Also, read about another Calhoun County "notorious" killer, Audrey Marie Hilley, here. Then, "Hipp and Kelley were taken by a mob of 100 armed, masked men and lynched on the courthouse columns. Jennifer is the Alabama staff writer for Only In Your State and has nearly 15 years of professional writing experience. Read more here. When he was hanged, his executioners dug a hole beneath his dangling feet to accommodate his height. When I created this list, I tried to stick with more historical figures when dealing with violent crimes, to prevent highlighting any recent tragedies. Ethel's parents, overcome with the loss of their young daughter, buried her in Newville Baptist Church Cemetery in Henry County. Click hereto read more. While some homicides received more attention than others, all were very horrible events that shouldve never happened. 1868. ", (Albert Fuller is shown on the left looking at the spot where Patterson was killed in the AP Photo), Albert Fuller, assassin of Albert Patterson, 1919-1969. ", (Source: Kees Vandenberg via FindaGrave.com), Pink Parker, bitter Confederate rebel, 1839-1921, Joseph Pinkney "Pink" Parker, a Confederate veteran with a deep hatred for Abraham Lincoln, had a monument created to honor Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth, and tried to donate it to the city but the council refused to accept it. He and his brother, the notorious Jack, were mortally wounded by a party of officers Tuesday morning near Paine's saw mill, in Hale County." He was one of three inmates killed after a failed escape attempt led to a two-day battle in which two guards also died. Crime: Found guilty of killing six men between the years of 1989-1990. Read all the AL.com coverage of the Bentley scandal here. In 2016, there were around 30 murders in Montgomery, Alabama, alone. After the blast in Birmingham, Rudolph immediately drove to North Carolina where he hid in the backwoods for 5 years. 1867-1902, William "Will" Reynolds shot nine people, killing seven, in the bloodiest day for law enforcement in Alabama's history. Of those, 126 were African American, 27 were Caucasian. This is a list of notable female murderers who committed their murders in Alabama, USA. Cagle died of a heart attack in 1938 and was buried in a 3-foot-wide casket in Thrasher Cemetery. Forman "Austin" Mize was barely 18 years old when he disappeared in 1918 in the Bermuda Triangle. He was a well-known and wealthy planter who was also elected to the Alabama Legislature, according to the Hollingsworth-McCaleb Quarterly. Two years prior to this event, Rudolph had attempted to shut down the 1996 Summer Olympics by bombing Atlanta's Centennial Park. He was captured in Washington County, Ala., and taken to Fort Stoddert. McEwen was known for his uncanny "readings" of visitors to his store. Nearly 20 years after the murders of Tracie Hawlett and J.B. Beasley, law enforcement was able to link Coley McCraney to their murders using DNA evidence collected at the crime scene. Mountain Tom Clark, outlaw, birth unknown-1872, Tom Clark, one of the most feared men in North Alabama in his day, is buried beneath Tennessee Street near Florence City Cemetery in Lauderdale County. Born in Rockford in Coosa County, Teel, a devout Christian, later moved to Millerville in Clay County and developed a reputation for helping people find misplaced objects or wayward livestock. Epicenter Press, 210 pages, 2020. In 1847, Elizabeth's fifth husband, Absalom Brown, built her a mansion on a former Indian burial ground near Hazel Green, where she lived for several years. The Rev. In June 1962, the two Anglin brothers, accompanied by Frank Morris, escapedthe island on a raft made of raincoats and their fates after that are unknown. Bill eluded them, hijacking a train car in the process. As a cowboy in Texas in 1876, he killed a fellow buffalo hunter but was never prosecuted. Wilson was convicted of murder. Residents believed it to be folly that Pitts was building such a huge mansion when he already owned two other mansions, Rurill Hill and Kings. In 1983, she began serving her sentence. He was shot in the back by an El Paso, Texas, lawman in 1895. More than 200,000 unsolved cases have gone cold since 1980, and murder clearance rates continue to drop. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. (Grave of James Foster in Perdue Hill Cemetery in Monroe County via Darryl Searcy/ FindaGrave.com). In 1864, Gayle made headlines when he paid to publish an ad inThe Selma Dispatchseeking funds in exchange for plotting the murders of Lincoln, Vice President Johnson and Secretary of State William Seward, the same three men who were targeted in John Wilkes Booth's assassination plot. He was arrested in January 1878 and held in the garret of this building. Austin Mize, disappeared in Bermuda Triangle, 1900-1918. This is just one of many Alabama cold cases solved and Alabama murders solved in the last few years with this form of evidence and technology. Anodd footnotes about the case: She reportedly asked that her body be donated to science so people could figure out why she killed. There was no physical evidence that connected either sister to the crime. Whats even more terrible is when it occurs close to home. On May 3, 1889, Hawes received the death penalty. People were paying as much as $200 for tickets to watch the execution. Charles Bannister, outlaw, unknown birth and death. According to an article in the Vernon Courier,"Jim Morrison, the noted Bibb County desperado, has at last been run to death. One article from 1894 said Bannister was wanted in Cleburne County for shooting off the leg of a "Mrs. Cotton," and brutally beating Old Man Cotton. According to the article "The Life and Work of Sequoyah," by John B. Davis, Sequoyah drank heavily and spent all his money on liquor. Burrow and his men eventually returned to Lamar County, Ala., and hiduntil Rube murdered a well-known and respected local postmaster, Mose Graves. Search the internet for James Earl Files + JFK and you'll find numerous interviews with a man who says he was the shooter on the "grassy knoll" in Dallas, who killed President Kennedy in 1963. Selocta donned the head and skin of a pig and pretended to rout as he made his way past the unsuspecting Red Sticks. Billy the Kid escaped from jail on April 18, 1881. When federal appeals Judge Robert Vance opened the small brown parcel in the kitchen of his suburban Alabama home on December 16, 1989, it exploded, killing him instantly and . He escaped and formed a colony for escaped slaves in Clarke County in an area that became known as "Hal's Lake" or "Hal's Kingdom." Robert Sanderson, a Birmingham police officer who worked off-duty at the clinic as a security guard, and nurse Emily Lyons, approached the package. After his release he petitioned to play pro baseball and eventually played for the Albany Senators. According to legend, he spent his time sitting and watching wild animals and could forecast the severity of winter based on their actions, such as how many nuts the squirrels were storing. The Hawes trial began on April 22, 1889 at Jefferson County Courthouse. He didnt want May murdered. She enjoys discovering new places and currently calls North Alabama home. His reign of terror lasted six years. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). The victims were 37-year-old Connie R. Woolfolk of Flossmoor, Illinois; 22-year-old Sarah Szafranski of Oak Forest; 42-year-old store manager Rhonda McFarland of Joliet; 33-year-old Carrie Hudek Chiuso of Frankfort; and 34-year-old Jennifer Bishop of South Bend, Indiana. During questioning he indicated that he was responsible for at least 12 deaths. Half of the committee voted to hold off, citing an ongoing probe by the state attorney general's office.". Sanders became their leader. Rumors swirled that Maxwell, known to perform voodoo rituals, had killed five members of his family. That same afternoon, a telegram announced that Richard married the former Mayes Story in Mississippi. 1839-1904. These individuals are also known to have committed some of the most infamous Alabama murders. The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. Legends often say that he was hanged on trumped-up charges for deserting the Confederate army, although details vary. Ragsdale lived in Tuscaloosa's upscale Highlands neighborhood, and to this date, no suspect has been identified in the case. CNN Former University of Alabama basketball player Darius Miles, 21, who was arrested for his alleged involvement in a shooting that killed a 23-year-old woman last month, will be held without. BhamWiki.com says: "The Hawes murders were a notorious and sensational crime discovered in December 1888 that produced a deadly riot and gained nationwide media attention for the young city of Birmingham." (Memorial to Selocta/Photo by Wrong Way Dave via FindaGrave.com), Selocta Chinnabee, Indian general, birth unknown-1835. The murders also earned Birmingham the nickname Murder Capital of the Country. Successful engineer Richard Hawes murdered his wife, Emma, along with their two daughters, May and Irene. Sadly, murders in Alabama by year seem to rise, with no end in sight, especially in certain areas. On September 24, 2012, Bishop was sentenced to life in prison without parole. An entertainer who played "Pogo the Clown" at children's parties, John Wayne Gacy was one of the most infamous serial killers in America. Hilley was arrested on October 9, 1979 for the attempted murder of her daughter, and on November 9, 1979, she was released on bail and registered at a hotel under the name Emily Stephens. And while in jail, he wrote letters to his new bride seeking forgiveness. 1880-death unknown. (Ethel Wright's headstone via FindaGrave.com), H.C. Price Jr., murdered his wife, unknown birth and death. Lyons survived, but lost her eyesight and received chronic injuries. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Thomas Coleman, an unpaid special deputy, ordered them to leave the sidewalk and aimed his gun at one of the women. Jennifer is the Alabama staff writer for Only In Your State and has nearly 15 years of professional writing experience. 1898-1953. In May 2002, Bobby Frank Cherry was convicted of four counts of murder and sentenced to life in prison for his involvement in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, which killed four African-American girls. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! ", Railroad Bill, legendary outlaw, ca. In 1967, Krenwinkel met Charles Manson and, in 1969, accompanied Manson Family members on two murder sprees. They were wrong. This was the question on everyones minds. The violent crime rate in Montgomery, Alabama, remains statistically higher than the national violent crime rate in most categories. He became a self-appointed truant officer, picking up men who did not want to fight and giving them only a short time to join his side. Read more here. Krenwinkel was found guilty in 1971. Phillip H. Pitts was a wealthy planter in Uniontown, Ala., known as the builder of a mansion called Pitts' Folly. The tale was repeated in Kathryn Tucker Windham's "13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey. He was assigned to round up troops for the Confederacy, but, according to accounts, became a violent man. He was stabbed to death in North Carolina in 1941. "I know now how foolish, vain and wholly useless it is and must have been, and were I set at liberty this morning, I should hope to be dead by sunset, as all men must hereafter point at me as a murderer. But in between, he left his mark on Alabama. At the time of his killing, he was wanted for murder and arson. Richard Hawes was the only suspect and as he was taken to jail, he continued to claim his innocence. However, the late Vincent Bugliosi, Charles Mansion prosecutor and author, calls Files the "Rodney Dangerfield of Kennedy assassins" in his book, "Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. [1] Kelsey Turner, 28, entered an Alford plea in the case which means she still insists she's innocent but agrees a conviction is highly . The legend of Railroad Bill began in the winter of 1894 when railroad employees began noticing a vagrant illegally riding the trains on the L&N Railroad line in southern Alabama near the Florida line. Blackwood sentenced Wilson to life in prison. Did you already know about these murders? Ethel died but her husband was thrown clear and survived. Do the Hawes murders remind you of any murders that have taken place in recent years? (Photo from the Scottsboro Boys Museum and Cultural Center). The most famous murder in Alabama history is the 1988 Hawes murders, which took place in the city of Birmingham. Uncovered is where the most passionate true crime enthusiasts can learn from and teach others. "Hieroglyphics" Author:. Like many, he sustained heavy debt from the Civil War. On Oct. 9, 1890, Rube was captured and shot to death. After University of Alabama basketball player Darius Miles was charged with murder in the death of a 23-year-old mother and removed from the team, the victim's loved ones say she was shot and . Let me know by emailingkkazek@al.com. Sadly, the following day, Emmas beaten body was discovered in Lakeview Park Lake. Carpenter became renowned as he covered the countryside burning people out of their homes, destroying their life supporting crops, and worst of all, killing many innocent people. Love Alabama? In the 1910s, a religious sectwas formed in Limestone County by the Rev. In Phenix City, Serafin writes, things got so bad that after the bloody assassination of a local reformer named Albert Patterson, the governor of Alabama was forced to declare martial law, and bring in a decorated World War II general to straighten the town out. John S. Barker, who advised his congregation that making whiskey was legal as long as it was sold to "non-believers," that a husband and wife of different religious beliefs should separate, and that his followers must "donate" to the church, although in reality he sent thugs to their homes to collect money, according to the 1973 book "A History of Limestone County" by Robert Henry Walker. Construction on the home was begun in 1852. But like every state, Alabamas history was created by plenty of colorful characters. "Jacob" Armstrong. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Why would he want to kill his family? Coleman was indicted for the murder of Daniels; and acquitted by an all-white jury. Robert Bentley, embattled current governor, 1943-?? The sixth woman was also held captive but managed to survive. They were arrested when the train stopped in Paint Rock and taken to the nearest jail in Scottsboro. Click hereto read more. These murders resulted in a deadly riot and "The Magic City" soon gained national media attention. When the rumors began to swirl about her numerous dead husbands, Elizabeth left for Mississippi and was never heard from again. "My course is run," Lewis said before he went to the gallows. After WWII, Thompson opened a law practice in Luverne in Crenshaw County. 3 were female. He was also Alabamas only first gentleman his wife Lurleen Wallace was governor from 1967-68. William Martin died in 1931 at the age of 86 and, as Alberta became known as the "last surviving Civil War widow" a title later challenged by Maudie Hopkins. Only the testimony of James White. The article, quoted on his entry on FindaGrave.com,says: ""Bill" Smith, the dead man, was a unique character and was known throughout all of this section as "Bell-Tree" Smith. Some occurred centuries ago, many occurred decades ago, and a few have occurred in recent years. 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