Below is our Local Mystery. Read it then submit us your answer as to the story. The First Person who emails us the right answer will receive a gift from Breathitt Online Gift Store.
Back to Main News Click Here
Breathitt Opinion Board Click Here
Our Archived Stories Click Here
MYSTERY
**NOTE** All Stories are ficticious, any resemblance from persons alive or dead is purely coincedental.  These mysteries are for entertainment only.
                             FIRE, FIRE, FIRE !!!!!!!!!!!!! (2-28-03)
    Aaron McMicheals, Brad Allerton, & Steve Raige sat at the table playing cards, as Brad was still fuming at the hiring of a new fire inspector some 4 months ago. Brad had been with the Jackson Fire Department for 18 years and felt he was more than qualified for the job. Aaron & Steve ribbed him over it constantly and this did not help Brad. Brad was married and had 3 kids and by all accounts was a great family man. Steve told him to get over it, as he himself, was passed up for the building inspectors job as well. Steve continued to boast, as he lit his cigarette and tossed his matches to Brad. Steve always had a short fuse and was involved in several minor altercations in his 6 years as a firefighter.  Aaron McMicheals was a go getter who had studied Arsonist for several years. His fascination with how people started fires and why they started them, always intrigued him. He would always volunteer when it came to doing simulation burns. It was around 2am when Brad and Steve decided to run to Campbells across the street to get some food & coffee. Aaron headed toward his car & said he was going to Gas Zone to get his food. Brad & Steve had just pulled up in the Fire truck, when they heard the alarm go off.
     It was 3am when the call came in to the Jackson Fire Department. Tony Allen answered the call, it was another fire in South Jackson. This was the 4th fire in the last 3 months. Tony sounded the alarm and then notified Fire Chief Weatherby. Weatherby has been fire chief of Jackson for 15 years now, and has pretty much seen it all.  He immediately called assistant Chief Mike Ambrose and newly hired fire investigator Gorman Mato. They quickly arrived on the scene and saw that Liller's grocery was all but gone, totally engulfed in flames. So far, in the past 3 months, Terry'a Auto World,  Kabet Photography and Brewers Home furnishing have all burned to the ground. The only similarities to each fire was the quickness that each burned and that a book of matches was found to be the starting point out side each building.  They knew an excellerant, gasoline, had been used to speed the fires.  At the scene, as he has been at every fire, was fire fighter Aaron McMichaels. McMichaels quickly pointed out to fire chief Weatherby, the all too familiar starting point of the fire. Sure enough the smell of gasoline and the book of matches were found. The matches have had a cigarette placed on them as to give the Arsonist time to leave the scene before the fire starts. The cigarette lights the matches which in turn starts the fire. Assistant fire chief Ambrose noted that there were foot prints near the starting point, which appeared to match those worn by fire fighters. These tracks led to the road behind the burning building. Fire Chief Weatherby walked over to the area where the tracks stopped and found tire tracks. He quickly asked the Investigator to seal off the area as they felt they had their first break in the case.
       After days of interviews and studying the evidence, The Fire Inspector met with Chief Weatherby. He explained to Weatherby that he had some disturbing news about his investigation. He noted that the arsonist had to have knowledge of fires. He also noted that the foot prints at the scene were from those boots wore by a fire fighter. Finally he stated that the tire tracks at the scene of the Liller's grocery fire were that of a truck. Everything was pointing towards a firefighter or a former firefighter. That left several suspects. The Question now was, Who was the Arsonist?
The Answer to this Mystery is within this story. Be the first to email who the arsonist was and how it was them.
Viewers Response
I believe it to have been Brad and Steve working together.  Brad smokes, Steve had his matches, (hence the cigarette and matches) they were together in the fire truck (the truck tracks).  Since they were driving the fire truck, stands to reason they had on their fire boots and left
their prints.
Linda Jordan
The arsonist was firefighter Aaron McMichaels, and he drove the fire truck to get food at BP. And he was upset because he did'nt get the jobs he put in for.
DK Fugate
1st Correct Answer!!
I believe it was Brad and Steve as Brad had posession of the matches at the time because Steve through them to him and they both drove the fire truck across the street when they could have walked. They are in it together.
Tinkerbell
                                     CLOCK MASTER 3-12-03
     The alarm rang out from Timmons Hardware and pierced the silence of this peaceful night. In an instant, Police sirens could be heard coming down main street.  Neighboring lights began to come on. Mr Kurty peered out his window and watched as the local police came to a screeching halt in front of Timmons Hardware. Mr. Kurty looked at his clock and noticed it was 3am. This was the 2nd time he was brought to the window. Just 20 minutes earlier he was awaken by screeching tires. He did not see anything when he looked out that time, so he went back to bed.
     Last week three other stores were robbed and there were enough similarities that authorities knew it was the same group of people. First, they all occur on the opposite ends of town. This appeared  to be an escape plan. It would take the police 5 minutes to respond to each of the scenes. This told authorities that the culprits have first hand knowledge of where the police were and their routines. And at each scene was a pocket watch left on the cash register. To this date, no fingerprints have been found. Another similarity they tied to robberies was the citizens complaints about cars screeching their tires in the vicinity about 20 minutes before each crime.
     Tom & Adrian were getting ready to go to get some groceries when the phone rang. Ted was on the other line, "Man, did you hear the news? Someone knocked over Timmons Hardware." Tom replied, " yeah I just heard about it." Ted asked Tom if he had finished his grandfathers watch, as Tom was a real handyman at fixing clocks and watches. Tom had every watch practically that had been made. Tom told Ted his watch would be ready in a day or so.
     Brad was just leaving Watch World, when his cell phone rang. It was Ted. Ted told Brad he thought Tom was acting wierd after he had mentioned Timmons being robbed. Brad said that he did not think it was any big deal. Brad said he heard about it on his scanner.
      Tony was pulling out of his driveway in his souped up Ford Mustang 5.0, when Brad pulled up along side of him. Brad told Tony that word was out about the robberies and he thought Ted was getting a little excited over it. Tony told Brad he would get with him later and peeled out.
      As they always do each evening, All the guys met at the local poolroom to ham it up a bit. Over in the corner, Alvin & Craig were talking to two local girls and bragging about how smmotht the robberies went, and how much money was invested in those watches being left behind. Brad, Tony, Ted & Tom had their usual game going and shooting the stories of the day. Ted seemed a bit nervous. He had been overly concerned about the robberies.
      Police Chief Cloud called in lead investigator and asked him what he thought about the robberies. Investigator Meach told Cloud he thought it was 3 people working together. He felt they were very close to making an arrest.

The answer to the Mystery is in this story. Tell us by email, who you think done it and how they were doing it.
Viewers Response
Ted should be nervous, because out of the four he is the innocent one.  Tom, Brad, and Tony should be indicted next Grand Jury!
                                                   JPD
think it was probably Tom, Alvin, and Craig. Tom cause he fixed watches and probably had every watch ever made.  Alvin and Craig cause they were bragging to two girls about it.
Tonya Strong
I THINK IT WAS TOM, BRAD AND TONY.ONE WORKED AT WATCH WORLD, ONE HAD A FAST CAR AND THE OTHER WAS ACTING WIERD.
                                       BAM
1st Correct Answer
                               Shots Fired in Jackson 4-11-03
The young policeman at the gate stiffened when he recognized the senior officer getting out of the car that had just pulled up. Instinctively, a hand went to his throat where his tie hung loosely around an open top button. Inspector Pogor was a stickler for proper dress no matter what the weather, and the young constable knew it was too late to rebutton his collar.  "You look like that when the media was here?" Pogor was known for getting right to the point.   "No No Sir!" The young mans face, already soaking from the heat of the sun, began sweating even harder.  Pogor lifted his hands to his hips. The gesture reminded him that he himself wasn't in uniform at all, that in fact he was in a T-Shirt and shorts - kind ratty ones to boot.  "Okay. Okay." he said. "Just... Look, you know the regulation. Tie on or tie off. Not that half-way stuff. Now. Where's the shooting site? That it up there?" "Yes Sir!" The officer was relieved he absently brought out  a none too clen hankerchief to wipe his face. "Just around the corner of the building there. You'll see the yellow tape." For a second or two, Pogor toyed with the idea of going back to division headquarters to change clothes. The incident with the constable's tie had made him self-conscious about his own dress. In the end he decided not to. The media had been and gone, especially the TV cameras. Besides - he looked at his watch- the incident was already six hours old.
Pogor was calling it an incident, not a crime, for the time being anyway. The evidence so far pointed in that direction. It was an accidental shooting, but a dicey one because of the victim. The dead man, Big Dino, was well-known to Pogor, in fact to just about everyone on the police force, especially the anti-racket squad which Pogor headed up. Big Dino had roots deep in organized crime. Until this morning. This morning Big Dino had gone down with two bullets in the middle of his chest just outside the rear entrance to Galahad Storage. He'd been shot from inside the building by a security guard.
"Ah . . . sir?" It was the constable. He'd taken his tie off. "Up there? Around the corner? Sergeant King. . . ah . . . he's waiting for you."   Pogor grunted, just a wee bit embarrassed, then began to walk toward the rear of the building. He was glad to stretch his legs for he'd had a long drive. Officially, Pogor was on vacation. The first two weeks of August were always his. That morning before anyone else in the family was awake, he'd taken a giant plate of bacon and perogies out to the deck of his cottage, despite the threat of rain, and had just snapped on the ponable to listen to The World at Eight when the telephone rang, summoning him away from his beloved Lake Muskoka.
He'd headed down to the city right away, but changing out of the shorts and T-shirt did not even cross his mind. The heat wave that stretched from the American Midwest right up to the Arctic was so fierce that even the thought of full-length trousers made him sweat. And the heat was getting worse, too. On his way south, the dull sky that had covered most of Eastern North America that morning reneged on its promise of rain and cooler weather, completely contradicting the weather forecasters. By the time Pogor could see Toronto in the distance, the sky had turned blue and cloudless and the day was flatiron hot.  Not a day to spend walking on confounded asphalt, he thought, turning the corner where yellow boundary tape squared off a section of empty lot. He hardly noticed the tape at first, or even how much hotter it was on this side of the building. What caught his attention instead was the overwhelming, relentless noise from the traffic on the Queen Elizabeth Way. Ten lanes of speeding, bumper-to-bumper racket so loud he didn't hear Jack  King until the third yell. "Pogor! Pogor! In here! Outa the sun!" Pogor ducked under. the tape, stepped carefully over the chalk outline of a body, and walked through the only open door. It had a small sign that said "EMPLOYEES ONLY." Jack King was
standing inside. His tie was pulled down and he had two buttons . undone. Jack began to speak immediately. "It was like this," he said. Pogor realized that Jack had been waiting in the heat for some time and had no intention of dawdling through his report. He wanted to get back to headquarters and air conditioning. "The guard sat here, his back to the door you Just came through." He pointed to a battered metal chair and an old wooden table with a deck of greasy playing cards on top. "Says he was watching the front. That makes sense' cause that's where all the break-ins have been coming through. Especially the one two days ago where one a the other guards got beat up so bad."
Pogor raised his eyebrows but said nothing. Jack went on. "Then all of a sudden, he says there's this dark shadow over him. From behind. From the doorway. He whips around. The sun's in his face. There's an awful big guy there so . . . Boom! Boom! Two in the chest."  "Sounds a bit trigger happy, don't you think?" Pogor spoke for the first time.
"Yeah. But don't forget the guy was scared," Jack answered. "I mean, there's been so much trouble here. All the break-ins. They had that fire where the guy was trapped in a room. Then there's that guard who was beat up. Word is he'll never walk again. Can't say I really blame the guard for shooting. And Dino. He's a big guy. 'Sides, he had no business back here. We think he's a renter here. Least he had a key in his pocket. We're checkin' that right now. Anyway, how's the guard supposed to know? As it is, the place doesn't open to customers till nine 0' clock. And not through this door." Jack was pointing out the door to the east. Through the opening Pogor could see the skyline of the city in the distance and the surface of Lake Ontario shimmering in the brightness of midday.
"I don't know, Jack," he said. "It's still too neat. This door was open then?"
"Propped open," Jack answered. "Just like it is now. Haven't you noticed how hot it is in here? 1 can believe the guard when he says the door had to be open. And that means he couldn't hear anything either. With the highway traffic at that time of the mornIng.
Pogor nodded. "Yeah, 1 guess so. Sounds like accidental shooting all right. There's only one thing that's not right."  "Yeah? What's that?" Jack King wanted to know.

What is the flaw in the security guards story that Vince Pogor is referring to?
EMAIL US WITH YOUR SOLUTION !! We will Print all answers.
Ok if the security guard was inside at the table with his back to the door how did Big Dino appear inside right behind him? Big Dino was shot on the outside of the building or at least that is where is body was!!!! That is a flaw that I found if he was inside behind the guard why in the world was his body on the outside of the building. Besides that how was the sun glaring on the inside of the building at that time of the morning?
Kristal 4-15-03
The answer to your recent mystery is this:

There was on fault in the security guards story.  He
says that when he first noticed the presence of
another man was when a huge shadow came over him.  He goes on to say that when he turned around the sun was in his face.  If there was a huge shadow over him the the sun would not be in his face when he turned
around, actually he would be able to see Dino clearly
in the shade.
Marc 4-14-03
The incident happened at night.Therefore, the guard couldn't have been blinded by the sunlight.
Reed C. 4-21-03
Well I think that first of all the guard is lying about the door, here are a few things, at that time of a morning it wouldnt have been that hot in there so the door could have been closed. Second of all if the door was open and he was worrying about breakins he should have been watching the open door cause if there is an open door around back why would someone try to "break in" the front? Then if Dinos shadow appeared over him how was the sun in his face? Seems to me like he would be able to see him clear since Dino created such a shadow.
ANGEL EYES 5-12-03 CORRECT ANSWER
The morning sun was obscured by cloudy skies...therefore disproving the security guard's story about being blinded.
JC 5-3-03
MURDER MYSTERY
The Murder

There was a terrible killing in my small Kentucky hamlet.  The killing took place last night under the cover of darkness.  A devoted mother was brutally murdered.  The murder was premeditated, as her killer had stalked her for weeks.  Everyone in the community knew the two families had hated each other for generations.  Not one human being came to her rescue, though she screamed long and loud.  She fought a good fight, biting and clawing her assailant to no avail.

The victim was a tiny little thing with once platium hair that was filthy,nasty and matted.  Her eyes were coal black circles that darted about constantly.  She wasn't very pretty at all, best described as yucky,timid and trusted no human.  She only trusted her children.

The killer was a huge overweight fellow with hair as orange as a carrot, some even called him carrot top.  His eyes were an eerie brown that seemed to stare straight through a person and he always looked everyone over from head to toe and back again.  He was know to his family as Red Pepper.  His friends and family will tell anyone that will listen how wonderful and intelligent this fellow is and will say that he is loveable and kind.

No one will see this vicious, awful killing on the television news today, tomorrow or ever.  The killing will not be on the radio.  You can look, but it won't be in any local newspaper or the orbituaries.  The story will not be in any state or national paper.  Nothing will be reported about a vicious killing, the result of stalking.  Nothing will ever be reported abotu the fighting, screaming maliciuos killing of a mother who left children behind.

Have you the reader any idea as to the reason the vicious killing was kept so quiet?  Does any one have any idea what the real facts of that faithful night are?


There is a perfectly good reason for the silence and the forgetting of this killing by Red Pepper.
I think the mystery killing in the Kentucky hamlet was caused due to an illicit affair between a rich Ky
politician and his secret poor mistress. The mother was probably planing on exposing the politician as one of her children's father to get money to feed them.  The politician then hired a killer to take care of her. Due to her lowly status in the community and his influental status the killing will never be revealed.   8-8-03  D. Wells
READERS RESPONSES
I think it is about a dog killing a cat, and that is why it is never reported. 8-10-03 Remington
It was a mouse and a cat,not a cat and dog.And that is why it was never reported. 8-12-03 Remington
I believe that the story is about a coon dog, and a coon that the dog had hunted for weeks and finally treed and the hunter shot the coon out and let the dog have it. Red Pepper was the coon dog, and the Mother was the Mother coon. 12-10-03 Robert Lee
have no doubt it was time for a hog killing in the cool fall weather.  Hamlet, I am sure was the mother of several small "children"-piglets.  The owner had stalked for several months wanting- and with his mouth watering for the ham of his beloved Hamlet.  The death of the lowly Hamlet would not have been aired on the radio or printed in the Jackson Times or Voice because after all- it is the story of a pig(not like in Charlotte's Web).  Everyone from near and far would have enjoyed the "killing of Hamlet" enjoying the succulent juices of the pig, including the local politicians.  So, now we can understand why no one stopped the killing of Hamlet!      

A HOWARD 12-25-03
This sure is a tangled mystery.  Carrot Top makes me think of a rabbit but rabbits eat vegetables.    The "filthy,nasty and matted" hair also confuses me.

So, unless I'm supposed to be thinking outside the box, I'm going to guess that ------
The killer was a sly red fox.  He stalked a gray squirrel and then killed her under the cover of darkness. No one will report it because no one is interested.
God Bless America!!! B. Swanson 8-1-03
READERS RESPONSES
EMAIL US With Your Solutions !! We will Print all answers.
ABIGAIL is Missing Again  1-9-04

Abigail Carroll lived in Jackson, and she was no stranger to the law and trouble. Abigail was 21 years old and a beautiful young woman. Abigail was free spirited and it was nothing to her to take off for 2-3 days without telling anyone. Abi never had to want for anything, as her family was extremely wealthy. Abigail had one brother Martin. Abigail had been dating different men in Jackson, and was not known for being faithful to one man. Currently she was dating Todd Pendleton. Todd was a sports star and was well liked by alot of people. Todd was also very protective and would not stand for other men talking to Abi.

Several rumors had surviced that Abi was talking to town newcomer Jason Hadley.  Jason had a shady past and this did not sit well with Todd.  Todd figured Jason only wanted Abi's money and was trying to use her. Martin, Abi's brother would watch out for her, but never liked the way she was and did not approve of his sisters activities. He considered it a disgrace to the family name.

One night in late December the Carroll residence got an odd phone call. All the caller would say is, "Some lakes are like cemetaries", and then hang up. Mrs. Carroll thought it odd and told her husband. He told her he recieved  a call earlier that said he would be visiting Jackson Lake more than he usually does.   Mr. & Mrs. Carroll began to worry about the calls, so they went upstairs to ask Abigail if she had gotten any calls like this. The bedroom door was locked, and loud music was playing..  Mr. Carroll yelled for Abi to open the door, but got no response.  Martin, hearing the yelling came out of his room and running through the hall. Martin looked as if he had been running for hours.  Martin helped his father kick open the door to Abi's room, only to find it empty. The bedroom window was open and their had been a struggle.  Martin went to the window and looked out. He said, "NOTHING HERE", and quickly shut the window.

Mr. Carroll called the police and explained the situation and told them he thought Abi was kidnapped.  The police showed up and began to survey the scene, immediately they noticed a ladder laying in the yard under the bedroom windows of Abi & Martin. They found what appeared to be a spot in the yard where Abi's body had fallen. They checked the room and found nothing, but int the yard by the ladder the found an empty bank envelope that had $10,000 written on it. It was at this time Mr. Carroll remembered the phone calls. He told the police and they immediately called for back up at the lake.  It wasn't long after they arrived at the lake that Abigail's body was found.  She had been murdered. According to the coroner, it looked as if her neck was broken.

The next day the Police Chief began question those who knew Abigai and to see if anyone had seen her before she died. The Police Chief was able to talk to everyone except , Jason Hadley and Todd Pendleton, both of which were missing.  Police put out warnings for the men and later that day, Todd's car was found abandoned near Stanton Ky. All that was found in the car was a cell phone and a new $100.00 bill under the drivers seat. They also found blood stains in the trunk of the car. Todd was no where to be found.  Police then began to search phone records to see if they could find out where the suspicious calls came from that day. Only 5 calls were made to the house that day. 2 from Martins room and 1 from Todds Cell Phone and the other 2 from Jason apartment. None of which narrowed the suspects down.
           WHO KILLED ABIGAIL CARROLL and WHY? 
Be the first to solve this mystery and win a years subscription to Breathitt Online NewsLetter
R. Neal 1-9-04  her brother, Martin killed his sister.....why would he call his own house?
PLG 1-10-04 It was Martin because he didn't like the way she was being "friendly" to the men in the town.
S. Bowling 1-10-04 MARTIN, THE BROTHER, WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR HER DEATH.
Tink 1-11-04 I believe all three men were in on it.  Martin was out of breath because he had just returned home and used the ladder to get back in his room, where he then pushed the ladder away. Todd went into her room and killed her and then threw her down to the other two.  The ladder was used to get out of Abi's room and then back into the house.  Todd and Jason were at the bottom to move her body to the lake.  The phone calls were to each other to finalize the plans and call the parents.  The $10,000 was pay off to Jason and Todd for helping and Martin dropped the envelope where he gave them the money for helping.  Martin would not need the money since he would stand to inherit everything now that Abi was dead.  Todd's car was used to transport her body to the lake. Jason and Todd took off.   Todd's car was found in Stanton because they switched to Jason's car in Stanton and then proceeded to take off.
S. Bowling 1-11-04  martin had paid jason to get rid of abi to protect his family's name. jason had to get rid of todd but left the car and money behind to try to divert attention away from him to make it look as if todd done it for the money then skipped out of town.
Della 1-12-04  I think the murderer was Martin because he felt that his sister was disgracing the family name.
Midnight 1-12-04  I personally think it was her own flesh and blood, her brother Martin. It was known that he didn't approve of Abigail's behavior and thought she was " Giving the family a bad name". The reason I also suspect him is because when the parents were trying to get into Abi's room, he came running down the hall to help them looking as if he had ran for miles. Thanks!
B.Smith 2-2-04 I BELIEVE THE KILLER WAS HER BROTHER MARTIN. HE WAS ASHAMED OF HER AND IF GOT RID OF HER ALL OF THE FAMILIES MONEY WOULD BE HIS.
More Great Mysteries Click Here
I believe Todd Pendleton killed her. He was protective of her as his property and she was dating someone else. To Tod this was a real blow to his ego so he killed her. Elizabeth
I believe she killed herself.  She was going to going to sneak out and go on a date with Jason Hadley and didn't want anyone to know about it.  That is why she turned up the music so loudly and locked the door.  She used the ladder to climb down but the ladder fell and she fell and broke her neck.  Jason Hadley come by and seen her lying there ,shoved the ladder in the bushes.
Then the envelope with $10,000 fell out of her pocket.  The reason the envelope with $10,000 written on it was in her pocket because she had made a bank deposit.  Jason got scared when he seen her lying there  and called Todd.  Todd came by and they loaked Abi into the trunk of the Todd's car.  Then they dumped her body in the lake because they didn't know what else to do with it.  Then they drove to Stanton, abandoned the car, got into Jason's car then flew to Florida.  by S. Deaton 1-30-05
Very interesting story..... but I'm gonna leave it up to the Sheriff to find out who killed who..........Or let it remain an UNSOLVED MYSTERY.  jvn