Michael Cogdell

They have a tradition of trick-or-treating in the downtown.

They have a tradition of trick-or-treating in the downtown.

That Halloween, people were hanging on to one another and one another's kids. They thought there might be a threat afoot.

That Halloween, people were hanging on to one another and one another's kids. They thought there might be a threat afoot.

One of the things we noticed, this is a woman who has fingered a black man for this crime. And you would have thought it would have torn that town apart. Instead, it brought people together. There was such love, blacks and whites, arm in arm, hand in hand, holding on to each other's kids. On the one-week anniversary, Sheriff Wells had nothing new to report.

One of the things we noticed, this is a woman who has fingered a black man for this crime. And you would have thought it would have torn that town apart. Instead, it brought people together. There was such love, blacks and whites, arm in arm, hand in hand, holding on to each other's kids. On the one-week anniversary, Sheriff Wells had nothing new to report.

There was a shockwave. It's like the place was struck by lightning.

There was a shockwave. It's like the place was struck by lightning.

There was a shockwave. It's like the place was struck by lightning. This thunder went over that crowd. Shock. How did you find out that she had confessed?

There was a shockwave. It's like the place was struck by lightning. This thunder went over that crowd. Shock. How did you find out that she had confessed?

This is no overstatement at all. There was a howling lynch mob of women waiting to see her. There was one woman leading that mob of outraged women. They were just outraged, black, white. And I remember she screamed at Susan, hold your head up. Hold your head up, I wanna look at you. And that's when I knew this is going to fascinate the world for a long time.

This is no overstatement at all. There was a howling lynch mob of women waiting to see her. There was one woman leading that mob of outraged women. They were just outraged, black, white. And I remember she screamed at Susan, hold your head up. Hold your head up, I wanna look at you. And that's when I knew this is going to fascinate the world for a long time.

Main Street in front of the courthouse is shut down.

Main Street in front of the courthouse is shut down.

He didn't want kids.

He didn't want kids.

The main thrust of her defense was sympathy, sympathy, sympathy.

The main thrust of her defense was sympathy, sympathy, sympathy.

This is a person scarred by childhood, scarred by a disordered family, a dysfunctional family.

This is a person scarred by childhood, scarred by a disordered family, a dysfunctional family.

The weather broke. It rained like I haven't seen it rain in a long time. It was like a cleansing in that little town.

The weather broke. It rained like I haven't seen it rain in a long time. It was like a cleansing in that little town.

Everybody was in tears. It was so raw. It was so powerful in its emotion, its heartbreak, in his heartbreak.

Everybody was in tears. It was so raw. It was so powerful in its emotion, its heartbreak, in his heartbreak.

Why on earth? It was intense for those nine days, but then it went thermonuclear.

Why on earth? It was intense for those nine days, but then it went thermonuclear.