About this episode

The episode discusses the brutal murder of 18-year-old Ella Barham in 1912 and its lasting impact on Arkansas.

In 1912, 18-year-old Ella Barham left her family’s farm near Pleasant Ridge, Arkansas, on an ordinary errand and never came home. Her brutal murder shocked Boone County and led authorities to a neighbor accused of killing her after years of rejected romantic interest. More than a century later, Ella Barham’s murder remains one of Arkansas’ darkest and most troubling true crime stories. Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries 🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists. 📱 Follow on Social Media: Facebook: Southern Mysteries Podcast Instagram: @southernmysteriesEmail: southernmysteriespodcast@gmail.com Episode Sources Gould, Nita. Remembering Ella: A 1912 Murder and Mystery in the Arkansas Ozarks. Butler Center Books / University of Arkansas Press, 2018. (rememberingella.com) Barham, Ella (Murder of) - Encyclopedia of Arkansas Gould, Nita, ed…

More episodes of Southern Mysteries Podcast

• Episode 191 The Rowan County War · June 1, 2026 · 26 min
• Episode 188 The Murder of Louise Beattie · April 13, 2026 · 28 min
• Episode 187 The Pascagoula Incident · March 30, 2026 · 27 min
• Episode 186 The Marcia Trimble Murder · March 16, 2026 · 28 min
• Episode 185 Spies of the Civil War - Rose Greenhow · March 2, 2026 · 27 min
• Episode 184 Sheriff Without A Gun The Legacy of Thomas Gilmore · February 16, 2026 · 26 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Southern Mysteries Podcast podcast page.