This post was written by Autumn Carroll (MC ’22) and edited by N. Locklin. By now, we have seen that the grounds on which Ada Wells made her identification were a bit shaky. She was unable to make an immediate identification of Will Sheffey as the attacker, only being able to following a hallucination thatContinue reading “Psychology Experts Face Off”
Monthly Archives: July 2022
The State of TN vs. William D. Sheffey, opening day
As the August 1925, session of the Circuit Court in Blount County, TN, approached, the town was abuzz. The earliest reports were that the Sheffey defense team was hard put to get the state to reveal their evidence prior to its presentation at trial. There was no preliminary hearing. By August 11, it had beenContinue reading “The State of TN vs. William D. Sheffey, opening day”
Pre-trial Debates
In the weeks leading up to Sheffey’s trial, factions developed in the community. Newspapers presented wildly different characterizations of the suspect, depending on who their sources and audience were. The Maryville papers tried to maintain a neutral stance because the community was so divided. Out-of-town papers seemed to run with whatever headline would be mostContinue reading “Pre-trial Debates”
A Community in Chaos
The level of fear generated by the Night Marauder attacks cannot be underestimated. One example of just how rattled people were is the case against Mrs. Odie Leadford. (Sometimes Otis or Ollie, sometimes Ledford) She had two people boarding in the home she shared with her husband Maurice: Amos Dockery and his seven-year-old daughter. TheContinue reading “A Community in Chaos”
The Night Marauder Project 