In a major development in the Murdaugh case, the South Carolina Supreme Court overturned Alex Murdaugh’s 2023 murder convictions and ordered a new trial, citing improper jury influence by former Colleton County Clerk Becky Hill. Prosecutors have stated they intend to retry the case, while Murdaugh remains incarcerated on separate financial crime convictions.

The legal battle continues as courts address ongoing appeals, retrial preparations, and related civil litigation stemming from one of the most closely followed true crime cases in recent history.

On Christmas Eve 1977, a headless body dressed in what appeared to be a tuxedo was discovered sitting atop the grave of Confederate officer Colonel William Shy in Franklin, Tennessee. Investigators initially believed they were dealing with a recent homicide, but forensic anthropologist Dr. William Bass soon uncovered a startling truth. The bizarre case became one of Tennessee’s most famous forensic mysteries and is credited with helping inspire the creation of the University of Tennessee’s Body Farm. Local legend still claims Colonel Shy’s ghost can be seen watching over Shy’s Hill, where he fell in battle.

This week we’re diving into the controversial story of Chief Jack Walker — one of the most debated figures in early Southeast Tennessee history. Known for his complicated role during the growing tensions between Cherokee leaders and white settlers, Walker’s life and violent death left behind rumors, resentment, and questions that still linger around present day Cleveland, Tennessee. Inspired by Joe Guy’s book The Hidden History of Southeast Tennessee, this episode explores the politics, power struggles, and betrayals surrounding Walker’s murder and the uneasy time leading up to Cherokee removal in our region.

In this episode, we’re covering the strange disappearance of George Owens, a 79-year-old minister from Nolensville who vanished in July 1985 after failing to pick up his wife from the bus station. Later sightings described him as confused and disoriented, and his car was eventually found abandoned more than 100 miles away with odd details inside, including stacks of wood as if a fire had been planned. With no signs of a struggle and no trace of George ever found, his case remains one of Tennessee’s most unsettling unsolved mysteries.

Fast forward about three minutes in if you want to skip our chatter.

On September 23, 2012, a fire destroyed a home in rural Bedford County, Tennessee, where Leon and Molly McClaran lived with their grandchildren, 9-year-old Chloie Leverette and 7-year-old Gage Daniel. The grandparents were found inside but the children were not. With no trace of them in the debris and investigators later stating they don’t believe the kids were in the fire, an Amber Alert was issued that remains active to this day. In this episode, we break down the timeline and the details that turned a house fire into an ongoing mystery.

In this episode of we head to Dayton to explore the infamous Scopes Trial—a courtroom battle that turned a small Tennessee town into the center of a national debate. When teacher John T. Scopes was charged with violating the Butler Act by teaching evolution, the case quickly exploded into a media spectacle featuring legendary attorneys Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan. We break down how the trial started, what really happened inside the courtroom, and how this famous “Monkey Trial” forever changed the conversation about science, religion, and education in America.