On Tap Fall 2021 - Spring 2022 by vsuenglish

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TRUE CRIME & MORE 1

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PHOTOGRAPHED BY NADIA COLIE

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Editor-in-Chief Kaneathia Kendrick

Writers & Designers SAM ACEVEDO DESIREE BENNET NADIA COLIE SERENA HAMBRICK TARYN JACKSON ISABELLA SCHNEIDER BREANNIA STILLWELL SHARELLE WILLIAMS CARISSA ZAUN

PHOTOGRAPHERS NADIA COLIE IVAN BANDURA KANEATHIA KENDRICK MARIANA MONTRAZ ISABELLA SCHNEIDER CARISSA ZAUN 4

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32-35

NADIA COLIE

CARISSA ZAUN & ISABELLA SCHNEIDER

DO YOU LIKE SCARY STORIES

THE GEORGIA HALL MURDER

12-15

36-37

SILENCING THE STORY: THE CASE OF KENDRICK JOHNSON AND AND GAG ORDERS

TRUE CRIME PODCAST DESIREE BENNET

CARISSA ZAUN

38-39

16-18

CARISSA ZAUN

SIX INCHES DEEPER REVIEW

MYSTERY OF LOWDNES COUNTY: STEPHEN EDGERTON

40-41

THE NIGHT SWIM & TRULY DEVIOUS REVIEW

SHARELLE WILLIAMS

SAM ACEVEDO

20-21

42-43

HAUNTED PLACES: THE BELL HOUSE

EXTREMELY WICKED, SHOCKINGLY EVIL AND VILE REVIEW

CARISSA ZAUN

22-23

CARISSA ZAUN

VALDOSTA UNIVERISTY EMERGENCY CALL BOX

44-45

ISABELLA SCHNEIDER

IN THE DARK REVIEW BREANNIA STILLWELL

24-26

46-47

THE HACKLE SIBLING MURDER

SQUID GAME REVIEW

TARYN JACKSON

ISABELLA SCHNEIDER

28-31

48-49

CANDY MOSSLER: THE MOST SCANDALOUS SOUTHERN SOCIALITE

MINDHUNTER REVIEW CARISSA ZAUN

SERENA HAMBRICK

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E T O

N S R O T I D E

Iam honored to be a part of the first True Crime edition of

OnTap. As my last year as Editor-inChief, I am ecstatic for this year’s release. As a True Crime fanatic, this has been both an exciting and informative experience as an editor. I would like to thank Isabella Schneider and Carissa Zaun for contributing to the magazine this year. Without them, this edition would have been a lot thinner. They stuck with me through the magazine from Fall to Spring and, along with other writers, have made this issue possible. Doing something different can be challenging, but we created something we are proud of and hope you enjoy! THANKS,

KANEATHIA KENDRICK

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF ONTAP

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"I enjoy watching anything spooky since a story within the genre can go in almost any direction real or fictional. I always think of what I would do in the place of characters in spooky situations. Having a visual for this type of content, if executed correctly, can make a big impact. Although listening to a true crime or spooky podcast shouldn't be overlooked in visualizing how a story unfolds in my imagination. My favorite classic spooky series is The X-Files." Isabella Schneider

"My favorite true crime is one that involves money, mansions, and murders. When you think of a wealthy person you may think they live in this safe protected bubble far from harm, crime, & danger. As it turns out, harm tends to be far closer to them than the average person." Serena Hambrick

"I LOVE true crime and was so excited that this issue of OnTap is true crime themed. Crime Junkie is one of my favorite podcasts and in my free time, you can often find me digging into various mediums to discover more stories." Carissa Zaun

"I don't like spooky stuff because I don't like to be scared - I'll legit cry. BUT, I love to read pretty much everything, especially true crime mysteries like Truly Devious and The Night Swim." Sam Acevedo

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DO YOU LIKE

SCARY MOVIES? WRITTEN BY NADIA COLIE

very year, once October starts, you’ll see teenagers and young adults alike heading to the movies or their couch, ready to jump out of their seats in terror. Whether it’s a masked murderer or senseless gore, during this time of year people cannot get enough of a fright. Movies featuring spooky mysteries and creepy haunts have existed since the film industry began, but what makes them so exciting, and why can we not get enough? If what happened in scary movies

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happened to real people in real life, people would be horrified, yet they are drawn to these films and every time a new one comes to theaters, movie-goers are there with their tickets and snacks ready to be spooked.

plenty of gore and scares and allows the audience to feel as though they have defeated them along with the protagonist. Another would be the movie The Babadook, which uses a monster to represent grief and depression. Having the main character overcome the horrors brought on by the monster and in the end having not only defeated it but also defeating their inner griefs,

There are many reasons why people are drawn to certain genres of movies. These reasons could include nostalgia, interest or a certain actor or actress who is known for a particular style. But there is something about the horror genre that draws people in, no matter the quality or bloody carnage. It is a scientific fact that every human being is born with fears and that a friend who says they are fearless is lying. Every single person is born with the fear of falling and of loud noises. Of course, as we grow older, we gain new fears based on different experiences in our personal lives. Now you may be wondering “What does this have to do with horror movies; wouldn’t they just make the fears worse?” The answer to this question is well, it depends on the type of person watching the movie.

While this is certainly not always the case, some phobias can not be overcome by exposure, such as Harpaxophobia, the fear of being robbed. For those who believe that it will help can benefit, even if by the end they might end up with a whole new fear. Due to how long the horror genre has been around, many people believe that the new ones are going to be terrible no matter who is involved or who the antagonist is. There can of course be contradictions to this claim, but in a time where sequels and remakes are a big part of the culture, it is not surprising that this is the general consensus. While hearing of a new movie and that it could most likely be bad might cause some to steer away, fans of this genre seem to flock to the theaters ready to critique the “horrible” movie and laugh at the cheap effects. Movies do not always have to be award-winning and full of top-notch actors to be enjoyed, sometimes the worst ones can have dedicated fans

For certain people, scary movies offer safe exposure to fears, including Phasmophobia, the fear of ghosts, Daemonphobia, the fear of demons, and Arachnophobia, the fear of spiders, which is the name of a 1990 horror film. Fears such as these are difficult to face and thus overcome, these horror movies give people a chance to safely do so. An example would be Killer Klowns from Outer Space. While on the goofier side, this clown-filled movie still features 9

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simply because they are terrible. Horror movies are known for being made with lower budgets, although this is certainly not always the case because famous actors and big-budget effects are not needed to scare an audience. Which is what most are seeking with scary movies.

will put them on in the background as they do different themed activities, such as carving pumpkins or creating a costume. Nonetheless, movies are a great way to get people into the holiday spirit and help create the vibe of the season. There are millions of reasons for enjoying something. Horror movies are typically not considered the best genre of film, but with the vast amount of sub-genres there are, there is one out there for everyone. Do you know yours yet? Is it bone-chilling?

Whenever you enter a haunted house do you feel anxious? Nervous, yet excited? These feelings, although typically considered unpleasant, are what drive people to get scared out of their minds. The rush of adrenaline from jump scares done by adults in plastic masks is a feeling that is unmatched. Terrifying and at the same time thrilling. Exposing oneself to a threat and “surviving” said threat allows us to feel stronger. Watching horror movies full of jump scares creates this same sensation for people, as well as offering a cheaper alternative to haunted houses, which around Halloween can be expensive. It is a common trope in the media for a guy and girl to watch a horror movie together because the guy wishes to get with the girl. When scared she typically cowers in fear and allows the guy to swoop in and make her feel protected. While this story has been overdone, you still hear teenagers using it as a plan for getting into relationships. Invite someone over, put on the movie, and voila they get scared, and you can become a sense of comfort to them. Who knows, maybe if you try it, you’ll succeed. The most common reason for watching these spooky movies is to get into the Halloween spirit! Watching movies centered around the holiday and its themes is the best way to get into the spirit of the season. Even those who are not big fans of the genre

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SILENCING THE STORY

According to the Freedom Forum Institute, 'gag orders are a legitimate means of controlling pretrial and trial publicity.'

WRITTEN BY: CARISSA ZAUN PHOTO CREDIT: MARIANA MONTRAZ 12

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THE CASE OF KENDRICK JOHNSON AND GAG ORDERS

death was ruled as positional asphyxiation. Positional asphyxiation occurs when a person cannot breathe enough air due to the position of their body. This type of asphyxiation usually happens when someone is face down or upside down. In Johnson’s case, he was found inside a small space that would have restricted air and in an upside-down position.

n January 11, 2013, an event occurred at Lowndes High School that would shake the small town of Valdosta’s roots forever. That day, the body of Kendrick Johnson who was a student was found inside a rolled up vertical mat in what the school calls the “old gym.”

While the officials along with some members of the community thought the death of Kendrick Johnson was an accident, his family thought otherwise. They believed foul play was involved. Over the years, the family has held rallies, advocated for justice, and filed a $100 million death lawsuit that accused up to 38 individuals of being directly responsible for Johnson’s death or being involved in covering up Johnson’s death.

Lowndes High School has two gymnasiums. The old one is small and does not accommodate many students. In 2007, a 3,000-seat gymnasium was built. Despite having a new facility where sporting events and P.E. classes take place, the old gym is still used for things such as storage, and various clubs will sometimes use it for events.

Due to the controversy, Johnson’s case has been reopened, and his body has been exhumed multiple times. In the second autopsy, Johnson’s death was ruled as being due to blunt force trauma to the neck. This second report directly contradicts the first autopsy report. This second autopsy also found that Johnson’s body had been stuffed with newspaper. In an investigation into the Harrington Funeral Home, the funeral home who embalmed Johnson’s body, it was found that this funeral home has admitted to using newspaper to stuff bodies before. Stuffing a body with newspaper is not illegal, and the investigation was not able to determine whether the funeral home had received Johnson’s body with the organs. His organs still have not been found.

Lowndes required students to pay for lockers, but not all students had money to pay for the lockers. Due to this, Johnson along with other students would hide their gym shoes inside the mats in the old gym. This was common knowledge and easy to do since the mats were typically lying on the ground horizontally. On January 10, Johnson went to the old gym to retrieve his shoes, but there was one major issue. The mats that were typically laying horizontally were now vertical. Someone had come in over the winter break and lifted the mats vertically so that they could clean. Johnson could not see inside the mats from the ground. There were bleachers beside the rolled-up mats that he could climb up to see inside the mats. When he found which mat had his shoes, he went down inside the mat to try to retrieve them; however, he never came back out of that mat alive.

Lowndes High School’s security footage was also released. In the footage, viewers can see Johnson entering the old gym; however, the cameras are not consistent. All of the camera footage has gaps in the recordings making it impossible to see or determine exactly what happened. Investigators did not demand the footage immediately after Johnson’s body was found. Instead, Lowndes had several days to hand over the footage. No one has been able to determine if the gaps in the footage were accidental or due to footage being erased.

A group of students entering the old gym were the ones who found Johnson’s body on January 11. When investigators got to the scene and unrolled the mat, they saw that one arm was stretched up above his head like he was reaching for the sneaker and his other hand was against his body. The shoes Johnson that had been wearing were off of his feet and down around his knees. To investigators, it was obvious what happened. They thought he had fallen into the mat while reaching for his sneaker. In the first autopsy report, Johnson’s

In discussing this case with members of the community, a woman admitted that gag orders had been placed on members of the community. 13

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This source also told me that if those who were under gag order broke it, they could lose their pension.

Gag orders have become increasingly common and have remained an obstacle many reporters have to face. Despite the increasing use of gag orders, there are ways to challenge a gag order. While an attorney is not necessary, an attorney does make the overall process easier.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, a gag order is “a judge’s order that a case may not be discussed in public.” In some ways, gag orders protect an individual if they have information that is crucial to an active case; however, gag orders silence an individual and prevent them from telling others the truth or what they know.

If a reporter suspects that a gag order is going to be put in place a reporter can file a motion to try to intervene.

Gag orders were approved by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1966 because of the case Sheppard v. Maxwell. In this case, a physician was convicted of murdering his wife, but there were claims that he could not have a fair trial due to the publicity of the case.

According to The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, there are nine vital pieces of information that “the motion should note: 1. the name of the reporter; 2. the reporter’s employer (or, if the reporter is freelance, who would be expected to publish the story);

According to the Freedom Forum Institute, “gag orders are a legitimate means of controlling pretrial and trial publicity.”

3. the fact that the reporter is filing the motion pro se;

The major issue with this ruling is that there are no restrictions in place to control gag orders. Over time many journalists have found that gag orders are a violation of the First Amendment which states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

4. that the reporter has learned that a party is seeking a gag order; 5. the fact that the reporter has an interest in the case. Specifically, the motion should say that the reporter has an interest in gathering the news, which includes speaking to the trial participants; the reporter has an interest in hearing what the speaker has to say; the public has an interest in learning about the case and hearing what the speaker

Journalists claim that their right to have freedom of the press is being infringed upon. This argument has been the source of many cases among the Federal Courts including the Supreme Court and the circuit courts. While many of these courts have addressed the issue of limiting freedom of speech and the press, not all states have directly addressed this issue.

has to say; and the reporter acts as a conduit to get information from the speaker to the public; 6. that the First Amendment provides the speaker the right to speak freely and provides the reporter some right to gather news; 7. when the First Amendment rights are compared to the interest in a fair, impartial, and efficient trial, the First Amendment rights should prevail because there is no proof that trial participants’ speech would harm the fairness, impartiality or efficiency of the trial;

Journalists argue that their right to report is being infringed upon, but judges argue that without gag orders, those in the trial would not get a fair trial. In many cases, journalists have had to prove why the public would benefit from knowing information and that the person under the gag order would speak about the case to the public if the gag order did not exist. In the case U.S. v. Brown, an insurance commissioner was under trial for insurance fraud. The insurance commissioner was put under a gag order. Even though he claimed his first amendment rights to free speech were being violated, the gag order was not lifted.

8. that less restrictive means should be considered and employed before a gag order is issued; and

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9. that the reporter (or the organization) would like to intervene for the purpose of contesting the proposed gag order.” These nine parts of a notion don't guarantee that a gag order would be lifted, but when free speak is in jeopardy, fighting is worth it. As of January 26, 2022, the case of Kendrick Johnson has been closed. The sheriff of Lowndes County, Ashley Paulk, has concluded that Johnson's death was an accident and no foul play was involved. In an interesting turn of events, Paulk announced that he would give up $500,000 of his own money if someone came forward with any evidence. As of the time that this article was published, no one has come forward. Ultimately, this case will always have two conflicting sides, and there are too many places in this case where situations went awry. These strange instances make it impossible to know exactly what happened to Kendrick Johnson, but there is one takeaway. People should be free to speak out, and no one has the right to silence a story that needs to be told.

People should be free to speak out, and no one has the right to silence a story that needs to be told. 15

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all he managed to give. Struggling as he might, Edgerton gave insight into the potential suspect and their identity. He spoke to the former Lowndes County sheriff, Chris Pine. Edgerton described the shooter as “a white man wearing a skull cap or a mask”. As the investigation back at the station begins, Edgerton is then transported to South Georgia Medical Center. Hardly even an hour passes before he is pronounced dead, at 12: 53 am.

t was a crisp, cold night –January was wrapping up, and winter was not quite over, after all. The sky was dark, and the time read 11:59. Stephon Edgerton was just ending his shift, tired but looking forward to going home to his wife and three small kids. As soon as he stepped outside the doors of the radio station, Edgerton noticed something dark and bulky. A car was parked just outside, but it didn’t belong to anyone familiar.

The only things left behind to allude to his attack was Edgerton’s corpse, film footage of the car, a bag of chips, and a soda can.

Suddenly, a strange man --pale and ominous, otherwise obscured--jumped out of the car and shot Edgerton. Two shots flew into his torso, and then a final shot to the head. The murderer fled to his vehicle and drove away.

This is the cold case of Stephon Edgerton: on January 20th, 2012, a radio host was murdered outside of Valdosta’s local radio station WGOV. Stephon Edgerton AKA Juan Gatti was just about to end his shift. He’d been working late that day, six to midnight. Just a couple of minutes before twelve, Edgerton steps outside of the building. Unbeknownst to him, a masked man was hiding in a car nearby. As soon as he realized that Edgerton was unaware of his presence, he steps out of the car with his gun. He

Yet, unbeknownst to the masked murderer, Edgerton had been holding on a bit longer. Despite being weak and his fate certainly sealed tight, Edgerton managed to reach for his phone and dial 911. Authorities and paramedics arrive, and Edgerton is there, face down in the dirt. Unfortunately, a curt description is 16

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then approaches Edgerton devoid of any good intentions - brandishing his weapon to shoot him three times.

Based on the information that could be found, the “conclusion” was simple, though a little odd. The shooter had absolutely no connection to Stephon Edgerton. This man wasn’t affiliated with Edgerton personally, nor was he associated with the radio station that Edgerton would host for. Edgerton’s body had been searched, and there was no evidence or indication of him being robbed. His wallet and keys were all still present in their respective pockets. So, if the shooter didn’t have any personal connections to Edgerton, or any self-serving desires such as robbing him to get a little richer that night, then what was the purpose? What was the reason?

Edgerton’s wife describes the brutality of it, saying, “That person intended to make sure he was dead.” After Edgerton's the authorities arrive and begin their investigation. The K9 units are sent out to see what else can be discovered about Edgerton’s case. Why was Stephon Edgerton targeted? Why was he taken away from the world this way, and why did this masked shooter decide to enact his violence upon him? To understand this, the crime scene was analyzed from one end to another. They followed the trail of Edgerton exiting from the building to the spot where he stood before he was shot. K9 units helped in the search for clues, and the investigation went into the surrounding fields. Nothing was particularly noteworthy quite yet.

Edgerton was described by the police to have not been a high-risk victim. Ultimately, what this means is that he wasn’t anyone involved in any high crime (such as drug-related crimes). The killer had no real reason or motivation to approach Edgerton that night. But with little else to go off of, there was always the possibility that, perhaps, the shooter decided to take Edgerton’s life for the experience of it. That is, he may have simply decided to shoot a man dead that night, and the misfortune of being that man belonged to Stephon.

They moved on from there to follow along the direction in which the shooter drove off. This path took them relatively close to where the murder had taken place. Just a bit further down the road, right across U.S. 84, there was a car. As one might have imagined, this would have been the car belonging to the shooter himself. Peering inside, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the culprit had long since disappeared from the area. The car was empty. This left the investigation with no choice but to return to the radio station. Everything about this case had been very puzzling. Aside from the bag of chips and the soda can, nothing else really gave the investigators an idea as to why any of this happened.

Edgerton was noted to be a very loving man. He was a happy, fun, and caring one, at that. Harvey Freeman, someone who worked with Edgerton at the same radio station,

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would describe him similarly. “Pretty good guy, jolly, loved people, loved to cook, sing, play his instrument in church,” and the description goes on. And yet, despite being regarded as such a good guy, some people begin to beg to differ. Reddit is a very popular, very well-known online forum. Just about everyone has heard of Reddit and the chaos that it often hides beneath its orangey appearance. On the UnresolvedMysteries subreddit, there’s a forum covering the cold case of Stephon Edgerton. It was written by the user u/ Beardchester, with the post labeled “murder”. As he gives a brief explanation of what happened, he ends the post with the same phrase present in most of the reports of Edgerton’s case: which is to please provide any information that may not have been discovered to aid in solving Stephon Edgerton’s case. Beneath the post, people begin to speculate in the comment section. One of the very first comments is by a user called, u/ronnie_mars. They end their feedback with a question about Edgerton’s character, saying, “I wonder if he said something to someone (a caller) on the radio…” Insinuating that Edgerton might have incited the violence himself by saying a couple of things someone didn’t like. In reply to this, another user, u/lionheart507, says it was,

“Exactly what I thought too…” They bring attention to the genre and motives of the radio station. The user suggests that maybe the content being discussed was controversial - so much of a sour topic for some people that one would be moved not only to violence but murder. Another us, u/ CognitiveRedaction, voices a similar response, though believes that the suspect to have been a local artist who may have felt belittled by Edgerton in some way, and therefore shot him that night for revenge. While the culprit had gotten away without a proper charge, there is another theory on what happened to them that may provide at least a little solace. Authorities who spoke on the matter again, specifically Sheriff Ashley Paulk, said that a prime suspect regarding Edgerton’s death was killed a couple of years later in a shootout. The person who (potentially) shot Stephon Edgerton to death, was shot to death himself. Maybe even just as violently, if not more. What goes around comes around. If anyone has any new information about the murder of Stephon Edgerton, and/or any idea as to who the culprit could be, please contact the Lowndes County Sheriff’s office at: (229) 671-2900.

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PHOTOGRAPHED BY NADIA COLIE

HAUNTED PLACES:

THE BELL HOUSE WRITTEN BY : CARISSA ZAUN

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here has been a long debate about whether ghosts are real or not. Here, in Valdosta, there is one place many claim is haunted. The Bell House gets its name from a man named Dr. David S. Bell who was often viewed as a jack of all trades. During his lifetime, Dr. Bell owned a nightclub, worked in real estate, and developed questionable tonics. His most well-know trade was making elixirs that were meant to cure various ailments. One of these elixars was called the “Miracle Cure” that was meant to be a cure for anything while another one was called “Re-Nu Tonic,” which was meant to bring people back from the dead.

The Bell House has also been used as a bed and breakfast and, at one point, was known as Vito’s Pizzeria and Lounge, yet, nothing seems to last

Photo Credit: Carissa Zaun

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very long in this building. The reason: paranormal activity; multiple people have claimed to have seen a ghostly presence walking through the house. For example, when the Bell House was a restaurant, the owners saw some sort of apparition walking through the house at 2 a.m. Investigators and ghost hunters have visited the Bell House throughout the years, but they do not know if Dr. Bell is still wandering the property years after his death. Despite many people’s claims of paranormal activity, one thing is certain: the Bell House has had an interesting history that continues to live on.

VALDOSTA ST EMERGENCY efficacy of this program, and “in the last 4 years of call box usage, we have received only one call in an emergency situation. This call came from a VSU guest experiencing a cardiac event.”

mergency Call Boxes have been around the University campus since the late 1990s, but the advent of cell phones has changed the demand for this resource on college campuses across America, including right here in Valdosta.

Another factor considered was the maintenance costs of the phones considering they are outside in the Georgia weather 24/7. “One of the major driving forces (other than the increases features of an application style system) was the soaring maintenance costs,” he said. “Based on the maintenance data, the call boxes out on main campus, and in the weather, were experiencing the largest sum of maintenance issues. The one’s in the parking decks have not experienced those issues.”

These boxes are built to stand out due to their colors a yellow pole and blue light. A telephone linked to an emergency hotline is located on the inside of these boxes, yet over time, the look and function of these Emergency Call Boxes has almost changed completely.

Rowe said that a study from Pew Research Group in 2014 states that most incoming college students have a cell phone and that it was important to

Alan Rowe, the director of Public Safety and the chief of University Police, said that in the 2016-2017 academic year, Valdosta State University Police Department began to survey the

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TATE UNIVERSITY CALL BOX adjust the outreach to students. “After consultation with Student Government, the decision to move away from traditional call boxes was reached,” Rowe said. “To replace them, in 2018, Blazer Guardian was launched. The cell phonebased application, located in both the Google Play and Apple Store, places an emergency call box in your hand, wherever you’re located.” Associate Director of Environmental and Occupational Safety, Meredith Lancaster said the Blazer Guardian app there are advantages that emergency phones didn’t provide before like providing direct access to University Police. “As a huge advantage, it travels with the student, faculty, or staff as they move about campus, keeping an emergency resource in their hands,” she said. Lancaster also explained why elements of the original Emergency Call Box remain in place. “Since many of the “yellow poles” had also been used to mount cameras, they needed to remain in place.” While the traditional yellow and blue Emergency Call Boxes are not totally obsolete, there are 11 remaining located in Sustella and Oak Street parking decks.

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HACKLE SIBLINGS MURDER Written by: Taryn Jackson and was last seen in Atkinson county on March 11, 2019. This would mark the beginning of a harrowing search for the three missing persons, which would eventually end in a gruesome and tragic discovery.

In early March of 2019, a triple homicide shook the lives of many middle Georgians. It was a cold morning and spring had just begun to make an appearance when three persons, two adults and a teenager, were reported missing to the Atkinson and Berrien Police Departments. Sue Tootle, the mother of siblings Ronnie Wayne Hackle Jr. (27) and Mercedes Maelyn Hackle (17) reported the siblings as missing at the Atkinson County Police Department after she failed to contact either of her children for several hours. Ronnie’s girlfriend, Bobbie Lynn Moore (22), was also reported missing by her parents,

The next day, March 12, the Berrien County Police Department responded to a call about a burning car located on Highway 135 near the Alapaha River half past five in the morning. The authorities soon discovered the seemingly abandoned car belonged to Bobbie Lynn Moore. With the discovery of the abandoned vehicle, Moore and the Hackle siblings were officially reported as missing, especially after it was made known that their family had been unable 24

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to contact the three for over 24 hours.

Mercedes Hackle in Berrien County, Vann was charged by the Berrien County Police Department with malice murder and arson, as well as for the destruction and concealment of evidence.

A search for the three missing persons began. The Atkinson and Berrien County Police Departments, along with the Georgia State Patrol, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) searched along the river in hopes of finding any evidence that would lead to some answers. Soon after, two bodies suspected to be two of the missing persons were found in Atkinson County, just a few miles from where Moore’s car was discovered. The GBI had the bodies sent to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Macon for identification. It was later confirmed the two bodies were the remains of Ronnie Wayne Hackle and Bobbie Lynne Moore. Mercedes Hackle, however, was still missing.

Another suspect, Keyante Green (25), was arrested soon after the discovery of Mercedes Hackle and ultimately charged by both the Atkinson and Berrien Police Departments for the concealment of murder. Two charges were brought against him by Atkinson County for concealing the murder of the Hackle siblings, with a third charge leveled against him by Berrien County for concealing the murder of Moore. Green was charged with the additional charges of malice murder in the deaths of Ronnie Wayne Hackle Jr. and Bobbie Lynne Moore in late March 2019. The motive for the triple homicide remained undetermined as both Vann and Green pleaded not guilty in regard to these murders.

The search for Mercedes began, and in the late afternoon of March 14, 2019, a third body was found in Berrien County, just a few miles from where the bodies of the first two victims had been found. The body was also sent for identification where it was quickly confirmed that the remains were indeed that of Mercedes Hackle.

In February 2021, the Berrien County Attorney District announced that they would seek the death penalty as punishment for both Vann and Green for the murder of Ronnie Wayne Hackle, Mercedes Hackle, and Bobbie Lynne Moore. The state of Georgia reserves the death penalty for especially gruesome crimes, and Berrien County Attorney District believes that the brutal circumstances surrounding the murder of Mercedes Hackle, who was a minor, warrants such a punishment. As both Green and Vann pleaded not guilty at the time and were considered innocent until proven guilty, the case was taken before a Berrien County jury to await the final verdict.

On the same day that the bodies of Wayne Hackle and Jamie Lynn Moore were found, authorities located and arrested Jonathan Douglas Vann (20), who was arrested in connection with the disappearance and murder of Wayne and Mercedes Hackle. A resident of Nashville, GA, Vann was charged by the Atkinson County Police Department on two charges of malice murder, especially in regard to the murder of Mercedes Hackle, a minor, and under the age of 18. It was reported that Vann had killed Mercedes Hackle with a hit to the back of her head that knocked her unconscious. The cause of her death, however, was a gunshot to the face, which killed her instantly. On top of charges of murder and arson, Vann was also charged on accounts of kidnaping and assault. After the discovery of

In the Fall of 2021, the families of Mercedes and Wayne Hackle and Bobbie Lynne Moor were given the justice they deserved. In mid-November, both Jonathan Douglas and Keyante Green pleaded guilty on all charges brought against them by both Berrien County and Atkinson County. 25

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Douglas was given five life sentences without parole, three for malice murder and two for felony murder and kidnapping with bodily injury. Two of the murder malice charges were in Atkinson county and the third in Berrien County. In Atkinson county, Douglas was sentenced to 20 years for concealing the death of the Hackle siblings and Bobby Lynn Moore, plus a year for tampering with evidence. In Berrien County, Douglas was sentenced 10 years for second degree arson and 10 years for concealing the death of his victims plus another year for tampering with evidence. Like Douglas, Green was also charged by both Atkinson County and Berrien County. In Berrien County, Green was sentenced to life in prison without parole for malice murder. He was also sentence to life on charges of kidnapping without parole. He was sentence 10 years each for second degree arson and the concealment of a death, plus one year for tampering with evidence. In Atkinson county, Greene was sentenced to life without parole for two charges of malice murder. He was also sentence 10 years each on two separate charges for the concealment of murder.

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PHOTOGRAPHED BY NADIA COLIE

CANDY MOS LER

THE MOST SCANDALOUS SOUTHERN SOCIALITE Written by: Serena Hambrick

Georgia. After her parents died when she was 10, Candy was sent to live with her grandparents. Her grandfather told her to marry well to get herself out of poverty. In her teens Candy does just that when she married an engineer named Norman Johnson, a man who was a decade older than her. Candy eventually dropped out of high school and relocated to Alabama to be with her new husband. They had two children together, a son and daughter named Norman Jr. and Rita, but Candy was bored with life as a housewife. She soon got involved with a local military support group set up to aid the troops during World War II. Candy and the other women regularly threw parties for the troops at the bases. One night at Fort Benning in Georgia, she meets Winthrop Rockefeller, an heir to the Rockefeller fortune. Winthrop had joined the war effort by enlisting in the Army as a private in 1941. It is alleged that Winthrop and Candy began an affair just before he was shipped off to combat, which later raised questions about the paternity of Candy’s daughter Rita. Soon after the alleged Winthrop Rockefeller fling, Candy followed her husband, Norman Johnson, to New Orleans but the marriage quickly deteriorated, and they divorced. Candy then dropped off her kids with her sister and fled to New York City to make it as a model, but this proved to be unsuccessful

andy Mossler was a well-known Houston socialite famous for her lavish parties and elaborate fundraisers for every charity, hospital, and disease under the sun. She spoke with a genteel Southern Belle accent and had the allure of Marilyn Monroe. Candy was married to a multi-millionaire husband who gave her everything, including a mansion filled with a complete staff of maids, cooks, and chauffeurs in one of the most exclusive areas in Houston. This case had everything and as this case unraveled Candy’s life turned out to include lying, money, family secrets, incest, and eventually murder. Before she became Candy Mossler, she was Candace Weatherby, the sixth of twelve children born to a poor Georgian farmer on February 18, 1920, in Buchanan,

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Mosslers. They were highly respected philanthropists, rescued four children in a crisis, and helped their nephew get on track for a bright future. However, a dark and disturbing family secret was looming over the Mossler household. In the spring of 1963, the household staff at the Mossler mansion noticed that Candy and Melvin began to act romantically towards each other, which they then in turn mentioned to Jacques Mossler, who eventually found a diary of Candy’s that confirmed the incestuous affair. Embarrassed and disgusted, Jacques Mossler at first wanted to sue Melvin for ruining his marriage and to divorce Candy for her incestuous adultery. Mossler soon realized he could not do either of these things; he could not sue Melvin because the lawsuit would generate a lot bad publicity, and he could not divorce his wife Candy because they had a prenuptial agreement wherein, she would receive half of his $30 million fortune ($273 million in today’s money). If Candy filed for divorce, on the other hand, she would only get $200,000 ($1.8 million in today’s money). The only thing Jacques could think of doing was to kick Melvin out of the mansion and to separate from Candy by sending her to live in a condo in Key Biscayne near Miami. Despite this separation, Candy still had access to her husband’s fortune and was able to help her nephew and now her lover start his real estate career. Candy’s incestuous relationship with her nephew Melvin was basically an open secret in Houston, and in the last week of June 1964, Candy took her children to Key Biscayne to visit their father. It seemed like a normal family trip, but while the kids played at the beach, Candy was struggling with her irritating migraines and had to go to the hospital at one point. In the early morning hours of June 30, 1964, Candy awakened her kids and ran some errands: First to a hotel to mail letters, then to a diner for hamburgers, and finally another trip to the hospital to treat one of her episodic migraine headaches. Later, at 4:30 A.M. Candy and the children arrived at the condominium complex. They walked into Jacques’ condominium and discovered his body covered in a blanket after having been stabbed more than 30 times and bludgeoned with a blunt object. The Mossler murder became cause célèbre and the headlines extended beyond Houston and Miami and became national fodder. The investigation originally focused on two

after only landing small gigs in various department stores. She quickly returned to New Orleans where, as a single mom, she opened her own business, a model agency and finishing school. This business led to Candy becoming a prominent figure in New Orleans high society known for mixing with the local elite. While fundraising for the New Orleans Opera in the Fall of 1948, Candy met a wealthy banker named Jacques Mossler, a man who would change the course of her life. Although Jacques Mossler was quite frugal and only wanted to pledge $25 to the New Orleans Opera, but Candy wrote him in for a $350 donation, which made Jacques notice her. He was instantly taken in by Candy’s blonde glamour, and genteel southern charm. Mossler fell for Candy instantly. Candy married Mossler just a few months after meeting him in May of 1949. Once married, Mossler built Candy a grand three story, 28-room mansion in the neighborhood of River Oaks, an exclusive neighborhood in Houston, and together throughout the 1950s, Candy and Jacques threw several lavish fundraising parties over the years. They became even more praised when she and Jacques adopted the four children of a military veteran who had a mental breakdown and killed the mother and the children’s youngest sibling. By the early 1960s, their philanthropic efforts expanded to include family. In 1961, Candy’s sister, Elizabeth, called her to tell Candy about her wayward teenage son, Melvin Lane Powers. Elizabeth asked Candy and Jacques to take Melvin in, and they agreed. Soon Melvin moved into the Mossler mansion. Jacques taught Melvin the business of insurance and finance, while Candy helped Melvin mix and mingle with the Houston high society crowd. For a while, everything looked perfect for the

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this bulldog lawyer she had to front him $200,000, that is the equivalent of $1.7 million in 2022. There was just one thing in her way that made her unable to afford him. As a prime suspect in her husband’s murder his assets were frozen, so she had to resort to giving him her furs and diamonds to pay for his representation. During the trial, Candy adored the media attention and always came dressed in her finest clothes and gave off this genteel southern belle essence. The nation was captivated at this case that featured a millionaire, rumors of homosexuality, incest, and murder. At first, Candy and Melvin’s fate seemed doomed, since the prosecutors had overwhelming evidence and a motive for both of them. There were multiple witnesses from people that were contacted by Candy and Melvin to put a hit on Jacques. As well as neighbors and other people close to them who confirmed their illicit and disturbing incestuous relationship. Finally, there were witnesses that testified that Melvin was seen at a hotel in the Key Biscayne area around the time Jacques was murdered not to mention his fingerprints matched those that were found at the murder scene. However, the power of their lawyer, Percy Foreman changed the course of the case. He was able to poke holes in the circumstantial evidence, and when he cross examined the witnesses, they stumbled. Plus, he brought out the fact that the people whom Candy and Melvin allegedly contacted to execute the hit were ex-convicts, convicts, and drug addicts, so it was for him to destroy their credibility with the jury. Percy Foreman also stuck with Candy’s theory that Jacques was a homosexual and that during a tryst with a male lover, the male lover brutally murdered him. The verdict was announced on March 6, 1966, after four days of deliberation by the jury and both Candy Mossler and Melvin Powers were found not guilty and acquitted. The trial ended with Candy kissing her nephew/lover on the mouth in front of the whole court and running off together with their lawyers in a gold Cadillac. The last ten years of Candy’s life after the Mossler murder trial were still stranger than fiction. After she and her nephew/lover were acquitted, they continue their romantic relationship and reside at the Mossler mansion until around 1968 or 1969. Candy was said to have been the jealous type and would regularly accuse him of cheating

suspect theories. The first realm of suspects were related to Jacques’ position as a ruthless businessman who had his hand in destroying people financially and investigators thought it had to be a disgruntled person he had ruined. The second realm of suspects came from his wife, Candy, who told investigators that he had suffered from a mental illness or breakdown and that made Jacques become a homosexual. In early 1960s America, the allegation alone was very scandalous, and investigators started trying to piece together a theory of a disgruntled gay lover. However, Candy’s theory soon fell apart when investigators discover Jacques’ diary which revealed how he feared for his life and was worried that his wife Candy and her nephew/lover, Melvin, were plotting to kill him and get their hands on his fortune. With that diary revelation, Candy Mossler and Melvin Powers become the prime suspects. By July 1965, Candy and Melvin were indicted on the charge of first-degree murder after public outrage. They both were able to post their $50,000 bonds. By January 1966, the Mossler murder trial begins, and Candy and Melvin were equipped with their dream team of defense lawyers. The team consisted of Clyde Woody, Marian Rose, William F. Walsh, and most famously Percy Foreman. Percy was a well-known defense attorney who always got people off and would later be known for defending Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassin, James Earl Ray. For Candy to retain 30

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and hitting on waitresses. By 1971, she Shockingly, she also grew Jacques’ finanplunged into her third marriage with a cial empire from around $33 million when man 20 years younger named Barnett she inherited it to around $200 million, Garrison, who was an electrical contractor which is equivalent to more than $1 billion who owned a few nightclubs in Houston. in 2022. In October of 1976, she flew from He was also quite reminiscent of her Houston to Miami to attend a bank board nephew/lover, Melvin Powers, who stood of directors meeting and checked into a at 6 foot 4 and weighed 220 pounds. Their suite at the famous Fontainebleau Hotel. relationship was just as bad; however, While there, she suffered from one of her Candy allegedly took things further when episodic migraine headaches and called a she felt he cheated on her. Barnett liked doctor. He came to her hotel room and going to a nightclub that had go-go injected her with the painkiller, Demerol, dancers on a regular basis and Candy was and the sedative, Phenergan. However, he outraged and felt this was infidelity. The was unaware that she had given herself nightclub was set on fire one night and the Placidyl. On the morning of October 26, Houston Fire Department immediately 1976, she was found dead at age 56 in her suspected Candy but had no evidence pink nightgown lying on the plush pillows against her. However, a few years later she of her bed in her suite. The cause of death may have given a subtle confession to a is ruled as a barbiturate overdose. She was society columnist for the Houston Post laid to rest in Arlington cemetery next to when she came to her home. Candy her late second husband she was susallegedly said when asked if she started pected to have put there a decade earlier, the fire, “I certainly would Jacques Mossler. Her only children who understand doing such a attended her funeral were the two of the thing.” three My dad has spent more than fifty In children August years trying to figure out who his mother she left of 1972, an Barnett really was, and he still has no answers. inherisuffered a tance to, fall from her the roof of the Mossler mansion and was daughter, Rita and son, Eddie. Another found unconscious in a pool of blood. mourner at her funeral was her nephew/ When he awoke a few weeks later and he ex-lover/partner in crime, Melvin Lane could not recall if he jumped, fell, or was Powers, who by this time had become a pushed off the roof. A biographer who was real estate mogul and a multi-millionaire researching Candy’s life was contacted by in his own right. Decades later, one of her a relative of hers, who told him that she grandsons stated this about his infamous had set Barnett up to be beaten by some grandmother “My dad has spent more redneck cousins of hers. They allegedly ice than fifty years trying to figure out who picked him in the ear and threw him off his mother really was, and he still has no the roof to make it look accidental, answers.” Candy Mossler was one of those however there was no mention that he rare and very odd women who was able to had ear damage so this part could have charm, intrigue, and yet make people been a rumor. Barnett also could not recall revile her at the same time. marrying Candace and went to live with his parents, and they separated before Candy filed for divorce in March of 1974. During her last year of life between 1975 to 1976 more drama and tragedy followed Candy. She disinherited most of her adopted children and only left an inheritance for one adopted son, Eddie, along with her two biological children, Rita, and Norman Jr. That obviously caused a falling out between her and her adopted children.

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L A H IGROE T

RED UM

Written by: Isabella Schneider and Carissa Zaun 32 ONTAP

stages of this: autolysis, bloat, active decay and skeletonization. If a body is in the absent stage, rigor mortis has not started yet. If a body is in the present stage, rigor mortis has started; however, the body is not fully stiff yet. If a body is in the complete stage, the body’s muscles do not move easily without force being applied to move them.

girl laid in a position where one could assume she was asleep on a couch in one of the study rooms in a dorm, known as Georgia Hall, on VSU’s campus or so the students who passed by that room thought. After all, it was not unusual to see a student taking a nap in the study rooms. The next day when she still hadn’t moved, a group of students went into the room to check on her. They saw that she was not moving, performed CPR, and contacted authorities.

In this situation, imagine Benjamin trying to get some studying done for her classes when someone comes up from behind and starts choking her. She struggles to get away and in doing so ends up hitting herself on the desk causing bruising and trauma to the skin and muscles. After the murder, the body begins to start to dry out. According to Gaffney-Kraft, the asphyxiation and the blunt force injuries combined to cause Benjamin’s death. The nature of these causes for her death caused Gaffney-Kraft to rule Benjamin’s death a homicide.

The victim, Jasmine Benjamin, was a 17 year-old first-year student. VSU PD were first to arrive at the scene and almost deemed the death of natural causes but called the Valdosta Police to help with the case where they deemed it a homicide on November 17, 2012.

On all accounts, Benjamin was a popular girl and had quite a few friends. However, the timing of the crime and subsequent investigation meant that many students would be going home for

Upon the coroner’s findings it was estimated that the student had been dead for somewhere between 12 and 15 hours; however, he would not know for certain until the autopsy was performed. The coroner did not suspect foul play, but the autopsy said otherwise. Benjamin’s case was classified as a homicide. According to the autopsy, Benjamin’s cause of death was asphyxiation. According to coroner Maryanne GaffneyKraft who conducted the autopsy in 2012, the signs of this death include blunt force and trauma to the neck and soft tissue around the airways. According to the autopsy, Benjamin arrived at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Central Regional Medical Examiner’s office on November 19, 2012. The body arrived intact and without any indications of medical intervention beforehand.

The entrance to the study room where Jasmine Benjamin was found.

Rigor mortis had not yet started when Gaffney-Kraft received the body. Rigor mortis refers to the stage of death that a body goes through. A body’s muscles begin to stiffen after death. There are four different 33

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Thanksgiving break making it harder for police and other investigators to find out who committed this crime.

comment specifically on what a staff member would do if they came across a dead body. If you were to go into the study room today, you wouldn’t even know that such a crime had occurred in the room. A simple arrangement of desks and chairs now occupy the room. It is almost as if the removal of the couches shows how Benjamin’s murder has been removed from many people’s minds.

Darien Joseph Meheux, a 19 year-old first-year student turned himself into the authorities in a town called Ellaville. Word had gotten out that police were looking for him. After his admission, he was sentenced to life in prison. What proved him to be the murderer beyond a reasonable doubt was another student who saw him in the stairwell with Benjamin and that he was the only known person to constantly be in contact with Benjamin in which he wouldn’t get a response from a dead person. A representative from Housing and Residence Life explained that staff are trained to respond to particular situations including someone who isn’t responsive, but didn’t

When you first walk into the study room, there is a sitting area with a small table and two chairs.

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To the right is a set of desks with chairs.

On the other side of the door is a side room with a circular table and chairs.

To the left is another door.

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rueCimPodcastT

WRITTEN BY: DESIREE BENNET

uring the night there is nothing better than to curl up and listen to stories that give you goosebumps. While some prefer stories of a spectral nature, nothing is more chilling than the realities of the worst of mankind. If real life villains peak your interest, here are some podcasts that could possibly fill your appetite for the macabre. While it is easy to forget, as you listen to or read through these cases, please remember that these victims were real people, and much more important than the killers that took their lives. If any of these podcasts have caught your fancy, there are several places to listen to them. Apple Podcasts and Spotify are more mainstream places to listen, but there is also Audible, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts.

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LINDSEYAH-PUV Up and Vanished is an investigative journalism podcast. Focusing on cold cases, the first season is set in Ocilla, Georgia. The case of Tara Grinstead, a young school teacher who had suddenly just “up and vanished '' one day, is Lindsey’s first project. He sought to shed light on the tragic disappearance of Tara as the police had pretty much decided that it was never going to be solved. With the solving of Grinestead’s case he moved onto the disappearance of Kristal Reisinger for season two.

LINDSEYAMOTR-P Also narrated by Lindsey, the Atlanta Monster podcast tells the story of the summer of ‘79. African American children were going missing, and nobody was trying to stop it. While a man was captured and charged with the over 25 murders of African American youth, many were and are still not assured that he was the right man. Atlanta Monster goes over the facts of the case and debates whether or not they (the Atlanta police) had the right guy.

TAWPROESNDBIFLJUK-HYCM Crime Junkies is a true crime podcast that has a different focus case every week. Rather than murders, Flowers attempts to bring attention to missing persons cases, similar to Up and Vanished, as she believes that the missing can and will be found, especially with many people looking for them.

SCHEIFR-MULZANDTKW’Y Double Whammy! Reading both true crime and paranormal stories, this show is split in half with Shultz reading a paranormal story that they believe is true, and Shaiffer reading a true crime story, usually a murder. The hosts do joke during their retellings, making it a bit of a comedy and true crime podcast, but they try to keep things tasteful when speaking about the victims of these tragedies. If any of these podcasts have caught your fancy, there are several places to listen to them. Apple Podcasts and Spotify are more mainstream places to listen, but there is also Audible, Stitcher, and (insert other one). 37

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Six Inches Deeper Review

history that he provides allows those who aren’t from Valdosta to understand how the area is laid out as well. This is important because it adds to the credibility of the book. Compared to the research I have done on this case, the information in this book matches the other accounts. The major difference is the amount of description in Rawlings’s account of the story.

There is a substantial amount of content that is labeled true crime. Some of the WRITTEN BY : CARISSA ZAUN content is fictionalized and some is not. Six Inches Deeper falls under the non-fiction genre. Due to Six Inches Deeper being a book, there is not much that is ecently, it seems like any type visually engaging within the pages; of media that focuses on true crime has however, the quality of the content become exceedingly popular. The book makes up for the lack of visual engageSix Inches Deeper is about a murder that ment. Rawlings’s style of writing is happened in Valdosta, Ga. during the captivating to read, and he provides an 1970s. Helen Hanks was a wife and a experience like no other. mother of three. Six Inches Deeper is written by one of her children, William Rawlings, who delves into his mother’s story and tells his truth. In the beginning of the book, he says, “[f}rom a literary perspective, the tale [of Helen Hanks] is one of the ultimate sin, murder as well as secrets and lies, arrogance, sex, race, the struggle between the haves and the have-nots, and, eventually justice” (8).

As Rawlings put it, Hank’s case was ultimately a struggle. Her murderer was a wealthy man and her boss. This book's greatest value is that it gives more extensive version of the story of Hellen Hanks’s disappearance. Most of the reporting done on this case gives a very basic description of what happened. Rawlings's version explains piece by piece of the case. Rawling also gives a detailed description of Valdosta as well as the surrounding areas of South Georgia. As a Valdosta native, the areas he describes in Valdosta are easily recognizable; however, the 39

William Rawlings, the author of Six Inches Deeper ONTAP

The Night Swim Review T

WRITTEN BY: SAM ACEVEDO

he Night Swim is an adult mystery thriller that includes a dual point of view from the perspective of the main characters Rachel Krall and her mysterious shadow.

between the death of Jenny Stills and the rape case against the Olympic-bound athlete. This connection will change the course of the subsequent trial.

After the first season, her true crime podcast became super popular that ultimately set an innocent man free. Rachel Krall then became a well-known name in the world of true crime podcasts and the last hope for thousands of people seeking justice. However, Krall is accustomed to being recognized by her voice and not her face, which has led to some disturbing moments, like the time she found a note on her car windshield begging for her help. This note, in turn, sets off a chain of events throughout the story.

As a book, The Night Swim asks what is the price of a reputation, can a small town ever right the wrongs of the past, and what really happened to Jenny?

Rachael arrives to the small town of Neapolis to investigate a rape trial that is tearing apart the town. Rachael begins to question the town’s golden boy, who is destined for the Olympics in swimming, but is also accused of raping a high school student, who happens to be the granddaughter of the local police chief. In an effort to make season three of her podcast a success, Rachel dives right into the case, but what she doesn’t expect is to investigate another case, one that no one else is talking about. Officially Jenny Stills drowned 25 years ago, but the letters that are left for Rachael suggest otherwise. The past starts to catch up with the present when Rachael discovers connections

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TRULY DEVIOUS REVIEW

WRITTEN BY: SAM ACEVEDO

Academy. The school enrolls elite students, whether some of them are inventors, artists, or, in Stevie Bell’s case, a detective.

ruly Devious is a young adult mystery thriller that takes place at a famous private school in Vermont known as Ellingham

Ellingham Academy was founded by Albert Ellingham in the 1930s. He wanted to create an academic institution “where learning is a game,” and is thus filled with riddles, twisting pathways, and mysterious gardens. Not long after the school opened, Ellingham’s wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only real clue was a riddle that listed various methods of murder and was signed with a frightening pseudonym: “Truly, Devious,” which then became one of the biggest unsolved crimes of American history. Truly Devious features a dual timeline, that goes back and forth between the moment of the kidnapping and the present day when the main character Stevie Bell enters the canvas of the story. Stevie Bell is not like the other elite students at Ellingham Academy; unlike her peers, her plan is to solve the cold case, but it will not be easy. She first needs to get accustomed to her new school and her new housemates: the inventor, the novelist, the actor, the artist, and the jokester.

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Truly Devious takes a twist when someone is murdered on campus and the past comes back to haunt them, which then means Stevie has two murders to solve.

EXTREMELY WICKED, SHOCKINGLY EVIL AND VILE REVIEW WRITTEN BY : CARISSA ZAUN

lmost everyone in America knows about Ted Bundy, the notorious serial killer who kidnapped, raped, and murdered many young women in the 1970s. Bundy's story has inspired many television shows, movies, and podcast episodes. Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile is one of those movies. Produced by Netflix, the film stars Zac Efron and Lily Collins. 42

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What the Producer did Well:

Despite the mature rating, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile glossed over the gruesome encounters between Bundy and his victims. In a way, this also seemed to humanize Ted Bundy. It isn't until the end when the audience is given some shocking news that confirms that Bundy committed the crimes he was being charged of.

The casting is this film's strengh. Efron is the perfect actor to play Bundy; Bundy was described as a handsome man who seemed like a charming and normal person. Efron displays that seemingly innocent personality throughout the whole movie. Efron's manerisms match those of a good, well-mannered, young man. This charming personality is furthered by the way that Efron delivers his lines to his various audiences in the movie. For example, Bundy charms the press and even acts as his own defense autorny when he is dissatisfied with the one he was given by the state.

Towards the end the judge sentences Bundy to death. In his statement, the judge says, "They [the killings] were extremely wicked, shockingly evil, and vile."

For the most part, this movie is accurate. The story line is easy to follow, and includes elements such as the time Bundy defended himself in court. Bundy was an intelligent person who studied law in college.

The judge also admits in the movie that Bundy was a bright young man and that he would have enjoyed having Bundy practice under him if the circumstances had been different. That really sums up the situation and makes the audience wonder how would things have been different if Bundy had made the decision to act differently than he did.

What the Producer got Wrong: The most notable part the film gets wrong is the relationship between Bundy (played by Zac Efron) and Elizabeth Kloepfer (played by Lily Collins). The film seems to emphasize their relationship which was real in real life; however, the movie seemed to over romanticize the nature of this coupling. The romance part of this movie overshadowed the many details that made Bundy intriguiging, and at times the romance completely took over the plot.

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IN THE DARK REVIEW

Written by: Breannia Stillwell

and his partially blind daughter, but then it is revealed that Dean is connected to the murder of Tyson and is committed to covering it up.

The CW series “In the Dark” is not your typical murder mystery. “In the Dark” revolves around a blind woman, Murphy Mason, who drowns her problems in meaningless sex and booze. She was adopted as a toddler and lost her eyesight at the age of 14 due to retinitis pigmentosa, yet she does not allow her blindness to stop her. Murphy splits her time between her job at Guiding Hope, a school devoted to the training of guide dogs, and to solving the murder of her friend Tyson, a young African American teen who was, prior to his demise, caught up in street activities that put his life in danger. Tyson, however, saved Murphy from a mugging, which is what sparked the beginning of their friendship. Tyson became someone Murphy truly enjoyed spending time with because he made her laugh and made her feel normal. After Tyson’s heroic act, Murphy finds Tyson’s dead body in an alleyway. Later, Tyson's body mysteriously disappears before the police reach the scene. Murphy, who is left feeling helpless, will soon devote every moment of her time to finding justice for Tyson. Murphy becomes desperate to uncover the truth. She convinces her childhood friend and roommate, Jess, to help her find out what happened to Tyson and soon enlists the support of Dean, a police detective, as well as Felix, her Guiding Hope co-worker, and a few other colorful characters, such as Max, Darnell, and Leslie. Through the course of the investigation, and thus through the course of the television series, the motives and true colors of the characters are revealed, and to say the least, detective Dean is not as innocent and morally upright as he first appears. Dean initially comes off as a stand-up guy who is fully invested in both his work 44

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In season one, episode 13, Murphy strikes a deal with a proverbial devil, only to find herself involved with drugs and money laundering. Eventually, Murphy’s friends are embroiled in this new criminal lifestyle even though Murphy fails to take ownership for her actions. She seems to have a hold on the people who surround her. Murphy has a sarcastic dark charm that allows her to get what she wants. She is constantly struggling with the concept of selflessness; Murphy, allows her selfish drive to solve the murder control not only her life but the lives of her friends as well. Murphy’s new lifestyle brings on a new love interest, Max, a man who launders money for the drug lord, but who is also tired of running from the police. Max, in short, wants something more stable and, as seasons progress, he tries to get Murphy to realize her shortcomings, but she fails to do this and eventually, Max leaves. “In the Dark” does a great job depicting the perspective of a blind person, being sure not to just focus on Murphy’s blindness, but on how she lives and adapts to the blindness. Murphy is not victimized or helpless, she is very clever and independent, and she hates people who make her feel disabled or helpless.

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SQUID GAME REVIEW By Isabella Schneider This pivotal plot point and is explored at the end of episode 2 of squid game. once leaving the game on majority vote, seoung gi-hun goes to the police to report what happened. however, because contestants had to call a mysterious number to get a place in the game and sign the contract, it shows how intricate the games are run behind the scenes to keep police suspicions at bay. Another storyline inherent to squid game introduced in this episode features a south korean police officer who is searching for his missing brother that leads to an undercover investigation of how the games are run. while the idea of being able to see what goes on behind the scenes of the games, the revelatory nature of this storyline takes away some of the tension that provides the overall series.

quid Game is an original series on netflix that provides an interesting commentary on social and economic status depicted through violent renditions of children’s games in an effort to win for financial stability. as a show, squid game has moved the world by storm. I personally started squid game ignorant and blind to the show’s concept beyond the knowledge that it is like the concept of the hunger games flipped on its head. the first episode took a moment to get into, as it establishes the main character of the story, seoung gi-hun, and thus reveals his motivations and how he came to be a part of the titular squid game. Once seoung gi-hun starts playing, that’s where the tension begins. the first game, red light, green light, shows how quick, simple, and yet difficult these games are for the contestants. this episode also establishes how squid game deviates from other works with narratives that contain a similar plot concept in the sense that the contestants signed a legally binding contract to give some control of the games to the contestants. the most notable clause is giving contestants the ability to stop the games on majority vote but walk away with no money.

What the second episode of squid game emphasizes is the poverty and depravity of the lives of the contestants. showed these games proved a better living situation than their current lifestyle. the third episode of squid game saw contestants return to the intensity of the games featuring a game called honeycomb, where contestants had to quickly cut a cookie out of a specific shape in ten minutes. This is the first game where friendships are tested because a few characters have information to figure out what the game is beforehand. this was also the first game where elements of the game were not revealed until the instructions were stated.

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none-the-less many characters die during the game while others barely make it out alive. “stick to the team” sees contestants forming groups of 10 without knowing what the game is for. this starts to show characters’ true colors in who ends up on the team and who gets left out. the game is revealed to be tug-of-war. the game is intense, and the episode ends with a literal cliffhanger. however, the stakes of which teams will die are brought down by the fact that we know the main characters we’ve been following are not going to die so early in the series. if the teams with both main characters went against each other, the shock value would’ve gone up. the fifth episode, “a fair world,” deceivingly made me believe that the contestants got a break from the game. however, everything changes when abnormalities in the routine rile up everyone before the start of the next game. this is where i feel most people could see the parallels between the hunger games. this game required people to make alliances, protect each other, and try to make it through the night. the game was a survival of the fittest. the way the game ends foreshadows a twist i didn’t see coming on my first watch of squid game. “ggnabu,” episode 6, made me cry because the chances of the main tenfold. the game was marbles where people paired off and each had a bag of 10 marbles. as long as one contestant ended up with all the marbles, contestants had a choice in the type of marble game. the episode provided a chance for supporting characters to have some character development. the game showed how contestants must change their personality for better chances of survival.

performances given by these actors lacked emotion. what the episode answered was who provided the money for characters dying increased these games. What saved this episode was the game the contestants played. the contestants must cross a glass bridge where two lanes where one can hold up to two people, and the other breaks. before the game started, people unknowingly chose the order in which they must cross. this setup leading to the game made it more intense since the people who went first knew they wouldn’t make it across. “front man” is the penultimate episode that is mainly wrapping up the storyline with the police officer. throughout most of the season, we see this officer gain information about his brother, but in his escape is confronted by the front man a character who watches over the games. the front man reveals himself to be the policeman’s brother who was missing and dies immediately ending that storyline which i felt to be predictable. The final episode, “one lucky day,” wraps up with squid game as the final game. Seoung gi-hun predictably wins the game which ruined the tension for me, but the fight was still nail-biting. the episode then does a time jump to give an epilogue of what happened after seoung gi-hun returns home. Seoung gi-hun waits a long time, before finding the purpose to use the winnings not only to pay off debts, but to follow through with promises. towards the end of the episode, it reveals who started the squid games competition. however, the reasoning behind the game is underwhelming because it is stated as “just for fun.”

“vips,” proved to be the worst episode because of the vips the title references. these characters were not given names other than vip and were the only american actors in the squid game. the 47

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R WRITTEN BY : CARISSA ZAUN 48

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Holden Ford, and Cameron Britton’s, played Ed Kemper, chemistry on screen is breathtaking. The dynamic between the two of them when they are on screen together is something I did not expect.

indHunter is a Netflix original television series that is based off of the #1 New York Times Bestseller, MindHunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker. Douglas takes his readers through his experiences from the Investigative Support Unit. Douglas interviewed some of the most well-known and gruesome serial killers. During his interviews, Douglas had to develop interviewing strategies to truly understand the psychology of these serial killers.

The show followed the idea of the book; however, the show is a bit more digestible in regard to the storyline. The rating is mature due to the graphic nature of some of the content which is something to note. MindHunter differs from other true crime shows such as Criminal Minds. MindHunter has a mature rating, so it is able to go into detail and show some of the more gruesome aspects of crime. MindHunter also goes into the psychology behind the serial killers’ actions. MindHunter is also set up differently. In shows such as Criminal Minds, the audience knows that the FBI is going to catch the bad guy by the end of every episode; however, in MindHunter, that is not the case. The show depicts the serial killers as severely unstable and unpredictable even if they are already behind bars. There isn’t a structure to every episode.

In the Netflix series, the same idea is adapted. The Netflix series follows the stories of Holden Ford, played by Jonathan Groff, and Bill Tench, played by Holt McCallany. Ford and Tench are FBI agents who are in charge of the seemingly impossible task of understanding the psychology of some of the most deadly criminals. In the show, Ford is seen as sometimes reckless when he takes on various positions to interview these serial killers. The show follows Ford’s and Tench’s personal lives as well. This attention to their personal lives adds a touch of understanding for the audience and gives the audience something to relate to. As one would guess, interviewing serial killers, such as Charles Manson and Ed Kemper, would take a toll on anyone. The show shows difficulties such as relationships with loved ones going into shambles and health issues due to large amounts of stress. Those struggles are relatable and at times the show gave me chills. Jonathan Groff’s, played

Overall, I personally enjoyed the show. Netflix has released two seasons, and postponed the rest of the show. It has not been cancelled, but due to the director’s schedule, the cast has not been able to film any more episodes. Since the show has been postponed, I can only review the two seasons that have been released.

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PHOTOGRAPHED BY NADIA COLIE

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