This post is based on a piece written by N. Locklin. It was edited by Katelyn Compton (MC ’24). Dora Davis and Will Sheffey spent most of their teens living a mere few houses away from one another near Seymour, Tennessee. The two were known to be close acquaintances; they went to high school togetherContinue reading “The Murder of Dora Davis”
Author Archives: Nancy Locklin
Who was Will Sheffey?
Written by Scotty Leach (MC ’23) based on research compiled by N. Locklin. Within the quiet, peaceful town of Maryville lay the College Hill Historic District. From Goddard to Waller Avenue, this humble area of Blount County lies along with all of its historic memories of its past. The land across from the district isContinue reading “Who was Will Sheffey?”
The Emery Letter
Based on a piece written by N. Locklin. Edited by Luke Nelson (MC ’24). John M. McCampbell was the Sheriff of Blount County, TN, from September 1922 to 1924 in his first term in office. During those years, the Sheriff maintained something approaching an obsession with the Night Marauder, determined to catch the fiend andContinue reading “The Emery Letter”
The Crime Wave shifts to Blount County
Based on a piece written by Nancy Locklin, edited by Cooper Harrison (’22). The Blount Country crimewave began on June 15, 1922, when Miss Mary McCampbell awoke to a man with a pistol and a flashlight in hand. She was the matron of the Blount County Children’s Home and was checking on the residents. TheContinue reading “The Crime Wave shifts to Blount County”
John Honeycutt–A Killer or a Star-Crossed Lover?
This post was written by contributor Allie Maynard (MC’24). The post was edited by N. Locklin. John Honeycutt was a local man of the Knoxville area. A simpleton if you will, he had the simple everyday life of the 1915 era he’d go to work, come home, drink a little and repeat. He was aContinue reading “John Honeycutt–A Killer or a Star-Crossed Lover?”
A Ripple Across the Month
This post was written by contributor Rae Fox (MC’23). The post was edited by N. Locklin. The morning of November 7, 1921 was met with fear and sorrow. The newspapers of the following day announced four possible homes that had been invaded or attempted to be. All four homes were off of West View Ave.Continue reading “A Ripple Across the Month”
Rookie Mistake, or, Why It’s a Bad Idea to Surprise a Woman Holding a Hatchet
The Night Marauder project was recently honored by a visit from criminologist Lee Mellor, and he had so much to teach us about the killer. Dr. Mellor made reference to the frantic events in which the intruder ran from one unsuccessful attack to another within a neighborhood. Sometimes, the event wouldn’t end until the MarauderContinue reading “Rookie Mistake, or, Why It’s a Bad Idea to Surprise a Woman Holding a Hatchet”
The Purpose of Terror
Even if most of Knoxville was no longer interested in the Night Marauder, he did not need to terrorize the whole city to achieve his aims. He really only needed his victims to be terrified. His next attack, however, would revive the city’s attention while also traumatizing the only witness for the rest of herContinue reading “The Purpose of Terror”
The World Goes On
If there was tension in Knoxville after the Night Marauder attacks in May 1921, you couldn’t tell so from the Knoxville Sentinel. As in all good urban papers, every issue included a mix of international, national, and local news alongside advice and pop culture gossip. There was a good amount of farm-related news, acknowledging thatContinue reading “The World Goes On”
Changing the Pattern or Inspiring Copycats?
In preparation for a case in Blount County in 1924, a private investigator attempted to create the definitive list of every Night Marauder attack since 1919. We have alluded to him before, especially when the original reports of an incident did not line up with what witnesses later told the P.I. In some of theseContinue reading “Changing the Pattern or Inspiring Copycats?”
The Night Marauder Project 