Mamie Thurman

Biography

Mamie Thurman was a popular woman in Logan County, West Virginia who was murdered on June 21, 1932. She was the wife of Jack Thurman, a Logan city patrolman. Mamie moved to Logan with her husband in 1924 from Bradfordsville, Kentucky. Her father was George A. Morrison, Sr. and little is known about her mother because she died when Mamie was 3 years old. Mamie was born on February 12 1900, and she died at the age of 32.

Death and Trial

According to medical authorities at the time, Mamie 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. The body was found in a patch of blackberries by a local boy, who then called the authorities. 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. Mortician 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). The manner and brutality of her murder was a shock to the citizens of the small, quiet towns in southern West Virginia. The arrest and eventual conviction of a handyman raised many questions in Logan, as the investigation involved several prominent citizens. The trial was standing room only, and many spectators brought their own chairs and basket lunches to court.

Conspiracy

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.

Theatrical Production

In mid-2014, it was decided a play explaining the life and trial of Mamie was to be written. The writer, Joyce Robertson, who was able to read through all the court documents in the case, finished the play's book in 2014. The play, Mamie, focuses on the last few months of Mamie's life, especially centered around her time of death.

Auditions were held on March 26, 27, and 29, 2015 in Logan High School's Little Theater. The original production ran from June 19 to July 3, 2015. It was written for a cast involving of more than 40 people; the showing was held at the Liz Spurlock Amphitheater in the historic Chief Logan State Park in Logan, West Virginia.