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Southern Mysteries Podcast

Southern Mysteries Podcast

By: Shannon Ballard
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 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?Copyright 2017 . All rights reserved. Social Sciences True Crime World
Episodes
  • Episode 183 The Vanishing of Virginia Carpenter

    Episode 183 The Vanishing of Virginia Carpenter
    Feb 2 2026

    In June 1948, 21-year-old Mary Virginia Carpenter left Texarkana for college in Denton, Texas. She was last seen after a taxi dropped her near Brackenridge Hall at Texas State College for Women. The letter she promised her mother never came, and neither did Virginia. More than 70 years later, her disappearance remains one of Denton’s quiet, enduring mysteries.

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    Episode Sources

    • Denton Record‑Chronicle. Coverage of the disappearance of Virginia Carpenter. https://dentonrc.com
    • Texarkana Gazette. Reporting on the Carpenter case and related community response. https://www.texarkanagazette.com
    • Texas Woman’s University Libraries, Special Collections. Historical information on TSCW campus life and 1940s dorm policies. https://twu.edu/library/special-collections/ (twu.edu in Bing)
    • Texas Rangers Hall of Fame and Museum. Background on Ranger Lewis C. Rigler and investigative practices. https://www.texasranger.org
    • The Charley Project. “Mary Virginia Carpenter.” https://charleyproject.org/case/mary-virginia-carpenter (charleyproject.org)
    • The Doe Network. Case File 1198DFTX. https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1198dftx.html (doenetwork.org in Bing)
    • Unsolved Mysteries Wiki. “Virginia Carpenter.” https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Virginia_Carpenter
    • Texas Monthly. “The Phantom Killer.” https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/the-phantom-killer/
    • FBI Vault. Archival documents related to mid‑20th‑century missing persons investigations. https://vault.fbi.gov
    • Newspapers.com. Digitized historical newspapers used for timeline verification. https://www.newspapers.com
    • Ancestry.com. U.S. Census and public records consulted for background verification. https://www.ancestry.com

    Episode Music

    Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.
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    23 mins
  • Episode 182 Buried Alive on Edisto Island The Legend of Julia Legare

    Episode 182 Buried Alive on Edisto Island The Legend of Julia Legare
    Jan 19 2026
    Off the coast of South Carolina, on Edisto Island, a mausoleum at the back of an old churchyard has become the center of one of the state’s most persistent ghost stories. The name “Legare” is carved over the entrance, and for generations people have whispered that a young woman named Julia was buried alive inside. This episode follows the legend to the historical record and asks what we can really know about the woman whose name turned a family tomb into one of South Carolina’s most talked-about hauntings. Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can 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 🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists. 📱 Follow on Social Media: Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast TikTok @southernmysteries Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: southernmysteriespodcast@gmail.com Episode Sources "Tomb of Julia Legare." South Carolina Picture Project. https://www.scpictureproject.org/charleston-county/tomb-of-julia-legare.html"The Legend of Julia Legare." Edisto Beach. https://edistobeach.com/the-legend-of-julia-legare/"Presbyterian Church on Edisto Island." South Carolina Picture Project. https://www.scpictureproject.org/charleston-county/edisto-island-presbyterian.htmlJaime Rubio. "The True Legend of Julia Legare – Fact vs Fiction." Dreaming Casually, Aug. 7, 2014. https://dreamingcasuallypoetry.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-true-legend-of-julia-legare-fact-vs.html"Julia Georgiana Seabrook Legare (1829–1852)." Find a Grave memorial 65651815. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/65651815/julia-georgiana-legare"Hugh Swinton Legare (1847–1854)." Find a Grave memorial 65655039. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/65655039/hugh-swinton-legare"Presbyterian Church on Edisto Island Cemetery." RootsWeb transcription https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~cemphoto/history/sc/charleston/edisto/scehmedtall.html"Julia Georgianna (Seabrook) Legaré (1829–1852)." WikiTree profile Seabrook-911. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Seabrook-911"Julia Georgiana Seabrook (1829–1852)." FamilySearch. https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/M4KR-51C/julia-georgiana-seabrook-1829-1852"William Seabrook (1773–1836)." FamilySearch. https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LKLK-T93/william-seabrook-1773-1836"Robert Chisholm Seabrook (1821–1852)." FamilySearch. https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/MZJY-FBZ/robert-chisholm-seabrook-1821-1852"Seabrook Plantation – Edisto Island – Charleston County." .https://south-carolina-plantations.com/charleston/seabrook.html"Cassina Point Plantation." South Carolina Picture Project. https://www.scpictureproject.org/charleston-county/cassina-point-plantation-2.htmlHistoric Houses of South Carolina. J. H. Easterby et al. (PDF). https://archive.org/download/historichousesof00leid/historichousesof00leid.pdf"The South Carolina Historical and Genealogical Magazine, Vol. XVII." (PDF). https://www.carolana.com/SC/eBooks/SCHGM/The_South_Carolina_Historical_and_Genealogical_Magazine_Volume_XVII.pdf"James Hopkinson Papers, 1847–1921." ArchiveGrid / WorldCat summary. https://researchworks.oclc.org/archivegrid/archiveComponent/41963032"Slaves of James Hopkinson (1810–1875), South Carolina." https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Slaves_of_James_Hopkinson_%281810_-_1875%29%2C_South_Carolina"1865 List of Abandoned Plantations, Edisto Island, South Carolina." https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:1865_List_of_Abandoned_Plantations_Edisto_Island%2C_South_Carolina"Records of the Assistant Commissioner for the State of South Carolina, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands – Berwick Legare, Edisto Island." Smithsonian NMAAHC Freedmen’s Bureau Digital Records. https://nmaahc.si.edu/freedmens-bureau/record/fbs-1662423774659-1662426204172-3"Lowcountry Ghost Stories." South Carolina Lowcountry Tourism. https://southcarolinalowcountry.com/lowcountry-ghost-stories/"Old Churchyard Cemetery" brochure, Parish Church of St. Helena, Beaufort (PDF). https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/09fbc323/files/uploaded/Churchyard%20Brochure-website.pdf"Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor." National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/places/gullah-geechee-cultural-heritage-corridor.htm"Port Royal Experiment." South Carolina Lowcountry Tourism. https://southcarolinalowcountry.com/beaufort-the-port-royal-experiment/"Emancipation Day: The Freed People of Port Royal." South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium.https://www.scseagrant.org/emancipation-day-the-freed-people-of-port-royal/ Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.
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    26 mins
  • Episode 181 The Crimes of Winona Spriggs

    Episode 181 The Crimes of Winona Spriggs
    Dec 22 2025

    In the summer of 1924, a railroad worker was found dead near tracks in Little Rock. Weeks later, his wife was found dead in another state. What followed was a series of headlines that pointed to one woman—Winona Spriggs. Her name would appear again and again over the next fifty years, linked to crime, escape, and murder. This is the story of a family broken, and of the woman who never stopped running.

    Join the Community on Patreon

    Want more Southern Mysteries? You can 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

    🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries

    Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists.

    📱 Follow on Social Media:

    Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast Instagram: @southernmysteries Email: southernmysteriespodcast@gmail.com

    Episode Sources

    • Arkansas Gazette (Little Rock, AR), 1924–1974
    • Arkansas Democrat (Little Rock, AR), 1924–1954
    • The Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK), 1924–1954
    • Tulsa Tribune (Tulsa, OK), 1924–1948
    • Miami News-Record (Miami, OK), August 1946
    • The Salinas Californian (Salinas, CA), 1953–1954
    • The San Bernardino Sun (San Bernardino, CA), October–November 1974
    • The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, WA), March 16, 1954
    • Associated Press (AP) wire reports, 1924–1954
    • Pulaski County Circuit Court records (Arkansas)
    • Oklahoma criminal investigation records (Miami, OK)
    • California Superior Court records (Salinas, CA), 1954
    • Arkansas State Penitentiary records and parole files
    • Oklahoma Department of Corrections records
    • California Department of Corrections records
    • U.S. Census records (1910, 1920, 1930, 1940)
    • Marriage and divorce records for Winona Spriggs / Winona Green / Winnie Ola Freeman
    • Death records for J.R. Green, Lena Green, Robert Sheldon Wilkinson, Harold Jonassen, and Winnie Ola Freeman
    • Library of Congress, Chronicling America newspaper archive
    • Newspapers.com archival database
    • Ancestry.com historical records
    • Unknown Misandry blog: “Winnie Ola Freeman (Winona Green): The Cat Woman” (2014)

    Episode Music

    Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.
    Show More Show Less
    23 mins
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