Mountain State Mysteries contains a dog content that may not be said well for all audiences.
Listener discretion is advised.
I'm your host Mark.
And I'm Courtney.
And this is Mountain State Mysteries.
Can you believe it Courtney?
Today makes one year since we released the first episode of Mountain State Mysteries.
I really can't.
I mean it just seems like yesterday that we came up with this idea and here it is a year
later.
We honestly wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you or listeners.
We honestly thought that this would just be a little local podcast that people in town
would listen to.
However, it's a podcast that has been listened to around the world.
I think it's safe to say that we both have a strong connection to all of our cases and
we both wish that they could finally get solved.
That's the truth.
It's also safe to say that we both have a favorite case and it turns out it's the same
case.
And that's the case of Nellie Mayran and Elmer Ray Bailey.
So today we decided to revisit the case and tell you even more about it.
Earlier this year we had the opportunity to meet Agnes Keatley, a local author who was
only 10 years of age at the time of the murder of Nellie and Ray.
She told us about a book she wrote called Cover Up and it was based on these murders.
Agnes told us that one of her friends actually gave her the case files on this case and wrote
who he thought did it on the back.
She told us that she kept them and she always wanted to write a book because this case has
stayed in the back of her mind.
She finally decided to and let us tell you she did a wonderful job.
At her book signing she asked us who we thought did it and it turns out we have the same theory
as her which makes us believe that we are on the right track when it comes to this case.
So Courtney are you ready to revisit our first case on the 76th year anniversary?
I sure am.
Nellie Maycombs dropped out of Bickery High School in Coldwood, West Virginia in the 10th
grade and went on to work as a waitress in Welch, a town also located in McDowell County
just 10 miles away.
Nellie was always insecure and lacking the confidence you think a woman with her beauty
would have.
Nellie was a very vulnerable girl.
She looked for support and intimacy as well as fun and excitement and this would often
lead to dangerous company.
Nellie was barely 16 when she ran off and married the son of a prominent McDowell County
Co.
Company official.
Nell's sister Helen could only remember stories of the impromptu wedding.
She could not remember if the marriage was annulled or even if there was a divorce.
When news broke about the wedding, the young man's family sent him off and he was never
seen in McDowell County again.
Some events in Nellie's life explain her susceptibility and weakness.
By the age of 20, the young attractive lady had already earned herself a reputation that
young man found appealing.
That period of life faded with time, five years after her first marriage, 21-year-old
Nellie married 35-year-old Dr. Kenneth K. Rand.
Dr. Kenneth K. Rand was born on December 18, 1903.
The son of Austin Clark Rand and Lula David Rand of Cottageville, Jackson County, West
Virginia.
Dr. Rand graduated from Ravenswood High School, the Ohio College of Dental Surgery, and the
University of Louisville Dental College.
In 1927, he opened the Kenneth K. Rand DDS Dental Practices with office in Colwood and
Corretta, both in McDowell County.
During this period of Dr. Rand's life, he married Nellie May Combs.
In 1932, Dr. Rand moved his dental practice to Beckley, located in Raleigh County, West
Virginia.
Dr. Rand was also involved in the American Red Cross, where he conducted first aid classes.
He was a Nordin Deacon at the Beckley's First Baptist Church, an active member of the Gideon
Bible Program, and a member of the Barka Sunday School classes.
Dr. Rand was one of the founders of the Flat Top Lake Association.
He was a member of the Beckley Elks Club, Moose Lodge, Lines Club, the Black Knight
Country Club, and many dental societies.
Nell often appeared in society columns at the Beckley's Newspapers, often in connection
to the First Baptist Church, located on Neville Street in Uptown, Beckley, where her and her
husband were active members.
The two's family grew in the 1930s with the birth of their daughters, Kara and Carolyn.
Kara May Rand was born in September of 1934.
At the time of Nellie's murder, she was only 13 years of age.
Carolyn Rand was born in January of 1936.
And at the time, Nellie's murder, she was only 11 years of age.
After living for a period of time on Salcanol Street, the Rand's moved into a home on Harper
Road, which is still there and we aren't going to get out the address due to the homeowner's
privacy.
But, we will say it's one of everyone's favorite homes on Harper Road.
The three bedroom, two-story brick home has 2,216 square feet and was situated on 3.4
acres of land.
During our research one year ago, we actually found out that their home was a Sears home.
They ordered it from a catalog and they added their own touches to it, then built it from
the ground up.
Elmer Ray Bailey was born in 1898.
He was an Army veteran of World War I and was discharged in August of 1919.
Ray was the manager of the furniture department of the Beckley hardware and supply company,
a prosperous and growing hardware store located on South Heber Street in uptown Beckley.
Irene M. Martin was born at Union Monroe County, West Virginia in April of 1900.
On September 17, 1921, 21-year-old Irene Martin married 23-year-old Ray Bailey.
The couple purchased a home at 106 Johnstown Road, which is now an empty lot due to a fire.
Irene, like Nellie, appeared in the Beckley newspapers due to her presence at luncheons,
dinners, youth functions that included her daughters, the women's club, and First Christian
church activities.
The Bailey's had two daughters, Daisy Dean, who was born in 1928, and Diane Vivian, who
was born in 1931.
On Tuesday, November 4, 1947, Nellie Rand kept her 1pm weekly hair appointment, where
she had her hair styled in the popular style of the time.
Ironically, later that afternoon of the same day, Irene Bailey was in the same salon getting
her hair styled by Charles.
Have you ever done Mrs. Rand's hair, Charles?
Irene asked.
Miss Rand has never been my patron.
Well, if I were you, I would not do it.
She might try to court you if you do.
Irene advised him, somewhat joking.
Nellie dodged between raindrops as she left the beauty salon and ran into the White Cross
pharmacy and gift shop on the corner of Main and North Canales Street.
Nellie was there getting a gift for a bridal shower for her friend, Irma Lowe.
She purchased two pieces of china in the style that Irma selected.
The shower was to take place at 8pm at 108 N Street, which for some reason we never found
the address until Agnes released her book.
Turns out we were really close to where we thought it was.
We were on the right street, just the wrong house.
After leaving the gift shop, Nell walked the half block to her husband's dental office
at 104 Main Street, just over top, the GC Murphy Company.
It was 3.30 when Nell stood in the door talking to her husband, Dr. Rand.
He had a patient in his dental chair and although he did not stop working, he carried on the
conversation with Nellie.
Would it be alright for me to use the car this evening?
Nell asked.
I don't know anyone else that is going to the shower that I can ride with.
That's fine, I'm going to the Lions Club and will probably go to a movie afterwards.
It wasn't unusual for Dr. Rand to attend a movie on Tuesday evening.
Going to a movie after his Lions Club meeting was what he typically did on Tuesday nights.
Well, I should be home by 11 or at least ready to go home by then.
Just call me at Martha's or at the house and I'll pick you up.
Dr. Rand called home around 6pm and talked to Nellie.
One of the things they discussed was a fur coat that he was purchasing for his wife
from a Charleston department store.
He told her that while going through papers on his desk, he discovered that the girl failed
to send him the slip for the fur coat.
She sent a check but not the slip so they won't have all of the information.
You may not get your new coat for a few days.
This was more than likely the last thing Dr. Rand ever talked to Nellie about.
Irene Bailey walked from the beauty salon to South Heber Street where her husband Elma
Ray Bailey was the manager and buyer of the furniture department for the Beckley hardware
company.
Sadly, the building is no longer there.
It's now a law office.
Ray was so excited about a new radio he was purchasing for the family and when Irene came
into the store they talked about it.
Oh, by the way, I have already gotten Dee Dee's Christmas present.
Oh really?
What did you get?
I got her a mix master.
When Irene was leaving the store, Ray yelled at her.
If you want to wait a few minutes, I'll drive you home.
It looks like rain and I know how easily you catch a cold.
Oh Ray, I don't want to take you away from your work.
It's fine, I plan to come back to the store this evening and work for a little while unless
there is something that you want to do.
No, we've really, no, we've been out every night this week.
I really just want to stay in this evening.
Ray drove Irene home around 3.45 or 4pm.
She got out of the car and went into the house.
Ray did not go in.
Nellie returned home earlier that day to have dinner with her sister and daughters.
They chatted cheerfully about the bridal shower and Nellie started to get ready.
Around 6pm, Nellie was getting ready.
Nellie was looking into the mirror of her dresser in deep thought.
She did not see her sister come into the room.
She fastened a runstone necklace around her throat to go with her blue silk dress.
My, my, aren't we fancy.
I've only dressed up for a bridal shower, aren't you sweetie?
Don't start with me, Helen.
I have enough on my mind.
Nellie, you just want to learn.
You know you promised Doc and you also know that you were just playing with fire.
Doc's been awfully good to you, Nell.
Get off my back, Helen.
We've been over this time and time again.
You just don't understand and besides, I'm trying to.
I'm going to take care of it.
I really am, but it's, it's just hard.
You don't know how hard it is.
You don't know how I feel.
And yes, he's been good.
He's been damn good to you too.
So with this, we found out that Nellie's sister knew the entire time while she was up
to that night.
After Ray drove Irene home, she did the routine things around the house.
Bicely hardware usually closed at five and Ray would make it home at around five thirty.
However, this evening he made it around five, ten or five, fifteen.
Dinner was normal.
Irene's mother joined them and the conversation was mainly about the radio Ray planned on
buying for the family.
After dinner, Ray showered and shaved, something that my husband did every evening, whether
we're going out or staying home.
Ray showered and cleaned up every evening.
Irene said Ray walked back into the kitchen and his trousers and just a T shirt.
That was something very out of character for him.
He just seemed so excited about the new radio and came into where mother and I were talking.
Do you think we'll have it before the Parker Spurx game Ray?
Irene said Ray was ready to leave the house when she went into the bedroom where he was
getting his cigarettes.
He had his coat on ready to leave.
It was seven p.m.
Irene, are you sure there isn't anything that you want to do this evening?
No.
Mother is leaving tomorrow and Dee Dee and Pete are coming over to see her this evening.
I'd like for you to take them home around 10, 10.30.
Looking at his watch, Ray told her he was going to work for a short while and that he
should be home around 8.30 p.m.
Ray planned on buying the radio that night.
He had $400 in his pocket for that purpose.
Ray stopped at the service station at the corner of Johnstown Road and Canole Street
and got gas.
Attendant James Flashman pumped his gas and Ray paid with a $10 bill for which Flashman
counted back his change.
Gas in 1947 was 23 cents per gallon, so a $10 bill would be around $133 today, what a dream
that would be.
Dr. Rand left his office around 6.20 p.m., mailed letters at the little box in front
of the bank and proceeded to El Chico.
Case on North Fayette Street, which I've heard was an amazing place to eat.
Dr. Rand went to the Lions Club meeting around 6.30.
Following the meeting, Dr. Rand went straight to his office again.
He said, I didn't stop to talk to anyone that evening as I usually do.
I did not check the time, but I'd say it was around 8.30 p.m.
He said he worked on some letters and mailed them in front of the Beckley hardware store,
then he walked over to the Lyric Theater, which is now a parking lot for Fruit of Labor
in Uptown Beckley.
He purchased a ticket from a girl that he did not know.
He said Mr. Burke was taking up tickets, I gave him my ticket and he gave me the stub
that they normally tear off.
After the movie, Dr. Rand crossed over to the bus stop at Watkins Drug Store waiting
for a bus.
His friend, Teresa Torrin, who was the owner of Quality Pastry Shop.
Dr. Rand said Ms. Torrin drove me up Harper Road and when we got to where she turns off
to go home, I told her she didn't have to take me the entire way, that I would just
walk the rest of the way, but she insisted.
She drove me to my house where she turned around and drove off and I went into the house.
Dr. Rand said the garage light was on and he assumed that Nellie made it home and just
forgot to pick him up.
When he walked in, he found out that Nellie wasn't home and around 12.15 that morning,
he began to become worried and he called the home of Martha Dickinson's, where the
viral shower took place, but she said that Nellie did not come to the party.
After the call, he woke up Helen and asked if she knew anything about Nellie and she
said she only knew that Nellie was going to the party that evening.
The 1946 Blue Chrysler Commodore traveled down Route 1921 near the eastern edge of the
city, turned off the main highway into the Black Knight Country Club property, then turned
onto a rough, abandoned road that went a hundred feet, just enough to be hidden and
stopped.
Anyone who saw the driver would think she was lost.
A few moments later, a second car pulled into the dark, out of the way of other cars parked
behind the other.
The driver of the second car was a slender, middle-aged man in a Buick.
Then he turned off the headlights, turned off the car, and the darkness that promised
to hide everything, especially the secrets that were going to happen in the car.
From the description from the West Virginia police file, 29-1327-page3, on Red Dog Road
in the wooden section behind the Black Knight Country Club, at a distance of about 100 yards
from the club, in the particular wooden section it is honeycombed with roads, indicating that
it is apparently at one time was laid out into a subdivision upon entering the grounds
of the Black Knight Country Club.
From Route 19-21, business route and proceeding to Route 3, take the first Red Dog Road to
the left and turn to the scene of the crime.
This is on the edge of the Beckley City Limits, Town District, Raleigh County, West Virginia.
Wednesday morning, after breakfast, Dr. Rand caught around to see if anyone knew where
Nellie was.
No one knew.
He ended up calling the Beckley-Hartbrough store and asked to talk to Ray Bailey.
They said he didn't come in that morning, so he assumed that him and Nellie finally ran
away together the night before.
Around 11.45 a.m., E.E. Bibb reported the license plate numbers, models, and colors of
missing vehicles of both Nellie and Ray.
The West Virginia State Police First Sergeant W.E.
Demonson, who was on desk duty at the time, within minutes of Mr. Bibb's report, a car
was found by Trooper Tabscott.
On November 5, 1947, about 9 a.m., the undersigned Trooper Tabscott, while on patrol to Coolridge,
to serve a warrant, noticed a car parked over on the north edge of old RMI ball field, which
is now where two brothers' collision is today.
Not being unusual to see cars parked at the section of the ballpark, I proceeded to Coolridge,
meeting my business there, and upon returning to Beckley about 11 a.m., I noticed a car
still parked there.
I drove into the ballpark and over to the scene where the car was abandoned.
Upon examination of the car, a large pool of blood was noticed on the floor of the back
seat, and also what appeared to be three bullet holes in the back of the rear seat.
A lady's coat and a men's top coat were lying on the rear seat, and on the shelf behind
the rear seat was a lady's purse and a men's top hat were noted.
The keys were still in the ignition and the switch was on.
The window of the right rear door was down.
From this examination, I knew that a crime of some kind had been committed in this automobile.
The car was a 1941 model, dark green Buick sedan.
Bearing WV license plate number 33-092.
The keys were taken from the switch of the car.
The windows rolled up and the car doors locked.
A handkerchief was used in rolling up the windows and shutting the car doors.
Further investigations were made and armed with this information returned to the state
police headquarters in Beckley, West Virginia, arriving at 11.45 a.m.
While the officers were discussing the findings of the car, O.G. Goodson and his son Raymond
came into the headquarters and reported finding two bodies of an embankment on Penman Road,
just beyond the Penman powerhouse.
River Pearl, H.C. Fulmer, and Troubert Hapscott immediately accompanied the Goodsons to the
scene where the bodies were found.
According to police records, the site where the bodies were found was approximately nine
miles from the Black Knight Country Club.
The gate of the federal prison is seven and one-half miles away from the Black Knight
Country Club.
On arrival at the scene, close observation was made to preserve and protect any remaining
marks of evidence that could be found.
The top of the bank was searched for any footprints or other evidence.
But due to the fact it rained after the bodies were taken to the scene, no footprints could
be seen.
At the top of the bank, Nellie's shoes were found at a distance of about six feet apart
and between the shoes were a pair of panties.
A package of matches with the tops burned off and bearing the advertisement of the sycamore
in a bear joint on U.S. 19-21 were found in the ditch.
Twelve feet down the embankment, face down with his pants down around his knees, laid
the body of Elmeray Bailey.
Nellie ran, lay face down with her head resting on the lower portion of Bailey's legs.
Her dress up around her waist and her feet extending up to the bank.
A further search of the scene showed that the car that brought the bodies to the scene
turned around about 30 feet and returned the same way it entered.
The bodies were picked up by County Coroner Douglas Bryant and an employee at the Rhodes
funeral home, placed in an ambulance and brought to the Rhodes funeral home in Morgue
in Beckley.
Dr. Rand went to the funeral home and identified Nellie with her dental plate.
He said a bridge was there that he put in not too long ago.
Around 4 p.m. a call was received from Beckley patrolman Bill Tubert stating that the car
of Nellie Rand had been located on Red Dog Road behind Black Knight Country Club.
A distance of 20 feet behind the car was a large spot of blood measuring out to 12 inches
in diameter and a woman's watch was found in the ground next to the blood spot with
a time of 8.15 frozen on it.
On the right rear door of Bailey's car several latent fingerprints were found and lifted by
Sergeant Shane Holzer and Corporal Newman which were later proved to be that of the victim
Nellie May Rand.
No additional evidence could be found.
While the two were in the backseat of Ray's car they never saw the 38 caliber pistol thrust
open through the open window on the rear right side of the car.
However, they would hear if only for a terrifying instant the deadly shots ring out once, twice,
three times, shattering the silence of the night.
So that's really all we want to tell you of this story because you can listen to more
in episode one of Mountain State Mysteries or you can purchase Agnes's book and read
everything on this from suspects to Trooper Tabscott's son.
She has it all.
Courtney can like say for me I have read this book 12 different times I think.
Like it has been my holy grail.
For I couldn't tell you since the day I got it.
Like we were Agnes had her signing at what was it, Calisthenos.
Me and Courtney we were waiting on the pizza and we were literally skimming it looking
through it looking through everything.
She has pages upon pages upon pages of interviews everything.
So if you want to look at that definitely get her book.
So Courtney what's your thoughts on this case?
Not a whole lot has really changed my opinion about this case.
You know as much as we have researched this as many times as we have looked over the books
really looking at any information that has come out about this case as many times as we
have drove the route to where the bodies were dropped off at.
In all honesty nothing of this case still makes any type of sense whatsoever.
None of it.
A lot of it is still makes me angry.
There's definitely a major cover up especially when it came to Ray's car.
You know I don't understand how the police officer just reached in turned off the car
where it was still running and everything and he pulled the key out but yet he rolled
the window up with a handkerchief and everything.
I just felt that crime scene evidence was absolutely destroyed with it.
So you know my opinion still hasn't really much changed about this case.
Same for me I mean we've seen new articles we have seen where a police officer has said
he knew who killed them but would not put them in jail because of their last name and
we have visited that man.
We have been to his mausoleum plot and all we had to say is he failed nearly.
We've even visited Dr. Rand and let me tell you me and Courtney we have put ourselves
in a few sketchy situations in our friendship in the last five years.
That was probably the sketchiest thing we have ever done.
We were the only ones in the mausoleum at sunset and that is a creepy place we could
not find a light switch.
It has the old wood paneling that I call church paneling because I feel like every church
has it at one point in time you know what I'm talking about.
So it was just creepy.
We basically found it looked for a second and we pieced out as quickly as we could because
it was sketchy in there.
They had doors open to places I don't think they were supposed to be open.
We honestly don't know if there was someone else in there or not.
I would also advise this.
Don't go into sunset after dawn.
Absolutely not.
We actually went Memorial weekend to where we knew that the mausoleum was going to be
open.
They haven't now it's locked up.
You do have to ask for a key in order to get into the mausoleum where they are located
at and it is something I would not advise going to by yourself.
If you go with someone definitely go with a friend, go with a family member, just go
with somebody to keep yourself safe.
That's one of the biggest things.
I mean even visiting Nellie and Ray's Grape.
We have been sketched out from time to time.
I've honestly talked to people about somehow getting sunset to lock up at dusk like every
other graveyard.
It truly honestly bothers me that is not and that people will sleep in there, do drugs
in there.
My family was in there not too long ago and the cops and ambulance was in there because
someone was passed out OD.
So it's just something that bothers me because that is just.
It's supposed to be a place of rest not someone's sleeping grounds.
Also to our listeners to hear something going on in the background, our new little mascot
his name is Nash.
He is here recording with us.
Right now he is chewing on my arm.
So if you hear him throughout this entire episode, it's it's Nash.
She it's it's Nash and.
Yeah, it's nice.
So I can say how this podcast started.
Courtney and I were on our way home from DC and it was having to be a very quick trip
from DC.
We were extremely tired.
We went to Lady Gaga concert the night before we got back to our hotel at 2am.
We were about what?
7 637.
We're at like 630 that morning and we were out of our hotel room at 8 o'clock that morning.
Yeah, because I had to go into work that night, which was not planned.
I got called in.
Yeah.
So we were just making conversation because if you guys knew what me and Courtney talked
about on the way in the car anywhere, you would be scared.
You would honestly be terrified.
And then I'll honestly really before we got serious about this, I will have a story for
every situation out there and we literally jokingly started with me doing a podcast about
some of the stories that I have experienced just stuff like that, everything.
And then on the way back, we really got serious about doing a podcast.
And I told him like I'm addicted to true crime.
I had no idea Courtney loved her crime.
This has never been anything that we have really talked about in our friendship like
all this time never really talked about it.
And I'm like, if we would do a podcast, it should be true crime, even though I know that
like genre on any podcast thing is very oversaturated.
But I've always been craving a West Virginia true crime podcast.
And at the time there really wasn't any doing just West Virginia true crime.
So I'm like the first episode we should do happened in Beckley.
I'm like heard about it doing a Beckley haunted event with Scott Whirly back chilly night
years ago.
Like I was in high school.
I was like, we haven't even met.
No.
So it was like 10 plus years ago.
He was talking about this case and ever since then I have been obsessed with it.
I would Google this case to see if anything has ever been found out about it.
And sadly, nothing has and still hasn't.
But I kind of just told Courtney about it and we both started to go down the biggest
rabbit hole we have ever been down for any case.
Literally, when we say like when we first heard about this case and can find any type
of information about it, we actually went down to like Lake Creek.
No, did we know like everything would eventually like line up like when we got all the information
and stuff of that nature.
But we started at Lake Creek and then that night we went to McDonald's.
It was so late that night.
I think it was just me and you and maybe another person in there, something like that.
And we were literally over there just researching as much as we can.
And then that night, what was it?
My God, one, two o'clock in the morning and we were still sending stuff to each other
that we were trying to find about this case.
Any little thing that we could find, we would just start researching it and everything.
And then luckily, Mark was able to meet up with a person who had information about Penman
and he got all the information about Penman.
Got a map of it.
Yeah, all kinds of stuff.
We actually learned Penman Road actually started where Southern Regional Jail is today.
So it was actually on the other ridge.
Yeah.
And then we were in Glade Creek, which is kind of funny if you think about it.
So we had gotten that information and then we spent hours at the library going through
old newspaper articles.
And when we say hours, they came over and went, don't know if you heard, but we just
announced we're closing.
We're like, oh, we heard.
Just give us five more minutes.
Yeah.
I mean, we done so much research on this right here.
And the first case, everything, you know, it was, we definitely knew that there was
two murderers involved.
Oh, 1,000 percent.
In this and everything.
But the way that a lot of people were saying that she was shot, that they were sitting
beside of each other, there's no way possible that they could have been sitting right next
to each other for the shot that took Nellie's life.
There's no way in a world that they could have been sitting with each other right next
to each other because the original, the way that the shot was actually done, it came out
of her cheek.
The one bullet did and there's no way in the world that it could have happened.
Yeah, it definitely could have happened on the same side because Ray, he would have had
to go first.
If it was one person, Nellie could have got out of the car and ran, which I fully believe
she did get out of the car.
But after she was shot and I think they did something else to her.
I'm not sure what that is because autopsy just shows bullet holes on her.
I want to say it's just one bullet hole, but we've also heard she was shot twice.
Not sure if that's true or not, but we have heard that she was alive and someone else
saw her.
A police officer, a police officer went and took care of her again.
So it's a very touchy situation on what we could talk about in a way.
The night we met Agnes was actually the premiere for the Kindred Spirits episode at Black
Night, which is ironically more about the doctor which we've tried to do research on,
but there really isn't much out there.
But afterwards we met Agnes and she was telling us all about this book and she actually showed
it to us.
She didn't open it, but she showed it to us.
I'm like, let me peek in and she went, you have to wait.
Agnes is literally the sweetest person ever.
And he was literally what, like two weeks later or something?
It wasn't long afterwards or something?
A few weeks to a few months after.
We wanted to have Agnes on for this episode to interview her because I mean, she, her
mother was the seamstress in Uptown Beckley.
So I mean, she heard all the hot gossip about this case growing up.
But with COVID, the flu and everything and everyone just getting sick, we just didn't
want to risk her getting sick.
Absolutely not.
She's basically sick.
Even if we weren't sick, she is definitely too sweet to get sick.
But that night we found out that Kendred Spirits was actually filming there the night of November
4th anniversary of the 75th year anniversary.
And if you want to know why I'm laughing, we literally said in the middle, the room was
silent.
We went because we were in the ballroom.
We went, huh, what if we just saw my car?
We zoomed by because we, we were at the murder site the night this happened.
Just to, you know, pay respect, see if we feel anything, which I mean, we didn't feel
cracked, but we were cracking up and I think people were looking at us, but you know, it's
fine.
I mean, we're a fun time.
We had a few fuck of cranberries in us.
It's all good.
I don't think like even a mark told us like, I don't think I really like crap.
I mean, we asked how many times like we have drove through that parking lot.
I mean, we have just zoomed by through there, everything we have said at the alleged site
of the murder, everything and really, you know, really didn't get the emotions that
we got at the grave site or anything.
The only thing I can say was when we went over to the federal prison, as far as we could
go over, we actually went over a little bit.
I started to get teary and I told Mark, I said, I really feel this is the area that
they were dumped in.
And even as driving through there and stuff, we have gotten whiffs of floral scents in
the middle of winter of like a magnolia scent that couldn't be explained.
So those are just like a few of the things that we have experienced with this case.
We have been back to the cemetery multiple times.
Her one sister is buried right behind her.
What if she had like three brothers and one sister, I believe.
Anyway, her one sister is buried right behind her.
Her one daughter is buried with her.
Yeah, she's buried right next to her.
Those are some of the things, really the last time we went, not a whole lot of strong floral
scents like what we got the first time that we went.
Was the last time we went was when we were with our friends, Cassidy and Chaz.
Yeah, our friends, Cassidy and Chaz, we met them during a Hanna-Beckley event and they
listened to Mountain State Mysteries and they got obsessed with this case just like us.
They were literally sending us articles and we're like, we know we look at it.
We love y'all, but we know this case from back.
Yeah.
Cassidy was like, hey, do you guys care to take us?
I'm like, the route we're like hopping the car.
So we took them to raise grave.
Then we went to Nellie's show them where everyone was lined up in like a triangle.
Then we took them on the route, which funny enough, we had to stop in the middle of the
road on industrial drive because there was a bear in the road.
Yes.
It took us forever just because of the bear.
And I think it just started to rain that night.
I don't think there was really anything, but a few months ago, we did another event with
haunted Beckley with Scott Worley at the women's club and he handed us dowsing rods.
I think is what they're called.
And he's like, Nellie is said to be here from time to time just like black night.
So Courtney, you know, held the rods and all this and you know, we were talking no idea
if it was Nellie or not, but those rods were moving and Courtney swear she was not moving
them because I've seen some people move them.
Is there anything else you want to add?
Still to this day, if you have any information regarding this case, do not hesitate to call
Crime Stoppers.
Get this information out there.
You can email us at Mountain State Mysteries 304 at Gmail.
You can message us on Facebook.
You can direct message us on Instagram, Tiktok, wherever we got it, you can send us a message
on this case because we know people in Beckley know more about this case and they want to
lead on.
And she does.
Miss Nellie does still have a daughter who's alive.
Oh yeah, we met her great nephew Agnes's book thing.
I forgot to add that.
It would just be nice if she knew some justice was done for her mama.
I mean, her great nephew helped Agnes with the book.
So her family is still, you know, hurt by this case and they just they want answers just
like everyone else.
And we know that it would ruin the reputation of someone or someone's family in town.
But if you come to us, we won't say anything.
We just want to give the closure to the family that justice they deserve.
I mean, it's been after all these years.
It would be both families too.
You know, I mean, I mean, after all these years, no one's going to go to jail.
I mean, you know, you never know.
But I don't care how old you are.
If you're still out there, you can be there to crime you deserve it.
I would like to say to because where we could go on for hours.
We have been recording for an hour and 38 minutes.
I have no idea what will make it into this episode from this.
I might chop a few things up.
My editing's gone better better since the first episode, so it won't be as choppy.
God only knows what will be added into this.
If there's any way that you would ever like to know more about this case, you can reach
out to me and Mark.
We'll take you on a tour.
Yeah, we'll meet you and take you up around and show you some places and things of that
nature.
Or you could even go and purchase Miss Agnes's book called Cover Up the Unsolved Country
Club Murders.
It is such a very, very well-written book.
It's 131 pages on this crime.
So I mean, you can read it in one day.
It's such a wonderful book.
One day I read it in like an hour.
I've read it multiple times.
So I've read it in like a day, but over like 12 times.
But I mean, when I tell you I'm flipping through this right now, it has report of the investigation.
Sorry, I just got sidetracked by this book.
But I mean, I forgot that it has Nellie's report investigation on here.
So I mean, it literally has, you know, y'all, you just have to get this book.
I'm not going to ruin it.
You just have to get this book.
Absolutely not.
And one of the biggest things that we can say to you for our test year is thank you.
Yes.
Thank you so much for listening.
Again, we wouldn't be here without you guys.
We know you probably haven't made it this long in this episode, but we are so thankful
for you guys.
And without you, we honestly just would not be here.
In all honesty, if you told us a year ago that we would have listeners in New Zealand,
we would never have believed you.
No, never, never in a billion years.
I mean, our little podcast in a little tiny, tiny town in southern West Virginia has listeners
worldwide.
I joked with Courtney.
I'm like, one day we're going to hit Australia a few years down the line.
Yeah, it was a few months down the line.
We honestly did.
But to all of our listeners, thank you so much.
Honestly, just thank you.
You've taken a little dream for us and you've made it a reality.
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