In 1897, a young West Virginia woman named Zona Heaster Shue was found dead. The official cause was "an everlasting faint." Case closed. But then, her mother, Mary Jane Heaster, claimed her daughter's ghost visited her for four consecutive nights with a chilling accusation: Zona had been murdered by her husband, her neck broken.

This is the only known case in American history where testimony from a ghost helped convict a murderer. But was it a spectral vision, a mother's desperate dream, or a clever ruse to ensure justice? Join us as we dig into the bizarre and compelling story of the Greenbrier Ghost, where folklore and true crime collide.

Topics & Timestamps:

• 00:00 - Introduction: The Chilling Roadside Marker

• 03:05 - A Marriage of Inconvenience: Meet Zona Heaster and the mysterious "Trout" Shue.

• 04:55- The Body of the Crime: The discovery of Zona's body and Trout Shue's suspicious behavior.

• 07:05 - Cause, Mode, and Manner of Death: Mary Heaster's crusade and the shocking results of the autopsy.

• 08:35- Trial and Testimony: The defense's fatal mistake and Mary Heaster's unforgettable day in court.

• 13:15- A Verdict, A Legend, and A Roadside Marker: The jury's swift decision and the mob that arrived too late.

• 15:10 - Recent Developments & The "Fisher's Ghost" Connection: How an Australian ghost story in the local newspaper might have inspired a legend.

• 18:45- Conclusions: Separating history from haunting—what really happened to Zona Heaster Shue?

Mentioned in this Episode:

• The Man Who Wanted Seven Wives by Katie Letcher Lyle

• The Unquiet Grave by Sharyn McCrumb

• The "Fisher's Ghost" legend from Australia

• Greenbrier Independent Article (Click Newspaper Articles PDF)

• Link to Substack post on "Fisher's Ghost"

Podcast Sources

⁠⁠⁠Blue Ridge True Crime Sources & Links⁠⁠⁠

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⁠⁠⁠Blue Ridge True Crime Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠Blue Ridge True Crime YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠

My Book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠Blood on the Blue Ridge on Amazon⁠⁠⁠ (written with Scott Lunsford)

We're heading down a dark trail into one of Appalachia's most enduring mysteries. In May of 1866, Laura Foster rode out on her family's mare and vanished into the North Carolina mountains. Her body was later found in a shallow grave, sparking a manhunt, a sensational trial, and a public hanging that would be immortalized in a folk song known around the world.

But what really happened to Laura Foster? Was Confederate veteran and "rock star" fiddle player Tom Dooley truly the killer, or was he protecting a deadly secret? In this episode, host Alfred Dockery is joined by folklorist and musician William Ritter to separate fact from folklore.

You can find more of William Ritter's work at https://www.songtoseed.com.

Podcast Sources

⁠⁠⁠⁠Blue Ridge True Crime Sources & Links⁠⁠⁠⁠

Explore More Content

⁠⁠⁠⁠Blue Ridge True Crime Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Blue Ridge True Crime YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠

My Book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Blood on the Blue Ridge on Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠ (written with Scott Lunsford)

Travel back to September 12, 1952, in the small town of Flatwoods, West Virginia. What began as a flash in the sky witnessed by a group of boys playing football quickly spiraled into one of America's most bizarre and enduring UFO encounters.

This is the story of the terrifying, ten-foot-tall Flatwoods Monster—a story of mass hysteria, Cold War anxiety, and the two fascinating paranormal investigators who turned a local legend into a national phenomenon.Visit the Blue Ridge True Crime Substack for articles and updates.

Check out the Blue Ridge True Crime YouTube Channel for video versions of episodes.

Buy my book, written with my friend Scott Lunsford:

Blood on the Blue Ridge