Ghost of the Ozarksby Brooks Blevins | |
| Category: |
"Crime and Disaster (non-fiction)" |
|---|---|
| Pages: | 210 |
| Year of Publication: | 2012 |
| Date Added: | 05/29/2023 |
| Date Read: | 01/12/2024 |
| Notes: | In 1929, near Mountain View, Arkansas, teenager Tiller Ruminer claimed that five local men had murdered her fiance, Connie Franklin, burned his body, and raped her. Franklin was missing, some bones were discovered in a fire pit, and the five men were arrested. But before the trial eight months later, something unexpected happened—Connie Franklin turned up. Or did he? Some were sure it was him. Others, including Tiller, were sure it wasn't and claimed the man was an imposter drummed up by the defense. The sheriff went ahead with the trial, but ultimately the jury was convinced it was the same man and returned a not guilty verdict. To this day, nobody is sure exactly what happened. The author concludes (and it makes sense to me), that Tiller and Connie were attacked. Tiller may have been assaulted, and Franklin was driven out of town—either because the men found out he was already married, or because of a feud in the neighborhood, or because of a dispute over moonshine. The dispute, or so it's claimed, also explains why some refused to recognize Franklin when he returned. Franklin was already married. He was several years older than the 23 he claimed to be and had a wife and 4 kids. He had also spent some time in an asylum in Little Rock. So why didn't Tiller recognize him? Most observers thought she was telling the truth. Photo evidence seems to demonstrate that Franklin did look different when he returned—older, more haggard (perhaps due to illness or alcoholism). And maybe the whole situation was such a shock to the girl that she convinced herself that her version was true and did believe it. |
| My Rating: | 6 |
Reviewed by Roger on 2024-01-12 11:32:31
