Leigh Jones

I am a journalist and writer blogging about historical crime in Galveston, Texas

[Leigh Jones @leighjones]

Get your true crime fix just in time for Christmas!

Island Indictments is now available in print, ebook, and audio formats ... at ALL online retailers! So if Amazon isn't your thing, look for it on Apple Books,… https://t.co/ufGd7RnFbP

[Leigh Jones @leighjones]

Voices from the Past—W.S. “Shiloh” Scrivnor

Despite his life of crime, or perhaps because of it, the press couldn’t get enough of Shiloh Scrivnor. The Galveston Tribune reporter covering his trial in 1929 described… https://t.co/p3AQVBruwR

[Leigh Jones @leighjones]

Meet a historic Galvestonian: W.S. “Shiloh” Scrivnor

Shiloh Scrivnor liked to live the good life. But he had a hard time funding it … legally that is. And really, why bother working a 9-5 when armed robbery was so… https://t.co/RDzCpNmOqo

[Leigh Jones @leighjones]

Island Indictments is now available as an audio book!

Check it out at Amazon, Google Play, and wherever else you like to listen.

#Galveston #galvestonisland #gtown #texas #truecrimecommunity #truecrime… https://t.co/65DEGseVtb

[Leigh Jones @leighjones]

In my last post I mentioned the book I co-wrote about Hurricane Ike. It tells the story of the the storm through the first year of recovery.

It was the third most destructive hurricane in U.S. history at the time.… https://t.co/gqhBF1yppZ

[Leigh Jones @leighjones]

A lesson in perseverance

This week marks 11 years since Hurricane Ike swept over Galveston. The photos and stories coming out of the Bahamas dredged up a lot of memories. And I keep thinking the one thing I wish I… https://t.co/i9f615bnCM

[Leigh Jones @leighjones]

Who killed Tia Syl?

Sylvia Salinas spent most days sitting on a stool behind the counter of her corner grocery store. She loved talking to customers as they came and went. Friends said she treated her regulars like… https://t.co/9xfteSa5K3

[Leigh Jones @leighjones]

The wait is over!

Island Indictments: True crime tales from Galveston's history is available to purchase now on Amazon!

Get your copy today and leave me a review. I'll feature the best ones here over the next few… https://t.co/EmwhMHn5ef

[Leigh Jones @leighjones]

Voices from the Past—Leo Lera
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
At his third, and final, sentencing hearing, Leo Lera voiced one last defense.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Galveston juries rarely doled out the death penalty. I'm sure he never dreamed he… https://t.co/Eu3uSXUcC6

[Leigh Jones @leighjones]

Leo Lera—1938

Galveston's scapegoat. That's the way I think of Leo Lera. He paid for the city's sin although he wasn't the only one who shared the guilt.

There's no doubt he shot Harry Phillips. But was it an… https://t.co/C4ikiPdjxe

[Leigh Jones @leighjones]

Voices from the Past—1938

After Harry Phillips's murder, angry Galvestonians formed a committee to demand changes to election procedures and law enforcement. Several days after jurors convicted Leo Lera of murder… https://t.co/6NM5Ir1voA

[Leigh Jones @leighjones]

Mike Calandra and Leo Lera—1938

Calandra and Lera worked as enforcers for the Maceo family. They were legendary island thugs. And in the "Free State of Galveston," that gave them near celebrity status.

Until they… https://t.co/pgTAHZhonF

[Leigh Jones @leighjones]

What more can I say? Maybe .... yippee!!!

If you can't tell, I'm super excited.

Click the link in my bio for more details!
_____________________
#authorsofinstagram #amwriting #writinglife #indieauthors #author… https://t.co/oXFQO1dh1u

[Leigh Jones @leighjones]

Why do I have a sore throat?

When I decided to write Island Indictments, I knew I wanted to release it in both electronic and print versions. But after doing a little research, I realized I really needed an audio… https://t.co/FWh702sfaL

[Leigh Jones @leighjones]

Ann Williams to the Galveston Daily News reporter who did her jailhouse interview not long after her arrest. I'm still amazed that reporters had this kind of access to suspects before their… https://t.co/n9qJjBCbzm

[Leigh Jones @leighjones]

Meet a historic Galvestonian: Ann Williams

I’ll admit, it might be a bit of a stretch to call Ann Williams a Galvestonian. But she spent the most pivotal months of her life on the island, so I think she earned that… https://t.co/DG9sMIFjLA

[Leigh Jones @leighjones]

Voices from the Past—1955
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Gene Wetmore worked as a mechanic at Morris Johnson's auto shop in Algoa. One winter evening, he watched as his boss helped a young woman bury several packages of "spoiled meat" in… https://t.co/WidisD9Ch9

[Leigh Jones @leighjones]

Unwitting accomplice—1955

Morris Johnson points to the spot where he buried the dismembered bodies of two young boys. Their mother, a family acquaintance, told him the foul-smelling packages were spoiled… https://t.co/IFi1VnC96D

[Leigh Jones @leighjones]

Happy #humpday!

This photo is from 1955. I love it because it shows how different the criminal justice system is today.

This is Ellis Lauhon Jr. He was accused of murdering three people, including a young boy. He's… https://t.co/1uZ74Pfuk7

[Leigh Jones @leighjones]

St. Mary’s Cathedral

It's one of the most recognizable churches on the island. You may think you know its historical highlights, but did you know it served as the backdrop for the last chapter in a sordid love… https://t.co/cbIjuMXNat