Stepping Out on a Limb

by BobA. Troutt

  *****

  Stepping Out on a Limb

  The Curse of the Scarecrow Murders

  It was the summer of 1958 in the little town of Witcher Hollow located in Macon County, Tennessee. Macon and neighboring counties eagerly awaited rain to relieve them from the long drought. The creek beds had dried up, the wells were dry and the ground was so hard it had cracked. The hills were slim and the hollows were deep. The once green stalks of corn stood paralyzed in the field from the heat wave. They had turned brown and the leaves were dry and crumbly. The drought had taken its toll, not only on the crops but on everyone. The scorched fields were held captive by the heat. The only relief was the dry wind that slowly stirred about. There was no sign of rain in sight.

  It so happened, around that time, that a peddler named Bo McDuffee was passing through Witcher Hollow on Willette Road. He had setup his wagon on the side of the road for a few days to try to make a few sales. Several people stopped to see what he had. A lot of the women bought clothing material, jewelry, broaches and pins. The men mostly bought knives, guns and tobacco products. Bo wasn’t too attractive. He was burnt over the majority of his body. In 1943, when he was eleven, he was burned in a house fire. One half of his face was scared, both of his hands and the lower part of his right leg were burnt; he also walked with a limp. To some people he looked like a monster. He sold and traded items of all kinds including pots, pans, trinkets, bottles, knives, and so on for a living.

  Derrick Miles, Eddie Miller, Adam Lester and Joseph Singleton were the troublemakers around the county. They spent most of their time causing trouble. Eddie and Derrick had been to prison and had only been out a short while. Adam was Eddie’s cousin and Joseph was a lot different than them. He wasn’t like them; he just got involved with the wrong crowd. The boys were always involved in mischief. They stayed in trouble with the law because they liked to have fun at other people’s expense.

  It was late in the evening when the boys arrived at Bo’s wagon. As they made their way around the wagon, they talked smart to him, called him a monster, cursed and laughed at him. They banged some of the pots and pans together, trying to scare him. But, Bo didn’t say a word. He had encountered their kind before. Usually, they would have their fun and move on without causing too much harm. Bo didn’t want any trouble so he tried to ignore them. Derrick and Eddie though were different. They had devilish ways about them that caused them to go too far at times. When Derrick and Eddie saw that Bo wasn’t afraid of them, they picked up some of the glassware, threw it down and broke it, trying to coax him to react. The boys started ransacking his wagon, breaking things and throwing stuff, eventually turning over his wagon. But, Bo stayed calm. The more the boys did, the more Bo held back and the angrier Derrick and Eddie became. Frustrated he couldn’t get Bo upset; Derrick walked over to him and slapped him in the face. Bo just gritted his teeth. Then Derrick spit in Bo’s face.

  “Let’s go,” spoke up Joseph. “He’s not going to fight back. Come on, guys, that’s enough.”

  “Listen to the little sissy,” Derrick teased. “Who do you think you’re talking to?”

  Joseph replied, “He hasn’t bothered anyone. Let him be before things get out of hand.”

  Eddie reached over and took a homemade straw broom from the wagon, set it on fire and touched the wagon with it. Bo stepped up and tried to stop him but Derrick and Adam grabbed him. It took everything they had to hold Bo back. Finally, they were able to tie his hands behind his back.

  “We have to get out of here,” yelled Adam.

  “Yeah,” replied Derrick. “Joseph, you stay here and try to put the fire out.”

  Derrick, Adam and Eddie drug Bo down through the cornfield while Joseph took the water barrel off the wagon and tried to extinguish the fire. It was so dry, the wagon burned to ashes within minutes. Even though the fire was out, Joseph worried that Sheriff Hawkins and some of the townspeople would be able to see the smoke from town. Joseph waited and hoped the other boys would soon return. He could only imagine what Derrick and Eddie were doing to Bo. Joseph was afraid for him. He knew what Derrick and Eddie were capable of; Adam he wasn’t sure of.

  Derrick, Eddie and Adam drug Bo deep into the cornfield. When they reached the middle of the field, where a scarecrow was hanging on a post, Adam and Eddie held Bo while Derrick hit him in the stomach. By the time it was Eddie’s turn at Bo, he was bloody and broken. Just when Eddie was about to take a swing at him, they heard someone coming and, at the same time, so did Joseph. Joseph took off running through the field and Derrick, Eddie and Adam took off running toward the road. Bo lay on the ground; he could barely move. For some reason, Adam stopped, went back and set the cornfield a fire. Unexpectedly, Bo reached up and grabbed Adam by the leg; Adam did everything he could to get away. But, the fire quickly spread around them. Bo was somehow able to hit Adam and he fell to the ground, hit his head and died instantly. The flames stretched upward toward the dusky sky and the corn popped in the heat of the fire. Bo didn’t know what to do. He lay on the ground dazed and confused. Everywhere he looked he saw flames; the smoked hovered around him and he could hardly see. By the time Joseph reached the middle of the cornfield it was engulfed in flames. He saw Bo lying on the ground. He tried everything he could to reach Bo. But, the flames grew more intense. Quickly, Joseph made his way through the flames to him. He reached down to pick him up and that’s when he noticed Adam laying not too far from him. However, it was nothing he could do for him; he was already dead. With all his might, Joseph picked Bo up and carried him through the wall of fire. Both of them choked and gagged on the smoke and the intense heat singed the hair on their heads. Only by the grace of God were they able to make it through the flaming field. They could see people trying to put out the fire. But, there was nothing that could be done. It was already out of control. All they could do was watch and let it burn itself out.

  Joseph and Bo made it to the backside of the cornfield out of harm’s way. As soon as they reached safety, they collapsed to the ground. Worn, exhausted, hot and covered with smoke, Joseph laid there with his eyes closed and tried to catch his breath. However, when he opened his eyes and looked around, he didn’t see Bo anywhere. Joseph looked out across the blazing field; he thought he saw someone wandering through the flames. He thought it was his imagination until he heard the most haunting cry. It sent chills down his spine and the hair on his head and arms stood up. Terrified, Joseph took off running. He had to find Derrick and Eddie.

  Hours later, after the fire burnt itself out and most of the smoke had cleared away, Sherriff Hawkins and the townspeople stood at the edge of the field. They were amazed at what they saw. One by one they cautiously made their way into the field, looking for any clues that would help them understand the tragic event. As they searched the field, all hope seemed to be lost until someone cried out.

  “Over here!” yelled one of the men.

  Quickly, everyone rushed over to the man that yelled out. They stopped in their tracks when they saw the charred body burned beyond recognition. They wondered who it was as they stared at the black hunk of flesh that lay at their feet. The sheriff sent one of the deputies to call it in. He asked everyone to spread out and look for any evidence they could find. Within minutes, not far from the body, laid a scored lighter with the initials A.L. inscribed on it. The sheriff took his handkerchief, wrapped it around the lighter and put it in his pocket.

  “There’s something over here,” another deputy yelled.

  But, as they sifted through the pile of ashes, they didn’t find any bones only a few pieces of charred fabric. It didn’t appear to be another body.

  “It’s probably what’s left of a scarecrow,” Sheriff Hawkins said as he poked at the pile of ashes.

  The townspeople were relieved it wasn’t another body. Within hours, the county coroner had removed the body from the cornfield and everyone had headed home.
It took three weeks for the coroner to determine who the deceased was. Adam Lester was identified by his dental records. His family took it hard. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the side of his head. It was speculated that he fell and hit his head on a rock or possibly on the side of the post where the scarecrow hung. It was still a mystery as to why he was in the middle of the cornfield.

  Sheriff Hawkins worked tirelessly on the case. He questioned almost everyone in Macon County and some in the surrounding counties. Some suggested that Derrick, Eddie and Joseph may have put Adam up to setting the field a fire as a dare. But, Derrick, Eddie or Joseph weren’t talking. They claimed to know nothing. Another person of interest the sheriff wanted to question was Bo, the peddler. But he hadn’t seen Bo anywhere. Some of the townspeople had come to the conclusion that the boys killed Bo and took his wagon into the cornfield and burned it which set the field a fire. The sheriff wondered if they were right, but he didn’t have any proof. But, knowing the boys as he did, he wouldn’t have put it past them.

  Sometimes late at night, haunting screams can be heard coming from the cornfield. The townspeople believed the haunting screams coming from the cornfield at night were the screams of the peddler crying out for help. At any given time of night, when driving down the roads of Macon County, the field appears to be on fire and smoke can be smelled for miles along with the smell of burnt flesh.

  The sheriff didn’t have enough strong evidence to prove the boys were involved. He figured Derrick and Eddie had played a practical joke that went bad. He knew they were bad about bullying but he didn’t think they would go as far as to kill someone. He had tried to question Joseph but he was talking. Sheriff Hawkins had a gut feeling that Joseph was hiding something. He knew Joseph was a good boy; he didn’t want to pressure him too much. He figured Joseph’s conscience would eventually get to him and he’d come forth with information. The sheriff never did understand why Joseph ran with Derrick and Eddie anyway because they were nothing but trouble.

  As the weeks went by, Adam’s death was ruled an accident. The sheriff had come to a dead end in his investigation. He didn’t close the case but it did become a cold case. The sheriff hoped he would get some new leads or new evidence to make the case his top priority again in the future. Eventually, the haunting screams stopped and the town of Witcher Hollow was quiet once again.

  Joseph had stopped running around with Derrick and Eddie. They had moved away from Witcher Hollow. From time to time they passed through driving recklessly. Sometimes they stopped at the local bar and had one too many drinks which caused trouble. As the years went by they also settled down. In fact, everyone and everything in Witcher Hollow settled down.

  It was late September; the drought had passed and things were greening up. The town looked better than it had in years. It seemed like Witcher Hollow was picture perfect. Unfortunately, it didn’t last long. The haunting screams returned one night without warning. It had been fifteen years since the death of Adam Lester. The fires also started back up. At first they were small brush fires. It made the sheriff and the townspeople wonder if Derrick and Eddie had resurfaced and gone back to their old ways. But, Sheriff Hawkins sensed it was something different this time. Even though they had moved back to Witcher Hollow, he didn’t believe it was them; it wasn’t their M.O.

  It so happened, one night, Derrick disappeared when he was coming from his barn. His wife had seen him walking back toward the house but when she took her eyes off of him for a second and turned back around, he had vanished. She waited for a while because she thought he had gone over to the neighbors. Later on, she got worried and went over to the neighbors to see if he was there; he wasn’t so she went back home to wait for him. That’s when she noticed his truck was still in the driveway and that really made her uneasy.

  During the time of Derrick’s disappearance two more fields, closer to town, were set a fire. The townspeople, once again, rushed to put them out. They battled the fire, heat and smoke the best they could. As Derrick’s wife stepped outside onto the porch to wait for him, she looked toward town and noticed the light from the fires glowing in the sky. Afraid, she ran into the house to call Eddie. But, his wife told her he wasn’t there. Eddie’s wife told her he had been gone for three hours. She was worried because he had told her he’d be home in an hour. Worried for their safety, they both decided to call the sheriff. When they called, they were told he was out fighting the fires.

  “Maybe they’re helping fight the fires,” stated Derrick’s wife.

  “Maybe,” replied Eddie’s wife, “but seems like they would have called us and let us know.”

  “You’re right,” agreed Derrick’s wife, “it’s not like them. Why don’t you come over here and we can wait together.”

  “Sure, I’ll leave Eddie a note and let him know where I am just in case he returns. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

  The winds pushed the fires through the fields, driving them closer and closer toward town.

  “If we don’t get a handle on this soon,” cried the sheriff, “the whole town could go up in flames. Hey, we need some more water over here and bring some more shovels,” he demanded.

  The wives of the two missing men stood upon the porch and watched the glow of the light from the fires. They watched the flames shoot up toward Heaven as tiny cinders from the fires lit up amongst the roaring black smoke.

  The townspeople struggled with the fires. Joseph was right there with them helping fight the fires. Once they got the first field under control, Joseph ran across the backside of town to help fight the other fire. That’s when he saw a man throwing torches in one of the store windows. He couldn’t tell who it was because the man’s back was to him.

  “Hey,” cried out Joseph, “what are you doing?”

  The man stopped and stood still.

  “What’s wrong with you?” asked Joseph. “Are you crazy?”

  The man slowly turned toward Joseph and the light from the torches revealed the man’s face. Joseph looked at him hard; his heart nearly beat out of his chest.

  “Bo, Bo McDuffee, is that you?” yelled Joseph.

  “Joseph,” he replied.

  About that time some of the other townspeople were headed to fight the other fire as well. When Bo saw them, he ran off into the night. Joseph didn’t say a word to the others. It wasn’t long before they had the last field contained. As they sat around resting and catching their breath, two men walked up and had Bo by each arm. Exhausted and tired, the sheriff looked up at Bo the peddler and didn’t say a word to him. He ordered his deputy to lock him up. When everyone seemed to be at ease and everything quieted down, there came a cry from across the field. Quickly, they got up and ran to see what was wrong. When they reached the person that had cried out, they saw them standing next to the charred body of a man tied to a scarecrow pole. No one knew who it was at the time until a few weeks later when the coroner positively identified the body; it was Derrick Miles. Eddie Miller had also been found, in the other field, that night; he was tied to a scarecrow pole as well.

  When the sheriff told Derrick and Eddie’s wives what had happened, it brought them to their knees. Derrick’s wife had a nervous breakdown and spent several months in the hospital. Eddie’s wife stayed sick from that time on.

  From that day on, the murders were called the scarecrow murders. Bo McDuffee was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated first degree murder and three counts of felony arson. It was possible he would receive two consecutive life sentences or the death penalty. However, there was not much evidence found at the crime scenes; everything had burnt up.

  According to the coroner, Derrick and Eddie had been beaten. Both of them were burned alive. Their tongues had been cut out, most likely to keep them quiet, and their legs had been broken so they couldn’t get away.

  The murders were the talk of the county. Even though Bo was locked up, people we
re afraid to stay out after dark. They were afraid he would escape. Rumors and speculation spread about as quickly as the fires had. Everyone was certain Bo killed Derrick and Eddie for revenge since they had terrorized the county for years.

  People were still convinced they could hear the haunting cries of the souls of all the deceased searching through the darkness of the night looking for their burnt bodies so they could find peace and rest. When it rained, the faint smell of burnt flesh lingered in the air; the stench hovered over the town.

  Bo’s trial was held in Lafayette, the county seat. They had no trouble finding a jury; people were basically volunteering to serve. Within a week, the jury was selected. Unfortunately, Bo had already been tried and convicted in the townspeople’s hearts because they were filled with a lot of anger and hostility. It was going to be hard for him to get a fair trial.

  Finally, Bo’s day in court arrived. Killer Monster Stands Trial and The Fall of the Beast was a couple of the front page headlines of the local newspapers. The usual old men were sitting outside the courthouse whittling. People came from all around to Macon County to attend the trial. The courtroom was full and everyone was whispering and talking about what they thought was going to happen during the trial.

  “All rise. Hear ye, hear ye, Honorable Judge Franklin D. Thomas presiding, the state of Tennessee vs. Bo McDuffee, docket #9673-0-A2. You may be seated.”

  As soon as everyone was seated, there was a loud sound outside the courtroom window. The bailiff immediately went to the window to see what it was. He saw a crow perched on the outside windowsill cawing. The bailiff pecked on the window, scaring the crow away. He looked out the window to see where the crow went and that’s when he noticed a bunch of crows on the ground cawing.

  “It’s a bunch of crows. I have never seen so many in all my life,” he said as he walked back to take his position in the courtroom.

  The judge slammed the gavel down and said, “Court is now in session. Prosecution and defense, are you ready to make your opening statements?”

  “Yes, Your Honor,” they replied in unison.

  “Prosecutor, you may proceed with your opening statement,” stated Judge Thomas.

  The district attorney, Victor Coons, presented his opening statement. The defense attorney, Willie Mitchell, followed afterward. The jury listened intently to both of their opening statements. From time to time, they could be seen glancing over at Bo. Bo never looked around; he stared straight at the judge. He never showed any remorse; the expression on his face never changed.

  “You may call your first witness, prosecutor,” the judge instructed after the defense’s opening statement.

  “The state calls Sheriff Hawkins to the stand.

  After Sheriff Hawkins was sworn in, Mr. Coons asked him to share with the jury the events that had taken place. Sheriff Hawkins explained the events, facts and evidence; the jury and courtroom listened with all ears. The sheriff’s testimony was very harmful to Bo’s case.

  “No further questions, Your Honor,” stated the prosecutor.

  “Your witness,” instructed Judge Thomas to Mr. Mitchell, the defense attorney.

  “Sheriff Hawkins, you have been the sheriff around here for quite awhile,” stated Mr. Mitchell.

  “Yes, sir,” he replied.

  “I would say you are a pretty good judge of character, right sheriff.”

  “I guess,” he replied.

  “Please, then, tell the courtroom about your dealings with Derrick and Eddie.”

  “Objection,” cried the prosecution. “The deceased is not on trial here.”

  “Sustained,” stated the judge. “Get to your point, counselor.”

  “I’m sorry, Your Honor,” Mr. Mitchell replied. “I’m trying to make the point that Derrick and Eddie were known bullies and troublemakers. They pushed my client, Bo, to do things he might not have done otherwise.

  “I object,” shouted Mr. Coons. “Bo McDuffee is a grown man; he has a mind of his own. He should be held accountable for his actions, just like me and you. No one forced him to kill those two men. He took the law into his own hands and he should suffer the consequences.”

  “Objection overruled,” said Judge Thomas. “Counselor, rephrase your question.”

  “Sheriff Hawkins did Derrick and Eddie stay in trouble with the law.”

  “Yes,” replied the sheriff.

  “Sheriff, would you say that Bo McDuffee killed Derrick and Eddie for revenge?”

  “I object,” shouted Mr. Coons. “The defense is trying to lead the witness to a conclusion.”

  “Objection sustained. Sheriff Hawkins you do not have to answer that question. Counselor, I’m warning you.”

  “No further questions, Your Honor.”

  “Mr. Coons, you may call your next witness,” instructed Judge Thomas.

  Mr. Coons called Deputy Phillip Hinton and then Deputy James Barbara to give their account of the facts and evidence of the case. Their accounts were identical to those of Sheriff Hawkins. The defense had no questions for the deputies. However, he did make a motion to the judge requesting that Bo McDuffee receive a mental evaluation. Judge Thomas called Mr. Coons and Mr. Mitchell to the bench. Judge Thomas whispered to them that he would allow Bo to be sent for a mental evaluation over the weekend and then directed them to return to their seats.

  “Mr. Coons or Mr. Mitchell, do you all have any more witnesses at this time?” asked Judge Thomas.

  “No, Your Honor,” they replied.

  “Very well, court is dismissed,” said the judge. “We will not reconvene until Monday morning at nine o’clock. Have a good weekend.”

  “All rise,” stated the bailiff as the judge left the courtroom and retired to his chambers.

  That afternoon, Bo McDuffee was taken by the sheriff’s department to Nashville for a mental evaluation. In no time, it seemed the trial was back in session; the weekend had gone by so fast. The prosecutor called some more witnesses and presented some more evidence for the state and then rested his case. Mr. Mitchell presented the mental evaluation to the court which revealed that Bo McDuffee was mentally competent to stand trial. But, it did prove that Bo suffered from a touch of delusional disorder, going in and out of reality. He also had schizophrenia tendencies and suffered mood disorders of bipolar one.

  The defense called Joseph Singleton to the stand. Joseph took the stand and the defense questioned him about the evening he, Derrick and Eddie visited Bo’s wagon. Joseph told him everything that happened at the wagon and about the fire in the cornfield where Adam was killed. The courtroom listened as the eyewitness of the event told his account of what happened. He said he helped Bo get out of the burning field. But, when they were out of harm’s way, Bo took off and he never saw him again until that night when he saw him torching the store in town.

  “No further questions, Your Honor,” stated Mr. Mitchell after Joseph finished his testimony.

  “Mr. Coons, it’s your witness.”

  “No questions, Your Honor.”

  “Call your next witness, Mr. Mitchell.”

  “The defense calls Carl Singleton. Mr. Singleton,” said Mr. Mitchell, “would you please tell the court and jury what you told me a few days ago?”

  Mr. Singleton went on to say that he and his family had moved to Macon County in 1933. His wife was pregnant with their third child in 1932; she had the first two children before they were married. He wasn’t for sure if the baby was his. He didn’t know and it was hard for him to accept the not knowing. They moved to Macon County to try to save what was left of their marriage. He stayed with her even though he knew she was a whore. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out. Things went from bad to worse when he left her and the three children; he moved away to another nearby county. After he left she started prostituting to make ends meet. They finally got a divorce and he remarried and had one child, Joseph. In 1943, he heard that some of the townspeople were trying to run
her out of town. So, he went to warn her. But, by the time he got there her house was in flames. He fought his way through the angry mob to see if he could get her and the kids out. He made his way to the back of the house and found a way in through the back door. Fighting the heat, flames and smoke, he found the third child, Bo, in the fallen debris; his body was badly burnt. He took off his coat and wrapped the child in it and crawled back out the door. The child was just barely alive. He laid him over near the well and went back in for the others but he couldn’t find them. When he went back to check on the boy, he was gone; he was nowhere in sight. He believed that Bo was his son, which made his son and Joseph half brothers. His ex-wife and the other two children were murdered by the angry mob, the townspeople of Witcher Hollow. The town had lived with the secret all those years and nothing was ever done about it. All that was saved that night was the third child, Bo. That night, Bo stood at a distance, out of sight, and watched as his house burned to the ground. He watched the glowing sparkles and cinders rise from the smoldering ashes and inhaled the smell of burnt human flesh that filled the air. By the time Mr. Singleton finished his testimony, the courtroom was completely silent.

  “No further questions. The defense rests.”

  “Mr. Coons, you may cross examine,” said Judge Thomas.

  “No questions,” he replied.

  “Let’s take a thirty minute recess. Mr. Coons and Mr. Mitchell, I’d like to see both of you in my chambers.”

  Within thirty minutes court was back in session. Mr. Coons, the district attorney, presented his closing argument.

  “Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, bad things happen to all of us. That is just the way life is. I am sorry about what happened to Bo during his childhood. But, that is not the reason we are here today. Regardless of Bo’s past, it does not and will not justify the murder of three people. You have heard testimony from both sides of this case. There is no evidence that supports anyone taking the law into their own hands. We have laws to live by and obey. I hate what has happened to Bo, but he has to be held accountable for his wrongdoings. I agree an injustice was handed down to Bo when he was young. But, Adam, Derrick and Eddie were also served an injustice. We all know two wrongs don’t make a right. I believe here today, with the evidence and facts, there is no doubt that the verdict should be guilty. I believe it has been proven in this courtroom, without a shadow of doubt, that Bo is guilty of the murders of those three men. Of course, he says he’s not guilty and asks for mercy from the court. The state is asking for the death penalty. Please take the testimonies and evidence that has been presented in this courtroom and search your hearts and agree to a guilty verdict. The prosecution rests, Your Honor.

  Mr. Mitchell stood up and addressed the jury, “Ladies and gentlemen an unfair judgment will not change things. An eye for an eye is not the answer. I fail to believe that giving him the death penalty is the right thing to do. Taking another man’s life will not make up for the loss of Adam, Derrick and Eddie. All you will do is make it four deaths instead of three. I plead today that, if at all possible, you spare the life of Bo McDuffee so he can get the help he needs and live with the wrongs he has committed.”

  Then all of a sudden a pecking sound could be heard at the window. A crow was perched once again on the outer windowsill, pecking on the glass. But, as the bailiff walked over to the window, the crow flew off. To this day, no one understood why the crows acted so strangely.

  Anyway, after Mr. Mitchell finished his closing argument, the jury went in to deliberation. It only took a couple of hours before the verdict was in. Mitchell knew then that it was bad news. The jury foreman passed the verdict to the bailiff. He took it to the judge. After he read it, he gave it back to the bailiff and he handed it back to the jury foreman. Bo and the attorneys stood and faced the foreman.

  “We the jury finds Bo McDuffee guilty on all counts; three counts of aggravated first degree murder and five counts of aggravated arson.”

  The judge dismissed the jury, set a sentencing hearing for the following week and adjourned the court. At the sentencing hearing, Bo was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. Judge Thomas stated that Bo would spend the rest of his natural life in prison. After Judge Thomas dismissed the court, the officers escorted Bo back to jail. He would be transported to Riverbend, a maximum security prison in Nashville. Within a couple of days, around three o’clock a.m. the officers left Lafayette in an unmarked van and transported Bo to Nashville. But, when they were going through Bethpage, a drunk driver crossed over in front of them, caused them to lose control and wreck. The van rolled several times and came to rest upside down in a creek. The officer that drove the van was dead and the other officer was trapped; the man in the car was also dead. Bo only had a few bruises and small cuts. Bo smelt gas and managed to get out the back door. He ran off but stopped when he heard the officer yelling for help. Bo ran back and pulled him away from the van just seconds before it exploded. When Bo heard the sirens, he took off and disappeared into the night.

  Five years later, after the accident, the remains of a human skeleton were found not far from the small community of Gravity Hill in Wolf Hollow. They were believed to be the remains of Bo McDuffee. There were no more screams or burning fields in the night. To this day, the murders of the three men are still called the scarecrow murders. About all that is left is the haunting caw of the crows in Macon County. Sometimes it even sounds like the crows are laughing.

  *****

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