February 12, 1885 Monroe, Georgia William McGaughey fatally attacks his wife Mollie The attack was in part witnessed by Mollie’s teenaged daughter from a previous marriage. The daughter, Mattie, stated she heard a thump come from a closed room and peeked through a knothole in the wall to investigate. When this proved too difficult to… Continue reading Woman is attacked by husband with knife and axe
Category: Georgia
Two men executed for beating and shootings deaths of elderly couple
February 9, 1940 Reidsville, Georgia James Fisher (alias James Johnson) and Joe Mathis are executed for the murders of an elderly couple during a robbery On September 12, 1939, John E. and Emma Trainer (ages 73 and 72 respectively) were killed in the dining room of their home. The apparent motive was robbery; the couple… Continue reading Two men executed for beating and shootings deaths of elderly couple
Woman kidnapped, buried alive for 83 hours during ransom
December 17, 1968 Decatur, Georgia 20-year-old Barbara Mackle is abducted and buried alive in a ransom attempt Barbara was chosen because her father, Robert Mackle, was a wealthy land developer. A little before 4 a.m., Gary Stephen Krist and Ruth Eisemann-Schier knocked on the motel door belonging to Barbara and her mother Jane Braznell Mackle.… Continue reading Woman kidnapped, buried alive for 83 hours during ransom
Innocent man lynched for the murder of a young teen
August 17, 1915 Marietta, Georgia Convicted murderer and rapist Leo Frank is forcibly removed from his cell and lynched 13-year-old Mary Phagan had left school at the age of 10 to work in factories to help support her widowed mother and five siblings. She earned an income of $0.10 an hour, working 55 hours a… Continue reading Innocent man lynched for the murder of a young teen
Two teens murder the grandparents of one to be together
August 2, 2004 Fayette County, Georgia Holly Harvey (left) and her girlfriend Sandy Ketchum (right) kill Harvey's grandparents On August 2, Ketchum suggested they steal a truck belonging to Harvey's grandfather. Harvey commented "We'll have to kill them first," though she claimed at trial that she "didn't mean nothing by that." Also during trial, when… Continue reading Two teens murder the grandparents of one to be together
