She Left a Downton Abbey Watch Party… Then Was Found Murdered in Her Own Home: The Kate Ragsdale Mystery

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On February 16, 2013, 73-year-old Kate Ragsdale followed a routine she rarely broke. After dinner, she met friends to watch her favorite show, Downton Abbey. At around 9:15 p.m., a friend watched her pull into her driveway in Tuscaloosa’s quiet Highlands neighborhood.

No one saw her alive again.

A week later, worried neighbors entered Kate’s home and discovered her body on the bedroom floor. The beloved retired University of Alabama librarian had been brutally murdered.

Investigators quickly realized this was no ordinary burglary. Jewelry and electronics were untouched. The home wasn’t ransacked. Only a single filing cabinet appeared disturbed. Kate had been bound with items from inside the house and violently attacked, leaving behind a crime scene that still baffles investigators more than a decade later.

Join Arlene and Leah as they delve into Kate's story, suspects, and theories.

If you have information about this case, contact Tuscaloosa Crime Stoppers at 205-752-7867.

Sources & Further Reading

• Tuscaloosa News: Investigators Still Hopeful in Kate Ragsdale Case
  
  
• WVTM13: Retired UA Librarian’s Murder Still Unsolved
  
  
• Patch: Who Killed Kate? The UA Librarian Murder Mystery
  
  
• WBRC: Two Years Later – Investigation Continues
  
  
• WVUA23: Five Years Later the Case Remains Unsolved
  
  
• Tuscaloosa News Photo Timeline of the Case
  
  
• ABC 33/40: Investigation Continues Years Later
  
  
• WVUA23: Eight Years Later – Still No Arrest
  
  
• AL.com: Initial 2013 Coverage of the Killing
  
  
• AL.com: $20,000 Reward Announced in Case
  
  
• Find a Grave: Katharine Raney Ragsdale
  
  

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