Crime Capsule

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Chapel Hill has seen its share of violence and murder, but it has been able to push those instances aside and keep the ambiance of a Norman Rockwell–style small town. A walk through the campus of the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill can be inspiring, but the school has a darker side that has been well hidden. Over the years, there have been many murders that have taken place among the oak trees and in the dorms and frat houses on campus. Many of the murders are unsolved and remain mysteries to this day. The victims know the truth, though, that evil has no boundaries. Local historian Rick Jackson narrates the mysteries of one of North Carolina’s quaintest towns. Rick Jackson is a native North Carolinian who grew up in Durham and now lives with his family in Wake Forest, just outside Raleigh. He currently teaches business and economic courses to high school students after spending many years in banking and finance in various positions. He has always had a passion for history and the stories of the people that lived it. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Campbell University and an MBA from The University of Mount Olive. PURCHASE HERE

Chapel Hill has seen its share of violence and murder, but it has been able to push those instances aside and keep the ambiance of a Norman Rockwell–style small town. A walk through the campus of the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill can be inspiring, but the school has a darker side that has been well hidden. Over the years, there have been many murders that have taken place among the oak trees and in the dorms and frat houses on campus. Many of the murders are unsolved and remain mysteries to this day. The victims know the truth, though, that evil has no boundaries. Local historian Rick Jackson narrates the mysteries of one of North Carolina’s quaintest towns. Rick Jackson is a native North Carolinian who grew up in Durham and now lives with his family in Wake Forest, just outside Raleigh. He currently teaches business and economic courses to high school students after spending many years in banking and finance in various positions. He has always had a passion for history and the stories of the people that lived it. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Campbell University and an MBA from The University of Mount Olive. PURCHASE HERE

Untangle the complex conspiracy that led to the tragic deaths of Charlotte Kay Elliott and Kevin Edwin Frase on the banks of the Rio Grande. On the night of July 13, 1980, a hitman fired a high-powered rifle into the crowd at Pepe's On the River, an outdoor bar in Mission, Texas. He missed his target, a witness in the Loop 360 drug case, but killed two young bystanders. While state court prosecutions for capital murder inexplicably faltered, a federal court gave the assassin a life sentence for attempted murder of a grand jury witness. A member of the judge's staff who was present throughout the trial, author John W. Primomo revisits the dramatic twists and turns surrounding this murder on the Rio Grande. John W. Primomo served twenty-nine years as a U.S. magistrate judge for the Western District of Texas in San Antonio. He previously authored two books: The Appomattox Generals: The Parallel Lives of Joshua L. Chamberlain, U.S.A., and John B. Gordon, CSA, Commanders at the Surrender Ceremony of April 12, 1865 (2013) and Architect of Death at Auschwitz: A Biography of Rudolf Höss (2020). For thirty-plus years, he has volunteered with Camp Discovery, a summer camp in south Texas for children with cancer. He is also the president of the nonprofit corporation that operates Camp Discovery and several other camps for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families throughout the year. Purchase HERE

Untangle the complex conspiracy that led to the tragic deaths of Charlotte Kay Elliott and Kevin Edwin Frase on the banks of the Rio Grande. On the night of July 13, 1980, a hitman fired a high-powered rifle into the crowd at Pepe's On the River, an outdoor bar in Mission, Texas. He missed his target, a witness in the Loop 360 drug case, but killed two young bystanders. While state court prosecutions for capital murder inexplicably faltered, a federal court gave the assassin a life sentence for attempted murder of a grand jury witness. A member of the judge's staff who was present throughout the trial, author John W. Primomo revisits the dramatic twists and turns surrounding this murder on the Rio Grande. John W. Primomo served twenty-nine years as a U.S. magistrate judge for the Western District of Texas in San Antonio. He previously authored two books: The Appomattox Generals: The Parallel Lives of Joshua L. Chamberlain, U.S.A., and John B. Gordon, CSA, Commanders at the Surrender Ceremony of April 12, 1865 (2013) and Architect of Death at Auschwitz: A Biography of Rudolf Höss (2020). For thirty-plus years, he has volunteered with Camp Discovery, a summer camp in south Texas for children with cancer. He is also the president of the nonprofit corporation that operates Camp Discovery and several other camps for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families throughout the year. Purchase HERE

In 1988, Judge Joe O’Kicki was regarded by many of his peers as one of the most brilliant legal minds in the country. Newly remarried and sworn in as the president judge of Cambria County, he had ambitions for a seat on a federal bench. But a state police vice unit was in the midst of a covert investigation into O’Kicki’s personal affairs. He was accused of soliciting bribes, protecting illegal gambling interests and running the county as if it was his personal fiefdom. When he was found guilty on corruption charges and set to serve jail time, he fled to central Europe, becoming an international fugitive. Using courtroom testimony, contemporary interviews and excerpts from O’Kicki’s unfinished memoir, author Bruce Siwy freshly examines the extraordinary case that captured headlines across the state and nation. Bruce Siwy has a bachelor’s in journalism from the University of Pittsburgh and is employed as the managing editor of the Daily American newspaper in Somerset. His résumé includes Associated Press Managing Editors and Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association Professional Keystone Media awards in the spot news, sports column writing, sports, business, investigative reporting, column, enterprise reporting and podcast categories. He lives in Western Pennsylvania with his wife and kids. You can follow him on Twitter at @BruceSiwy. Purchase HERE

In 1988, Judge Joe O’Kicki was regarded by many of his peers as one of the most brilliant legal minds in the country. Newly remarried and sworn in as the president judge of Cambria County, he had ambitions for a seat on a federal bench. But a state police vice unit was in the midst of a covert investigation into O’Kicki’s personal affairs. He was accused of soliciting bribes, protecting illegal gambling interests and running the county as if it was his personal fiefdom. When he was found guilty on corruption charges and set to serve jail time, he fled to central Europe, becoming an international fugitive. Using courtroom testimony, contemporary interviews and excerpts from O’Kicki’s unfinished memoir, author Bruce Siwy freshly examines the extraordinary case that captured headlines across the state and nation. Bruce Siwy has a bachelor’s in journalism from the University of Pittsburgh and is employed as the managing editor of the Daily American newspaper in Somerset. His résumé includes Associated Press Managing Editors and Pennsylvania NewsMedia Assocation Professional Keystone Media awards in the spot news, sports column writing, sports, business, investigative reporting, column, enterprise reporting and podcast categories. He lives in Western Pennsylvania with his wife and kids. You can follow him on Twitter at @BruceSiwy. Purchase HERE

Join Crime Capsule for a detailed account of the recently concluded Alex Murdaugh trial. Author Michael M. DeWitt Jr. was on hand for the trial and he will give us insights he learned throughout the case. Hampton County was carved from Beaufort County during the turmoil of Reconstruction and named for Gov. Wade Hampton, who personally laid the cornerstone for the county courthouse in 1878. The county's rich soil, abundant rivers, and lush pine forests make it a paradise for farmers and sportsmen. Locally manufactured products from Plywoods-Plastics Corporation were used on World War II battlefields, in Navy atomic submarines, and even in NASA space missions. The Hampton County Watermelon Festival, which has been held annually since 1939, is the state's oldest continuing festival, and it boasts the longest parade: 2.4 miles that encompasses two towns. The vintage photographic collection of Hampton County captivates readers with the history, hard work, natural beauty, and Southern charm of this Lowcountry community. Author Michael M. DeWitt Jr., an award-winning journalist, humorist, and columnist, is currently the editor of the 135-year-old Hampton County Guardian. He is the humor columnist and a contributing writer for South Carolina Wildlife magazine and has volunteered as a co-playwright for four seasons of Salkehatchie Stew, a five-county historical folk play project. With photographs from local historians, museums, and private collections, DeWitt shares the history of his colorful native county with a journalist's eye for detail and a storyteller's sense of humor.

Join Crime Capsule for a detailed account of the recently concluded Alex Murdaugh trial. Author Michael M. DeWitt Jr. was on hand for the trial and he will give us insights he learned throughout the case. Hampton County was carved from Beaufort County during the turmoil of Reconstruction and named for Gov. Wade Hampton, who personally laid the cornerstone for the county courthouse in 1878. The county's rich soil, abundant rivers, and lush pine forests make it a paradise for farmers and sportsmen. Locally manufactured products from Plywoods-Plastics Corporation were used on World War II battlefields, in Navy atomic submarines, and even in NASA space missions. The Hampton County Watermelon Festival, which has been held annually since 1939, is the state's oldest continuing festival, and it boasts the longest parade: 2.4 miles that encompasses two towns. The vintage photographic collection of Hampton County captivates readers with the history, hard work, natural beauty, and Southern charm of this Lowcountry community. Author Michael M. DeWitt Jr., an award-winning journalist, humorist, and columnist, is currently the editor of the 135-year-old Hampton County Guardian. He is the humor columnist and a contributing writer for South Carolina Wildlife magazine and has volunteered as a co-playwright for four seasons of Salkehatchie Stew, a five-county historical folk play project. With photographs from local historians, museums, and private collections, DeWitt shares the history of his colorful native county with a journalist's eye for detail and a storyteller's sense of humor.

Tune in next week for a brand new episode of Crime Capsule featuring auth Michael DeWitt Jr. and his cover of the Alex Murdaugh trial. Author Michael M. DeWitt Jr., an award-winning journalist, humorist, and columnist, is currently the editor of the 135-year-old Hampton County Guardian. He is the humor columnist and a contributing writer for South Carolina Wildlife magazine and has volunteered as a co-playwright for four seasons of Salkehatchie Stew, a five-county historical folk play project. With photographs from local historians, museums, and private collections, DeWitt shares the history of his colorful native county with a journalist's eye for detail and a storyteller's sense of humor.

Former SLED employee, Rita Shuler, joins Crime Capsule to discuss the latest in the Murdaugh Murder trial. Retired Special Agent, Lieutenant Rita Y. Shuler, of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is also the author of The Lowcountry Murder of Gwendolyn Elaine Fogle: A Cold Case Solved. Lieutenant Rita Y. Shuler was supervisory special agent of the Forensic Photography Department of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) for twenty-four and a half years. She interfaced with the Attorney General’s Office, solicitors and investigators, providing photographic evidence assistance in the prosecution of thousands of criminal cases. Her interest in photography started as a hobby at the age of nine with a Kodak “Brownie” camera. Before her career as a forensic photographer, she worked in the medical field as a radiologic technologist for twelve years. Her interest in forensic science evolved when she X-rayed homicide victims to assist with criminal investigations. Shuler received her specialized law enforcement photography training at the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy in Columbia, South Carolina, and the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. She holds a special love for the South Carolina Lowcountry and enjoys walking, beaching, crabbing, fishing and shark tooth hunting. She resides in Johns Island, South Carolina. Purchase her book HERE

Next week Crime Capsule discusses the latest on the Murdaugh murder trial.

Espionage played a vital role during the American Revolution in Rhode Island. The British and Americans each employed spies to discover the secrets, plans and positions of their enemy. Continental navy lieutenant John Trevett dressed as an ordinary sailor, grew out his beard and went from tavern to tavern in Newport gathering intelligence. Metcalf Bowler became a traitor on the order of Benedict Arnold, as he spied for the British while serving as a Patriot leader in Providence. Disguised as a peddler, Ann Bates spied for the British during the Rhode Island Campaign. When caught, one spy paid with his life, while others suffered in jail. Author Christian M. McBurney, for the first time, unravels the world of spies and covert operations in Rhode Island during the Revolutionary War. After growing up in Kingston, Rhode Island, and attending Brown University, Christian McBurney now resides in the Washington, D.C., area. He is an independent historian whose work emphasizes the Revolutionary War and Rhode Island. Please visit www.christianmcburney.com for more information. PURCHASE HERE

In Civil War Columbia, South Carolina, no women were more gossiped about than Amelia Feaster and her teenage daughter, Marie Boozer. The Philadelphia-born Feaster, a widow three times before her thirty-first birthday, aided the Union war effort from her home, while Marie became infamous for her beauty and vanity. For over a century, scandalous tales of these women have been published across the nation, linking them to rich and powerful men both at home and abroad. Historian Tom Elmore sorts through the many myths and legends--involving such things as adultery, decapitation and the Russian tsar's jewels--about Feaster and Boozer to present the first fact-based biography of these two nineteenth-century tabloid queens. Historian Tom Elmore grew up in Columbia, South Carolina, where he heard countless tales and legends about life in the city during the Civil War. Elmore holds a BA in history and political science from the University of South Carolina. He is the author of "Columbia Civil War Landmarks, " published by The History Press, and "A Carnival of Destruction, Sherman's Invasion of South Carolina, " as well as numerous articles in regional and national publications. PURCHASE HERE

Tune in next week for a brand new episode with author Tom Elmore...

In 1778, two years after the British forced the Continental Army out of New York City, George Washington and his subordinates organized a secret spy network to gather intelligence in Manhattan and Long Island. Known today as the “Culper Spy Ring,” Patriots like Abraham Woodhull and Robert Townsend risked their lives to report on British military operations in the region. Vital reports clandestinely traveled from New York City across the East River to Setauket and were rowed on whaleboats across the Long Island Sound to the Connecticut shore. Using ciphers, codes and invisible ink, the spy ring exposed British plans to attack French forces at Newport and a plot to counterfeit American currency. Author Bill Bleyer corrects the record, examines the impact of George Washington’s Long Island spy ring and identifies Revolutionary War sites that remain today. Bill Bleyer was a prize-winning staff writer for Newsday, the Long Island daily newspaper, for thirty-three years before retiring in 2014 to write books and freelance for the newspaper and magazines. He is coauthor, with Harrison Hunt, of Long Island and the Civil War (The History Press, 2015). He is the author of Sagamore Hill: Theodore Roosevelt’s Summer White House (The History Press, 2016), The Fire Island Lighthouse: Long Island’s Welcoming Beacon (The History Press, 2017) and Long Island and the Sea: A Maritime History (The History Press, 2019). The Long Island native has written extensively about history for newspapers and magazines. In 1997–98, he was one of four Newsday staff writers assigned full time to “Long Island: Our Story,” a year-long daily history of Long Island that resulted in three books and filled hundreds of pages in the newspaper. His work has been published in Civil War News, Naval History, Sea History, Lighthouse Digest and numerous other magazines, as well as in the New York Times, Chicago Sun-Times, Toronto Star and other newspapers. Bleyer graduated Phi Beta Kappa with highest honors in economics from Hofstra University, where he has been an adjunct professor teaching journalism and economics. He earned a master’s degree in urban studies at Queens College of the City University of New York. An avid sailor, diver and kayaker, he lives in Bayville, Long Island. PURCHASE HERE

In 1778, two years after the British forced the Continental Army out of New York City, George Washington and his subordinates organized a secret spy network to gather intelligence in Manhattan and Long Island. Known today as the “Culper Spy Ring,” Patriots like Abraham Woodhull and Robert Townsend risked their lives to report on British military operations in the region. Vital reports clandestinely traveled from New York City across the East River to Setauket and were rowed on whaleboats across the Long Island Sound to the Connecticut shore. Using ciphers, codes and invisible ink, the spy ring exposed British plans to attack French forces at Newport and a plot to counterfeit American currency. Author Bill Bleyer corrects the record, examines the impact of George Washington’s Long Island spy ring and identifies Revolutionary War sites that remain today. Bill Bleyer was a prize-winning staff writer for Newsday, the Long Island daily newspaper, for thirty-three years before retiring in 2014 to write books and freelance for the newspaper and magazines. He is coauthor, with Harrison Hunt, of Long Island and the Civil War (The History Press, 2015). He is the author of Sagamore Hill: Theodore Roosevelt’s Summer White House (The History Press, 2016), The Fire Island Lighthouse: Long Island’s Welcoming Beacon (The History Press, 2017) and Long Island and the Sea: A Maritime History (The History Press, 2019). The Long Island native has written extensively about history for newspapers and magazines. In 1997–98, he was one of four Newsday staff writers assigned full time to “Long Island: Our Story,” a year-long daily history of Long Island that resulted in three books and filled hundreds of pages in the newspaper. His work has been published in Civil War News, Naval History, Sea History, Lighthouse Digest and numerous other magazines, as well as in the New York Times, Chicago Sun-Times, Toronto Star and other newspapers. Bleyer graduated Phi Beta Kappa with highest honors in economics from Hofstra University, where he has been an adjunct professor teaching journalism and economics. He earned a master’s degree in urban studies at Queens College of the City University of New York. An avid sailor, diver and kayaker, he lives in Bayville, Long Island. PURCHASE HERE

Join us for the 50th episode of Crime Capsule....coming soon!

Cape Cod has a rich tradition of local lore, stretching back to a time before the Pilgrims arrived. Ancient Wampanoag legends like Granny Squannit and Princess Scargo are as familiar as tales of pirates and explorers, including "Black Sam" Bellamy and Donald Baxter Macmillan. Felines often blocked "Cat's Alley" in pursuit of food from fishermen's boats. The remnants of Billingsgate Island can be seen at low tide, and visits from Jenny Lind and Helen Keller contrast with the mysterious stories of the "Lady of the Dunes" and New England's Dark Day. Author Robin Smith-Johnson shares historic tales of shipwrecks, murders, hauntings and more from the Cape. Robin Smith-Johnson works as the newsroom librarian at the Cape Cod Times and teaches in the English department at Cape Cod Community College. She holds English degrees from Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, and Bowling Green State University in Ohio, and she is the author of a book of poetry titled Dream of the Antique Dealer's Daughter (Word Poetry, 2013). PURCHASE HERE

On December 26, 1910, Oscar Chitwood lay lifeless on the courthouse lawn in Hot Springs, his wrists shackled together and his body torn by bullets. The deputies on the scene claimed that masked men had lynched their prisoner and that the lawmen were innocent bystanders to the carnage. Newspapers everywhere proclaimed this killing another example of vigilantism run rampant. Within days, however, the official story fell apart, and these deputies were charged with cold blooded murder. Authors Guy Lancaster and Christopher Thrasher tell the little-known story of accused outlaw Oscar Chitwood, the authorities he dared defy and the mysterious resort town of Hot Springs, a place where the Wild West met the epitome of civilization and where the boundaries between lawman and outlaw were never all that clear. Christopher Thrasher earned his doctorate in American history from Texas Tech University. In 2015, Thrasher published his first book, Fight Sports and American Masculinity: Salvation in Violence from 1607 to the Present. He published his second book, Suffering in the Army of Tennessee: A Social History of the Confederate Army of the Heartland from the Battles for Atlanta to the Retreat from Nashville, in 2021. Guy Lancaster holds a PhD in heritage studies from Arkansas State University and currently serves as the editor of the online Encyclopedia of Arkansas, a project of the Central Arkansas Library System. He has authored, coauthored or edited several books on the history of violence in Arkansas, including American Atrocity: The Types of Violence in Lynching (2021). Purchase the book HERE