Episode 190 The Murder of Ella Barham

Southern Mysteries Podcast

Shannon Ballard

True Crime, Society & Culture, History

4.8 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 11 May 2026

⏱️ 23 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In 1912, 18-year-old Ella Barham left her family’s farm near Pleasant Ridge, Arkansas, on an ordinary errand and never came home. Her brutal murder shocked Boone County and led authorities to a neighbor accused of killing her after years of rejected romantic interest. More than a century later, Ella Barham’s murder remains one of Arkansas’ darkest and most troubling true crime stories. 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 Podcast Instagram: @southernmysteriesEmail: southernmysteriespodcast@gmail.com Episode Sources Gould, Nita. Remembering Ella: A 1912 Murder and Mystery in the Arkansas Ozarks. Butler Center Books / University of Arkansas Press, 2018. (rememberingella.com) Barham, Ella (Murder of) - Encyclopedia of Arkansas Gould, Nita, ed. The 1913 Trial of Odus Davidson: The Official Witness Testimony. Companion volume to Remembering Ella. Encyclopedia of Arkansas — 'Barham, Ella (Murder of)' (encyclopediaofarkansas.net) Encyclopedia of Arkansas — 'Davidson, Odus' (encyclopediaofarkansas.net) Find a Grave — Ella Lillian Ethel Barham (memorial #40832262) Find a Grave — Odus Davidson (memorial #31134642) Arkansas Democrat-Gazette — 'The verdict: Guilty of murder' (review of Remembering Ella by Tom Dillard, December 9, 2018) AY Magazine — 'Murder Mystery: In Memoriam: Ella Barham' (aymag.com) Case file: State v. Davidson, No. 183 (Ark. Cir. Ct. 1913). Boone County Circuit Clerk's Office, Boone County Courthouse, Harrison, Arkansas. Case file: Davidson v. State, 108 Ark. 158, S.W. 1103 (1913). University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law / Pulaski County Law Library, Little Rock, Arkansas. Boone County Court Record Book L, County Clerk's Office, Boone County Courthouse, Harrison, Arkansas. Lead Hill, Arkansas newspaper, November 22, 1912 — first published account of the murder (via Chronicling America, Library of Congress, loc.gov) Batesville Daily Guard — editorial on circumstantial evidence and the Davidson verdict Shiloh Museum of Ozark History — 'Scenes of Boone County' (shilohmuseum.org) Episode Music Out of the Mines, courtesy of Ross Gentry, Asheville, North Carolina.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, I'm Shannon Ballard, and this is Southern Mysteries.
0:04.1	Before we get started, I want to say thanks to listeners who support the show on Patreon.
0:08.9	This is an independent podcast, and I handle the research, writing, recording, and production myself.
0:15.6	Your support helps cover the real world cost of making the show.
0:19.2	A special welcome, and thanks to new patrons, Tyler Thompson
0:23.4	of Jonesville, Louisiana, Elizabeth Lewis of Dary and Georgia, Amanda Hurl of Tupelo, Mississippi,
0:30.8	Shannon Daniel of New Market, Alabama, Charlene Nelson of Twin Falls, Idaho, Jennifer Henshaw. And thanks to Monica Givens of South Lake Tahoe,
0:41.4	California, Mark Weber of Greer, South Carolina, Shane Page of Lake Villa, Illinois, Tammy Gallant of
0:49.3	St. Albert, Canada, and Elaine Burns of Castle Cannell County Limerick, Ireland. And thanks to Shannon
0:55.9	Goodell, who is supporting from a mysterious location. Now, if you'd like to join these fine
1:01.8	folks on Patreon, you'll get access to the first three seasons of Southern Mysteries, which are
1:07.3	only available there, plus ad-free listing. And when you support the show as a much
1:12.3	obliged member, you get exclusive stories through my monthly patron podcast, Audacious. The show
1:18.4	dives into some of the most mysterious crimes and scandals in American history. You can learn more
1:23.7	and join today at patreon.com slash southern mysteries or just search southern mysteries
1:30.0	podcast if you already have the patreon app.
1:39.2	On November 21st, 1912, a man and two young boys were wrapping up a day of hunting when
1:46.6	they made a horrifying discovery on the hills south of Cricket Creek in Boone County, Arkansas.
1:53.0	They had followed a noise toward a hillside, not far from the Davidson Cemetery.
1:58.5	When they got close enough to see by lantern light, they found a drove of hogs gathered
2:03.6	on the hillside. The animals had found the body of missing 18-year-old Ella Barum. The search party was alerted,
2:12.6	and when they arrived on the scene, they found Ella's remains scattered across the hillside.
	...

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