I didn't see the Woolfolk family murders anywhere on websleuths, so I made a new thread.
In Macon, GA on Aug. 6 1887, nine members of the Woolfolk family were hacked to death. The killer's choice of an axe as the murder weapon was odd, considering there were 2 double-barreled shotguns in the home.
the patriarch victim's son, Thomas Woolfolk, was tried, convicted, and hanged for the murders. There was a whole bunch of circumstantial evidence that Thomas was involved, and many folks today believe he did it. However, there are some people (including Thomas' sister) who believe that Thomas did not commit the murders. Carolyn DeLoach who wrote the book "Shadow Chasers: The Woolfolk Tragedy Revisited," believes that Simon Cooper, who was one of the Woolfolks' farmhands commited the crime. Simon left town right after the family was slaughtered, and fled to South Carolina. In 1897, Cooper axed to death five members of the Wilson family. These murders closely resembled the Woolfolk's. Cooper was later killed by a lynch mob. He was such an awful man, his family refused to claim his body. Cooper's diary was found sometime after, and this notation was in it: "Tom Woolfolk was mighty slick, but I fixed him. I would have killed him w/ the rest of the damn family, but he was not at home."
Since a person was convicted for the Woolfolk's murder, and another suspect was identified, I'm not sure if it belongs in the cold case forum (please move it if it doesn't belong). But I thought some of y'all might find it interesting. Macon is 20 miles up the road from me, and the Woolfolk's are all buried in unmarked graves in a beautiful historic cemetary called Rose Hill. (Side note: two of the Allman Brothers Band members are also buried there)
In Macon, GA on Aug. 6 1887, nine members of the Woolfolk family were hacked to death. The killer's choice of an axe as the murder weapon was odd, considering there were 2 double-barreled shotguns in the home.
the patriarch victim's son, Thomas Woolfolk, was tried, convicted, and hanged for the murders. There was a whole bunch of circumstantial evidence that Thomas was involved, and many folks today believe he did it. However, there are some people (including Thomas' sister) who believe that Thomas did not commit the murders. Carolyn DeLoach who wrote the book "Shadow Chasers: The Woolfolk Tragedy Revisited," believes that Simon Cooper, who was one of the Woolfolks' farmhands commited the crime. Simon left town right after the family was slaughtered, and fled to South Carolina. In 1897, Cooper axed to death five members of the Wilson family. These murders closely resembled the Woolfolk's. Cooper was later killed by a lynch mob. He was such an awful man, his family refused to claim his body. Cooper's diary was found sometime after, and this notation was in it: "Tom Woolfolk was mighty slick, but I fixed him. I would have killed him w/ the rest of the damn family, but he was not at home."
Since a person was convicted for the Woolfolk's murder, and another suspect was identified, I'm not sure if it belongs in the cold case forum (please move it if it doesn't belong). But I thought some of y'all might find it interesting. Macon is 20 miles up the road from me, and the Woolfolk's are all buried in unmarked graves in a beautiful historic cemetary called Rose Hill. (Side note: two of the Allman Brothers Band members are also buried there)