True Crime

From a hot springs attraction to a central location for gangsters, gambling, moonshine and organized crime, trace the evolution of this "loose buckle in the Bible belt", now a resort and major tourist destination.

In the late 1800s, Hot Springs, Arkansas, was a small town with a big attraction: hot thermal water. The federal government took possession of the downtown-area springs, and bathhouse row was born, along with the first property that would be considered a national park. Following not too far behind were great entrepreneurs who brought in gambling and prostitution to go with the area's leading industry: moonshining. By the time the 20th century rolled in, Hot Springs was booming with tourists and became America's first resort. In the early 1930s, former New York gangster Owen Madden took up residence in the spa city, and things became very organized. Gangland luminaries from Al Capone to Frank Costello made regular pilgrimages over the next few decades to what was referred to as "the loose buckle in the Bible Belt."

On December 26, 1910, Oscar Chitwood lay lifeless on the courthouse lawn in Hot Springs, his wrists shackled together, and his body torn by bullets. The deputies on the scene claimed that masked men had lynched their prisoner and that the lawmen were innocent bystanders to the carnage. Newspapers everywhere proclaimed this killing another example of vigilantism run rampant. Within days, however, the official story fell apart, and these deputies were charged with cold-blooded murder. Authors Guy Lancaster and Christopher Thrasher tell the little-known story of accused outlaw Oscar Chitwood, the authorities he dared defy, and the mysterious resort town of Hot Springs, a place where the Wild West met the epitome of civilization, and where the boundaries between lawman and outlaw were never all that clear.

A True Story of Murderous Greed.

The John R. Kizer story is a riveting tale of deception, murder and anxiety in rural Arkansas. Kizer was a doctor who used his knowledge to drive his lustful greed and his standing in the community to evade detection. He would spend hours caring for a sick farm animal but could also poison a dog with no emotion. And he acted the same with humans. Kizer used his wealth, position and social standing to evade detection while committing gruesome crimes, allowing him to recoup much of his ruined finances following the great stock market crash of 1929. His dreams of wealth and social acceptance drove him to murderous heights. Historian Rodney Harris offers the true story of Kizer's life.

Discover the tales of the ghosts and specters that linger in northwest Arkansas.

The mountains and deeply wooded valleys of Northwest Arkansas have a mysterious side to match their pristine beauty. Eureka Springs is home to more than a few hotel guests who have never checked out. The lingering spirits of fallen Civil War soldiers are said to haunt the battlefields of Pea Ridge and Prairie Grove. Many former patients of sadistic doctor Norman Baker are believed to roam the grounds of his former hospital, now the Crescent Hotel. Elkhorn Tavern, a well-known stop on the historic westward thoroughfare, is still plagued by lingering apparitions from its days as a field hospital. Join paranormal investigator and author Bud Steed on a tour of some of the most haunted spots in Northwest Arkansas.

Join author Denise Parkinson for an intimate look at a Depression-era tragedy.

The once-thriving houseboat communities along Arkansas' White River are long gone, and few remember the sensational murder story that set local darling Helen Spence on a tragic path. In 1931, Spence shocked Arkansas when she avenged her father's murder in a DeWitt courtroom. The state soon discovered that no prison could hold her. For the first time, prison records are unveiled to provide an essential portrait. The legend of Helen Spence refuses to be forgotten--despite her unmarked grave.