Russellville Murders (2009)

From what I am able to gather from the public records the details are sketchy. Most of the things people heard growing up were beyond belief; normally I just chocked the stories up as an urban legend. That was before I decided to investigate and look into some of the people that were affected by the horrific details. A gold mine of truth that I discovered came when I was given the diary of Charles Bolds by a person whom asked to go unidentified. You can draw your own conclusions but the person would have had to be a relative or a thief in order to have obtained such a personal item of the man accused of the Russellville murders.

The events took place in 1963 at the time I was a social worker for pretty much all of Russellville. Most of the members of the community were a little tense about my arrival because they usually sought out answers through a church leader and my ways lean a little more towards psychology, I was never really one who was into spirits or demons but I must tell you that sometimes a “supernatural” explanation would probably allow you to make sense of things.

What you have in your hands now is my work in recreating that story. After multiple interviews with the men and women effected by the tragic events that summer in Russellville and countless hours of meticulous research of old periodicals and microfiche files; this is the closest to an actual chronically that one can have with out actually being Mr. Bolds himself. Only the man he sees in the mirror may possess the details or the horror brought on this sleepy town.

Charles Bolds was a tall man he stood 6’3 and was kind of skinny. He often wore flannel shirts and blue jeans. He was kind of goofy and could warm up a room like an open summer window. Charles had recently been hired at the Russellville Diner. Sad thing is you usually don’t get hired without getting fired before. Truth is Charles was recently let go from his job as a farm hand growing pumpkins and squash. It was a good paying job but the crop just wasn’t yielding this year, the owner of the farm predicted that would make for a bad Halloween, not that that bother Charles much because he really didn’t care for the witches holiday, as he called it. But the money was really good and to be honest working at the diner wasn’t making ends meet. If it was just him and his wife, Jane, things wouldn’t be that bad but when you throw in two kids it changes the playing field.

Charles and Jane had two kids his eldest daughter, Lauren, had just turned 17 and was preparing for her senior year of high school. She was dating a young man named Steven who played catcher for the high school baseball team. Charles didn’t really care for Steven, not for the usual reasons a dad dislikes his daughters boyfriend but because the rumor around town was that Steven was abusive towards Lauren and that he often would mistreat her or cheat on her.

Charles and Jane’s youngest child was their son, Bradley; he was 9 years old and really liked cowboys. Often Bradley would go down to Crow’s farm and watch his dad work the fields in the past. It wasn’t actually cowboy stuff but it was close enough for him. The young boy often wore a little red ten gallon hat and a toy six shooter cap gun on his hip. So far most of his summer had been spent sitting around the house and attending Vacation Bible School at the local Baptist church. He would come home and tell his mom that he really enjoyed hearing about Jesus from Minister Ted and wondered why people were scared to die if it meant that they got to go to Heaven.

Best anyone could recollect was that morning Charles had dropped Bradley off in front of the church, told his son that he loved him and that he’d be back to pick him up after work. From most eyewitnesses in Russellville Jane and Lauren had spent a little time in town shopping and bonding that afternoon. Charles co workers at the diner had described him as being his normal happy self and they didn’t suspect a thing.

From there the story goes on that Charles had picked up Bradley from VBS and headed home. He ate dinner with his family went out to the tool shed came back in with a hacksaw and tore his family apart. Police found him lying unconscious at the church, Minister Ted had shot him in the back as Charles lunged for his son; he claimed if he did not stop Charles that he would have killed Bradley too. When Charles came to the only things he could said was “did you get him, can you save my son?” After that Charles Bolds slipped away from consciousness for the last time.

Shortly after that Bradley was adopted into a foster home. He didn’t speak much after the events that summer night. The police conducted an investigation the circumstances surrounding the murders were concluded and it was deemed double murder, attempted murder, and arson with intent to destroy evidence. Charles had come home from work ate supper with his family then snapped killing his wife and daughter and attempted to burn down the house with his son still alive inside. Bradley escaped and ran to the church; Charles made a second attempt on his life in the church and was stopped by Minister Ted.

The fallout to this entire episode saw Minister Ted retire, after taking responsibility for the death of Charles Bolds. The congregation moved across town and the old Baptist church was boarded up and discarded. Bradley ran away from his foster parents’ home. Russellville eventually buried it’s demons in the past and started progressing back to its normal pulse. No one ever spoke of the Bolds family, until the minister of Second Baptist Church of Russellville was found murdered July 31; the anniversary of the Bolds family demise.

The minister’s name was Barry Burnster; he had taken over after the troubled Minister Ted had stepped down. The town was now alive with fear and speculation. Could this somehow be the ghost of Charles Bolds coming back and taking revenge on the town minister?

The Bolds case was re-opened and re-examined. The police did as much as they could to keep the information out of the hands of the public because they last thing they want on their hands is a ghost criminal as the number one suspect. With suspicions running high amongst the citizens of Russellville the Russellville Sheriff’s Office had a suspect of their own: Minister Ted Jacobs.

Chapter 2

Eventually the Sheriff brought Minister Ted in for questioning. The said that they suspected him because he had something to gain by the death of Barry Burnster and that they, RSO, were also concerned for his own safety. Over the last week there had been numerous threats made toward Ted and his house had been spray painted with remarks like hypocrite and murdered.

Sheriff Ron Davis interrogated Minister Ted. That was when the big question was asked of the shamed minister, “who do you suspects killed Barry Burnster?” Minister Ted stared at the floor and uttered, “I think our Bradley has returned home, Mr. Davis.”

Davis was confused and asked “what the hell do you mean by that?” Minister Ted replied, “Over the years I have lived with the actions knowing that I have killed a man, I have noticed certain things that your police force has overlooked.” Davis snaps back, “Have you been withholding information, Ted? Because if you have ‘father’ I will not hesitate to have you held here.” “No, no,” answered the minister, “nothing like that, I had a lot of time to go over the case, look at angles no one else saw, I’ve had time.” Davis replies, “What the hell does that mean? Ted if you know something you better start talking.”

The troubled minister stared at Davis as if he could save a man from being executed for a crime he didn’t commit, yet he said nothing and let the man die. Ted took a deep breath and asked Davis for a cup of water. “Sure,” said Davis, “I’ll be right back.”

Minister Ted thought for a minute while he was alone in the cold, brick room. He said to himself, “these walls have always surrounded me, for years I have searched for the truth only to be speechless when asked for such a treasure.”

He remember drawing the gun from under his coat as if the it’s cold steel was still gripped tightly in his palm, the first time he tried to yell stop being muffled by the fear in his quivering voice, most vividly he remembers the way Charles Bolds’ blood sprayed the air before settling on the floor of the church. After that he felt empty inside as the same boy that he told about Jesus watched him kill his father. He never spoke to young Bradley after that, he attempted to once but could not bring himself to face the surviving member of the Bolds family.

Sheriff Davis walks back into the room the door slowly shut behind him as he looks towards the mirror and notes for the recorder to be clicked back on. Ted notices the red light on the camera flicks on as he stares at the mirror as if he is looking into a murky lake. Davis extends the small Styrofoam cup towards the old man and says, “Here you are; now tell me what it is that you know.”

Ted began, “Well I didn’t think much of it in the beginning. Charles Bolds came to me shortly after Brad started to attend our events at the church. At first he just asked questions about fate and destiny. I assumed it was nothing more than his worries about losing his job down at Crow’s farms and his new job at the diner. After a while questions about demons and evil spirits began to find a home in our conversations when he’d pick up Bradley.

I remember once Bradley showed up with a cut on his wrist, this raised my ire.” Davis interrupts “did you ask Charles about this?” “Yes,” answered Ted, “Yes I did.

He told me that he had no clue, but Bradley had said that someone did it to him but it was a secret.” Davis clearly uncomfortable asks, “Why didn’t you tell anyone that Charles was abusing him?” The minister replied, “I didn’t know for sure, it is hard enough being a preacher without being labeled for falsely accusing people.”

“But killing a man isn’t?” smirks Davis. Minister Ted responds,” You think that’s funny don’t you, if you remember I haven’t preached since that moment. I couldn’t even set foot in my own church without sobbing, I…” Davis cuts him off, “instead of seeking forgiveness you abandon your flock. We know your story. We all know your story.” Ted takes a deep breath and answers, “I have a feeling the story you don’t know is the one you are going to learn first hand.” Davis puts out his cigarette and says, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Just then the two men are interrupted by a deputy, “Sheriff”, the man says, “you got to cut this short we got another one, found him out near the old Crow’s farm.” Davis agrees then tells Minister Ted to get up then leads him to a holding cell. Ted asks “Why are you holding me? You have no reason to keep me here.” Davis responds, “You’re prime suspect, and I need to get you a mental evaluation.” Davis winks at him as he slides the door shut.

The deputy walks past and says to Minister Ted as he sits down on the metal bench in the barred room, “if you got anything to do with these bodies turning up, you better get comfortable.” The minister begins to respond but the deputy walks away ignoring him.

Chapter 3

“Where we headed?” asks Davis. The deputy responds, “Out to the field over nears the old farm. Hey Ron d’you think that ol’ Ted has anything to do with these killings I mean hell he lost his church and kind of went crazy after killing Bolds.” Davis shakes his head and looks out the window, “Well it wouldn’t surprise me. This area seems to always experience things like this. My dad told me about what they found out at the Bolds house the night Charles killed his wife and daughter.” The deputy nods his head while checking his rearview mirror, “What exactly happened?”

Davis answers after hesitating a moment, “My dad said that Charles’ wife, Jane, was found with her ankles sliced and multiple stab wounds to her back and neck. As for

Lauren she was naked but her body was badly burned by the fire. Sad thing was her sweetheart never got over it, Steven I think his name was, good ball player. He ended up killing himself ten years later, back in ‘73. He worked out at the cemetery for a while, guess maybe that made him feel close to Lauren or something. Anyways one morning they found him laying across her grave with a knife burying into his own heart. Poor boy stabbed himself in the chest.

“What ever happened to the little boy? I mean he has to be pretty f’ed up over all this huh?” the deputy asked. “He was adopted after that. Nobody really knows too much about him. Guess he’d be hell about 24 years old now. Damn I haven’t been out here in a long time. Davis paused for a second, “Hey there’s Rodney and Chase. Did they call a coroner?” “Yeah,” the young man replies. “Hey Ron,” the deputy says waiting for Davis to look at him, “How do you know so much about what happened that night?” Davis cracks a grin and says to the deputy, “My dad was sheriff back then.”

At this point it wasn’t official yet but something evil was creeping back into Russellville. An evil that had lain dormant, unspoken of amongst the common town, an evil that was lurking around like a pack of hunger wolves waiting for a campfire’s light to fade, eagerly anticipating the perfect moment to strike. In a world where we are led to believe that all things are designed, we see that even the darkness of this world follows an orderly path. A path filled with horror and the intent to destroy and create weakness through fear. Tightening its grip around the throat of sanity and composure.

At that moment Sheriff Davis’ CB radio sounds off, “Sheriff we think we have identified the victim. It appears to be Vicki Collins.” “Good Lord,” Davis says out loud.

The young deputy questions, “Who is that? Someone you know Sheriff?” Davis responds to him softly, “She’s a teacher over at the K-6 school. This is sick, just plain sick. She never deserved anything like this.” The radio blasts again with some chilling news, “Sheriff we got a report of some vandalism over at the school some one wrote John 6:66 on the mirrors and walls with blood. The night janitor phoned it in a few minutes ago.” Davis responds to the radio call, “Alright send over a cruiser and find out what that verse is and get back to me on that.” “Roger that Sheriff, over and out,” the radio goes silent.

Sheriff Davis notices the flash lights of both deputies, Joe Chase and Rod Knotts, bobbing up and down out near the tree line. “Not much moonlight to use,” Davis says, “Pull up beside their cruiser.” Just then a thought crosses the mind of Sheriff Davis but it quickly fades as he sees from a distance where the other two men’s flashlights are pointed. “Is Vicki Collins hanging from a tree?” Davis yells. Davis and the deputy both run across the field to meet the other deputies who are on the scene. “Cut her down, cut here down right now!” the Sheriff yelled.

“Sir, we should really follow protocol and wait for the coroner.” Deputy Chase offers.

“No,” Davis yells, “take a picture, don’t mess anything up but cut her down, that’s an order.”

At that point the deputies cut her down and found a green wool blanket in the trunk of one of the cruisers. They covered her body and waited for the coroner to come. “You two document the event,” Davis ordered, “tape it off and tomorrow get an investigation team down to this scene. Turn over every stone. We also need to get a warrant to inspect her house.”

Davis and the young deputy headed back to the office. Davis didn’t speak on the way back he was in a state of disbelief. Who would have done this? Why would anyone have done this? He started thinking about suspects and all the madness occurring in his small town.

“From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed Him.” Minister Ted directed towards Sheriff Davis as he strolled past the cell as he came in through the back of the building. “What?” Davis yelled as he stared at the old man. Ted answered back, “The verse, John 6:66, it is about those who fall away.” “You son of a,” replied Davis as his eyes burned into the minister, “If you had anything to do with this I’ll see you ...” The minister defensively states back, “No, no your deputies who went out to the school asked me when they came back.”

“You know Ms. Vicki Collins don’t you,” asks Davis. “Yes, she was a member of my chur…,” Ted pauses, “Yes, I do know her. Why? Has something happened to her?”

“She’s dead!” informs Davis, “Some sick monster hung her from a tree out near Crow’s farms.”

The minister stands up from the cold steel bench, “It is happening again!” he exclaims.

“What is?” inquires Davis.

“The evil has returned to Russellville, sheriff.” cries the minister, “the darkness of man’s faith has come back.”

Sheriff Davis looks at him and starts to get angry. “Look this has nothing to do with faith and evil, it is some sicko and we will get to the bottom of things. You keep your nose out of it. I can’t hold you on anything at the moment but I do want you back here tomorrow at noon to speak with our doctor. You understand?” Davis opens the cell door.

Ted looks at him and says, “Sheriff, I’ve seen this before. I wasn’t quite sure but now I know. It’s about Bolds…” At that moment Davis cuts him off and shoves him into the wall following him and then gets face to face with the minister. Davis says to him, “Bolds is dead, been dead for 15 years. The last thing this town needs is some superstitious old pastor telling everyone a ghost is running around town killing people.”

Davis releases his grip on the sleeve of Ted’s grey overcoat. The sheriff then leads him to the front lobby of the Sheriff’s Office. “Tomorrow. Noon. Understand?” Minister Ted responds, “Yes, noon.” The tired minister opens the glass door and steps into the cool night air. Before the door closes completely Sheriff Davis steps between the door and the latch and confirms his orders to the minister, “No ghost stories.”

Minister Ted walks out into the parking lot and scans the area briefly. He takes a deep breath and reaches into his pocket feeling for coins, he rubs his finger and thumb around each one to count them without pulling them out. Over the last few years the old minister’s sight has been weakening and he had been practicing Braille and feeling for the textures of coins and money in the event that he goes blind. Then it hits him. He doesn’t really have anyone he can call, let alone give him a ride.

“I doubt anyone would be going out that way either.” Ted thought to himself as he started across the parking lot which was glowing orange due to a combination of mist and the amber light shinning from the pole near the side of the sheriff’s office. “No ghost stories, no there will be none of those Sheriff.” The minister says out loud but speaking to no one, “No, but by the end you will be the one who is telling the stories yourself.”

Sheriff Davis walks back to his desk after he gives the station a quick once over. He glances over to the clock on the wall he interprets the military time from 22:40. “Damn it, it’s already 10:40. I still got several files to go through.” He says aloud. Davis leans back in his brown chair as he wonders what his dad would do in this situation, thinking that his dad used to sit in this very chair.

“I think that I may swing by and see the old man tomorrow. Maybe he can help me make sense of all this bullsh…” Phone rings breaking his thought. “Hello Sheriff Davis.” He answers. “Sheriff, it’s started to rain again do you think you can give me a lift home? I’m out near the diner in the phone booth.” A voice says through the phone. “Ted? Is that you? Davis says, “Alright damn it, hang tight.” The line drops.

Sheriff Davis goes through the office and makes sure everything is alright to close down for the night. He turns off all the lights. Then he radios to the switch board operator. “Kelly, this is Davis. I’m heading out for the night I got to make a quick stop so if anything gets called in just forward it to Deputy Knotts and Chase and they will get out there. I’ll ring ya when I get home so you can put me on call for the night.”

“Will comply, have a good night officer.” Operator Kelly responds back with. “You too,” Davis replies then he releases his grip from the receiver. Davis says to himself, “A good night, huh? I got a feeling there aren’t gonna be many of those if things keep going like this.” Officer Davis reaches down and places his open palm near the handle of his holstered pistol. He then goes into his pocket and grabs his keys to lock the doors behind him.

Sheriff Davis makes his way across the amber lit parking lot and stares up into the heavens while searching for the moon for the second time tonight. “Even when it ain’t full we get crazies, but that ain’t ever stopped anybody before.” Davis walks around the cruiser and then he pulls the keys out of his pocket and puts then in the door lock.

Davis starts to head out of the parking lot and all the sudden he hits the rain. “Dang it, he says, “Good thing I had the rook Rain-X these windows last week.” After a minute or two he puts on the defroster to clear up the fog building on the front windshield. All the sudden he feels the car jerk then bounce on the passenger side of the cruiser. “Whoa, what the…” he yells out as he starts to feel the car pull to the right. THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP, he hears. “Damn it.” He yells again. “If I got a flat tire out here in this storm…” Sheriff Davis eases the car toward the shoulder of the road. The slower the car gets the softer and less often the thumping occurs. “Where’s my poncho?” He wonders as he leans over to open the glove box, “Here we go.” As he reaches for the poncho bag he sees something cross in front of the headlights of his cruiser in the rain.

He looks around and sees a man in an overcoat approaching the car. Sheriff Davis gets on the car’s megaphone. “Stay where you are put your hands in the air.” They shadowy figure stops in his tracks. The rain begins to form an outline around the man’s frame. “Sir, keep your hands in the air and approach my vehicle slowly.” Davis instructs from the cruiser. Sheriff Davis begins to make out the face of the man.

“Ted?” Davis questions. “Yeah, Sheriff, it’s me. I got caught in the rain and I saw the car coming but when you pulled over I turned around to see who was in trouble.” The wet minister responded with. “Why didn’t you stay in town at the phone both?” The puzzle sheriff responds back with. “Town,” Ted says, “I think town is another mile or so up the way. Besides I haven’t been to town since you brought me down to your station earlier.” The sheriff stares squarely at the eyes of the drenched pedestrian, “So you are telling me that you did not just call me for a ride from town?”

“No, sheriff, I would not have dreamed to ask.” answered the minister. Davis gets a little quite all the sudden while he tries to figure out who may have called him in an attempt to get a ride. “Pot hole?” The minister asks.

“What?” Davis asks glaring back. The minister offers, “There is a big pot hole in the road back there. That hole could have caused your blow out.” Davis yells back at the minister standing in the rain, “Go around and get in out of the rain.”

Ted runs around the front of the vehicle stops for a second and surveys the front tire before he grips the door handle. “Thank you, Sheriff.” He says as he slides across the vinyl seat in the warm cruiser’s cab. “Well someone called from town. I thought it was you but obviously not.” Davis explains, “I’ll take care of the tire since I got a slicker.”

“I don’t mind because I’m already wet.” Ted offers.

“Just stay in the car. Listen to the radio. Let me know if any tries to contact me.” Davis barks back.

After about 10 minutes the radio goes off. “Sheriff this is Kelly over at the switch board. Are you there?” Minister Ted reaches for the radio and responds, “Sheriff Davis is changing his tire hold on and I’ll get him. “Who is this?” she asks. “My name is Ted Jacobs. Hold on.” Ted pulls the door latch but nothing happens. He tugs again but just feels an unusual slack on the handle. He taps on the glass to get the sheriff’s attention. “Sheriff, Sheriff.” He yells out as he taps on the glass. The sheriff gets up and Ted rolls down the window. “Sheriff, the radio, a girl named Kelly I believe.” Ted says to him. “Right.” Davis says as he runs around the car back to the other side.

Sheriff Davis slips off the poncho and quickly bunches it up and slips it into the back before jumping into the front seat. “This is Sheriff Davis, go ahead.” The operator comes back on the line, “Sheriff. Chase called up and said to disregard the call earlier. That his wife came and picked him up.” The sheriff responds back to her, “Roger that. Alright then you can put me back on call. I’ll be in my cruiser.”

“Sheriff, who is Ted Jacobs?” the young woman asks. “Jacobs, he is the old minister I found him walking in the weather and picked him up.”

The radio transmission ends and the sheriff just thinks to himself for a moment. “Chase. He has been walking home recently. That makes sense.”

“Sheriff, the tire,” Ted says, “Is it alright?”

“Yeah, I got the spare on there for now.” He answers back, “I give you a lift home.”

Chapter 4

“Hey dad,” Davis says as his dad walks back to the table with two cups of coffee, “I got two deaths on my hands and on top of that ol’ Ted Jacobs running around telling people that the ghost of Charles Bolds may be behind everything.” “Bolds?” the old man says recalling a name he hasn’t heard in years. “Son, Charles Bolds is dead as a doornail. I know that for sure.” The old man stares directly into his cup of coffee almost ashamed to look at his son. “Yeah, I know that dad, Ted Jacobs shot him I know the story.”

“No son. Ted Jacobs, shot him. But we were next to him while he was dying. While his house was burning, the fire department had been able to stop the fire and quickly identified stab wounds on Jane Bolds’ body. They phone up around the same time that we were called regarding gun shots over at First Baptist.” Davis’ father explains.

“Yeah, Ted shot him and killed him.” Sheriff Davis corrects. “No son, I haven’t told anyone this but we could have saved Bolds, but we figured a man murders his wife and daughter and then makes an attempt on his son well why save him?”

“Dad, he still pulled the trigger. If this was in the wild he would have died anyways.” Assures the younger Davis.

“Still son, evil prevails when good men stand silent.” The old man answers. “I was overtaken by emotions. I thought about your mom, and you. I couldn’t stomach the idea of a man destroying his family. I didn’t think of anything else. But now I wonder why I made the call to judge this man, even though I have never been judged of my sins.”

“Dad, you can’t beat yourself up with that. Look at the facts if you would have stood by and helped this scum bag he could have killed more…” Davis is cut off by his dad. “Son, you don’t understand. He didn’t make an attempt on my life, I didn’t see anything, the evidence weighed heavy but there was not a witness or anything. I didn’t pull the trigger but I did nothing to save him either. So my lack of actions damned that man.”

“See dad this is all this religion stuff does is make everyone feel bad. You were a good sheriff for this town, but you second guess yourself. You didn’t want to turn up the heat on your old buddy Ted, a couple of questions and that’s it. Now I got him pulling the rug out from under me, because I got the death of a minister and a religious woman has been hung and some loon paints Bible verses in her blood over at the school.”

The old man removes his thick framed glasses from his tired face and stares at his son with eyes that tell a story of a life of struggle. “Son, I know that you stopped believing but I suggest that you don’t make up your mind until you lay out all the evidence. Sometimes things aren’t exactly…” the young man cut him off. “I know they aren’t as they appear. So you think that this is the ghost of Charles Bolds’ coming back to take revenge on a town that let him die cause he killed his family. After fifteen years or so some “evil” comes back and starts killing, because he feels he was in the right?”

“Ronald,” his dad says to him. “I don’t think the evil left. After all these years I don’t think that Charles Bolds deserved to die. I think that he knew…” Sheriff Davis interrupts his dad, “Look I gotta go, love you dad.” Davis gets up dumps his coffee in the sink and heads to the door.

“Son.” His dad says. Davis looks up with his hand on the screen door.

“I love you too, son.” The older man says softly.

~

“Hello Mr. Jacobs, my name is