In the wake of a love affair and a mysterious chain of events, Tom Dooley was convicted and hanged for the murder of Laura Foster. At the conclusion of the Civil War, Wilkes County, North Carolina, was the site of this nationally publicized crime of passion, the nation's first. This notorious crime became an inspiration for musicians, writers and storytellers ever since, creating a mystery of mythic proportions. Through newspaper articles, trial documents and public records, Dr. John E. Fletcher brings this dramatic case to life, providing the long-awaited factual account of the legendary murder. Join the investigation into one of the country's most enduring thrillers.
John Fletcher is a writer and genealogist from Banner Elk, NC. A retired research scientist with the National Institutes of Health, Fletcher holds degrees from the University of Maryland and North Carolina State University. He has published numerous genealogical articles and makes his home in Berryville, VA. Edith Marie Ferguson Carter is the curator and owner/operator of the Tom Dooley Museum at the Whipporwill Academy in Ferguson, NC.