64: The Murder of Cheryl Fergeson & The Attempted Murder of Clarence Brandley by the State of Texas

Southern Fried True Crime

Erica Kelley

True Crime, Society & Culture, History

4.6 • 10.5K Ratings

🗓️ 18 August 2019

⏱️ 64 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In 1980, a sixteen year old white girl named Cheryl Dee Fergeson was raped and murdered in a high school auditorium in Conroe, Texas. Suspicion immediately fell on the only black janitor, though three other white janitors were present. A Texas Ranger looked Clarence Brandley in the face and said “One of you is gonna hang for this. Since you’re the ni**er, you’re elected”. What followed was more than just a miscarriage of justice. The police, prosecutor and three judges colluded to frame Clarence Brandley with nothing but pure racism in their hearts.

Suggested Reading: White Lies: Rape, Murder and Justice Texas Style by Nick Davies

Sources: https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/64-the-murder-of-cheryl-fergeson

Case Suggested by Hannah Thayer

Written, hosted, produced by Erica Kelley
Researched by Erica Kelley, assisted by Haley Gray
Edited by Chaes Gray
Original Graphic Art by Coley Horner
Original Music by Rob Harrison-Gamma Radio

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Transcript

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0:00.0	7 Fraud True Crime Covers Cases That Are Not Suitable For Young Listeners
0:04.8	And There May Also Be Some Explicit Language Used
0:07.8	Specifically Today You Will Hear Array Shall Slur, Though It Will Be Bleaped Out
0:12.8	It Is Central To This Case But I Do Apologize Ahead Of Time
0:17.0	Today's Episode Also Envalls The Sexual Assault Of A Minor, So I Would Like To Emphasize Listener Discussion
0:30.9	On A Sweltering August Day In 1980, 16-year-old Cheryl D. Ferguson was Up Early On A Saturday.
0:38.4	She was Meeting The Buzz at Her School At 7-15am, Though School Didn't Start For Another Couple Of Weeks.
0:45.0	Cheryl was the Manager For The Girls Volleyball Team,
0:48.4	And She Was Traveling With The Team To Plan A Tournament At A High School In Conno, Texas.
0:53.7	At Around 9-30am, Cheryl Went To Use The Rest Room And Never Returned.
1:00.0	Her teammates Became Worried After A Couple Of Hours,
1:02.6	And Were Walking Around The Gem In Auditorium Shouting Her Name.
1:06.0	The Police Were Called.
1:08.0	A Black Genitorial Supervisor Named Clarence Brandley,
1:11.9	Told Another janitor That They Had Better Help Look For The Girl.
1:15.9	They Found Her Body Hidden In A Loft Above The Auditorium.
1:19.7	She Was Nude, And Had Been Strangled To Death.
1:23.9	Brandley Immediately Found One Of The Police Officers And Brought Him To The Scene.
1:28.3	But Within Days Clarence Brandley Was Arrested.
1:31.9	Without Any Physical Evidence,
1:34.0	And Before An Investigation Had Even Really Started.
1:37.6	What Followed Was More Than A Miscarriage Of Justice.
	...

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