When millionaire Ann Branson was brutally murdered in a provincial town of Madisonville, Kentucky, the place was baffled.
Who spent a Sunday night in winter overkilling a sweet old woman? Who managed to get in her house without forcing entry? With nothing missing and no evidence left at the scene, could the crime ever be solved? She owned many rental properties, which is how she earned her fortune, but it was hardly a high-risk lifestyle. Eventually the killer was discovered, but not before he fled the United States and was profiled on America's Most Wanted.
There are any number of fascinating news articles on the internet about this crime and how it was solved, but I won't link them because they would ruin the read. Authors Jack and Mary Kinney Branson, the nephew and niece of the victim, have come out with a book about the case. It's Murder in Mayberry: Greed, Death, and Mayhem in a Small Town
The Amazon comments heap on praise for a mystery that at its beginning seemed to have no ready answers. The Louisville Courier-Journal was effusive: "Murder in Mayberry recounts this sordid tale with lean efficiency. The authors -- the victim's nephew and his wife -- do an excellent job of recounting the crime and the life that led to it... Murder in Mayberry kept me up late, and I am still haunted by the identity of the killer and his motives."
We're planning to move to Madisonville so I had to buy the book. Can't wait to read it!
Posted by: Grampa Joe | April 24, 2008 at 09:01 AM
You're killing my bank account, Laura! I've just read "Erased"- it should be required reading for all police officers.
Posted by: Fiz | April 24, 2008 at 02:58 PM
I am trying to reach Ann Branson's family. I want one of them to join me on August 26 to hang a lavender ribbon on the maple tree at the courthouse here in Madisonville. I am asking Donnie Carroll to officially name that tree..'Heather's Lavender Ribbon Tree'. Each ribbon has Matthew 10:26 written on it and each on claims that 'Heather IS Coming Home'. I need the support of other families that have suffered a loss due to a violent crime. Even though Heather is still missing...and because Heather is still missing, I need your support. Hanging a ribbon with me means that you believe with me that Heather IS coming home and that whatever has been hidden will be revealed. Our hearts are broken and I believe there is power in the unity of a broken heart. August 18, at the city council meeting, the mayor is making a proclamation to declare August 26th Heather's Day. I've had him to change the proclamation to...Because of Heather..to honor all victims and their families of violent crime. The lavender ribbon tree is a county issue. The city denied me a tree at the park. Please have someone call me if at all possible. 270-824-8343
Posted by: Sarah Teague | August 02, 2008 at 10:42 AM