Bone Valley – Season 3, Episode 1: "Something Stinks"
Host: Maggie Freleng
Released: September 17, 2025
Podcast by Lava for Good Podcasts
Overview:
This premiere episode of Bone Valley’s third season, subtitled "Graves County," launches an in-depth examination of the brutal murder of Jessica Curran in Mayfield, Kentucky. Host and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maggie Freleng investigates not only the crime itself but also the questionable investigation, the search for justice, and the long trail of devastation among families and communities. The story challenges the easy narratives of amateur sleuths-turned-heroes and forces listeners to confront the messy legacy of wrongful convictions, unreliable witnesses, and a legal system eager for closure, even at the expense of truth.
Key Discussion Points & Insights:
1. Setting the Scene: Mayfield, Graves County, Kentucky
- The episode opens with a warning about graphic content, signaling the gravity of the story (01:46).
- Mayfield: a small, tight-knit, largely rural town of 10,000, marked by traditional values, high school football pride, and deep-seated power structures (21:30).
- "A half truth is a whole lie." (01:46, Maggie Freling) — a recurring motif describing the community’s fraught relationship with rumors and truth.
2. The Crime: Murder of Jessica Curran
- August 1, 2000: Jessica Curran, an 18-year-old new mother and daughter of a local fire lieutenant, is found murdered and set on fire near Mayfield Middle School (02:21).
- Her murder goes unsolved for several years, with circulating rumors and few solid leads (07:28).
3. The Citizen Sleuth: Susan Galbraith
- Susan Galbraith, a Chicago transplant and Mayfield homemaker, becomes obsessed with the case after hearing about the murder (06:11).
- She is initially driven by personal aimlessness and a series of family deaths, seeking "purpose" through her involvement (07:08).
- “Somebody had to do something. And if it somebody was me, so be it.” (03:20, Susan Galbraith)
- Susan's efforts and eventual partnership with British journalist Tom Mangold garner massive media attention and her being officially honored (03:25, 03:44).
4. Breakthrough and Prosecution: The Case Against Quincy Cross and Others
- With Mangold’s help, Galbraith and police focus on crucial witness Victoria Caldwell, who at age 15 claims to have been an accomplice and provides a shocking, detailed narrative implicating Quincy Cross, Tamara Caldwell, Jeff Burton, and others (10:38—15:08).
- Victoria's lurid testimony, central to the state’s prosecution, outlines a night of drugs, violence, and assault — leading to convictions after years of investigation (15:20).
- Fast convictions: Quincy Cross given life without parole; co-defendants take plea deals in exchange for testimony (15:42).
5. Reexamining the Conviction: Persistent Doubts
- Years later, host Maggie Freling foregrounds the ongoing doubts and alternate perspectives—especially from those convicted, who continue to maintain innocence:
- "That story Victoria told at trial was a lie." (19:10, Maggie Freling on Quincy & Tamara’s claims)
- Tamara Caldwell and Quincy Cross’s lives are detailed — from their backgrounds and family ties to the way their lives are upended by the conviction and incarceration.
- "I was taken away from my family for something I didn't even do." (28:29, Tamara Caldwell)
6. A New Advocate: Dara Woolman and the Fight for Exoneration
- Enter Dara Woolman, an outsider determined to free Quincy Cross and clear the names of the others convicted (33:21).
- Dara, a self-described misfit and founder of the "Department of Collaborators," organizes support and brings evidence to journalists like Maggie (34:32).
- “We just group of, you know, misfits that can't let go of this case.” (34:58, Dara Woolman)
- Dara’s methods, personality, and access to vast case files frame her as a contemporary echo to Susan Galbraith—albeit now working for exoneration, not conviction.
7. The Complexity of Truth and Justice
- Maggie highlights the difficulties of reporting wrongful conviction stories—her own doubts and past errors, and the burden of possibly retraumatizing victims’ families while seeking justice (39:15).
- Recent discovery of private correspondence and journalistic doubts from Tom Mangold further erodes certainty:
- "I'm just beginning to wonder. This is but a tiny worm of an idea in my wine soaked brain that there is a teeny weeny, itsy bitsy chance that we've got this whole fucking murder story wrong and that there may have been a huge miscarriage of justice." (42:44, Tom Mangold via email)
- Community distrust and the self-perpetuating nature of rumors keep the case mired in uncertainty.
8. The Human Cost: Families, Reputations, and Closure
- Maggie explores the deep cost to both convicted individuals and their families. Loss of time, stigma, and the impossibility of true closure pervade these stories.
- "I won’t never get that time back. I was taken away from my family for something I didn’t even do." (28:29, Tamara Caldwell)
- The episode closes by questioning who really knows the truth, as even those closest to the case are unsure who is truly responsible (44:07).
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Media Narratives:
- "Catnip for the press. And who could blame them? It's a good one, maybe too good to be true." (04:13, Maggie Freling)
- Susan’s Motivation:
- "I think that I’ve always felt that I was meant to be there the day that they found Jessica’s body…through her, I somehow got my purpose back." (07:08, Susan Galbraith)
- Disillusion from Within:
- "I’m just beginning to wonder…that there is a teeny weeny, itsy bitsy chance that we’ve got this whole fucking murder story wrong and that there may have been a huge miscarriage of justice." (42:44, Email from Tom Mangold)
- On Closure:
- "Don’t let nobody ever tell you you get closure because you’re gonna always miss a person like that the rest of your life." (43:54, Susan Galbraith)
- On Truth:
- “Good luck deciphering the fucking lies in this case. My apologies for cussing, but that's what it is. There are so many lies.” (31:16, Dara Woolman)
Important Segment Timestamps
| Timestamp | Segment Description | | :--------- | :-------------------------------------------------------- | | 01:46 | Maggie opens the show, sets the tone with Southern proverb | | 02:21 | Discovery of Jessica Curran’s body | | 06:11 | Introduction of Susan Galbraith | | 10:38 | Victoria Caldwell's key witness testimony | | 15:20 | Convictions and sentencing | | 17:58 | First-person account by Quincy Cross from prison | | 21:30 | Description of Mayfield and community context | | 28:29 | Tamara Caldwell describes the impact of her conviction | | 33:21 | Introduction of Dara Woolman and her mission | | 34:58 | Dara describes the Department of Collaborators | | 39:15 | Maggie’s reflections on wrongful conviction reporting | | 42:44 | Tom Mangold expresses doubt about the case in private | | 44:07 | Refrain that no one truly knows who did it |
Tone and Style
- Language: Direct, conversational, raw — capturing both the Southern setting and the emotional gravity of wrongful conviction stories.
- Tone: Investigative, skeptical, and often wary of neat narratives or "hero" stories.
Summary Takeaway
"Something Stinks" initiates a new season of Bone Valley by laying out the troubling complexities behind a sensational small town murder. It scrutinizes the eagerness for heroes and closure while refusing easy answers. As new doubts surface about convictions achieved through community pressure and untested witness accounts, listeners are left questioning whether the zeal for justice led Mayfield – and perhaps the country at large – further from the truth. A compelling exploration of fallible justice, human motivations, and the ripple effects of crime and punishment in rural America.