Southern True

Gloria Burtzlaff feared for her life one day back in April of 1991 when her abusive husband, Larry, drunk and violent, slapped her, hit her, and began pelting her with glasses. After he tried to drown her in a tub, she got the family shotgun and confronted him in his underwear. “Larry, I’m going to kill you,” she declared. Defense lawyers would later claim he lifted a glass as if to say, “Have at it, sister.” Have at It, Sister is a true-crime tale about Gloria, a South Dakota woman who shot her abusive husband and was put on trial in a precedent-setting case.

The term “serial killer” was first introduced in the 1970s by FBI Agent Robert Ressler. Shortly after joining the FBI in 1970, he was recruited to join the newly developed Behavioral Science Unit where he became fascinated with the psychology behind violent offenders. He wanted to better understand the motive behind a murder – what caused the person to act out in such a way, and what similarities these individuals shared. Ressler recognized that most offenders knew their victims, but there was a certain type of killer that picked their victims at random, and often killed multiple ...

Of the hundreds of murder cases that noted South Carolina attorney Dick Harpootlian has prosecuted, one in particular haunts him. Donald "Pee Wee" Gaskins was a serial killer and rapist, a master manipulator who claimed to have killed over 100 people and is known to have murdered over a dozen. Yet it was on Death Row that he pulled off his most audacious murder—killing another inmate with a military grade explosive. As personable as he was ruthless, Pee Wee defied easy categories. He killed to avenge minor slights as well as for pleasure, using any convenient method.

The sprawling highways and quiet small towns of Texas hide a dark and brutal history. Beyond the headlines and whispered local legends lie the definitive, blood-curdling stories of the state's most horrifying crimes. True Crime - Gore in Texas is not for the faint of heart. This meticulously researched anthology rips open the case files on the Lone Star State's most infamous and psychologically disturbing criminals. From the sadistic "Candy Man" Dean Corll to the shocking acts of family annihilators and the cold, calculated slayings of cartel hitmen, these accounts detail the manhunts that ...

In 1960, nineteen-year-old, Bruce Olson, with only 72.00 and a one way ticket to Venezuela, embarked on a lifetime of adventure. In this short eBook, a 20-30 minute read, you will get a glimpse into the Motilone Miracle, which transformed an entire tribe and many other tribes as well, in Columbia and beyond.

Blood in the Soil is the first book about the investigation into the shooting of Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt and his country attorney in Gwinnett County, Georgia, in 1978. But this book is not primarily about Larry Flynt, or even his shooter (the serial killer Joseph Paul Franklin), though both men are of course important characters in the story. This true account is told alternately from the perspective of Detective J. Michael Cowart and by following Franklin's life from childhood through his execution.

Ghost Stories of the Appalachian Trail: 30 Chilling Tales of Real Hauntings and Legends The Appalachian Trail winds through some of America's most rugged and mysterious wilderness — and not everything lurking in the woods can be explained. In this spine-tingling collection, explore 30 short stories inspired by real events, ghostly encounters, and chilling Appalachian folklore. From vanished hikers and phantom lights to haunted hollows and ancient curses, each story will leave you wondering what's hiding just beyond the next bend in the trail. Whether you're a believer, a skeptic, or ...

Three full-length true crime books in one disturbing collection — for less than the price of two. From bestselling author Logan Carter comes a dark and gripping omnibus that dives into obsession, Southern mayhem, and bizarre real-life crimes. True Crime: Disturbing includes three complete books, offering over 250 pages of shocking stories and criminal psychology — all for just $5.99 (each book sold separately at $2.99). Book 1: True Crime – Obsession Crimes fueled by obsession, fantasy, and desire gone wrong. These are the killers who couldn’t let go—and the victims who paid the ...

From celebrated New York Times best-selling author and winner of the Pulitzer Prize Rick Bragg comes a poignant and wryly funny collection of essays on life in the South. Keenly observed and written with his insightful and deadpan sense of humor, Bragg explores enduring Southern truths about home, place, spirit, table, and the regions' varied geographies, including his native Alabama, Cajun country, and the Gulf Coast.

The Scott/Amundsen race to the South Pole in 1911 is a legendary outdoor misadventure that has captured the imaginations of people the world for over a century. The lessons chronicled in True South are poignant – the difference between getting back and starving - determined by leadership.

🔪 Murder, Mystery, and Legends from the Heart of the Mountains 🔪 The Ozarks hold more than breathtaking landscapes—they hide secrets soaked in blood. Across Arkansas and Missouri, small towns and winding highways have been the hunting grounds of killers whose crimes remain unsolved. Legends have formed around these dark events, leaving behind whispered warnings and restless ghosts of the past. Inside True Crime: Ozarks, you’ll discover: 🩸 The Highway’s Harvest – A forgotten serial killer stalked the roads of northwest Arkansas, preying on hitchhikers and vanishing without a...

Bestselling travel writer Richard Grant “sensitively probes the complex and troubled history of the oldest city on the Mississippi River through the eyes of a cast of eccentric and unexpected characters” (Newsweek). Natchez, Mississippi, once had more millionaires per capita than anywhere...

NATIONAL BESTSELLER An enormously engaging portrait of a most beguiling Southern city: “Elegant and wicked.... [This] might be the first true-crime book that makes the reader want to book a bed and breakfast for an extended weekend at the scene of the crime." —The New York Times Book...

Dive into the enigmatic depths of the Big Easy's eerie past with "Southern Ghost Stories: New Orleans." Embark on a chilling journey through the shadowy streets and mysterious corners of one of America's most haunted cities. Unveil the haunted history that has woven itself into the very fabric of New Orleans, where whispers of the past echo through time. In this captivating chronicle, you'll encounter the spirits that still linger in the aftermath of deadly fires, cholera, and yellow fever outbreaks. Explore the haunted history of historic buildings that stand as witnesses to the past, ...

In this book, former South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) forensic photographer Lt. Rita Y. Shuler recounts twenty-eight days of terror and shocking developments in one of the most notorious double murders and manhunts in South Carolina history. Shuler shares her own personal interactions with some of the key players in this famous manhunt and investigation. Also included are Bell's chilling calls from area phone booths to the Smith family, along with his disconcerting interviews and bizarre actions in the courtroom.

Based on a remarkable true story. Winter, 1969. Since she was a little girl, Catarina learned not to ask for much. Born to a family of corn farmers in rural south Brazil, she was happiest when she was surrounded by sprawling fields and burly, familial farmhands—until her family was driven out of the land they had worked diligently for years, and Catarina was sent to work for a wealthy family in São Paolo. Only ten years old, Catarina becomes a housemaid—and the lifeline of her family. Far from everyone and everything she’d ever known, she discovers the shocking gap between her life ...

Weird but True Stories from South American History: Bizarre, Shocking, and Unbelievable Tales from the Continent of Wonders takes readers on a thrilling journey through the most surprising, eerie, and astonishing true events in South America's past. From ancient lost cities swallowed by jungle to the sacred child mummies left high in the Andes, this book uncovers ten bizarre but historically verified tales that showcase the strange brilliance of the continent’s history. Each chapter explores a unique story backed by real evidence, providing a captivating blend of mystery, archaeology, ...

The Louisiana bayou hides more than gators. Something bigger watches from the trees. In Bigfoot: Welcome to the Bayou, best-selling author Ethan Blackwood dives deep into real sightings, terrifying encounters, and the enduring folklore of Bigfoot in the swamps of Louisiana. From the legendary Honey Island Swamp Monster to modern reports of glowing eyes and guttural growls in the Atchafalaya Basin, these 25 chilling stories explore the darker side of the American South. Hunters vanish without a trace. Footprints appear in the mud — too big for any man. And something massive moves beneath ...

He left home on the farm in Illinois, looking for adventure. What he found would change the course of his short life. In 1925, Ted Coggeshall was a young farmer from small-town Illinois - caring, hard-working, and restless. With the open road ahead, he set out to see the South, chasing sunshine and adventure. But what followed may have been one of the most notorious miscarriages of justice the nation has ever seen. A local drifter with mob ties—Sam “Slim” Scarborough—cut a deal to save his own neck, accusing Ted and his friend of murdering a retired schoolmaster. Circumstantial ...

On an August night in 1994, French counterespionage officers seized the world's most wanted terrorist from a villa in the Sudan. After more than two decades on the run, Carlos "the Jackal" had finally been caged. For years he had murdered and bombed his way to notoriety, evading capture thanks to powerful backers and the blunders of Western secret services. Jackal is the definitive biography of this self-proclaimed "professional revolutionary", ladies man, and cold-blooded killer.