February 8, 1933 in the Tomahawk community in Martin county, authorities broke down the door of a small mountain cabin. Inside the home, members of a family were chanting, dancing and praying while the family matriarch, bound in chains, lay dead on a makeshift altar.
This story sparked a national media frenzy with the bizarre tale of religious extremism, cults and ritual sacrifice.
Sources:
The Lexington Herald Leader 7/6/31, 2/9/33, 2/12/33, 2/16/33, 2/19/33, 2/28/33, 4/3/33, 4/7/33, 4/8/33, 4/9/33, 4/10/33, 4/11/33, 4/22/33, 11/3/33
The Lexington Leader 2/9/33
The Lexington Herald 2/10/33, 2/11/33, 2/12/33, 4/3/33, 4/6/33, 4/7/33, 4/9/33, 4/11/33,
Courier Journal 2/9/33, 2/10/33, 2/11/33, 2/12/33, 4/2/33, 4/7/33, 4/9/33, 4/11/33, 4/12/33, 4/13/33
The Kentucky Post and Times Star 2/9/33, 2/10/33, 2/11/33, 4/3/33, 4/5/33, 4/10/33, 4/11/33, 4/12/33, 11/3/33
The Winchester Sun 2/9/33, 2/11/33, 4/8/33
The Paducah Sun Democrat 2/10/33, 2/11/33, 4/4/33, 4/5/33, 4/6/33, 4/10/33
The Cincinnati Post 2/9/33, 2/10/33, 2/13/33, 4/5/33, 4/6/33, 4/8/33, 4/11/33, 4/12/33,
The Cincinnati Enquirer 2/10/33, 4/10/33, 4/12/33
The Kentucky Advocate 2/11/33, 2/18/33,
The State Journal 2/11/33, 2/17/33, 4/9/33, 11/3/33
The Owensboro Messenger 2/9/33, 2/10/33, 4/6/33, 4/8/33, 4/11/33, 6/6/33,
The Park City Daily News 2/13/33, 4/10/33
The Middlesboro Daily News 4/11/33
Delphos Daily Herald 2/9/33
The Messenger Inquirer 2/9/33, 2/10/33, 2/11/33, 2/14/33, 4/11/33,
The Messenger 2/10/33, 4/3/33,
The Harlan Daily Enterprise 2/12/33, 1/3/34,
The Santa Rosa Republic 2/9/33
Troy Daily News 2/9/33
The Winchester Sun 2/9/33
The Advocate Messenger 2/9/33, 4/12/33
The Messenger 2/9/33
The Imperial Valley Press 2/9/33
The Galion Inquirer 2/10/33
The Hustler 2/10/33
Marysville Journal Tribune 2/10/33
The Pittsburgh Press 2/10/33, 2/11/33
The Pasadena Post 2/11/33
The Daily Times 2/11/33, 4/12/33
The Daily News 4/5/33, 9/9/34
The Daily Advocate 4/17/33,
The Santa Maria Times 2/15/33
The Charleston Daily Mail 2/19/33,
The Modesto Bee 4/11/33
The Oakland Post Inquirer 4/11/33
The San Francisco Examiner 4/12/33
The Akron Beacon Journal 9/24/64
The Mansfield News 6/15/26
The Pentecostal Witness May 1957:
https://pentecostalarchives.org/?a=d&d=PWI195705-01.1.5&e=-------en-20--1--img-txIN------------
Findagrave:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/219036500/john-hampton-mills
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/217564833/laben-t-mills
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/219037101/lucinda-mills
United States Census Records 1920, 1930, 1940 and 1950
The National Institute of Mental Health:
Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_County,_Kentucky
Marshall Digital Scholar:
https://mds.marshall.edu/asa_conference/2018/accepted_proposals/65/
Popular Podcasts
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com