True Crime Podcasts To Get You Through Quarantine | Part One


We are going through a bit of a tough time right now and one of the things that is essential for our mental wellbeing is relaxation and one of the things that I like to do when I'm chilling out or relaxing in a bubblebath, is listening to true crime podcasts.

There's a few which are my favourites but I have since discovered some more which I have listed below. I sent out a tweet on my Twitter page last night and I got a fantastic response, there were so many amazing podcast links that I will have to create a second post to cover them all so if you don't find your podcast here, keep your eyes peeled for a future post.

As much as it is important to keep up with the news of what is going on, it's also important to switch it off and have a breather, too much negative news can put a real strain on you and cause anxiety to rise, so, turn off the news, grab some tea, some munchies, relax on the sofa and get stuck into these podcasts below....




I will be including some more in a second post. I will also be having my own podcast in the future. Hope you enjoy listening to these fantastic podcasts and if there is any you love and want to recommend, please leave them in the comments below and I will include them in part two.

Stay home, stay safe x

If you enjoy my weekly true crime posts and would like to subscribe to my weekly personal posts as well as other extras, please check out my Ko-Fi page. You can also make a one-off donation or select one of my monthly subscription tiers. All info is in my profile on my Ko-fi page, any questions, please email me at: caledoniankblog@yahoo.co.uk 

All of my social media links are here, you can also keep up to date with my latest true crime posts here

Special shoutout to my top tier monthly subscribers on my Ko-Fi page:

- Shilo, please check out his incredible guitar skills on his Twitter and Youtube channel.

- Jean Nicolas, follow him on Twitter and Instagram

- Michael, follow him on Instagram

These guys are amazing and I thank them all so much for their support.

Check out some of the true crime cases I have covered previously:

The Babes In The Wood (Epping Forest, 1970) | Ronald Jebson

The Deadly Cougar? | The Jimmie Sue Finger Story | 2 Part Series

The Story of Ed Gein (3 Part Series)

Infamous Murderers On Death Row, Their Last Words & Last Meals

The Real Buffalo Bill & His House Of Horror | Gary Michael Heidnik

Playing With Fire: Mick & Mairead Philpott 

What Happened To The Petit Family?

The Most Evil Cult Leader In History? | Roch Theriault

The Truck Stop Serial Killer 

Deadly Lust: The Pamela Smart Story 

The Dark & Haunting History of Overtoun Bridge 

The Stuff Of Nightmares | The Toy Box Killer: David Parker Ray

Beyond Evil: The Murder of Jessica Lunsford 

Death Row Scot: The Kenny Richey Story: Part One

Death Row Scot: The Kenny Richey Story: Part Two

Death Row Scot: The kenny Richey Story: Part Three

Don't Talk, Just Listen...The Weepy Voiced Killer

Amityville | The DeFeo Murders

What Really Happened To Mavis Bran? 

Nowhere To Run: The Marilyn McKenna Story | Part One

 Unsolved : Part Three: The Highway Of Tears & The Disappearance Of Maddy Scott 

Unsolved: Part Two | What Happened To Melanie Melanson? 

- Unsolved: Part One | Molly Bish & Holly Piirainen 

The Dark Side of The Internet: The Amanda Todd Story 

The Story of Bible John

























Quarantine, endless cups of coffee and true crime with Jo



Every now and then I like to do a Q&A post on my blog as a little bit of a change and to perk things up a little as you know we are having a really difficult time right now. I was sent some very interesting questions, some of which are too naughty to post here so the answers to those questions will (Q&A part two) be sent out to my top tier subscribers (for all info on my tiers and weekly personal posts, see my Ko-Fi page).

Don't forget to check out the cases I have covered (they will be listed at the end of this post) and you can find me on Twitter: @CaledonianKitty / @CaledonianTweet as well as Instagram and elsewhere on social media.

If you enjoy my weekly content, please consider buying me a coffee or becoming a regular subscriber where you can gain access to my weekly personal posts, monthly newsletter etc.

Soooo, let's get stuck into these questions!

Q1, How does it feel staying inside all of the time?


To be honest, I'm a bit of a hermit when I'm not working, dancing or shopping. I love just relaxing at home.


Q2, Describe how you are feeling right now?


I go through a mixture of emotions every day since we found out about all of this. I get waves of panic and then there's times when I feel hopeful and optimistic about getting a vaccine and seeing an end to this but I know we have a tough road ahead.

Q3, How long do you think this will go on for?

I'm not an expert and judging by how careless some people have been (still attending pubs, hanging out in large groups etc), I think it will continue to grow. We were hoping that people would stay indoors to help either slow down the virus or stop it completely. I have no idea, it could be months or even until the end of the year. I think we can kiss goodbye to spring and summer, possibly next winter too. 



Q4, What are you doing to keep you sane?


Well, the funny thing is...I seem to always be busy doing something at home, work related or blog related. I'm working out and dancing at home cause I can't get to the studio right now. I enjoy reading, researching and watching horror movies.


Q5, Last movie you watched?


28 Days Later.



Q6, Do you think you will ever travel again after what's happened with the pandemic?


Yes, I have lots of plans to travel in the future, obviously I wll be extra careful but there are a few places I dream about going to and I think that people should keep positive thoughts like this in their minds, especially at this time. We need something to work towards, to think positive about.



Q7, What is your favourite make-up brand?


I love Dior and Max Factor. I have so much make-up from all high end to high street.


Q8, Are you reading any books at the moment?


I'm currently reading 'A British History of Serial Killing' by the fantastic Prof David Wilson.


Q9, What perfume are you wearing right now?


I've actually got two on, Wonderlust by Michael Kors and Bamboo by Gucci.


Q10, Will your write more serial killer cases, I love how you put them together?


I have a list of serial killers and I will be including more on my blog, stay tuned!




Q11, Favourite thing to order from McDonald's?

Veggie burger, strawberry milkshake and FRIES with ketchup!!! (awwww, I want some right now!!! I love fries and ketchup). Sometimes, If I'm really hungry, I'll buy a doughnut for dessert. I just heard today that McDonald's is closing until further notice because of Covid-19.

Q12, Do you have any advice for anyone who's having a hard time in isolation?


Just try to relax as much as possible, do a lot of reading, binge watch your favourite shows or movies. Have long, relaxing bubblebaths and showers. Try cooking different things. Plan for the future and sort out things in your house. Things are difficult right now but it won't be like this forever.


Q13, Is there a serial killer you won't write about?


Probably Ted Bundy because I think everyone and their mother knows his story and there's so many books, docus and movies about him.


Q14, What are you drinking right now?


Chamomile, Vanilla and Manuka Honey tea. I drink that a lot, especially right now to help relax me.


Q15, Which movies are you planning on watching next?


I'm not sure, but I fancy doing a binge on the 4 Psycho movies one night. I actually love all of them and fancy just making some popcorn and getting lost in the movies.




Hope you enjoyed my Q&A post, check out my latest cases below and if you're interested in checking out part two (where all the NSFW 18+ questions & answers are), see my Ko-Fi page for more details.


Stay safe, stay strong, keep indoors as much as possible, keep your distance from people, wash your hands and take care of yourself. We will all get through this!


See you in the next post x x x x 


If you enjoy my weekly true crime posts and would like to subscribe to my weekly personal posts as well as other extras, please check out my Ko-Fi page. You can also make a one-off donation or select one of my monthly subscription tiers. All info is in my profile on my Ko-fi page, any questions, please email me at: caledoniankblog@yahoo.co.uk 

All of my social media links are here, you can also keep up to date with my latest true crime posts here

Special shoutout to my top tier monthly subscribers on my Ko-Fi page:

- Shilo, please check out his incredible guitar skills on his Twitter and Youtube channel.

- Jean Nicolas, follow him on Twitter and Instagram

- Michael, follow him on Instagram

These guys are amazing and I thank them all so much for their support.

Check out some of the true crime cases I have covered previously:

The Babes In The Wood (Epping Forest, 1970) | Ronald Jebson

The Deadly Cougar? | The Jimmie Sue Finger Story | 2 Part Series

The Story of Ed Gein (3 Part Series)

Infamous Murderers On Death Row, Their Last Words & Last Meals

The Real Buffalo Bill & His House Of Horror | Gary Michael Heidnik

Playing With Fire: Mick & Mairead Philpott 

What Happened To The Petit Family?

The Most Evil Cult Leader In History? | Roch Theriault

The Truck Stop Serial Killer 

Deadly Lust: The Pamela Smart Story 

The Dark & Haunting History of Overtoun Bridge 

The Stuff Of Nightmares | The Toy Box Killer: David Parker Ray

Beyond Evil: The Murder of Jessica Lunsford 

Death Row Scot: The Kenny Richey Story: Part One

Death Row Scot: The Kenny Richey Story: Part Two

Death Row Scot: The kenny Richey Story: Part Three

Don't Talk, Just Listen...The Weepy Voiced Killer

Amityville | The DeFeo Murders

What Really Happened To Mavis Bran? 

Nowhere To Run: The Marilyn McKenna Story | Part One

 Unsolved : Part Three: The Highway Of Tears & The Disappearance Of Maddy Scott 

Unsolved: Part Two | What Happened To Melanie Melanson? 

- Unsolved: Part One | Molly Bish & Holly Piirainen 

The Dark Side of The Internet: The Amanda Todd Story 

The Story of Bible John

























The Babes In The Wood (Epping Forest, 1970) | Ronald Jebson

(From left: Susan Blatchford and Gary Hanlon. Right: Ronald Jebson) 

Ronald Jebson has to be one of the most sickest and most evil people I have ever read about or researched. He was a monster and in his own words he told the police ''I'm an animal, I will screw any little girl. I don't care who she is or who's daughter she is.'' 

This case is very disturbing and involves the sexual assault and murder of children so please be aware. I can understand if you would like to skip this post. 

Before I get into it, I just want to mention that I have changed the tiers on my Ko-Fi page where I post my weekly personal posts as well as pictures and updates. Check out my profile on there for more details. You can also find me on Instagram as well as elsewhere on social media. 

If you enjoy my weekly posts and would like to help me maintain my blog, please consider buying me a coffee or signing up for a subscription here

I don't think there's a word in the English dictionary to describe how evil Ronald Jebson was. He was born in 1939 and was an adopted child who had an abusive childhood. He would grow up to be one of the most disgusting and evil paedophiles the UK has ever seen.

He was obsessed with children and in 1968, he was jailed for sexually assaulting a 6 year old girl. He spent just two years behind bars. It would have been better for everyone if they had locked him up and thrown away the key but they let him out back onto the streets in 1970 and it didn't take him long to strike again.

In 1970, he was to commit another disgusting and evil crime which would go unsolved for 30 years. Ronald abducted two children, Susan Blatchford (11) and Gary Hanlon (12) and took them to a copse in Epping Forest, England. There, he subjected them to the most horrifc nightmare, he raped and strangled both children before leaving their bodies in the copse with their arms around each other. 

Because of the condition of the area where the children were left, it was very hard to get access to them. Their parents were beside themselves with worry and the police together with volunteers searched high and low for the children. A lot of mistakes were made early on in this investigation and one of them was down to police officers who'd taken dogs to that area and were said to have found nothing at the time.

Ronald was arrested by police but not for the murder of Susan and Gary, he was arrested for sexually assaulting an 11 year old boy and sentenced to three years in prison. 

During the search for Susan and Gary the police interviewed nearly 15,000 people and searched over 4,000 houses and garages. The lead investigator of the case was the legendary, Leonard ''Nipper'' Read who was previously responsible for the conviction and downfall of the famous London gangsters, The Kray Twins.

78 days after the children had gone missing, their bodies were found. The bodies were badly decomposed and animals had been around them. It must have been a horrifc sight for the man who had discovered the bodies as he was out walking his dog.

Because of the condition of the bodies and the lack of forensics that we have now, it was very difficult to establish what happened to Gary and Susan. because of the way the bodies were found with their arms around each other, the press nicknamed the case ''Babes In The Wood'' which often gets mixed up with another case which occurred 16 years later (2 nine year old girls were murdered in a park in Brighton, their killer, Russell Bishop was originally acquitted but later found guilty in 2018 in a second trial).

Gary and Susan's family refused to take the explanation by the police that the children had simply fallen asleep and died of hypothermia. Items of the children's clothing were missing and there was no way they would run away from home, especially as the weather had been freezing and they had no money or food on them, they weren't even wearing warm enough clothes. 

For years the families battled to try and keep the case open but it seemed the police had forgotten them and the case slipped away. Gary and Susan's mothers struggled to get through the days, weeks and years, not knowing what really happened to their children and knowing that the person who murdered them was out there somehwere getting away with it. 

In 1973, Ronald was out of prison again and went to stay at his childhood friend's (Robert Papper) house. Robert lived with his wife and 6 children. Ronald became fixated on his 8 year old daughter, Rosemary and one day he kidnapped the little girl from school. The poor child trusted him and knew him as ''Uncle Ron''.

He sexually assaulted the little girl before strangling her and dumping her body. He was jailed for life in 1974 and his connection to the 'Babes In The Woods' murders was still not known.

30 years later whilst Ronald Jebson was serving his life sentence in the maximum high security prison in Wakefield, England (nicknamed, Monster Mansion) he made a phonecall to the police claiming to have some information about the Babes In The Woods murders.

The police did a series of interviews with him in which he claimed that the children were murdered by the parents of his victim, Rosemary Papper. It was a sickening accusation to make and the police could see though his sick mind games.

Ronald Jebson thought he was clever and above other people, even the police, He had no respect or feeling for anyone. Like I mentioned at the beginning of the post, he described himself as an animal, a monster which is probably about the only true thing he ever said in his life. The police used the interviews to try and get as much information out of Ronald as they could which included his thoughts and actions as a disgusting paedophile.

Ronald Jebson told the police that he would target a child and pretend to be a nice old man, he'd pretend that he knew the child and ask them if they wanted some sweets from the shop. The child would pick their sweets and to Ronald, this was their ''payment''. He told police that the sweets were payment for the sexual abuse that was about to occur. The interviews are very distirbing and I take my hat off to the police officers who had to sit across the table and keep their cool as he sat there and bragged about raping children.

Obviously his accusation against the parents of Rosemary Papper came to nothing and he was found guilty again and was give another two life sentences.

A few years later, he ended up confessing to the murders and the police took him back to where Gary and Susan's bodies were found. He refused to go into the woods, claiming that he was superstitious and felt the ghosts of Gary and Susan.


Ronald Jebson died at the age of 76 in April of 2015 from kidney failure. He had the best treatment and care in his final months. In a final act of disrespect against the families of his victims, he demanded that they not be notified of his death as he didn't ''want to give them the satisfaction of knowing he was dead''.  The press found out about a week later and it was in the newspapers that the families found out.

Ronald Jebson was every parent's and child's worst nightmare and one of the most evil individuals to have walked this earth.

My heart goes out to the familes of his victims and to the familes that had to wait 30 years to find out what had really happened to their children. It was even worse for them when the details of what he actually did to them was revealed. I didn't want to put the full details here because they are very disturbing but at one point during the ordeal as Susan was being raped, 12 year old Gary tried his best to stop him and protect Susan to which Ronald struck the child and then sexually assaulted him.

Ronald's disgusting actions destroyed the lives of so many children and their families, this was a man (I don't even think he deserved to be called a man) who brought nothing but pain, suffering and misery to this earth and I just wish that he could have been put away years ago so that no children were ever harmed.

It's a horrible and heartbreaking case.

RIP to Gary, Susan and Rosemary.

Thank you for reading my latest true crime case, see you in the next one x

Further reading & sources:

Ronald Jebson | Independent Newspaper Article
Ronald Jebson | Murderpedia
Babes In The Wood | BBC News
Ronald Jebson | Real Crime Documentary
Babes In The Wood | Wikipedia

If you enjoy my weekly true crime posts and would like to subscribe to my weekly personal posts as well as other extras, please check out my Ko-Fi page. You can also make a one-off donation or select one of my monthly subscription tiers. All info is in my profile on my Ko-fi page, any questions, please email me at: caledoniankblog@yahoo.co.uk 

All of my social media links are here, you can also keep up to date with my latest true crime posts here

Special shoutout to my top tier monthly subscribers on my Ko-Fi page:

- Shilo, please check out his incredible guitar skills on his Twitter and Youtube channel.

- Jean Nicolas, follow him on Twitter and Instagram

- Peter, follow him on Twitter and Instagram

- Michael, follow him on Instagram

These guys are amazing and I thank them all so much for their support.

Check out some of the true crime cases I have covered previously:

The Deadly Cougar? | The Jimmie Sue Finger Story | 2 Part Series

The Story of Ed Gein (3 Part Series)

Infamous Murderers On Death Row, Their Last Words & Last Meals

The Real Buffalo Bill & His House Of Horror | Gary Michael Heidnik

Playing With Fire: Mick & Mairead Philpott 

What Happened To The Petit Family?

The Most Evil Cult Leader In History? | Roch Theriault

The Truck Stop Serial Killer 

Deadly Lust: The Pamela Smart Story 

The Dark & Haunting History of Overtoun Bridge 

The Stuff Of Nightmares | The Toy Box Killer: David Parker Ray

Beyond Evil: The Murder of Jessica Lunsford 

Death Row Scot: The Kenny Richey Story: Part One

Death Row Scot: The Kenny Richey Story: Part Two

Death Row Scot: The kenny Richey Story: Part Three

Don't Talk, Just Listen...The Weepy Voiced Killer

Amityville | The DeFeo Murders

What Really Happened To Mavis Bran? 

Nowhere To Run: The Marilyn McKenna Story | Part One

 Unsolved : Part Three: The Highway Of Tears & The Disappearance Of Maddy Scott 

Unsolved: Part Two | What Happened To Melanie Melanson? 

- Unsolved: Part One | Molly Bish & Holly Piirainen 

The Dark Side of The Internet: The Amanda Todd Story 

The Story of Bible John

























The Deadly Cougar? | The Jimmie Sue Finger Story | The Real Case Behind The TV Movie ''Stay The Night'' | Part One

(Jimmie Sue Finger Gambrel. Picture credit: donmcclellan)

This was quite a shocking case back in the 1980s so I'm surprised that there's not that much information about it online but it's a story that I've known about for years and I tried to gather as much research on it to share with you in this post.

As you read this story you'll probably be reminded of the Pamela Smart case which I covered a little while ago.

Before I go any further I just want to remind you that you can find me on social media here and if you would like to make a one off donation to my blog or set up a monthly subscription (so that you can have access to my weekly personal blog posts), you can do so here

So, let's get into the case...

[Cougar = slang for an older woman who seeks attention, relationships and sexual activity with younger men.] 

Michael Kettmann Jr was what some people would describe as an all American boy, he was young, handsome, did well at school and was popular with his teachers and classmates at North Cobb High School. He came from a close, well respected family and lived in Kennesaw, Georgia (USA). Nothing traumatic happened to him in his childhood, he was happy and was always close to his mother Blanche, he could tell her anything. Their relationship wasn't just like a mother and her son, they were also friends and Michael could always count on his parents to support him no matter what and he also got on well with his two sisters.

Michael was 18 years old and the future was looking bright, he seemed to have the world at his feet and there was quite a few girls who had their eyes on him but he was quite shy and sometimes he didn't know how to act around girls. His mother always brought him up to have manners and be respectful to women and he was. One girl, Angela had been getting on well with Michael for months and invited him to a party at her house as a way of getting closer to him. Michael wasn't much of a social person but he went along and didn't think there would be any harm in having a few drinks, just to be sociable and his other friends would be there.

During the party, Michael became transfixed on a girl who was dancing in quite a sexy manner, he couldn't take his eyes off of her and when he asked Angela who she was and what school she went to, Angela looked at him shocked and told him that the girl was infact, her mother, she just looked younger for her age.

The girl Michael was transfixed by was actually in her late 30s and was a married beautician and stylist. Her name was Jimmie Sue Finger and all the boys had a bit of a crush on her and it looked like Michael was to become another one of her admirers.

(Jimmie Sue Finger Gambrel. Picture Credit: donmcclellan)

As time went on, being in a small town, Michael kept running into Jimmie Sue and despite the age difference between the pair, it was obvious there was a strong attraction. Michael worked at a local food store in his spare time to help save for his college fund and Jimmie Sue would often pop in for her shopping. Michael would drop whatever he was doing and follow her around the store, flirting with her and carrying her groceries.

Jimmie Sue loved the attention and would laugh when she saw Michael falling all over himself trying to talk to her and impress her. Jimmie Sue was quite glamorous and very flirtatious with a zest for life, she was more like a teenager, despite her age and being married with a teenage daughter herself. With Angela, she would hang out with her and go to the movies with her like they were two friends. Rumours began to circulate that more was going on between Jimmie Sue and Michael and it was becoming a bit of an embarrissing point for Angela, it's hard to know what she must have felt knowing that the guy that she had a crush on, was actually more interested in her mother.

The rumours that were going around town were true, Michael and Jimmie Sue were seeing each other. It was all exciting and passionate for both of them and they would meet up at secret places together to have sex. Michael made Jimmie Sue feel like she was a teenager and she could forget her unhappy home life with her husband, Terry for a while.

When Blanche (Michael's mother) found out about the affair, she refused to believe it until her two daughters confirmed the truth. She confronted Michael which ended in a tense argument. Blanche and Michael rarely argued like this and he never kept secrets from her but ever since he started seeing Jimmie Sue, he was changing and becoming more distant from her and his family.

There was a lot of back and forth over the next few weeks of Blanche's discovery of the relationship. Michael would pretend that he ended things with Jimmie Sue but then Blanche would see them both in town kissing. Michael's parents also bought him a car as a way of trying to persuade him to stay away from Jimmie Sue and he would agree but again, they'd find out that he was still seeing her.

As things became even more hotter between Michael and Jimmie Sue, she began to open up to him about personal things and he would often have to comfort her after she would come to him crying, saying that Terry had hit her.

Jimmie Sue told Michael that Terry would beat her and had been sexually abusing Angela. Michael was horrified and told her to leave him, that he would run away with her. Jimmie Sue said that she couldn't leave him because he would take everything and make her life hell.

The conversation soon turned around to Jimmie Sue asking Michael if there was some way that he could get Terry out of their lives once and for all so that they could be together. She would tell him things like ''I've never wanted a man like I want you'' and would use sex to try and control him.

The atmosphere back at Michael's family home was tense and Blanche decided to call Jimmie Sue to warn her to stay away from her son. As you can imagine, the conversation wasn't exactly a friendly one and I have no details of the exact transcript but Blanche claimed that Jimmie Sue said:

''If you make any trouble for me honey, I'll drive nails in your son's coffin.'' 

Jimmie Sue later denied that this conversation ever took place. Another time, Blanche arranged to meet Jimmie Sue in a cafe to discuss the situation. That didn't go down to well either with Blanche becoming quite hot headed with Jimmie Sue and she walked out before the drinks even arrived.

Despite the trouble and grief it was causing his parents and the gossiping around town, Michael refused to forget about Jimmie Sue.

Jimmie Sue was starting to play mind games with Michael, he was besotted with her and she was in control of him. She wanted rid of Terry, wanted to be free of him but also wanted to keep the house and the money. According to Michael, there was only one thing for it in her eyes, someone would have to kill Terry and she wasn't going to do it herself.


Continued in part two...


The Deadly Cougar? | The Jimmie Sue Finger Story | The Real Case Behind The TV Movie ''Stay The Night'' | Part Two

(Jimmie Sue Finger Gambrel. Picture credit: dignitymemorial.com)

Continued from part one...

According to Michael and the evidence to suggest the case, Jimmie Sue and Michael planned to have Terry killed. When a hit man failed to do the job (he just took the money as Michael paid him up front), Michael took matters into his own hands but his plan was just to scare Terry.

On the night of February 22nd, 1986, Michael arranged to meet a 16 year old female friend (called Elizabeth Rizzi) at McDonald's. Elizabeth knew about the whole situation and agreed to be part of the plan but she was under the knowledge that this was all being done to just scare Terry. 

When Michael arrived at the McDonald's, he changed into dark clothing in the men's bathroom and told Elizabeth to drive him to a nearby school where he removed the licence plates from her car. They then drove to Terry and Jimmie Sue's house, Elizabeth dropped Michael off a little bit away from the house and she carried on until she was right outside the door. 

Elizabeth went to the door and Terry answered, she told him that her car had broken down. Terry said he would come outside and take a look at it and went to get some jumper cables. When Terry came outside and walked towards the car, Michael walked towards him with the gun pointed right at him. Terry shouted ''Please, God, no, don't''  but Michael fired five or six shots until there was nothing left in the gun. With Terry laying on the ground he jumped in the car and he and Elizabeth drove off.

Michael told Elizabeth to drive with the lights off for a few blocks before putting them back on and they carried on driving to a lake where they stopped. Elizabeth was panicking but Michael told her that everything was fine, Jimmie Sue was in on the whole thing and that she was now financially secure and free of Terry. He put the licence plates back on and threw the gun in the lake. They both drove back to McDonald's where Michael changed his clothes again.

Michael was stopped the next day by the police and Elizabeth was questioned. It was no secret in the town that Michael and Jimmie Sue were having an affair so Michael was the prime suspect. He told the police that he hated Terry and that whatever punishment he got for the killing would be just what he deserved.

In the beginning, Michael claimed that Jimmie Sue had nothing to do with Terry's murder and that it had all been his idea. There was nothing the cops could do if he was unwilling to tell them about her part. Michael was found guilty and was sentenced to life in prison. He still maintained his love for Jimmie Sue. 

Blanche was heartbroken and determined to get to the truth, she felt that Jimmie Sue was more involved than she was letting on, even the cops believed that. 

Seeing Michael (who had not long graduated and had his whole life in front of him) behind bars was traumatic for Blanche and together with her family they had to witness Jimmie Sue carry on with her life, getting married to another man and spending Terry's life insurance money whilst Michael sat behind bars.

Jimmie Sue was said to have visited Michael in prison just a few times ''to keep the flame alive'' , in other words, keep him quiet and he was so loyal to her even though he faced a very long time behind bars, he was so willing to protect her.

Blanche came up with a plan which some people, even the cops found crazy, she was going to try and get close to Jimmie Sue. Blanche hoped that one day, Jimmie Sue would slip up and say something that would reveal her part in Terry's death.

So Blanche and Jimmie Sue started spending time together whilst Michael was in prison, the more Blanche got to know Jimmie Sue, the more she could see what she was doing, trying to keep Michael sweet with endless promises that came to nothing, running around town without a care in the world when her son's life was in tatters. 

Blanche tried to get through to Michael and tell him what was happening but he didn't want to know at first, it took a long time before it started to sink in that he had been used and finding out about Jimmie Sue marrying another man really got to him. Jimmie Sue stopped coming to see him, didn't write to him as much. It was like she had forgotten him and was out there living her life. 

Blanche managed to persuade Jimmie Sue to come with her to visit Michael, she told Jimmie Sue that Michael was getting nervous and thinking about talking to the cops again so of course Jimmie Sue went to the prison, unknown to her, she was being recorded. Michael asked her questions about the night Terry was killed and she answered in a way that told the cops she knew and was part of the plan. She didn't pull the trigger but she knew it was going to happen and Michael claimed that she harassed him into doing it.

Jimmie Sue was arrested and found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder. She spent the rest of her life behind bars and died at the age of 61 in 2011, reportedly due to complications from heart surgery. She was due to have a parole hearing in 2013. 

Michael ended up serving 7 years in prison and was released in 1993. He went on to marry and had a child.

(Stay The Night, the TV movie based on the case. Picture credit: wikipedia.org)

Jimmie Sue maintained her innocence and said that her affair with Michael only lasted 3 months. She claims she had no knowledge of what he was going to do that night. She said that she felt guilty for having the affair and that it had ended a year before Terry's death. 

Terry Finger apparently confessed to the sexual abuse of one of his daughters and was a violent man according to family members.

Whilst I was doing my research on Jimmie Sue I was surprised to see the outpouring of grief at her death. A memorial to her has been set up online and I've read comments where people have mentioned how supportive she was to them in prison and even people who claim to be relatives saying that nobody knows the full story. 

At the end of the day she didn't pull the trigger but there was evidence that she was in an abusive marriage. I wish there was more information online about this case and her side of the story. The TV movie ''Stay The Night'' was based on the case, Barbara Hershey (one of my favourite actresses) played the role of Jimmie Sue and Blanche said that the TV movie was 99% accurate. I'm sure the relatives of Jimmie Sue may disagree on a few things.

It's clear from her memorial that she was a well loved mother and grandmother so she could have made a change in prison, was she ever 100% guilty? I would have been interested to hear more of what she had to say. I do feel sympathy for the abuse she and her daughter suffered in her marriage. 

With Michael, I felt sorry for him being sentenced to life at a young age but he only served 7 years after testifying against Jimmie Sue. Looking back, the TV movie ''Stay The Night'' (I don't know why they chose that title of all titles) was one sided and Blanche seemed to be happy with the outcome but could that be a mother just wanting to show her son in the best light? He did fire the gun five or six times that night and didn't seem to be that shaken up after the murder. 

It's a tricky case, you could have sympathy on both sides, some people may think that Michael is 100% guilty, some might think that Jimmie Sue is to blame for all of it. What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below or elsewhere on social media.

Blanche was only 65 when she passed away in 2005. 

I'm surprised that there's no blogs about this case, maybe because it happened in the 1980s and ''Stay The Night'' came on TV in 1992. I tried to track down a copy of the movie (I watched it years ago and it was really good) but it's really difficult for me to get hold of it in the UK.

Do I think that Jimmie Sue should have been released? To be honest, yes. From what I have read, the fact that she remarried and her children and grandchildren as well as friends saw her as an inspiration and thought a lot of her showed me that it's quite possible she transformed whilst she was in prison or she could have been like that before?It's difficult to tell with the lack of information but by the tributes left, you could see that she was a well liked and well loved person.

UPDATE: The fantastic movie based on this case is now available on YouTube, free to watch here




I hope you found this case interesting and don't forget to let me know your thoughts, was Jimmie Sue guilty or was she innocent all along?

See you in the next post x