174: The Neverending Staircase, The Death of Kathleen Peterson, PART 2

For the Alday family, May 14th of 1973 started like any other day. The Alday men woke up before sunrise to tend to their family farm, and the Alday women began working on their chores. They plowed the field, planted corn, and ate lunch. Little did they know that, by the end of that afternoon, their lives would be irreparably changed forever. Six members of the Alday family dead. Their farm decimated. Their future destroyed. All because four dangerous men, three of whom were prison escapees, would accidentally stumble upon their modest home in rural Seminole County, Georgia. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Andrea Marshbank Additional writing by Erica Kelley Original Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Edited & Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder of Southern Gothic & Erica Kelley Case suggested by: Tommy, Sandra, Carrie, Terry & Jordie Sources:https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/the-alday-family-massacre This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp online therapy. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/southern and get on your way to being your best self.Cancel your unwanted subscriptions with RocketMoney.com/southernfriedTry Lume, the “whole body deodorant” by going to Lume.com/SFTCGive the “dads” in your life the precious gift of memories, bound in a beautiful keepsake book. Go to StoryWorth.com/southernfried to save $10 on your purchase.

In August of 1952, 43-year-old Ruby McCollum, a black woman, was two months pregnant. The father was a 48-year-old white politician named Dr. Clifford Leroy Adams, Jr. For seven years, Dr. Adams had manipulated, bullied, and raped Ruby. He forced her to bear one of his children already, and this unborn child would be the second. On Sunday, August 3rd, Ruby entered Dr. Adams’ medical practice for help with an ailing shoulder. But when Dr. Adams tried to force himself on Ruby once more, she snapped. And the State of Florida believed she should face the electric chair for it. Sources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/ruby-mccollum Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Andrea Marshbank Additional writing by Erica Kelley Original Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Edited & Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder of Southern Gothic & Erica Kelley Case requested by Rachel, Tracy, and Danita This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp online therapy. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/southern and get on your way to being your best self.Customize the US’s best home security system for your home by going to SimpliSafe.com/southernfried. There’s no safe like SimpliSafe.It’s the 5 year anniversary of the podcast Morbid! Check out their special anniversary series wherever you get podcasts, or early and ad free on Amazon Music or the Wondery app.

On a Friday afternoon, Dr. Rick Lohstroh parked in his ex-wife Deborah Geisler’s driveway waiting to pick up his two sons. It had been a nasty custody battle and their ten year old son, Aaron, had turned completely against his father. Every pickup day was drama. This day it was worse, Deborah and the boys were running late after having to get her car towed and everyone was in a foul mood. While Deborah was helping her seven year old son, Kurt, tie his shoes, Aaron found his backpack and climbed into the back of his dad’s SUV, in the seat directly behind him. In his backpack was a loaded pistol he found in his mother’s closet. What happened next was an unimaginable tragedy. Sources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/dr-rick-lohstroh Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Andrea Marshbank Additional research and writing by Erica Kelley Original Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Edited & Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder of Southern Gothic & Erica Kelley This episode is sponsored by/brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ SOUTHERN and get on your way to being your best self.”

In March 2007, 41-year-old Theresa spent the day moving boxes from her old house to her new apartment. The LaFayette, Georgia 911 dispatcher was leaving her husband. That evening, after seeing her sister, Theresa disappeared without a trace. And local law enforcement kept coming back to the same person: Theresa’s estranged husband, 52-year-old Sergeant Sam Parker of the LaFayette PD. Sam vehemently denied any involvement in Theresa’s disappearance. But he had also bragged for years about how he could kill someone and no one would ever find the body. Sources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/theresa-parker US National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233Canada: visit this website to find the hotline in your areaUK Domestic Abuse Hotline: 0808 2000 247For resources in other countries, visit this website Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Andrea Marshbank Original Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Edited & Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder of Southern Gothic & Erica Kelley This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp online therapy. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp.com/southern and get on your way to being your best self.Give all the “moms” in your life a unique, heartfelt gift you’ll all cherish for years to come. Go to StoryWorth.com/southernfried and save $10 on your first purchaseThe Generation Why podcast has a new, special 4-part series about the horrific story of Kalief Browder. Follow them now on Amazon Music, The Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts.

Just because the police can’t solve a murder doesn’t mean other people won’t find someone to blame. In season 4 of Witnessed: Devil in the Ditch, journalist Larrison Campbell returns to her Mississippi hometown to reexamine one of its most notorious unsolved cold cases – the murder of her grandmother, Presh. What happens when a family and a community suspect one of their own? Subscribe to The Binge to get all episodes of Witnessed: Devil in the Ditch ad-free right now. Click ‘try free’ at the top of the Witnessed: Devil in the Ditch show page on Apple Podcasts to start your free trial or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you get your podcasts.