Episode 167 A Widow's Stand in Georgia - The Story of Amy and Robert Mallard

Southern Mysteries Podcast

Shannon Ballard

True Crime, Society & Culture, History

4.8 • 918 Ratings

🗓️ 7 July 2025

⏱️ 25 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In 1948, Robert Mallard, a Black World War II veteran, was murdered by a white mob in Toombs County, Georgia. His wife, Amy Mallard, witnessed the attack—and instead of arresting the killers, authorities charged her with his murder. Set in the heart of the Jim Crow South, this episode of Southern Mysteries explores the deeply rooted racism that allowed a lynching to go unpunished while a grieving widow was put on trial. Learn how Amy Mallard found the courage to speak out, and how the national outrage that followed became part of the growing civil rights movement. 💌 Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can 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 🎧 Explore More Southern Mysteries Visit SouthernMysteries.com for more episodes and source lists. 📱 Follow on Social Media: Facebook: Southern Mysteries PodcastTikTok @southernmysteriesInstagram: @southernmysteriesEmail: [email protected] Episode Sources The Mallard Murder Case – New Georgia Encyclopedia Amy Mallard Photo – New Georgia Encyclopedia “Just Another Killing” – TIME Archive (1948) Original TIME Magazine Report (1948) Strange Fruit and Spanish Moss – Blog post on Robert Mallard (2016) The Atlanta Constitution – Nov. 29, 1948 The Macon News – Dec. 2, 1948 The Atlanta Constitution – Dec. 10, 1948 The Macon News – Dec. 11, 1948 The Atlanta Journal – Dec. 11, 1948 The Macon News – Dec. 13, 1948 The Atlanta Constitution – Dec. 14, 1948 The Macon News – Dec. 15, 1948 The Atlanta Constitution – Jan. 12, 1949 The Macon News – Jan. 12, 1949 The Atlanta Constitution – Jan. 13, 1949 The Atlanta Journal – Jan. 13, 1949 The Atlanta Constitution – Jan. 14, 1949 The Atlanta Constitution – Jan. 15, 1949 The Atlanta Constitution – Jan. 15, 1949 (cont’d) The Atlanta Constitution – Jan. 16, 1949 The Atlanta Constitution – Jan. 17, 1949 The Atlanta Journal – Jan. 17, 1949 The Atlanta Constitution – Jan. 18, 1949 The Atlanta Constitution – Jan. 19, 1949 Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey y'all, I'm Shannon Ballard, host and creator of Southern Mysteries. This show is independent,
0:06.6	which means it's just me, a microphone, and a very deep love for sharing the forgotten stories
0:12.2	and mysteries of the South, which I could not do without the incredible folks who support the show
0:18.1	on Patreon. Their support makes all the difference, and I'm so
0:22.3	very grateful. I want to say a big welcome and heartfelt thanks to new patrons, Carlton Mullis
0:28.6	in Atlanta, Ronaldo Di Leone of Rolling Meadows, Illinois, Tara Brown of Logan, West Virginia,
0:35.9	Sanita Jarvis of Greenville, Florida, and to those of you who joined from mysterious locations, Sandy, Kathy, Elizabeth Hodge, and Tasha. Thank you.
0:47.5	Your support keeps these stories alive and helps grow this community of curious minds.
0:53.7	If you'd like to join them, you can head to patreon.com slash southern mysteries,
0:59.3	where you can unlock the first three seasons of the podcast, exclusive bonus episodes,
1:05.3	and the monthly audacious series, where I dig into some of the most scandalous crimes and
1:10.4	controversies in American history.
1:13.1	You can sign up now at patreon.com slash Southern Mysteries or just search Southern Mysteries
1:19.2	podcast on the Patreon app. Thanks for being here. Now, on to the story.
1:30.4	In November 1948, a murder in Tumes County, Georgia led to one of the most disturbing
1:36.9	miscarriages of justice in the Jim Coast South.
1:40.5	Amy Mallard, a black woman, was accused of murdering her husband, Robert, despite the fact he was shot and killed by a white mob in front of her.
1:52.1	What followed was a sham investigation and a courtroom spectacle that revealed just how far the system would go to protect the killers and punish a woman for speaking the truth.
2:05.9	Welcome to Southern Mysteries, exploring Southern history and true crime.
2:10.5	I'm your host, Shannon Ballard.
2:12.9	This is episode 167, A Widow's Stand in Georgia, the story of Amy and Robert Mallard.
2:22.2	Robert Mallard achieved a level of prosperity that was uncommon for black men living in rural Georgia
	...

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