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What if the most shocking crime in 1892 Memphis wasn't the murder itself—but the reason behind it? The Dark and Chilling Case of Alice Mitchell takes us to January 25, when nineteen-year-old Alice slashed the throat of her seventeen-year-old former fiancée, Freda Ward, in broad daylight on a city street. Alice and Freda had planned to marry, with Alice passing as a man and taking her to St. Louis. When Freda's family discovered their love letters and forbade contact, Freda seemed to accept the separation—and that acceptance broke Alice completely. The trial that followed became a national sensation, not because of the violence, but because of what it revealed: two young women in love, a society that had no language for them except "insane," and a defense that argued Alice's only madness was believing she could live as Freda's husband. Found "presently insane," she was sent to an asylum, where she died six years later. Press play, and don't listen alone. New episode every week—subscribe and leave your review. 🎧
