United States of True Crime: Arkansas: The Most Chilling Cases In All 50 States

United States of True Crime is an anthology series with books devoted to the most disturbing cases in each of the 50 states. This book focuses on 10 of the most chilling crimes in Arkansas history.

The cases included in this book:

Jason Baldwin, Damien Echols, and Jessie Misskelley: Infamously known as the West Memphis Three, the three teenagers were convicted of murdering three eight-year-old boys. After 18 years in prison, all three men were released after the discovery of new DNA evidence and potential juror misconduct.

Mary Lee Orsini: While under investigation for the murder of her third husband, she hired a hitman to execute her lawyer’s wife. Although her motive for the execution is still unclear, she was convicted for both murders.

Travis Lewis: Demented man convicted of murdering two cousins in 1996. Throughout his time in prison, he corresponded with one of his victim’s daughters, maintaining his innocence. Upon his release in 2020, he bludgeoned that daughter of his first victim to death on the same property where he killed her mother and cousin.

Andrew Golden and Mitchell Johnson: Were just 11 and 13 years old, respectively, when they ambushed their school in a savage attack that left five dead and 10 wounded.

Debra Sue Tuggle: Convicted of suffocating her daughter and accused of killing four of her sons over an eight-year period. She disguised her crimes as accidents for years to garner sympathy as a grieving mother.

James Williams: Abducted a young mother from her home while her four-year-old son was in the other room. He was convicted of sexually assaulting, murdering, and dumping his victim three miles from her home.

Texarkana “Phantom Killer”: Still unsolved case of a killer who targeted couples during a 10-week reign of terror in 1946. Eight were attacked and five perished at the hands of the elusive murderer.

Charles Ray Vines: Serial killer who during the day was a well-liked father in his Fort Smith community while he moonlighted as a monster. He raped four women, murdering two of them, and then desecrated the corpses.

Dorthy Jean Matajke: Nurse who abused, robbed, then fatally poisoned multiple of her elderly patients.

Ronald Gene Simmons Sr.: Brutally murdered 14 members of his family, including a child he fathered with one of his own daughters. He then continued his rampage in town, executing two more innocent victims and wounding two others.

If you’re a true crime enthusiast who enjoys hearing about some of the most depraved monsters in our country, you will love United States of True Crime.

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