Tag: death penalty
-
Cruel Summer: Jackie Beard
This is the first of three episodes in our Cruel Summer series. We discuss the abduction and murder of 9-year-old Jackie Beard in 1996.
-
The Murders of Laron Ronald Williams
Laron Ronald Williams murdered at least three people in Tennessee – Terra L. Wedlaw, Clarence P. Cox, and John Jay Jackson – but were there more victims? We’ll discuss these killings and the potential that Williams may have been a serial killer.
-
Suzanne Marie Collins
Suzanne Marie Collins, a young Marine, was tragically murdered in 1985 by Sedley Alley. After being kidnapped and assaulted, Alley confessed to the crime and was sentenced to death. The lengthy appeals process frustrated Suzanne’s family, leading them to advocate for habeas corpus reform and establish a scholarship in her memory.
-
Colleen Slemmer
In 1995, Christa Pike and accomplices murdered Colleen Slemmer in a jealous rage. Pike’s lack of remorse and subsequent escape attempts highlight the heinousness of the crime. Slemmer’s family continues to suffer, exacerbated by the sale of Pike’s memorabilia by an insensitive online seller.
-
Betty Jean Necessary
Betty Jean Necessary, a 12-year-old in Kingsport, Tennessee, disappeared while walking home from school on February 26, 1970. She was discovered murdered two days later, and a subsequent investigation would lead authorities to her killer.
-
Dorothy Ann Distelhurst
In 1934 5-year-old Dorothy Ann Distelhurst disappeared in East Nashville during her walk home from school, and her story had an ending that was anything but happy.