People would ask Simon Warner just about anything: where they might find their lost guitar, whether or not they should divorce their husbands, if their parents might reunite. They would stare at the crystal ball in his bungalow in Shelbyville, Tennessee, give him honest answers to his questions. And, in turn, he would give his advice: determined by some combination of astrology, self-professed psychic abilities, and his own vast knowledge of how people work.
He also had a special interest in crime prevention and claimed he could tell when a murder would happen months before it actually did. He frequently worked with the police, drawing national attention in 1941 for correctly determining where a missing woman’s body could be found. But in 1957, his life came to a sudden end when a customer killed him in his home, believing Simon hexed him and caused him agonizing stomach pain.
In this episode, we discuss Simon Warner’s life, death, and career as a psychic.
But first, Zoey is here with her Something Spooky: a classic dark and stormy cocktail!
Sources:
“7 of the South’s strangest unsolved mysteries” by Kelly Kazek, AL.com, Aug. 24, 2015.
“Seer of Shelbyville” by Bill Holder, The Tennessean, May 11, 1947; via newspapers.com.
“2 Indicted In Death of Simon Warner,” Nashville Banner, April 10, 1957; via newspapers.com.
“‘Crime Doctor’ Murdered In ‘Voodoo Hex’ Slaying,” Gadsden Times, March 23, 1957.
“Curse Remains On Seer Killer,” The Tennessean, March 24, 1957; via newspapers.com.
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