Asbury Respus: North Carolina’s First Serial Killer?

September 30th, 1931. Randelman Road, six miles outside Greensboro, North Carolina.It’s about 9 AM in the morning, and a man passing by notices smoke coming from the Leonard farm. When he rushes to investigate the source of the blaze, he finds that the Leonard home is burning. It’s as he is attempting to save theContinue reading “Asbury Respus: North Carolina’s First Serial Killer?”

Trace Evidence Podcast Releases Episode About Angie Hamby.

Trace Evidence, a podcast I have listened to for quite a while now has released an excellent episode about the disappearance of Angela Gray Hamby from Wilkes county. Steven Pacheco has done an excellent job organizing the information into a coherent narrative, as well as speculating on the possible reasons and people involved in theContinue reading “Trace Evidence Podcast Releases Episode About Angie Hamby.”

Houstonville Moravian Church

Houstonville, North Carolina is a little community on the north end of Iredell county. It hasn’t always been as small as it is now- today it’s most notable feature is a crossroads where a few buildings still sit on NC highway 21, but it’s history is much larger than what that modest little crossroads canContinue reading “Houstonville Moravian Church”

Davis RMC ceases normal hospital operations.

In a move which I am sure will shock many in the local community, Davis Regional Medical Center in Statesville has announced it will be transitioning from a full service hospital to an “inpatient behavioral health hospital”. DRMC is of course the offshoot of the original Davis Community Hospital, an institution near and dear toContinue reading “Davis RMC ceases normal hospital operations.”

The Life of Blum Hiliary Vestal

In preparation for two articles I’m currently working on, I’m uploading a small book about a man named Blum Hiliary Vestal, who will figure prominently in one and to some degree in the other. B.H. Vestal was a prolific evangelist who began his career in the early 1900’s after a miraculous conversion. He travelled inContinue reading “The Life of Blum Hiliary Vestal”

Researchers exhuming the body of “Marshal Ney” in hopes of DNA testing.

The old stories are all new again. Despite all the past efforts and the various learned men and women opining on the matter, it looks like there might finally be conclusive proof as to whether the man who immigrated to America and died in Mocksville was actually one of Napoleon’s most trusted men.Today, French researchersContinue reading “Researchers exhuming the body of “Marshal Ney” in hopes of DNA testing.”

The Bugle Boy Who Was Buried Twice

Thomas Boyd Speaks was born in Union Grove, NC in 1901 to John Peter (J.P.) Speaks and Gillie Lutissen Templeton. Thomas’ father John was a local farmer who lived just off NC-901 and had been in the community his whole life. With a sizeable property of almost 100 acres, he was probably able to keepContinue reading “The Bugle Boy Who Was Buried Twice”