Eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia have many old ghost legends. Since it is close to Halloween this week, I thought I would write about one of my favorite mysterious ghost stories.

The legend of Mamie Thurman started as a true murder story in neighboring Logan County in the county seat of Logan.

I’ve talked to people who said they have seen a woman walking along the highway near 22 Mine Road near Holden, which is on the Mingo-Logan County line.

Tales of her ghostly appearances may cause one to wonder if she still cries out for justice. Since her death has never been solved, rumors have floated through the years. And some feel her ghost continues to walk that area at night until everyone knows the truth about her death.

My good friend Keith Davis, an author and former newspaper general manager, wrote a book titled “The Secret Life and Brutal Death of Mamie Thurman.”

Thurman’s death resulted from her throat being slashed from ear to ear, after which she was shot twice in the left side of the head. Whoever killed her made sure she was dead. The body was found by a young boy who was picking blackberries along the mountainside road of what is now known as 22 Mine Road. He rushed home and the family contacted deputies.

Found alongside the body were one shoe, a diamond engagement ring, and a silver wedding band, which ruled out robbery as the motive for her death. The other shoe and her purse, which contained $9 in change, cigarettes and a wristwatch, were found 30 feet away the next day.

Authorities would later uncover bloody rags and a razor in the home of her landlord Harry Robertson – the same house co-defendant Charles Stephenson lived in as the Robertsons’ handyman. Robertson was an African American, and you must remember this murder happened in 1932.

The brutality of her murder shocked the citizens of the small, quiet towns in southern West Virginia. The arrest and eventual conviction of the black handyman raised many questions in Logan and surrounding areas. The investigation involved several prominent citizens in the town of Logan.

Old newspaper reports say the trial attracted a standing-room-only crowd. Many brought their chairs and basket lunches to court at that time.

Stephenson had to be housed in the Mingo County jail as threats to his life were real – especially in that era. He was found guilty and spent the rest of his life in prison. One report said that Stephenson said he did dump the body but was not the person who killed her. But he never revealed the name of the real murderer.

Robertson was questioned and suspected to be involved, but he was not indicted or stand trial.

She was born Mamie Morrison in Kentucky on Sept. 12, 1900. In 1924, Mamie and her husband, Jack Thurman, moved from Bradfordsville, Kentucky, to Logan County, where Jack was hired as a patrolman with the local police town department.

Rumors were that Mamie had an affair with Robertson, and something happened with that relationship. Other rumors are that she had relationships with other prominent men in Logan. So it is said that Stephenson was the scapegoat for the real murderer.

Mamie Thurman’s death certificate filed at the courthouse states she was buried at Logan Memorial Park in McConnell, West Virginia. Other records show that her body was transported to Bradfordsville, Kentucky. It remains a mystery to this day just where Mamie Thurman was buried and if the man convicted in her death was actually her murderer.

The ghost of Mamie Thurman is said to still walk the highway along U.S. 119 and the road going up 22 Mine Road. Some say that her spirit is still there, waiting for true justice.

Folklore even tells that certain coal truck drivers would pick up a woman wearing outdated clothing, only to see her vanish from the cab moments later. It is also known that if you put your car in neutral on 22 Mountain Road or a bridge along Corridor G, it will roll backward up the hill. This is believed to be the spirit of Mamie Thurman pulling you up the hill.

The legend of Mamie Thurman will likely live on forever. It is one of the most well-known ghost stories in the region.

(Kyle Lovern is a longtime journalist in the Tug Valley. He is now a retired freelance writer and columnist for the Mountain Citizen.)