Close to midnight on May 17, 1951, four north Alabama lawmen drove to a bootlegger’s home to serve an arrest warrant. Before the clock struck twelve, the bootlegger lay dead in front of the house he shared with his wife and eight children, and three of the four officers were also dead. Afterward, a sixteen-year-old boy would face a series of trials that would divide a county and thrust the state of Alabama into the national spotlight.

My guest is Professor Lesa Carnes Shaul, author of "Midnight Cry: A Shooting on Sand Mountain". She grew up on Sand Mountain hearing stories about this sensational shootout and joins me to talk about her research into this fascinating case.

More about the author and her book here on her publisher's page: https://ugapress.org/book/9781588385338/midnight-cry/

This episode is sponsored by Strawberry .me. Get a $50 credit when you use our link: https://strawberry.me/notorious

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

381: Alabama's Kilpatrick Shooting w/ Lesa Carnes Shaul