In Laurel, Mississippi, in 1935, one daughter of a wealthy and troubled
family stood accused of murdering her mother. On her testimony,
authorities suspected an equally prominent and well-to-do businessman,
her reputed lover, of assisting. Ouida Keeton apparently shot her
mother, chopped her up, and disposed of most of her body parts down the
toilet and in the fireplace, burning all but the pelvic region, the
thighs, and the legs. Attempting to dispose of these remains on a
narrow, one-lane, isolated road, Ouida left a trail of evidence that
ended in her arrest. People had seen her driving to the road. Within
hours, a hunter and his dogs found the cloth in which she had wrapped
her mother's legs.
Touted as the most sensational crime in Mississippi history at the time,
the Legs Murder of 1935 is almost entirely forgotten today. The
controversial outcome, decided by an unsophisticated jury, has been left
muddled by ambiguity. With The Legs Murder Scandal, Hunter Cole
presents an intricately detailed description of the separate trials of
Ouida Keeton and W. M. Carter. Having researched trial transcripts,
courthouse records, medical files, and vast newspaper coverage, the
author reveals new facts previously distorted by hearsay, hushed
reports, and misinformation. Cole pursues many unanswered questions such
as what, really, did Ouida Keeton do with the rest of her mother? The
Legs Murder Scandal attempts to provide the reader with clarity in this
story, which is outlandish, harrowing, and intriguing, all at once.
