Hard Times and True Crimes

121. Reverend: The Case That Drew Harper Lee

Darlene Hildreth and Melody Gwyn Episode 121

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0:00 | 1:18:12

Beginning in 1972, a series of suspicious deaths in rural Alabama left a community fearful, divided, and searching for answers. At the center of it all was a man known simply as “The Reverend,” whose life seemed marked by tragedy, rumor, and lingering suspicion.

Whispers of voodoo, insurance payouts, and unanswered questions spread quietly through the region — eventually capturing the attention of one of America’s most celebrated authors, Harper Lee.

What followed would become one of the South’s most unsettling true crime stories… a haunting case that blurred the lines between faith, folklore, justice, and revenge.

Sources

Primary Book Sources

•Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee — Casey Cep

•Biographical research regarding Harper Lee and her work


Historical Records & Research Materials

•newspapers.com

  •Court records and legal reporting related to the proceedings

•Findagrave.com


Podcast Credits

Hosted by Darlene Hildreth & Melody Gwyn

Narration by Curtis Hildreth

Music by Isaiah Hildreth


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