Unearthing the forgotten, the mysterious, and the legendary—one Southern story at a time. Hosted by Shannon Ballard, Southern Mysteries explores the rich and often untold history of the American South through a captivating mix of folklore, legends, unexplained mysteries, and true crime. Each episode uncovers a compelling tale from a Southern state, blending history with intrigue to reveal the fascinating stories that time left behind. While some episodes delve into chilling crimes, others spotlight legendary figures, ghostly lore, or baffling events.Sometimes the mystery is: why haven’t you heard the story?
Episodes
Monday Jun 23, 2025
Monday Jun 23, 2025
In the 1920s, a Virginia horse named Lady Wonder stunned the public with her supposed psychic powers - spelling out answers, solving crimes, even picking presidents. Was she a telepathic marvel, as Dr. J.B. Rhine believed? Or a clever illusion, as magician John Scarne claimed? Discover the story behind the horse that made America believe.
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Episode Sources
- “Meet Lady Wonder, the Psychic Horse Who Appeared Twice in LIFE.” LIFE Magazine retrospective. Life.com
- “Lady Wonder: The Psychic Horse.” Strange Company Blog by Undine, May 2016. strangeco.blogspot.com
- Newspaper Archives via Newspapers.com: Roanoke Times, March 1957 – Obituary and public reaction to Lady’s death; The Knoxville News-Sentinel, 1952 – Reports on Lady’s police involvement; Richmond Times-Dispatch, 1948 – Coverage on Lady’s election predictions; Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), feature on John Scarne’s skepticism.
- Find a Grave Memorial – Claudia Fonda findagrave.com
- The Story of Beautiful Jim Key by David Hoffman (public domain archive) Internet Archive
- Jim Key Digital Archive – Missouri State Library Missouri Digital Heritage
- State Symbols – Missouri Wonder Dog and Related Animal Curiosities sos.mo.gov
Episode Music
Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.
Monday Jun 09, 2025
Monday Jun 09, 2025
In the winter of 1926, the quiet town of Farwell, Texas was shaken by the discovery of nine bodies buried beneath a home. The man responsible, George Hassell, had already taken lives in another state and wasn’t finished confessing. What followed was a case so disturbing it blurred the lines between serial killer, mass murderer, and family annihilator. In this episode of Southern Mysteries, we explore the chilling crimes of George Jefferson Hassell, one of the South’s most unsettling killers.
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Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries
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Episode Sources
- Roth, Mitchell P. Man with the Killer Smile: The Life and Crimes of a Serial Mass Murderer. University of North Texas Press, 2023. Available on Amazon
- Roth, Mitchell P. Interview. PBS: The Bookmark, November 9, 2023.
Watch the Interview - “Texas Farmer Dying After 9 Bodies Found.” The Decatur Daily, December 24, 1926.
View Article - “Hassell, Leaving Death Cell, Advises Women Read Writings of Paul.” The Austin American, April 7, 1927.
View Article - Hassell v. State, 107 Tex. Crim. 541, 298 S.W. 293 (Tex. Crim. App. 1927).
Read Case Summary - “Hasell Electrocuted Early Friday at Huntsville.” The Huntsville Times, February 10, 1928.
View Article - “George J. Hassell’s Murderous Ways.” Texas Genealogy Trails.
Read Article - “Death House Slayings Gain Attention.” Whittier Daily News, August 30, 2017.
Read Article
Find a Grave Memorials:
Episode Music
Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.
Monday May 12, 2025
Monday May 12, 2025
In the final episode of Mystery on Montford Avenue, we explore the fallout from the case and how this mystery faded into the shadows of Asheville’s past.
🎧 All four episodes are now available. You can binge the entire series today.
🔍 Full source list available at southernmysteries.com
◼️ Music: Out of the Mines and Devouring the Whole, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina
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🎤 Southern Mysteries Podcast returns to our regular, bimonthly release of new episodes on Monday, June 9. Make sure you follow the show where you're listening so you never miss a new episode.
Monday May 12, 2025
Monday May 12, 2025
In the summer of 1927, Anna Montague stood trial for the death of Mary Cooper. As testimony unfolds, shocking evidence and conflicting accounts raise new questions. Was the case against Anna Montague as solid as it seemed?
🎧 All four episodes are now available. You can binge the entire series today.
🔍 Full source list available at southernmysteries.com
◼️ Music: Out of the Mines and Devouring the Whole, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina
💛 Join Southern Mysteries on Patreon for access to Ad-free Episodes, the show archive and bonus content. “Much Obliged" tier members access more including the patron exclusive podcast Audacious: patreon.com/southernmysteries
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Monday May 12, 2025
Monday May 12, 2025
Hours after Mary Cooper was buried in Riverside Cemetery, her case took a shocking turn. As investigators reexamine their theory, suspicion turns toward the people who lived inside Mary’s home. Listen as the investigation deepens and a quiet Asheville neighborhood is pulled into the mystery.
🎧 All four episodes are now available. You can binge the entire series today.
🔍 Full source list available at southernmysteries.com
◼️ Music: Out of the Mines and Devouring the Whole, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina
💛 Join Southern Mysteries on Patreon for access to Ad-free Episodes, the show archive and bonus content. “Much Obliged" tier members access more including the patron exclusive podcast Audacious: patreon.com/southernmysteries
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Monday May 12, 2025
Monday May 12, 2025
In May 1927, the quiet Asheville, North Carolina neighborhood of Montford was rocked by a shocking discovery. Mary Cooper—a respected widow known for her kindness and community spirit—was found dead in a vacant lot near her home. Investigators made a quick determination, but not everyone agreed with their conclusion.
In this first episode of Mystery on Montford Avenue, we explore the life of Mary Cooper, the atmosphere of 1920s Asheville, and the troubling details that began to surface after her death. What really happened on Montford Avenue that spring night?
🎧 All four episodes are now available. You can binge the entire series today.
🔍 Full source list available at southernmysteries.com
◼️ Music: Out of the Mines and Devouring the Whole, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina
💛 Join Southern Mysteries on Patreon for access to Ad-free Episodes, the show archive and bonus content. “Much Obliged" tier members access more including the patron exclusive podcast Audacious: patreon.com/southernmysteries
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Monday Apr 28, 2025
Monday Apr 28, 2025
A woman’s death. A city's fear. A mystery that refused to be forgotten.
This May, join me for Southern Mysteries Serial: Mystery on Montford Avenue — a four-part exploration of a mystery that gripped Asheville nearly a century ago.
All episodes drop May 12th.
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Monday Apr 28, 2025
Monday Apr 28, 2025
The American circus promised wonder and spectacle—but behind the big top was a hidden world of danger, tragedy, and loss. In this episode, we explore the dark history of the circus, from deadly train wrecks and animal attacks to the mysterious death of aerialist Eva Clark. Discover the true stories of Clyde Beatty’s near-fatal encounter with lions and tigers, the public executions of elephants Mary and Black Diamond, and how their legacies changed the circus forever.
Want more Southern Mysteries?
Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries
Connect
Website: southernmysteries.com
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Email: southernmysteriespodcast@gmail.com
Episode Sources
- "Elephant Parade Erwin 2018." Elephant Parade. https://www.elephantparade.com/parades/erwin-2018
- "From the Circus Train Wreck to the Man o’ War: History of the Railroad in Columbus (Part 3 of 3)." Historic Columbus. https://www.historiccolumbus.com/post/from-the-circus-train-wreck-to-the-man-o-war-history-of-the-railroad-in-columbus-part-3-of-3
- "Mary the Elephant Hanging: 100 Years Later." WBIR-TV Knoxville. https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/mary-the-elephant-hanging-100-years-later/51-ee92f081-718d-4da6-bb6d-8be8dbe2b8b6
- The Tennessean, via Newspapers.com. Image of article on Black Diamond the elephant. https://www.newspapers.com/image/385756327/?match=1&terms=black%20diamond%20elephant
- The Daily Times (Maryville, Tennessee), via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/898209095/
- "Clyde Beatty." Circuses and Sideshows. https://www.circusesandsideshows.com/owners/clydebeatty.html
- "Elephant Hotel Historical Marker." Explore PA History. https://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-A-1DB
- Wikipedia contributors. Various entries on Mary the Elephant, Black Diamond, and circus history. Wikipedia. https://www.wikipedia.org
- "Execution of Mary the Elephant." WHSV-TV. https://www.whsv.com
- Aine Norris. Circus history articles. AineNorris.info. https://www.ainenorris.info
Episode Music
Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina
Monday Apr 14, 2025
Monday Apr 14, 2025
In 1942, the state of Louisiana executed a woman in the electric chair for the first and only time in its history. She was young, beautiful, and utterly devoted to the man she loved, a Texas outlaw. Toni Jo Henry was willing to do anything to free him from prison which led her down a dark path…the cold-blooded killing of an innocent man. Toni Jo claimed her accomplice pulled the trigger. He said she did. Was Toni Jo Henry a ruthless killer, or a woman trapped by her tragic past and her devotion to the wrong man?
Want more Southern Mysteries?
Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries
Connect
Website: southernmysteries.com
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Email: southernmysteriespodcast@gmail.com
Episode Sources
- The Times: Former Shreveport Girl to Face jury for Lake Charles Slaying, March 24, 1940
- The News Star: Toni Jo Henry is denied new trial, May 25, 1942
- The Atlanta Journal: Woman Slayer, Awaiting death in chair, wisecracks over fate, August 4, 1942
- The Town Talk: High Court denies stay of execution for Toni Jo Henry, November 4, 1942
- Shreveport Journal: Toni Jo Henry Executed, November 28, 1942
- Del Rio News Herald: Kin of Toni Jo Henry Claim body for burial, November 30, 1942
- The DeQuincy News: Burks to follow Toni Jo to chair, High Court rules, December 4, 1942
- Greenville News: Trip of Death Ends as Burks electrocuted, March 24, 1943
- State v. Henry, 196 La. 217, 198 So. 910 (La. 1940)
- M. Watt Espy Papers: Documentation for the execution of Harold Burks, Toni Henry, 1943-03-23
- Harold Burks executed on 1943-03-23 in Louisiana (LA); Toni Henry executed on 1942-11-28 in Louisiana (LA)
- Find A Grave: Joseph Prince “Joe” Calloway
- Find A Grave: Claude David “Cowboy” Henry
- Find A Grave: Toni Jo Henry/Annie Beatrice McQuiston
- Nola Mae Ross: Crimes of the Past in South Louisiana, 2004
Episode Music
Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.
Monday Mar 31, 2025
Monday Mar 31, 2025
A cool September afternoon on a trail in Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Three friends are chatting as they hike. And then… in minutes, one of them disappears. No sound. No clue. Just… gone. Polly Melton’s disappearance has left investigators and amateur sleuths searching for answers for over four decades
Want more Southern Mysteries?
Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries
Connect
Website: southernmysteries.com
Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast
Instagram: @southernmysteries
Email: southernmysteriespodcast@gmail.com
Episode Sources
- National Park Service: Cold Cases, Thelma Pauline "Polly" Melton
- NamUs: #MP14284, Thelma Pauline Melton
- Asheville Citizen-Times: Dogs Are Unable to Find Lost Hiker, September 28, 1981
- The Knoxville Sentinel News: Search for Hiker Eases: Rangers feel woman no longer in park, October 1, 1981
- Winston Salem Journal: Search for hiker continues, October 1, 1981
- The Charlotte Observer: Female Hiker, 58, still missing in Smokie, October 1, 1981
- Asheville Citizen-Times: Organized Search ends for missing woman, October 6, 1981
- The Charlotte Observer: Terror is when a loved one vanishes in the mountains, November 20, 1981
- Asheville Times: Disappearance Still A Mystery, December 24, 1981
- The Charlotte Observer: Mystery not solved but ending, July 3, 1991
- Find A Grave: Pauline “Polly” McAllister Melton
- 10 News: Appalachian Unsolved: Polly Melton Missing in the Smokies, December 8, 2017
- Investigating Agency: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation 615-744-4000
Episode Music
Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.