BY SHELLIE TAYLOR
What in the world is a public library doing hosting a true crime podcast?
Allowing a local history librarian to live her dream, that’s what!
A little over a year ago, Jenny Levins-Hertel, community engagement librarian at the Iredell County Public Library (ICPL), came to me with an idea for the library to host a podcast. She’s always trying to find new ways to promote the library and remind the community that we are here for more than just to provide books. When I asked her what kind of podcast she had in mind, she said true crime but something with history.
I was hooked and immediately agreed to be co-host. As one of the local history librarians at ICPL, I have a passion for researching history and genealogy. As a true crime junkie, I love watching documentaries and listening to podcasts about whodunnit cases. Why not combine those two interests?
That was the birth of the Crimes of the Carolinas podcast.
Dottie Smith, from technical services, is my co-host. Like me, she can spend hours going through true crime files. Together, we unpack the mysteries of western North Carolina from bygone eras involving people who have been forgotten by time.
So far, we have recorded and produced six intense and suspense-filled episodes. On June 2, the first episode of our next season will air.
Recently, the library partnered with WAME Radio. We use their facilities to record each episode. The podcast is now available in video format through WAME and reaches far into western North Carolina through WAME’s partners. We are so excited about this new feature of our library services. Although true crime can be considered a source of entertainment, historical true crime carries a different weight.
As a historian, it’s my job to tell the stories of the past, even if they’re not so pleasant. The people in the stories we tell were part of our community. They have descendants that live among us today. This podcast has become my favorite part of my job, and I’m so encouraged by the support we have received in the short amount of time we’ve been recording.
Crimes of the Carolinas is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast platforms.
Here’s a summary of the first six episodes:
Episode 1 – Until Death Do Us Part
The 1883 and 1912 cases involving Mary Minish and Netta White Harrison, respectively, bring a whole new meaning to the phrase “until death do us part.” These women killed their husbands, and this episode explores the motives and aftermath of the crimes.
Episode 2 – Murder in the Mountains
On a cold January morning in 1937, 16-year-old Elva Brannock went missing. After a few days of searching, her body was discovered only yards away from her schoolhouse. Alleghany County’s only unsolved murder has captivated audiences for decades with a long list of potential suspects and the ever-lingering question of why.
Episode 3 – Brother Against Brother
Guerrilla warfare ruled with an iron fist in the mountains of North Carolina during the Civil War. Unfortunately, for many families, the war didn’t end in 1865. Feuds continued into the next decade, turning brother against brother, and creating legends that live on today.
Episodes 4 & 5 – Murder, Trains, and Social Injustice
A family was brutally murdered in Salisbury in 1906. Three daughters escaped the horrible fate that met their parents and siblings, but this case turned into much more than an isolated crime. Amid political and racial tensions, which had hit a peak in North Carolina, three men were lynched for the crime. More than a century later, research indicates that the murder actually might have been part of a series of crimes committed by one of America’s earliest serial killers.
Episode 6 – The Woman in the Well
One of Iredell County’s most infamous unsolved murder cases involves the death of Lue Cree Overcash Westmoreland, whose body was discovered in a well on the family property. Chris Stonestreet joins the podcast to discuss this crime, which he has been researching since 2008. Theories abound and we will probably never know what exactly happened that night in 1937, but we are keeping Lue Cree’s memory alive.