Mamie Thurman was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 woman whose slain body was found and recovered on 22 Mountain Road near Holden, West Virginia

Holden, West Virginia

Holden is a census-designated place in Logan County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 876 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Holdme is located at , along the Copperas Mine Fork....

 on June 22, 1932. Holden is some five to ten miles from Logan, West Virginia

Logan, West Virginia

Logan is a city in Logan County, West Virginia, United States, along the Guyandotte River. The population was 1,779 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Logan County.-History:...

.

Biography

Mamie Thurman was a popular woman in Logan County, West Virginia

Logan County, West Virginia

As of the census of 2000, there were 37,710 people, 14,880 households, and 10,936 families residing in the county. The population density was 83 people per square mile . There were 16,807 housing units at an average density of 37 per square mile...

 who was murdered on June 21, 1932. She was the wife of Jack Thurman, a Logan City patrolman. Mamie moved to Logan with her husband in 1924 from Bradfordsville

Bradfordsville, Kentucky

Bradfordsville is a city in Marion County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 304 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bradfordsville is located at ....

. Her father was George A. Morrison, Sr. and little is known about her mother because she died when Mamie was 3 years old. Mamie was born on September 12, 1900, and she died at the age of 31.

Death and Trial

According to medical authorities at the time, Mamie Thurman's death resulted from her throat being slashed from ear to ear, after which she was shot twice in the left side of the head. Found alongside the body were one shoe, a diamond engagement ring, and a silver wedding band, which ruled out robbery as the motive for her death. The other shoe and her purse, which contained $9 in change, cigarettes, and a wristwatch, were found 30 feet away the next day. The manner and brutality of her murder was a shock to the citizens of the small, quiet, towns in southern West Virginia. The arrest and eventual conviction of a handyman raised many questions in Logan, as the investigation involved several prominent citizens. The trial was standing room only, and many spectators brought their own chairs and basket lunches to the court proceedings.

Conspiracy

Mamie Thurman's death certificate filed at the courthouse states she was buried at Logan Memorial Park in McConnell. Harris Funeral Home records show that her body was transported to Bradfordsville, Kentucky. However, the cemetery in Kentucky has no record of the interment of Mamie's body. It is also said that during the night, days after her funeral, a prominent businessman from Logan paid $1000 to have her body moved to a Chauncey cemetery. It remains a mystery to this day just where Mamie Thurman was buried and if the man convicted in her death was actually her murderer.

Sightings

According to Logan County folklore, many claim that Mamie Thurman's ghost wanders the hills, searching for the person who took her life. Others say that her spirit is still there, waiting for justice. Some claim to have seen her while passing by the Holden 22 Mountain mine road. Folklore even tells that certain coal truck drivers would pick up a woman wearing outdated clothing, only to see her vanish from the cab moments later. Another local legend purports that if you put your car in neutral on 22 Mountain, it will appear to roll backward up the hill. This is said to be the spirit of Mamie Thurman pulling you up the hill, but it is actually a very convincing optical illusion.

External links

• The Secret Life and Brutal Death of Mamie Thurman Book Sample
• West Virginia Ghost Hunters Search for Mamie