Episode 101 Sleepwalking Killer of Covington Kentucky

Southern Mysteries Podcast

Shannon Ballard

True Crime, Society & Culture, History

4.8 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 22 November 2021

⏱️ 39 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In August 1943, 15 year old Joan Kiger was accused of murdering her father and younger brother. Her attorney claimed the sleepwalking defense - that Joan shot her family members while having a nightmare. 78 years later there are still questions about what happened inside the Kiger’s home in the summer of 1943 Want more Southern Mysteries? Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive and immediately access exclusive content when you become a patron of the show. Join now at patreon.com/southernmysteries Connect Website: southernmysteries.comFacebook: Southern Mysteries PodcastTwitter: @southernpod_Instagram: @explorethesouthEmail: southernmysteriespodcast@gmail.com Episode ResourcesMother Loyal to Girl Held in Double Killing. The Rock Island Argus. August 19, 1943 Kiger Hearing Scheduled for Tuesday, Girl Calm as Murder Warrant is Filed. Cincinnati Enquirer. August 19, 1943 Startling New Angle Claimed in Double Slaying in Covington. The Park City Daily News. August 22, 1943 Murder Warrant Issued for Mrs. Carl Kiger. The Lexington Herald. December 7, 1943 Joan Virtually Admitted Slaying, State Declares. The Louisville Courier-Journal. December 18, 1943 Joan Kiger Takes Stand to Tell of Twin Killing. Owensboro Messenger. December 21, 1943. Joan Kiger Found Not Guilty, All Other Charges Dismissed. Cincinnati Enquirer. December 22, 1943 Freed In Nightmare Murder, Joan Kiger is Called Maniac. Daily News. April 16, 1944 The Kiger Murders of 1943. Boone County Public Library Chronicles of Boone County. Kiger Murder. Have Your Say. Sleepwalking Killers. Psychology Today. December 13, 2012 11 Sleepwalking Killers from History Will Make You Want to Bar Your Doors At Night. History Collection. November 21, 2017Episode Music Comfortable Mystery, Tranquility Base, Almost F in Tranquility, Dhaka, Lamentation, Colorless Aura and Dreams Become Real by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. Source: http://incompetech.com. Theme Song “Dark & Troubled” by Pantherburn. Special thanks to Phillip St Ours for permission for use.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Sleep, you may constantly long for more of it, but some fear it because of the sleep terrors, hallucinations, and
0:17.3	nightmares awaiting them.
0:20.3	It's been said the worst nightmare is the one that continues after you wake up.
0:25.1	But for some who deal with sleep disorders, the true terror is waking up and realizing
0:32.2	you've injured yourself or someone else.
0:37.4	Sleepwalking killers are rare,
0:40.2	but they are a part of our history.
0:47.2	In the 1870s Simon Fraser was in bed with his wife.
0:51.2	Their toddler was sleeping peacefully in the room with them.
0:54.8	In the middle of the night as Frazier was in a disoriented state awakening from a nightmare he threw their child against the floor
1:01.3	of the room and his son died. A grief-stricken Frazier stood
1:07.9	trial for murder of his own child and his attorney raised what's been called the sleepwalking defense,
1:15.0	saying Frazier had no idea what he was doing and never intended to hurt anyone.
1:22.0	The jury agreed. intended to hurt anyone.
1:23.4	The jury agreed.
1:25.0	They acquitted Frazier saying this was clearly something that was out of his control. But for some who claimed to be sleepwalking killers, there's a fine line between the
1:37.6	sleepwalking defense and outright murder. In the summer of 1943, a young woman from Covington, Kentucky was accused of murdering her father
1:49.4	and brother.
1:51.4	The case still stirs up controversy and debate in eastern Kentucky because some folks believe
1:58.8	the jury got it all wrong. Welcome to Southern Mysteries, exploring history and mysteries of the American South.
2:09.0	I'm your host, Shannon Ballard.
2:12.0	This is the story of Joan Kiger, the sleepwalking killer of
	...

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