Episode 161 Murder in Sebring - The William Carver Murder Trials

Southern Mysteries Podcast

Shannon Ballard

True Crime, Society & Culture, History

4.8 • 918 Ratings

🗓️ 17 March 2025

⏱️ 26 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The Carver Murder Trial of 1930 drew national attention for its brutality and mystery. Ruth Carver, her two-year-old son Lee, and family employee Ben Whitehead were all found dead in their Florida home. Ruth’s husband, William Carver, claimed he killed Whitehead in defense of his family, but shifting testimony and new evidence led to multiple murder trials. Nearly a century later, the true story remains a haunting mystery. Want more Southern Mysteries? Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries Connect Website: southernmysteries.com Facebook: Southern Mysteries PodcastInstagram: @southernmysteriesEmail: [email protected] Episode Sources Carver v. State, 101 Fla. 1421, 134 So. 62 (Fla. 1931) Criminal Genealogy. (2020, November). William Raymond Carver Murder. Retrieved from Criminal Genealogy Blog The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, April 4). 1st Degree Murder Warrant for Carver. Retrieved from Newspapers.com The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, April 5). More About Wife. Retrieved from Newspapers.com The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, April 6). Cleared by Grand Jury but Being Appealed. Retrieved from Newspapers.com The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, April 7). Life Insurance Policy. Retrieved from Newspapers.com The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, April 15). Defense Obtains 30 Day Delay in Case. Retrieved from Newspapers.com The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, May 12). Carver Placed on Trial - Court Packed. Retrieved from Newspapers.com The Orlando Evening Star. (1930, May 14). Jury Tours Crime Scene. Retrieved from Newspapers.com The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, May 18). Defense Fights for Carver’s Life…He Testifies at Trial. Retrieved from Newspapers.com The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, May 19). Hatchet Shown in Court. Retrieved from Newspapers.com The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, May 21). Found Guilty - Motive Was $1000 Life Insurance Policy. Retrieved from Newspapers.com The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, May 24). Carver Asks for 2nd Trial. Retrieved from Newspapers.com The Orlando Sentinel. (1930, June). Last Chance Plea for New Trial (Details of Juror Who Was in Carver Home on Afternoon of Murders!) Retrieved from Newspapers.com Find A Grave. Frances Louise Van Midde. Retrieved from Find A Grave Find A Grave. Lee Townsend Carver. Retrieved from Find A Grave Find A Grave. Ruth Emilie Carver. Retrieved from Find A Grave Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey there, it's Shannon Ballard, the creator and host of Southern Mysteries.
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1:26.4	have the Patreon app, just open it up and search for Southern Mysteries podcast.
1:40.6	Florida, 1930, a brutal crime shocks the Sebring community.
1:46.6	A mother, her young son, and a family employee are found dead.
1:52.0	The only survivors, an infant, and her father, William Carver, who claims he woke to his
1:59.4	wife's screams only to find his employee attacking
2:03.6	the family. In a violent struggle, William Carver killed Ben Whitehead, or so he said. What followed
2:12.6	was sensational trials, conflicting accounts, and questions that still linger nearly a century later. Was this
2:21.7	a tragic act of self-defense, or was there something more sinister at play? Welcome to Southern
2:30.6	Mysteries, exploring Southern history and true crime. I'm your host, Shannon Ballard.
2:37.3	This is episode 161.
2:40.3	Murder in Sebring, the William Carver murder trials.
	...

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