In this anniversary episode of Crimes of the Carolinas, Shellie is joined by guest a new guest co-host to navigate a major transition and dive into one of Iredell County's darkest historic true crime cases.

What are the odds that three brothers from the same family would commit the exact same horrific crime?

In this spine-chilling episode of Crimes of the Carolinas, hosts Shellie Taylor (Iredell County’s local history librarian) and Dottie (technical services maven) unpack the disturbing, real-life saga of the Wall family. Between 1944 and 1949, a dark shadow fell over Iredell County, North Carolina, as three brothers—Ralph, Russell, and Jay Wall—each ended an argument by shooting and killing their wives.

The community was left reeling. Was it a supernatural curse? A bizarre hereditary sleep disorder? Or was it chillingly calculated?

But the mystery doesn't end with a string of tragic murder-suicides. Years after Russell Wall supposedly fled into the rural North Carolina woods to turn the gun on himself, whispering rumors began to trickle back to the sheriff's office: Russell might still be alive. Join Shellie and Dottie as they dig through the archives to trace an incredible multi-state manhunt, an undercover FBI operation, and a boastful stranger in an Alabama bar that blew a historical true-crime case wide open.

Listen now to uncover how a local tragedy spawned a national investigation, and decide for yourself if it was fate, a curse, or pure malice.

Join us as we dive into the Westmoreland murder case with special guest Chris Stonestreet.

Hosts Shelly and Dottie of Crimes of the Carolinas are back with the conclusion of a two-part case set in Salisbury, North Carolina.

The episode focuses on the theory that the brutal Lyerly family murders were the work of a train-hopping serial killer active during the time period. Learn the full theory, possible connected cases, and suspects.

Hosts Shelly and Dottie of Crimes of the Carolinas introduce a two-part case set in Salisbury, North Carolina.

On the night of July 13, 1906, at Barbara Junction, Isaac Lyerly (68), his third wife Augusta Barringer, and two children, nine-year-old John and five-year-old Alice, were beaten to death in their home, which was also set on fire.

The episode focuses on how the investigation quickly became a racially driven “witch hunt,” placing suspicion on nearby Black sharecroppers Jack Dillingham and wife Della and the Gillespie family amid North Carolina’s post–Civil War backlash against Reconstruction.

00:00 Welcome Back

00:56 Friday the 13th, 1906: The Lyerly Family Murders at Barbara Junction

02:23 Addie’s Discovery

04:29 From Investigation to Witch Hunt

06:09 Reconstruction to Backlash

13:11 Propaganda & the Press

19:58 The Grandfather Clause: Literacy Tests, Poll Taxes, and Disenfranchisement

24:43 1906 Fallout Begins

26:48 Media Narratives and Finger-Pointing

27:17 How Early News Framed the Lyerly Girls’ Escape

28:28 Sympathy vs. Suspicion

30:40 Arrests After the Murders

34:49 Defense Warnings, Officials’ Pleas, and a Growing Mob

39:14 The Lynching and Propaganda

44:54 Aftermath and Reckoning

48:58 Alternate Suspects & What’s Next

In episode three of the Crimes of the Carolinas, we delve into guerrilla warfare in Western North Carolina during the Civil War. This episode explores the guerrilla tactics used by both Union and Confederate sympathizers, the strain on small mountain communities, and how political divisions and familial loyalties created deep-seated bitterness and violence that continued well into the Reconstruction era.

In the second episode of the Crimes in the Carolinas podcast hosted by librarians Shellie Taylor and Dottie Smith, we'll delve into the unsolved 1937 murder of 16-year-old Elva Brannock in Allegheny County, North Carolina. The episode covers the initial discovery of Elva's body, the subsequent investigation, the primary suspects—including local moonshiners and a man named Paul Edwards—and the community's response. 

Special insights are provided by Julie Gibson, a retired captain from the Iredell County Sheriff's Office. The hosts also discuss the societal and forensic challenges of the investigation in the 1930s and speculate on potential conspiracy theories and the possibility of utilizing modern DNA testing to solve the case. The episode concludes with a preview of an upcoming discussion on guerrilla warfare during the Civil War in North Carolina.

00:00 Introduction and Hosts
00:58 Setting the Scene: Murder in the Mountains
01:15 The Investigation Begins
03:16 Discovery of Elva's Body
04:50 Suspects and Community Reactions
07:20 Law Enforcement and Forensic Challenges
15:45 New Evidence and Arrests
23:59 Paul Edwards: A Suspicious Character
27:36 Paul Edwards and Lonnie Wright: Suspects Under Scrutiny
29:23 The Arrest of Estelle Moxley
30:38 Frank Murphy's Chilling Confession
35:57 Eyewitness Testimonies and Community Reactions
44:41 Theories and Speculations: Was There a Cover-Up?
50:30 Conclusion and Next Episode Preview

Access the blog article about this episode here.

Crimes of the Carolinas 01: Till Death do us Part

Welcome to the first episode of the new Crimes of the Carolinas podcast hosted by true crime enthusiasts Shelly Taylor and Dottie Smith. In this debut episode, our hosts delve into the historical true crimes of Mary Minish and Netta White Harrison. Both women murdered their husbands, leading to significant legal and social ramifications. They explore details surrounding Minish's 1883 ax murder in Union Grove and Harrison's shooting incident in 1912 after suffering from severe mental instability. The episode also touches on the conditions and controversies in mental health institutions during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Timestamps:
00:00 Welcome to the New Crimes of the Carolinas Podcast
01:00 Introduction to Female Killers
02:25 The Case of Mary Minish
03:43 Mary Minish's Time in the Asylum
05:27 The Scandal at Dorothea Dix Hospital
08:11 The Case of Netta White Harrison
10:26 Netta's Mental Health and Legal Battles
15:51 Reflections on Historical Mental Health Care
20:07 Preview of the Next Episode

Access the corresponding blog post and transcript for this episode on our website.

The Crimes of the Carolinas podcast is a production of the Iredell County Public Library. We are committed to delivering content that is both educational and captivating, and strive to present information that is as accurate as the historical records allow.