames, in prison for life. Buckle up, because The Spy Who Was Left Behind reveals the full-throttle, little-known thrilling tale.

Snake Eyes

Snake Eyes PDF Author: Bitty Martin
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1633887774
Category : True Crime
Languages : en
Pages : 259

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Book Description
By 1966, Hot Springs, Arkansas wasn’t your typical sleepy little Southern town. Once a favorite destination for mobsters like Al Capone and Lucky Luciano, illegal activities continued to lure out-of-state gamblers, flim-flam men, and high rollers to its racetracks, clubs, and bordellos. Still, the town was shaken to its core after a girl was found dead on a nearby ranch. The ranch owner claimed it was an accident. Then the rancher was found to be the killer of another woman – his fourth wife. The story begins when 13-year-old Cathie Ward was found dead after horseback riding at Blacksnake Ranch on the outskirts of Hot Springs, Arkansas. Frank Davis, the owner of the ranch, tells authorities Cathie’s death is an accident. He claims her foot caught in a stirrup and she was dragged to her death despite his pursuit of the runaway horse. People who know the 42-year-old skilled horseman don’t believe his story, and soon rumors of her rape and murder begin swirling around town. The rumors reach a crescendo after Davis viciously guns down his fourth wife and mother-in-law in broad daylight outside of a laundromat. Davis is arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Soon after, Hot Springs authorities re-open the investigation into Cathie Ward’s death. Snake Eyes is the first book to examine this decades-old murder and cover-up, and the only in-depth account of the man who would become the town’s most notorious villain. Featuring personal interviews, crime scene records, court documents, and Davis’ own prison files, author and lifelong Hot Springs resident Bitty Martin reveals the true story for the first time.