Blanket of Silence: Ruby McCollum

When 54-year-old Judi Beunoano was executed by the State of Florida on March 30th of 1998, she was widely known as Florida’s Black Widow. And that’s because, over the course of 12 years, Judi had made attempts on the lives of these four innocent men: James Edgar Goodyear, Bobby Joe Morris, Michael Arthur Goodyear, and John Wesley Gentry II. Two husbands, one fiancé, and one son. No one was safe from Judi. For all of Judi’s victims, she collected - or would have collected - huge amounts of money as the beneficiary of multiple life insurance policies. Judi needed a way to pay for her lavish lifestyle. Eventually, Judi would pay the ultimate price. 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 & Erica Kelley Sources: Sponsors for this episode: Today’s show is sponsored by Newspapers.com - my biggest resource for the show. Use the code "SOUTHERNFRIED” at checkout to get 20% off a Publisher Extra Subscription!Not just any podcast, but Our True Crime Podcast This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/2975465/advertisement

By the 1960s, organized crime gangs were well and truly already becoming a presence across the north of the United States, as underworld figures fought for sole control over highly lucrative gambling, illegal alcohol, and prostitution rings. Down south, things were done a slightly different way. But even though one criminal network in particular didn’t have a strict code, this didn’t make them any less dangerous. Based out of Biloxi, MI, they soon monopolized the control of many illicit activities across numerous states where big profits could be made, but only by those willing to be uncompromisingly ruthless. This is the history of the Dixie Mafia. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Gemma Harris Original Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Edited & Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder & Erica Kelley Sources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/the-dixie-mafia Suggested reading: ‘Wicked Phenix City’ by Faith Serafin, ‘Last Gangster in Austin’ by Jesse Sublett, ‘The Twelfth of August: The Story of Buford Pusser’ by W.R. Morris, and of course, ‘Mississippi Mud, Southern Justice, and the Dixie Mafia’ by Edward Humes. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/2975465/advertisement

In 1987, a circuit court judge and his wife, a former city council woman, who wanted to be mayor, were murdered in their home in Biloxi, Mississippi. It was obviously a professional hit. Vincent Sherry was a former criminal defense attorney who had defended members of the Dixie Mafia. Now, he was putting criminals away. Margaret Sherry was a fiery republican in a public slap fight with the current democratic mayor. She wanted to clean up the Biloxi strip of seedy night clubs and gambling, which of course, the Dixie Mafia ran. And she wanted to expose corruption in city hall. Who was the real target? It was a conspiracy that would take four years and the determination of their oldest daughter to unravel. Written, hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched by Haley Gray & Erica Kelley Edited by Chaes Gray Case Suggestion by listeners: Casey Porter, Eileen Mace & Drew Stuart Suggested Reading: Mississippi Mud: Southern Justice & The Dixie Mafia by Edward This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/2975465/advertisement

Thursday, October 13th of 1994 was a big day for New Orleans. On one side of town, their new police superintendent, Richard Pennington, was being sworn into office. On the other side of town, a beloved mother of three was being murdered. This mother was 32-year-old Kim Marie Groves. As a result of Kim’s unfortunate death at the hands of dirty police officers, the New Orleans Police Department’s rampant corruption would be exposed, and Superintendent Pennington’s reign as the head of the NOPD would be forever changed. 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 Sources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/kim-groves Sponsors for this episode: 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.Go to SimpliSafe.com/southernfried and save 20% on your home security system when you sign up for Fast Protect Monitoring. There’s no safe like SimpliSafe.Go to Proactiv.com now and use the exclusive promo code southernfried to get 20% off your first order! Proactiv, Taking the guesswork out of clearing skin since 1995. This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/2975465/advertisement

In 1927, a young woman met a violent end in a Chattanooga hotel. Reports on how she came to her death are mixed, but the legend of her gruesome story persists almost 100 years later, and for good reason. The tragic young woman’s spirit is said, along with the ghosts of many others, some from the Civil War era, to haunt not only the room where she died but the entire establishment where she spent her final days. Fire, flood, a near-duel, and an infamous mobster are all part of the colorful, yet macabre and paranormal legend of the south’s longest continuously running - though still magnificent - hotel. This is the history of Annalisa Netherly and the Read House in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Hosted and produced by Erica Kelley Researched and written by Gemma Harris Original Graphic Art by Coley Horner Original Music by Rob Harrison of Gamma Radio Edited & Mixed by Brandon Schexnayder & Erica Kelley Sources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/annalisa-netherly To enter the lottery for a night in room 311: https://www.thereadhousehotel.com/311-package/ This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/2975465/advertisement