Episode 169 The Bratcher Family Murders

Southern Mysteries Podcast

Shannon Ballard

True Crime, Society & Culture, History

4.8 • 918 Ratings

🗓️ 4 August 2025

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In the spring of 1955, the quiet community of Warren County, Tennessee was shattered by the brutal murders of the Bratcher family. Henry Bratcher, his wife Vassie, their young daughter Lily May, and toddler granddaughter Charlotte Ann were found dead on their family farm outside McMinnville. As the investigation unfolded, it became clear the killer was not a stranger. The case would become one of the most haunting crimes in Tennessee history. In this episode of Southern Mysteries, we explore the lives of the Bratcher family, the events that led to their deaths, and how their loss changed a community forever. 💌 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 Four Found Slain in Warren. The Nashville Tennessean, March 28, 1955. 4 Found Slain in Warren; Murder Suspect is Jailed. Chattanooga Daily Times, March 28, 1955. Young Tennessee Farmer Confesses Brutal Slayings. Bristol Herald Courier, March 29, 1955. Warren July Called in Death. The Nashville Tennessean. March 30, 1955. Gibbs Indicted in Warren Deaths. The Nashville Banner. April 2, 1955. Slayer of Four is Ordered to Asylum for Observation. Chattanooga Times, April 2, 1955. Trial on May 10 for Billy Gibbs. Chattanooga Times, May 3, 1955. Gibbs Blames Four Slayings on Drinking. Nashville Banner, May 25, 1955. Billy Gibbs Dies in Electric Chair, Confessed Slayer of 4 in Warren. Chattanooga Times, May 7, 1957 Find A Grave. Henry Bratcher. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33581745/henry-bratcher Find A Grave. Vassie Fields Bratcher. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33581724/vassie-bratcher Find A Grave. Lily May Bratcher. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33581700/lily_may-bratcher Find a Grave. Billy Thomas Gibbs. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/136592059/billy_thomas-gibbs 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.
0:04.9	These stories take time to uncover and tell.
0:08.6	And I'm able to do that thanks to listeners who support the show on Patreon.
0:13.3	So if you're one of them, thank you so much.
0:15.8	I want to say a special shout out to our new patrons,
0:19.1	Crystal Martinez of Pentegorta Florida and Deborah Scott
0:22.5	Clark of Monticello, Florida. And thanks to everyone else who joined from Parts Unknown,
0:28.7	including Sandra Gilbert and Jan M.H. Y'all help keep these Southern stories alive, and I am so
0:36.3	grateful. If you're new to the show and you're
0:39.0	curious as to how you can listen to the first three seasons, those episodes are available
0:44.5	exclusively on Patreon, along with bonus episodes, and that's as a thanks for supporters of the
0:51.2	show. You can also support Southern Mysteries at the much obliged level
0:55.4	and get access to Audacious, my monthly podcast about the boldest crimes and scandals in American
1:02.8	history. You can join and listen anytime at patreon.com slash southern mysteries or just search for Southern Mysteries podcast in the Patreon app.
1:14.7	Thanks for being here. Let's get into the story.
1:23.8	The Bratcher family murders in the spring of 1955 would become one of Warren County, Tennessee's darkest chapters.
1:32.3	The brutality of the crime, an entire household wiped out, including a baby, would linger in local memory for generations.
1:41.3	The question that haunted everyone wasn't just who could have done this, but why?
1:47.8	When the truth emerged that the killer was not a stranger, the community was stunned,
1:53.3	and left wondering how did something as ordinary as a trip, and with multiple murders.
2:03.6	Welcome to Southern Mysteries, exploring Southern history and true crime. I'm your host,
2:09.6	Shannon Ballard. This is Episode 169, the Bratcher Family Murders. On March 23rd, 195, in Warren County, Tennessee, the Bratcher family began the day like so many
	...

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