Episode 165 Buried Secrets - The Crimes of George Hassell

Southern Mysteries Podcast

Shannon Ballard

True Crime, Society & Culture, History

4.8 • 918 Ratings

🗓️ 9 June 2025

⏱️ 26 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In the winter of 1926, the quiet town of Farwell, Texas was shaken by the discovery of nine bodies buried beneath a home. The man responsible, George Hassell, had already taken lives in another state and wasn’t finished confessing. What followed was a case so disturbing it blurred the lines between serial killer, mass murderer, and family annihilator. In this episode of Southern Mysteries, we explore the chilling crimes of George Jefferson Hassell, one of the South’s most unsettling killers. 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 Roth, Mitchell P. Man with the Killer Smile: The Life and Crimes of a Serial Mass Murderer. University of North Texas Press, 2023. Available on Amazon Roth, Mitchell P. Interview. PBS: The Bookmark, November 9, 2023. Watch the Interview “Texas Farmer Dying After 9 Bodies Found.” The Decatur Daily, December 24, 1926. View Article “Hassell, Leaving Death Cell, Advises Women Read Writings of Paul.” The Austin American, April 7, 1927. View Article Hassell v. State, 107 Tex. Crim. 541, 298 S.W. 293 (Tex. Crim. App. 1927). Read Case Summary “Hasell Electrocuted Early Friday at Huntsville.” The Huntsville Times, February 10, 1928. View Article “George J. Hassell’s Murderous Ways.” Texas Genealogy Trails. Read Article “Death House Slayings Gain Attention.” Whittier Daily News, August 30, 2017. Read Article Find a Grave Memorials: George Jefferson Hassell Susan Frances “Susie” Ferguson Hassell Thomas Virgil Hassell Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey y'all, it's your host, Shannon Ballard. This show is independent. It's just me, a microphone,
0:08.1	and a love for sharing forgotten history and mysteries in the South. And there are some amazing people
0:14.1	who support this show on Patreon to help me tell these stories. I want to say a big heartfelt thanks to all of the new patrons
0:22.7	who help make Southern Mysteries possible. Melissa Valentine of Minterin, Colorado,
0:29.7	Jacqueline Foster in Huntington Beach, California, John Sayley in Lambertville, New Jersey,
0:36.3	Ellen Potts in Newbury, Florida, and thanks to New Ohio
0:40.2	patrons, Justin Ware in Streetsboro and Stephen Jebow in Uniontown. Also thanks to Cynthia
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0:53.5	Tennessee, Chrissy Talley in Nashville, Arkansas,
0:57.7	Tammy Latham in White, Texas, Katrina McLeary in Washington, Illinois, and in South Carolina,
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1:15.1	And thanks to new patrons from Alabama, Courtney Sanders in Harvest, Michael Lauderdale
1:21.5	in Cleveland, Steve Wood in Hartzell, and Thomas in Springville.
1:26.6	And as always, a warm welcome to new patrons who
1:29.7	have joined from mysterious locations. Annie Amos, A.W. Awesome. Brian Bain. Carol Taylor. Kathy Freeman,
1:40.6	Casey Roberts, Denise Glover, Emma Birch, Emily Stalker, Karen Oswald, Leslie Weymire, Meredith
1:49.9	Hues, Sandy, Stacey Valrith, Sylvia Petro, Suzanne Kellner, and Teresa Dotson.
1:58.4	The list is long and growing, and I'm so thankful for all of you who've decided
2:03.5	to support the show and help keep these stories alive. Now, if you are new to Southern Mysteries
2:10.9	and you want to join them and support the show on Patreon, you'll get access to the first three
2:16.9	seasons of the podcast, which are now exclusively available on Patreon, you'll get access to the first three seasons of the podcast, which are now
2:19.6	exclusively available on Patreon. The early seasons sound very different, but folks have asked for
	...

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