Dialogue summary by David C. Stein of the Ryan Dawson (@RyLiberty) and Mary Phagan Kean (@PhaganKean) Interview of March 29, 2025
Exclusive Written and Published: June 4, 2025.
Introduction
Globally recognized peace advocate Ryan Dawson interviews 71-year-old Mary Frances Phagan Kean (Born June 5, 1954), the great-niece and namesake of little Mary Phagan (1899-1913), a 13-year-old girl brutally raped and murdered on Georgia Confederate Memorial Holiday, Saturday, April 26, 1913, at the National Pencil Company in downtown Atlanta's then-industrial sector.
Atlanta B'nai B'rith Chapter President of the Gate City Lodge Number-144, Leo Max Frank (1884 - 1915), the Jewish superintendent of the factory, was convicted of the crime and lynched in 1915 after his death sentence was commuted by a corrupt Georgia Governor, John Slaton, who partly owned the law group that represented Leo Frank at his molestation-murder trial.
Mrs. Kean discusses the case, her family’s multi-lifetime trauma, and ongoing efforts by well organized groups, including Georgia’s Jewish community, Rabbi Lebow, Former Georgia Governor Roy Barnes, Atlanta prosecutor F. Willis, and the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith (ADL), to exonerate Frank through a secretive and clandestine “Innocence Project” initiative this year, 2025-2026. Mrs. Kean has been denied her open records request for documents sent to District Attorney F. Willis.
The following are key insights from Ryan Dawson’s interview with Mary Phagan Kean regarding the Leo Frank case and its ongoing controversy today, 112 years after the fact:
Personal Connection and Discovery:
In 1967, at the age of 13, Mary Phagan Kean first learned of her family’s link to the infamous Leo Frank case from a schoolteacher in South Carolina, named Mr. Henry. Her father who served in the military, later confirmed that she was indeed related to Mary Phagan, the young girl whose murder led to the "controversial" conviction of Leo Frank, a director and head accountant at the National Pencil Company. The factory operated out of a four-story building known as the Venable building, located on what is now Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Atlanta (the structure was demolished in the 1950s.) Frank's death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment by Governor John Slaton in the final days of his term, prompting outrage. Not long after, a vigilante group, not formally known as the "Knights of Mary Phagan" as is sometimes misreported, forcibly took Frank from prison and lynched him in Marietta, Georgia at a former Sheriff's backyard.
The Phagan family maintained silence about the case for decades due to the trauma, with Kean’s great-grandmother imposing a “code of silence.” The code of silence had to be broken due to all the misinformation and disinformation that Leo Frank's coreligionists were publishing in books, made-for-TV serials, musicals, news reports, magazine articles, peer reviewed journals and other publishing mediums.
Extensive Research Efforts: Kean began researching the case as a teenager, visiting libraries and the Georgia State Archives, where she encountered a large image of Frank’s lynching. She recently as of 2024 has donated 57 years’ worth of research, including rare documents, to Georgia State University (GSU). The curators at GSU have described it as a "Blue Ribbon" and "Museum Quality" collection due to the sheer volume or rare, scarce and priceless items in the collection.
Key evidence, such as the trial transcript, went missing in the mid 1960s (When coincidentally Leonard Dinnerstein and Harry Golden were researching the case), forcing reliance on an official “brief of evidence” and contemporary newspaper articles from the Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta Georgian and Atlanta Journal for accurate accounts.
Details of the Crime and Conviction: little Mary Anne Phagan was raped and strangled at the National Pencil Company on April 26, 1913, at noon, after visiting to collect her paycheck. Autopsy reports confirmed the brutality of the crime, refuting claims that blood found was from menstruation, as Mary had not yet reached puberty. Many of Leo Frank's defenders have tried to re-write the forensic history of the crime, claiming that she was never raped, but the autopsy report found that she had been based on internal hemorrhaging and bruising. Not to mention her undergarments were soaked in blood. Leo Frank's revisionists have tried to obfuscate or selectively edit the trial evidence of the case in a way that is favorable to convincing the public that he was innocent.
Leo Frank was convicted based on circumstantial evidence and witness testimony, including testimonies from about a dozen or more girls and boys alleging his sexual misconduct and lecherous behavior. Kean disputes claims that Frank didn’t know Mary, as he passed her workstation daily. Mary's workstation was next to the entry way that led to an "L" shaped hallway that led to the men's restroom. It would have been impossible for Leo Frank to not have known Mary. The accounting books showed that Leo Frank recorded paying Mary about 52 times.
Refutation of Antisemitism Claims: Kean asserts there was no antisemitism during the trial, with Frank identified in newspapers only as the superintendent, not by his Jewish identity. The only contrasting of Jewish identity came from Frank’s mother, Rachel Jacobs Frank, who stood up in court, and shouted at prosecutor Dorsey, calling him a “gentile dog,” and the defense's race baiting about a trolley conductor’s inflammatory remarks that he denied, both isolated incidents.
The grand jury, which included Jewish members, voted 21-0 to indict Frank without testimony from Jim Conley, a Black janitor initially suspected. Jim Conley did not testify at the Coroner's inquest or grand jury hearing.
Efforts to Exonerate Leo Frank: The Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith (ADL), formed in response to Frank’s case, and other groups like the American Jewish Committee and Atlanta Jewish Federation have pushed for his exoneration, falsely citing antisemitism.
A 1986 posthumous pardon did not address guilt or innocence. In 1995, a cemetery marker for Mary Phagan was secretly changed to imply Frank’s innocence, prompting Kean to install her own marker in 2016 clarifying the facts.
CIU: Recent efforts, including a 2019 Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) established by Fulton County DA Paul Howard, former Governor Roy Barnes, and Rabbi Stephen Lebow, aim to exonerate Frank, with ongoing appeals to DA Fani Willis and the Innocence Project. In a disgusting and tasteless action, the clandestine CIU was announced on the anniversary of Mary Phagan's death, April 26, 1913.
Media and Historical Bias: Kean notes that editors of major Atlanta newspapers at the time, who were Jewish, and they supported Frank’s innocence (though not emphasized, it was done by omitting evidence in press reports that was revealed at the trial.) She disputes modern claims of a ���media frenzy” sensationalizing the case, as these narratives emerged only recently.
She criticizes portrayals of Mary Phagan, such as in the 1988 NBC miniseries and the musical Parade, for misrepresenting her as a flirtatious (when she was regarded by factory workers as a serious worker and introvert.)
Vigilance Committee and Lynching: Frank was lynched on August 17, 1915 by a vigilance committee, not the “Knights of Mary Phagan” as some sources falsely claim.
Kean’s research confirms this was a planned operation by prominent Marietta citizens, not a mob, and was the first lynching executed using automobiles and two months of planning.
The commutation of Frank’s sentence by Governor John Slaton, who was linked to Frank’s defense law firm, was controversial.
Ongoing Controversy and ADL’s Role: Kean accuses the ADL and related groups of perpetuating lies about Frank’s innocence and falsifying antisemitic accusations about his trial, others have pointed out the ADL's involvement in other controversies, such as spying scandals, cancel culture and connections to figures like Jeffrey Epstein.
Kean highlights public pushback on platforms like X, where ADL posts about Frank’s innocence have been heavily criticized, especially after Elon Musk allowed broader discourse and free speech.
Kean’s Advocacy: Kean maintains a website (https://t.co/NasNN5CCvo) with evidence, newspaper articles, and her book, The Murder of Little Mary Phagan, available for free to ensure the truth is accessible.
She plans a revised book release in 2025 and a series on X starting starting April 28, to share key original newspaper accounts, aiming to counter false narratives and honor her family’s history.
Emotional and Family Impact: The case remains deeply personal for Kean, who recounts emotional moments, such as her grandfather’s distress when discussing Mary’s murder. She views continued exoneration efforts as causing “generational trauma” to the Phagan family.
Kean emphasizes her commitment to truth, inspired by her father’s belief that “truth always wins,” and seeks global awareness of the case through interviews and public platforms.
Please tune-in. #MaryPhagan #LeoFrank #Atlanta #Georgia #RyanDawson #interview #trials #LeoFrankCase #TheADL
The reason the Russia-Ukraine war started was to keep Russia busy so they wouldn't be able to supply Iran with as many weapons. Thank the tiny hats for your insane prices @DrRandomercam
In the middle of a diesel shortage the UK continues support for Ukraine who is actively attacking oil refineries.
Your government doesnt work for you.
BRUV
It still shocks the hell out of me that a woman who strangled her 3 children to death got $1.3 million in donations.
They’re dead.
She killed them.
She admitted it.
And people rewarded her with $1.3 million.
In the middle of a diesel shortage the UK continues support for Ukraine who is actively attacking oil refineries.
Your government doesnt work for you.
BRUV
The ken doll now charged with rape and drugging was a product of KICK which is a product of Duel.
Bunch of jews pushing body alterations. They want to create a Thailand situation where broken white boys turn themselves into girls to work the sex industry