A young woman is found dead. Her husband insists nothing suspicious happened. Her mother says her daughter came back from the grave to tell a very different story.

And then the body is dug up.

In January 1897, Elva Zona Heaster Shue was found dead in her home in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. Her husband, Erasmus "Trout" Shue, reportedly interfered with the doctor's examination, and Zona was buried.

But her mother, Mary Jane Heaster, refused to accept that her daughter's death was natural.

Mary claimed Zona's ghost appeared to her four times, revealing that her husband had killed her and describing the injuries that caused her death.

What happened next turned a small West Virginia community into the setting for one of the most extraordinary murder cases in American history.

Authorities exhumed Zona's body. Doctors discovered devastating injuries to her neck. Trout Shue was arrested, and the case went to trial.

Then came the twist that made the Greenbrier Ghost a legend.

The defense brought up Mary's alleged ghostly encounters in court.

And Mary insisted it wasn't a dream.

This week on Yore Town, Matt and Meg investigate the strange, dark, and unbelievable true story behind the Greenbrier Ghost.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• The mysterious death of Elva Zona Heaster Shue in 1897
• The suspicious circumstances surrounding her husband's behavior
• The doctor's interrupted examination
• Four alleged visits from beyond the grave
• The disturbing account of an argument over supper
• The exhumation that changed the investigation
• The medical evidence of homicide
• Erasmus "Trout" Shue's past
• The extraordinary murder trial in Lewisburg, West Virginia
• Why the defense introduced the ghost story in court
• Mary's testimony and the jury's decision
• The difference between documented history and supernatural legend

One thing is certain: a young woman was murdered, her mother refused to let the matter rest, and a jury convicted the man responsible.

The haunting remains a mystery.

ABOUT YORE TOWN

The strange, dark, and unbelievable true stories of real places.

Join Matt and Meg as they uncover the history, mysteries, disasters, and extraordinary events that make places unforgettable.

Follow Yore Town on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen.

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THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

If you had been on the jury in 1897, would Mary's story about her daughter's ghost have made you more likely to believe her, less likely, or would you have focused entirely on the medical evidence?

Share this episode with someone who loves strange history, true crime, or unexplained mysteries.

Content advisory: This episode discusses murder, domestic violence, death, and exhumation.

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