Overview

In Laurel, Mississippi, in 1935, a daughter in a wealthy and troubled family stood accused of murdering her mother. On her testimony, authorities arrested an equally prominent and well-to-do businessman, her reputed lover and accomplice. Ouida Keeton apparently shot her mother, chopped her up, and disposed of most of the corpse down the toilet and in the fireplace, burning all but the pelvic region and the thighs. Attempting to dispose of these remains on a one-lane, isolated road, Ouida left a trail of evidence that ended in her arrest. Witnesses had seen her driving there. Within hours, a hunter and his dogs found the body parts and the cloth in which she had wrapped them. Touted as the most sensational crime in Mississippi history at the time, the Legs Murder of 1935 is almost entirely forgotten today. The controversial outcome, decided by an unsophisticated jury, has been left muddled by ambiguity. The Legs Murder Scandal presents an intricately detailed description of the separate trials of Ouida Keeton and W. M. Carter. Having researched trial transcripts, courthouse records, medical files, and vast newspaper coverage, the author reveals new facts previously distorted by hearsay, hushed reports, and misinformation. He pursues many unanswered questions such as what did Ouida Keeton really do with the rest of her mother? The Legs Murder Scandal attempts to provide the reader with clarity in this story, which at once is outlandish, harrowing, and intriguing.

Full Product Details

9781617033001

Table of Contents

Reviews

This is one grisly read from beginning to end. . . . We watch the crime unfold as Cole uncovers one gruesome fact after another. It's easy to see why the trials of Ouida and her lover held the nation spellbound in 1935. Cole has given us a horror story of mythical proportions. --Dean Faulkner Wells, author of Every Day by the Sun: A Memoir of the Faulkners of Mississippi I like this book. A lot. . . . Of dozens of murder mysteries by world-famous writers, none held my attention more than this manuscript did. . . . It's a dazzling read, inherently interesting for its subject matter, for its characters, for its setting . . ., for the author's careful and convincing research, and for his solid, elegant prose. --Noel Polk, author of Outside the Southern Myth A book that has quickly become the talk of the Magnolia State. . . . Indeed, the whole book seems like a movie or miniseries just waiting to be cast. --Noel Holston, Like the Dew: A Journal of Southern Culture and Politics By careful research, leaving no detail unexplored, no stone unturned, Hunter Cole has reconstructed the entire sequence of the murder from start to finish. The reader becomes like the jury--hearing, seeing, and judging. After this conclusive report, no guesses remain as to what exactly took place. . . . [The] book will both attract and draw the reader into its compelling whirlpool of horror. --Elizabeth Spencer, author of The Light in the Piazza and Other Italian Tales Bloody brilliant! You all but walk, drive and smell (gulp) the streets of Laurel, circa 1935, and take a front row seat in the courtroom. The tragedies unfold in page-turning fashion. --Melissa Townsend, editor of Delta Magazine �This is one grisly read from beginning to end. . . . We watch the crime unfold as Cole uncovers one gruesome fact after another. It�s easy to see why the trials of Ouida and her lover held the nation spellbound in 1935. Cole has given us a horror story of mythical proportions.��Dean Faulkner Wells, author of Every Day by the Sun: A Memoir of the Faulkners of Mississippi �By careful research, leaving no detail unexplored, no stone unturned, Hunter Cole has reconstructed the entire sequence of the murder from start to finish. The reader becomes like the jury�hearing, seeing, and judging. After this conclusive report, no guesses remain as to what exactly took place. . . . [The] book will both attract and draw the reader into its compelling whirlpool of horror.��Elizabeth Spencer, author of The Light in the Piazza and Other Italian Tales �I like this book. A lot. . . . Of dozens of murder mysteries by world-famous writers, none held my attention more than this manuscript did. . . . It�s a dazzling read, inherently interesting for its subject matter, for its characters, for its setting . . ., for the author�s careful and convincing research, and for his solid, elegant prose.��Noel Polk, author of Outside the Southern Myth �A book that has quickly become the talk of the Magnolia State. . . . Indeed, the whole book seems like a movie or miniseries just waiting to be cast.��Noel Holston, Like the Dew: A Journal of Southern Culture and Politics �Bloody brilliant! You all but walk, drive and smell (gulp) the streets of Laurel, circa 1935, and take a front row seat in the courtroom. The tragedies unfold in page-turning fashion.��Melissa Townsend, editor of Delta Magazine -This is one grisly read from beginning to end. . . . We watch the crime unfold as Cole uncovers one gruesome fact after another. It's easy to see why the trials of Ouida and her lover held the nation spellbound in 1935. Cole has given us a horror story of mythical proportions.---Dean Faulkner Wells, author of Every Day by the Sun: A Memoir of the Faulkners of Mississippi -By careful research, leaving no detail unexplored, no stone unturned, Hunter Cole has reconstructed the entire sequence of the murder from start to finish. The reader becomes like the jury--hearing, seeing, and judging. After this conclusive report, no guesses remain as to what exactly took place. . . . [The] book will both attract and draw the reader into its compelling whirlpool of horror.---Elizabeth Spencer, author of The Light in the Piazza and Other Italian Tales -I like this book. A lot. . . . Of dozens of murder mysteries by world-famous writers, none held my attention more than this manuscript did. . . . It's a dazzling read, inherently interesting for its subject matter, for its characters, for its setting . . ., for the author's careful and convincing research, and for his solid, elegant prose.---Noel Polk, author of Outside the Southern Myth -A book that has quickly become the talk of the Magnolia State. . . . Indeed, the whole book seems like a movie or miniseries just waiting to be cast.---Noel Holston, Like the Dew: A Journal of Southern Culture and Politics -Bloody brilliant! You all but walk, drive and smell (gulp) the streets of Laurel, circa 1935, and take a front row seat in the courtroom. The tragedies unfold in page-turning fashion.---Melissa Townsend, editor of Delta Magazine This is one grisly read from beginning to end. . . . We watch the crime unfold as Cole uncovers one gruesome fact after another. It's easy to see why the trials of Ouida and her lover held the nation spellbound in 1935. Cole has given us a horror story of mythical proportions. --Dean Faulkner Wells, author of Every Day by the Sun: A Memoir of the Faulkners of Mississippi By careful research, leaving no detail unexplored, no stone unturned, Hunter Cole has reconstructed the entire sequence of the murder from start to finish. The reader becomes like the jury--hearing, seeing, and judging. After this conclusive report, no guesses remain as to what exactly took place. . . . [The] book will both attract and draw the reader into its compelling whirlpool of horror. --Elizabeth Spencer, author of The Light in the Piazza and Other Italian Tales I like this book. A lot. . . . Of dozens of murder mysteries by world-famous writers, none held my attention more than this manuscript did. . . . It's a dazzling read, inherently interesting for its subject matter, for its characters, for its setting . . ., for the author's careful and convincing research, and for his solid, elegant prose. --Noel Polk, author of Outside the Southern Myth A book that has quickly become the talk of the Magnolia State. . . . Indeed, the whole book seems like a movie or miniseries just waiting to be cast. --Noel Holston, Like the Dew: A Journal of Southern Culture and Politics Bloody brilliant! You all but walk, drive and smell (gulp) the streets of Laurel, circa 1935, and take a front row seat in the courtroom. The tragedies unfold in page-turning fashion. --Melissa Townsend, editor of Delta Magazine This is one grisly read from beginning to end. . . . We watch the crime unfold as Cole uncovers one gruesome fact after another. It s easy to see why the trials of Ouida and her lover held the nation spellbound in 1935. Cole has given us a horror story of mythical proportions. Dean Faulkner Wells, author of Every Day by the Sun: A Memoir of the Faulkners of Mississippi By careful research, leaving no detail unexplored, no stone unturned, Hunter Cole has reconstructed the entire sequence of the murder from start to finish. The reader becomes like the jury hearing, seeing, and judging. After this conclusive report, no guesses remain as to what exactly took place. . . . [The] book will both attract and draw the reader into its compelling whirlpool of horror. Elizabeth Spencer, author of The Light in the Piazza and Other Italian Tales I like this book. A lot. . . . Of dozens of murder mysteries by world-famous writers, none held my attention more than this manuscript did. . . . It s a dazzling read, inherently interesting for its subject matter, for its characters, for its setting . . ., for the author s careful and convincing research, and for his solid, elegant prose. Noel Polk, author of Outside the Southern Myth A book that has quickly become the talk of the Magnolia State. . . . Indeed, the whole book seems like a movie or miniseries just waiting to be cast. Noel Holston, Like the Dew: A Journal of Southern Culture and Politics Bloody brilliant! You all but walk, drive and smell (gulp) the streets of Laurel, circa 1935, and take a front row seat in the courtroom. The tragedies unfold in page-turning fashion. Melissa Townsend, editor of Delta Magazine This is one grisly read from beginning to end. . . . We watch the crime unfold as Cole uncovers one gruesome fact after another. It s easy to see why the trials of Ouida and her lover held the nation spellbound in 1935. Cole has given us a horror story of mythical proportions. Dean Faulkner Wells, author of Every Day by the Sun: A Memoir of the Faulkners of Mississippi By careful research, leaving no detail unexplored, no stone unturned, Hunter Cole has reconstructed the entire sequence of the murder from start to finish. The reader becomes like the jury hearing, seeing, and judging. After this conclusive report, no guesses remain as to what exactly took place. . . . [The] book will both attract and draw the reader into its compelling whirlpool of horror. Elizabeth Spencer, author of The Light in the Piazza and Other Italian Tales I like this book. A lot. . . . Of dozens of murder mysteries by world-famous writers, none held my attention more than this manuscript did. . . . It s a dazzling read, inherently interesting for its subject matter, for its characters, for its setting . . ., for the author s careful and convincing research, and for his solid, elegant prose. Noel Polk, author of Outside the Southern Myth A book that has quickly become the talk of the Magnolia State. . . . Indeed, the whole book seems like a movie or miniseries just waiting to be cast. Noel Holston, Like the Dew: A Journal of Southern Culture and Politics Bloody brilliant! You all but walk, drive and smell (gulp) the streets of Laurel, circa 1935, and take a front row seat in the courtroom. The tragedies unfold in page-turning fashion. Melissa Townsend, editor of Delta Magazine This is one grisly read from beginning to end. . . . We watch the crime unfold as Cole uncovers one gruesome fact after another. It's easy to see why the trials of Ouida and her lover held the nation spellbound in 1935. Cole has given us a horror story of mythical proportions. --Dean Faulkner Wells, author of Every Day by the Sun: A Memoir of the Faulkners of Mississippi By careful research, leaving no detail unexplored, no stone unturned, Hunter Cole has reconstructed the entire sequence of the murder from start to finish. The reader becomes like the jury--hearing, seeing, and judging. After this conclusive report, no guesses remain as to what exactly took place. . . . [The] book will both attract and draw the reader into its compelling whirlpool of horror. --Elizabeth Spencer, author of The Light in the Piazza and Other Italian Tales I like this book. A lot. . . . Of dozens of murder mysteries by world-famous writers, none held my attention more than this manuscript did. . . . It's a dazzling read, inherently interesting for its subject matter, for its characters, for its setting . . ., for the author's careful and convincing research, and for his solid, elegant prose. --Noel Polk, author of Outside the Southern Myth A book that has quickly become the talk of the Magnolia State. . . . Indeed, the whole book seems like a movie or miniseries just waiting to be cast. --Noel Holston, Like the Dew: A Journal of Southern Culture and Politics Bloody brilliant! You all but walk, drive and smell (gulp) the streets of Laurel, circa 1935, and take a front row seat in the courtroom. The tragedies unfold in page-turning fashion. --Melissa Townsend, editor of Delta Magazine

Bloody brilliant! You all but walk, drive and smell (gulp) the streets of Laurel, circa 1935, and take a front row seat in the courtroom. The tragedies unfold in page-turning fashion. --Melissa Townsend, editor of Delta Magazine

This is one grisly read from beginning to end. . . . We watch the crime unfold as Cole uncovers one gruesome fact after another. It's easy to see why the trials of Ouida and her lover held the nation spellbound in 1935. Cole has given us a horror story of mythical proportions. --Dean Faulkner Wells, author of <i>Every Day by the Sun: A Memoir of the Faulkners of Mississippi</i></p>

Author Information

Hunter Cole was associate director and marketing manager of the University Press of Mississippi at the time of his retirement in 2003. He lives near Jackson, Mississippi.

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