Shows
Southern Fried True CrimeThe Best of October Southern Fried: 2022, Ep167: The Murder of Fred JablinToday's episode is a "best of October" Southern Fried is from 2022, 167: The Murder of Fred JablinDr. Fred Jablin, a highly regarded professor of communication, was a dedicated husband to his wife, Piper Rountree. For years, he did everything in his power to make her happy, but nothing he did was ever enough. In 2002, the Jablin marriage came to an end and Fred was awarded full custody of their three children. Following the divorce, it took some time for Fred and the kids to adjust to their new normal. Luckily, by the fall of 2004, things were s...
2024-10-241h 19Southern Fried True CrimeThe Disappearance & Murder of Emily Anderson - Part 1 of 2The last time anyone saw 49-year-old Emily Anderson was December 29, 2005. As husband, Jerry Anderson was naturally the first suspect. But he seemed to be able to account for his time that day and he passed a polygraph. After an anonymous call, Emily’s body was discovered on January 7, 2006. As the investigation ramped up, police found that the Andersons’ marriage was on the rocks and Jerry had recently taken out more life insurance on his wife. Part 1 of 2. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Erica Kelley & Andrea MarshbankOriginal Graphic Art by Coley Horner...
2024-07-2252 minSouthern Fried True Crime220: The Murder of Rhonda OakleyOn September 1, 2016, 52-year-old Rhonda Oakley was due home from a business trip. Only gone one night, she and her husband of less than three years had missed each other. The empty nester and single dad had been inseparable since they met. Rhonda had recently become a full time stepmom to Phillip’s teenaged kids, who had moved from Indiana to the Oakley’s home on the outskirts of Danville, Kentucky. That afternoon, her stepson came home and found Rhonda in a pool of blood, viciously murdered. His father was devastated and his sister was missing. A national manhunt ensued as inve...
2024-07-031h 07Southern Fried True Crime219: The Kidnapping of Carrie Lawson, Part 2In the dark morning hours of September 11th 1991, in the small town of Jasper Alabama, a couple named Earl and Carrie Lawson were awoken by a fake emergency phone call that lured them out of the house. A masked man was waiting in their carport. Earl was bound with duct tape and the assailant forced Carrie their SUV and sped off into the darkness. Carrie had been kidnapped for ransom. It seemed like something you only saw in movies. In the last episode, I told you all about the parade of mistakes the FBI made in this case. Now we’re...
2024-06-1753 minSouthern Fried True Crime218: The Kidnapping of Carrie Lawson, Part 1In the wee hours of September 11, 1991, Earl and Carrie Lawson were awoken by an urgent phone call from a woman claiming to be a nurse who said Earl’s father was hospitalized and might not make it through the night. The couple threw on clothes and rushed out the door, only to be stopped by a masked man as they were getting in their Ford Explorer. He bound Earl with duct tape, then forced 25 year-old Carrie into the Explorer and raced off into the darkness. Their families were shocked to discover this was a kidnapping for ransom. It seemed like so...
2024-06-1344 minSouthern Fried True Crime217: The Murder of Charlotte ChildsIn May of 1993, 18-year-old student Charlotte Childs was eagerly anticipating her high school graduation in Holly Hill, South Carolina. She was busy attending all sorts of pre-graduation celebrations in the lead-up to the big day, including a get-together for her fellow high school seniors the evening before. But after dropping her best friend home in the early hours of graduation day, Charlotte never made it home. Instead, her parents were woken by a call in the dark early hours that their daughter was in the hospital, fighting for her life. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RESOURCES:US National D...
2024-05-2833 minSouthern Fried True Crime216: The Wellnitz Family MurdersFor nearly a decade, the Wellnitz family murders haunted the small town of Columbia, Kentucky. The tight knit community had no clue why these good people were mercilessly executed in their own home. They were known for their thriving veterinary clinic and their kind hearts. But someone had been viciously murdered the family and even though investigators were pretty sure they knew who did it, the case went cold. It took ten years and heroic undercover work to get justice for the Wellnitz family. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Andrea Marshbank Add...
2024-05-241h 16Southern Fried True Crime215: The Death of Annie Burkett ShellParents have to trust caregivers. It’s just a fact of life. Often we feel more comfortable with a family friend than a daycare. That’s what Tiffany and David Shell did for their daughter Annie. They trusted Brandi Giannunzio. She babysat their two youngest daughters. She was good with their girls. They had no reason to believe Brandi would leave their girls with her boyfriend. They had never met Benjamin Brown. But on August 9, 2018, he was left alone with their daughters. And then they had to face the unthinkable. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and wr...
2024-05-111h 03Southern Fried True Crime214: Erasing Laura Ackerson, Part 2After Laura Ackerson lost full custody of her sons, she was heartbroken, but she sprang into action. Within 2 weeks, she got another hearing but she still only got weekends. She had to completely overhaul her life. Within a year, Laura found a great apartment and opened her own ad agency—not just a stable job, but a career she was proud of. Meanwhile, Grant Hayes had blown through most of his new wife’s money. His life was swirling down the drain. And with the court ordered pysch evaluation, he knew he was about to lose custody of his kids. Laur...
2024-05-011h 40Southern Fried True Crime213: Erasing Laura Ackerson, Part 127-year-old Laura Jean Ackerson had a really tough start in life. The single mother of two worked hard to build her own small support system in Kinston, North Carolina. Her brother and best friend were the only people she really had. After Laura survived a whirlwind relationship with a charismatic but narcissistic musician, she faced a vicious custody battle with him. Grant Hayes was a glorified bar star and lazy husband and father. But by July 2011, Laura was finally slipping out of his controlling and abusive grasp. She was winning. Her abuser had lost control. The most dangerous time for...
2024-04-2253 minSouthern Fried True Crime212: The Whitaker Family SlayingsIn December of 2003, 23-year-old Bart Whitaker had just finished his finals and was about to graduate from college. That night, he went to dinner to celebrate with his parents, Tricia and Kent, and his younger brother Kevin. As they returned home and walked through their door, they were ambushed by a masked gunman. Initially, authorities suspected that this was a burglary gone wrong. But before the funerals had even taken place, detectives discovered that Bart had lied about graduating. And that was just the beginning. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Andrea Marshbank an...
2024-03-261h 02Southern Fried True Crime211: Evil or Innocent Twins: Betty, Peggy & The Murder of Dr Jack WilsonOn May 22 1992, Betty Wilson frantically called 911 from her Huntsville, Alabama home. She found her husband, the esteemed Dr. Jack Wilson, in a pool of blood. Someone had bludgeoned and stabbed him to death. Initially, police had no suspects. Until an anonymous tip led them to a man named James White. James confessed to killing Dr. Wilson to prove his love for Betty’s twin sister, Peggy. According to James, Peggy had insisted that he murder her sister’s husband. But, according to Peggy and Betty, James was nothing but a deranged liar.Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley ...
2024-03-101h 25Southern Fried True Crime210: Update on the Tex McIver CaseLate on a Sunday night in September of 2016, Atlanta power couple, Tex and Diane McIver, were driving back into the city and got caught in Atlanta’s notorious traffic. Diane’s best friend was driving as Diane rode in the passenger seat and her husband, Tex, sat directly behind her. When they were stopped in what they considered a dangerous part of town, Tex asked for his gun, and then fell asleep. What happened next would cause one of the most hotly debated criminal cases in recent Atlanta history.I covered this case in August 2019. But In June 2022, the...
2024-03-0443 minSouthern Fried True Crime209: The Disgraced Hero & Fugitive: Mario CentobieWhen Officer Keith Turner pulled over a car in Moody, Alabama on June 25, 1998, he thought it was a routine traffic stop. The 29-year-old husband and father had no idea that the men in the car were two escaped convicts, Mario Centobie and Jeremy Granberry. In the span of two days, the armed and dangerous fugitives had already attacked one officer and nearly killed another. As Officer Turner walked toward them, Mario stepped out of the vehicle. He reached through the window as if to retrieve his license, but instead he pulled out a gun and fired three times. ...
2024-02-281h 05Southern Fried True Crime208: The Murder of Cherica AdamsIn November of 1999, 24-year-old Cherica Adams was eight months pregnant when she and the father of her child, 25-year-old Carolina Panthers wide receiver Rae Carruth, went on a double date. They saw a late-night showing of a serial killer flick at the theater. As Rae led Cherica back home to her apartment in his white Ford Expedition, with Cherica following behind in her black BMW, he unexpectedly slowed to a near stop. Confused, Cherica slowed down too. Then, an unknown car pulled up beside her and gunfire rang out. Before the smoke had cleared, Rae was gone—and Cherica had be...
2024-02-131h 08Southern Fried True Crime207: The Murder of Shadow McClaine25-year-old Shadow McClaine was 39 days from retiring from the US Army. She’d begun her service in 2011 and, now, her contract was up. She was thrilled to go back home, enroll in college, and try her hand at a different career. In 2015, Shadow alleged that her ex-husband, an Army sergeant, had sexually assaulted her. After that, Shadow’s experience in the military rapidly deteriorated. As a result, she was eager to start this new path, but she would never get the chance. On the evening of September 2nd of 2016, Shadow sent her mother one final text at 7:07 p.m. She was...
2024-01-1644 minSouthern Fried True Crime202: The Fugitive Lee BarnettIn April of 1994, Lee Barnett picked up her 11-month-old daughter, Savanna, from her ex-husband Harris Todd’s house in Charleston, South Carolina. They were supposed to return at around six o’clock that evening. But they never showed up. Over the next 20 years, they’d travel the world together, as Lee fled from her child’s father, the FBI, and numerous international agencies. She claimed she was saving her daughter from an abusive father. But Harris claimed that Lee was the actual abuser. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Erica Kelley and Andrea Marshban...
2023-12-071h 00Southern Fried True Crime201: The Murder of Carrie DaughertyEveryone who frequented Barley’s Taproom & Pizzeria in Knoxville, Tennessee, knew bartender and waitress Carrie Daugherty. She was a friendly 24-year-old woman who had a quick wit and a sweet smile. But, on March 19, 2008, Carrie’s body was discovered on her own front lawn. She’d been brutally murdered. Those who knew Carrie were shocked. This was a woman with no enemies. When the murderer was apprehended, that sentiment was verified—Carrie had no enemies. Because the man who killed her claimed that he’d made a mistake during a bout of insanity.Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley
2023-11-2149 minSouthern Fried True Crime200: The Murders of Jennifer Corbin & Dolly Hearn27-year-old Dorothy “Dolly” Hearn and 33-year-old Jennifer Corbin never met—but the two women had a lot in common. Both were intelligent young women in Georgia who had their whole lives ahead of them, and both of them died under mysterious circumstances that were shockingly similar. When an unexpected phone call revealed that both women had been romantically involved with the same man, a Georgia dentist named Dr. Barton Corbin, everyone had more questions than answers. The ensuing investigation and court proceedings would bring forward decades of secrets.Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by And...
2023-11-0650 minSouthern Fried True Crime199: The Legs Murder ScandalOne of my most requested cases for Spooky Season: The Legs Murder ScandalOn a rainy and cold January day in 1935, a rabbit hunter came across a sugar sack on a rural road in Laurel, Mississippi. He opened it up and found a pair of legs and part of a lower torso of a white female. On that same day, 57-year-old Daisy Keeton went missing. She was something of a small town celebrity with her and her large family continuously making the gossip pages in the small town of Laurel. Her daughter, 36-year-old Ouida Mae, was telling everyone...
2023-10-3153 minSouthern Fried True Crime198: Karla Faye TuckerOn June 12th of 1983, 27-year-old Jerry Lynn Dean and 32-year-old Deborah Ruth Thornton met at a pool party. Right away, their chemistry was apparent—even though their budding relationship was doomed from the start. Jerry had recently separated from his wife, and Deborah was still married. Regardless, Jerry and Deborah decided to have a harmless one-night stand. But that night would turn out to be anything but harmless. By morning, both Jerry and Deborah were brutally killed. The murder weapon? A pickaxe and a hammer. And the murderers? Jerry’s estranged wife’s friends: 23-year-old Karla Faye Tucker and 37-year-old Danny...
2023-10-2348 minSouthern Fried True Crime197: Memphis Serial Killer: George Howard Putt-part 2 of 2In August and September of 1969, one man killed five people in the span of 29 days in Memphis, Tennessee. These violent crimes shook the city of Memphis to its very core. Lock sales skyrocketed. Families adopted large dogs. People refused to leave their house after sunset. It felt like no one was safe. The police searched day and night for this elusive serial killer. They doubled—then tripled—their staff, canceled all vacation time, and poured over $100,000 into paid overtime. But were it not for the brave actions of the killer’s final victim, Mary Christine Pickens, the perpetrator might have walked...
2023-10-1645 minSouthern Fried True Crime196: The 1969 Memphis Serial Killer Known as the Cunning Sex KillerFrom August 13th to September 11th of 1969, five innocent people died at the hands of a serial killer in Memphis, Tennessee. 58-year-old Roy Dumas and his wife, 47-year-old Bernalyn Dumas; 82-year-old Leila Jackson; 21-year-old Glenda Sue Harden; and 59-year-old Mary Christine Pickens. For 29 days, the Memphis police diligently searched for the cold-blooded killer responsible for these horrific murders. They exhausted every avenue—interviewing over 2,000 people, contacting experts across state lines, and enlisting new homicide detectives in droves. But no matter how many resources law enforcement used, they seemed no closer to catching what the media dubbed “a cunning sex killer.” Until...
2023-10-1356 minSouthern Fried True Crime195: Serial Killer: Judi BuenoanoWhen 54-year-old Judi Beunoano was executed by the State of Florida on March 30th of 1998, she was widely known as Florida’s Black Widow. And that’s because, over the course of 12 years, Judi had made attempts on the lives of these four innocent men: James Edgar Goodyear, Bobby Joe Morris, Michael Arthur Goodyear, and John Wesley Gentry II. Two husbands, one fiancé, and one son. No one was safe from Judi. For all of Judi’s victims, she collected - or would have collected - huge amounts of money as the beneficiary of multiple life insurance policies. Judi needed a way t...
2023-09-241h 07Southern Fried True Crime193: Police Corruption & The Murder of Kim GrovesThursday, October 13th of 1994 was a big day for New Orleans. On one side of town, their new police superintendent, Richard Pennington, was being sworn into office. On the other side of town, a beloved mother of three was being murdered. This mother was 32-year-old Kim Marie Groves. As a result of Kim’s unfortunate death at the hands of dirty police officers, the New Orleans Police Department’s rampant corruption would be exposed, and Superintendent Pennington’s reign as the head of the NOPD would be forever changed.Hosted and produced by Erica KelleyResearched and writte...
2023-09-1146 minSouthern Fried True Crime191: Belinda Temple Case - UPDATE (episodes 127 & 128)In January of 1999, 30 year old Belinda Temple, who was eight months pregnant, was found shot to death in her closet in Katy, Texas. Her husband, David Temple, was tried and convicted twice for the murder of his pregnant wife. But when the jury at his second trial in 2019 became deadlocked in the punishment phase, a mistrial was declared. David appealed, and the long wait for resentencing began. This is an update on Episodes 127 & 128: The Belinda Temple Case. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Gemma Harris Additional writing by Erica KelleyOriginal...
2023-08-2815 minSouthern Fried True Crime127: The Belinda Temple Case, Part 1 - REMASTEREDIn January of 1999, 30 year old Belinda Temple, who was eight months pregnant, was found shot to death in her closet in Katy, Texas. Her husband, David Temple, was the obvious first suspect. But there wasn’t much evidence to connect him to the murder and he was seen on store cameras during the suspected time of the murder. But he had the oldest motive in the world. And Harris County DA’s Office would take almost five years to finally bring charges against him. The complicated legal wranglings and clash of two courtroom titans made this case a national sensation. And...
2023-08-2853 minSouthern Fried True Crime128: The Belinda Temple Case, Part 2 - REMASTEREDAfter the brutal murder of Belinda Temple, an 8 month pregnant school teacher in 1999, the Harris County DA’s office took five years to finally charge her husband, David, with murder. They had an ace in the hole. They had star prosecutor Kelley Siegler. But David Temple’s family hired Dick DeGuerin, the guy who got Robert Durst off after he dismembered his landlord. The trial had the promised fireworks but afterwards, Kelly Siegler was accused of prosecutorial misconduct. So David Temple went to trial for a second time, 20 years after his wife was murdered. Will Belinda Temple and her unborn daug...
2023-08-281h 17Southern Fried True Crime190: The Murder of Liz SennettIn the spring of 1988, Liz and Charles Sennett were pillars of the Colbert County, Alabama, community. 45-year-old Liz was a mother, grandmother, and homemaker. Charles was a local pastor. They were beloved and respected. On March 18th, Charles discovered Liz's lifeless body in their home. It was a gruesome scene. Liz had been brutally beaten and stabbed to death. Initially, the authorities believed that Liz was the victim of a burglary gone wrong. But, as the officers continued to investigate, they noticed that things weren't adding up. Hosted and produced by Erica KelleyResearched and...
2023-08-2156 minSouthern Fried True Crime189: The Murder of Denise Lee21-year-old Denise Amber Lee was a happily married stay-at-home mom when her life was abruptly snatched away from her. On January 17, 2008, she was abducted from her home. Her two young sons were left sleeping in a crib together. An hour later, Denise’s husband Nate returned home and immediately reported her missing and then called his father-in-law, who was a local police sergeant. He made sure Denise’s case was a top priority. Over the next seven hours, a massive search ensued. Over 300 police officers, multiple helicopters, several K-9 units, and more would comb North Port, Florida, in search of Deni...
2023-08-141h 16Southern Fried True Crime188: The Murder of Margaret AbernathyMonday, February 4, 1991 started out as a normal day. 40 year old Priscilla Matula was rushing out the door for work. She owned and operated a car dealership with her husband, Nick. It soon became one of those days…where everything seems to go wrong and irritation bubbles to the surface. And making matters worse, by mid-morning, she had not heard from her mother, Margaret Abernathy, which was highly unusual. By noon, Priscilla decided to go check on her mother. What she found brought the whole Abernathy clan to its knees. Hosted and produced by Erica KelleyResearched and wr...
2023-08-0739 minSouthern Fried True Crime187: Lindsey Lowe Case - UPDATE (episode 119)This is a short bonus episode for July. It's about the controversial Lindsey Lowe case, so I hope you find it interesting. I had a defense attorney reach out and give me the judge's signed ruling early and also give me some inside baseball about the case. If you want to listen to the original episode first, it's #119. Hosted and produced by Erica KelleyResearched and written by Gemma HarrisAdditional research and writing by Erica Kelley Original Graphic Art by Coley HornerOriginal Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma RadioEdited & Mixed...
2023-07-3121 minSouthern Fried True Crime186: Behind Closed Doors: The Janae Carroll CaseIn September of 2017, 30-year-old Janae Carroll was preparing to end her longterm relationship with her boyfriend—who was also her abuser. After years of suffering, Janae had gathered the strength and the courage to leave him. But when an argument about the breakup escalated to an all-out fight between Janae and her abuser, she did what she had to, to protect herself and her children. Thus began her sad odyssey through the justice system.Petition to release Janae: https://www.change.org/p/judge-letitia-h-verdin-reunite-mother-sentenced-to-15-years-in-abuser-s-death-with-her-childrenDOMESTIC VIOLENCEUS National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233National Domestic Violence Hotline: th...
2023-07-2433 minSouthern Fried True Crime185: The Murder of Lindsey LeeWhen 31-year-old Lindsey Lee didn’t show up for work bright and early one Tuesday morning, her coworkers at the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department were immediately worried. Their fears were confirmed when the deputy who performed a wellness check at Lindsey’s home discovered her body. At first, investigators didn’t have any suspects for Lindsey’s murderer. Everyone liked her. Lindsey was so incredibly kind and friendly that she’d even maintained a good relationship with her soon-to-be ex-husband. Hosted and produced by Erica KelleyResearched and written by Andrea Marshbank Additional Writing by Erica Kelley...
2023-07-1744 min