My Favorite Murder – Ep. 507: Adult Woman

Date: November 20, 2025
Hosts: Karen Kilgariff & Georgia Hardstark

Episode Overview

This solo episode, led primarily by Georgia Hardstark with commentary from Karen Kilgariff, dives into the chilling case of James Wayburn Hall—an Arkansas serial killer from the 1940s. Inspired by a Murderino's submitted family story, Georgia traces the life, crimes, and conviction of Hall, unpacking a forgotten piece of American true crime history. The episode also features moments of reflection on the hosts' recent tour and shoutouts to the Murderino community.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Tour and Life Updates

[02:02-04:54]

• The hosts reflect on their ongoing live tour, their bittersweet finale in Brooklyn, and the emotional high of connecting with fans.
• Georgia shares her recent obsession with "A Mother's Reckoning" by Sue Klebold (Dylan Klebold's mother), highlighting its themes of grief, shame, loss, and the importance of mental illness awareness in teenagers.

  “She talks about grief and shame, loss and a lot about mental illness and how we treat it here in the US and what can be done to change things…” – Georgia (03:07)

2. Exactly Right Network & Merch Drop

[04:01-05:50]

• The hosts promote recent shows and the limited series Hell in Heaven, the launch of new holiday merch, encourage YouTube subscriptions, and mention their legal podcast Brief Recess.

3. Listener (“Murderino”) Story Introduction

[07:20-07:59]

• Georgia reads an email from listener Abby, who discovered as a child that her great-uncle was executed for multiple murders in the 1940s.

  “He proceeded to blow my tiny little mind by dropping the bomb that his uncle murdered a bunch of people in the 1940s and was executed by electric chair.” – Georgia (07:23)

Main True Crime Story: James Wayburn Hall, The Arkansas Hitchhike Killer

Introduction & First Murder

[08:13-09:44]

• January 17, 1945: C.F. Hamilton, a Black barber and bootlegger, is found murdered in Arkansas. Police provide limited investigation due to race.

  “Hamilton is black and this is Arkansas in 1945. So the police officers basically investigate the crime much.” – Georgia (08:51)

• Context: Bootlegging is still significant in the post-Prohibition South.

Pattern of Killings & Police Work

[09:45-12:38]

• February 1, 1945: Second body found (E.C. Adams), shot with a different caliber gun.
• Authorities identify a pattern, suspecting a hitchhiking “highwayman.”
• February 9, 1945: Third victim, Doyle Mulherin (meat truck driver), is killed. Witnesses identify a suspicious “young man with wavy red hair.”

  “The passenger was a young man with wavy red hair.” – Georgia (12:23).

Notable Moment:

• The “missing wave” as a distress signal between drivers – the victim tries to alert a colleague by not waving, underscoring the subtle human signals that can point to danger.

  “It’s the absence of the normal thing that's gonna hopefully let that guy know, totally.” – Karen (12:29)

Hitchhiking Culture & Next Victim

[13:03-15:10]

• March 1945: J.D. Newcomb Jr., a prominent boiler inspector, disappears after giving a hitchhiker (fitting the killer’s profile) a ride. His burned body is later found in his car.
• A bus driver’s tip helps police trace the killer’s movement; a woman’s call incriminates James Wayburn Hall.

Investigation & Arrest

[15:13-17:14]

• Police link Hall to the crimes via personal items found mailed through an acquaintance and belongings found in his boarding house.
• They also recover a .38 caliber pistol matching the murder weapon.
• Hall confesses unequivocally:

  “Okay, I'll tell you all about it. I killed them all.” – Georgia (18:17) “If you were the cop he was talking to...what do you mean all? All.” – Karen (18:22)

Hall’s Background: Childhood & Early Signs

[18:33-21:26]

• Born in 1921, Hall’s upbringing was marked by abuse and possible head trauma—two “threads” the hosts note are common among serial offenders.

  “Behind closed doors, James’s father Samuel is abusive, and he focuses most of his anger on James.” – Georgia (19:01)

• He grows up transient, working on farms, and becomes known as "Big Jim" due to his size and limp.
• First marriage at 17, then a dishonorable discharge from the army for “indifference.”

Domestic Abuse and Wife’s Disappearance

[21:31-24:23]

• Hall’s second marriage to Faerien ("Faye") Clemens is troubled; Faye disappears after a public fight. Her remains later identified via a jawbone.

  “James himself ... says, 'That's Fay, all right,' and points out the characteristic front tooth in the jawbone. So sinister.” – Georgia (25:24)

Confessions, Further Crimes, and M.O.

[25:59-27:26]

• Hall claims responsibility for numerous other killings, possibly up to 10 migrant workers and a Bible salesman, following a similar MO of hitchhiking and robbing isolated travelers.

  “He also says he killed a bible salesman in Texas. Because of his itinerant lifestyle, he's suspected of several more murders.” – Georgia (26:29)

• Hosts discuss the limitations of evidence and how transient lifestyles allowed many such cases to go unsolved.

Trial and Execution

[27:35-28:53]

• Hall is tried and convicted for the murder of his wife Faye—considered the strongest case linking him to the death penalty.
• Guilty verdict leads to execution in January 1946, days before his 25th birthday.

  “He was executed a few days before his 25th birthday in the electric chair on January 4, 1946. Fay's father attends the execution and says, 'May God have mercy on your soul. I can't.'” – Georgia (28:47)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On crime and investigation:

  “It’s disappointing when you haven't heard of a serial killer. Cause it just means there's so fucking many of them.” – Georgia (08:09)

• On 1940s social context:

  “It's Arkansas in 1945. So the police officers basically investigate the crime much. And unfortunately, this also means that we know less about him and his life than we know about some of the other victims who are discovered shortly after.” – Georgia (08:51)

• On warning signals between drivers:

  “It's the absence of the normal thing that's gonna hopefully let that guy know, totally.” – Karen (12:29)

• On Hall’s confession:

  “Okay, I'll tell you all about it. I killed them all.” – Georgia, quoting Hall (18:17)

• On tour experiences:

  “Getting a reception like that [in Denver] was such a lovely gift from that audience.” – Karen (31:19)

Tour Reflections & Listener Shoutouts

[30:22-32:38]

• The hosts express gratitude to fans who attended shows, shared gifts, and participated in the community, highlighting memorable live show moments (like the “stuffed animal” incident in Denver).
• Upcoming plans include unboxing gifts sent by fans for the fan cult.

Closing Thoughts

• Karen and Georgia express thanks to their support team and sign off with the classic:

  “Stay Sexy and Don’t Get Murdered.” – Karen (33:01)

Timestamped “Must-Listen” Segments

• Book Recommendation (A Mother's Reckoning): [02:29–04:01]
• Listener Story Email: [07:20–07:59]
• Hall’s Double Confession Moment: [18:17–18:23]
• Description of Faye’s Remains Discovery: [25:10–25:34]
• Execution and Aftermath: [28:29–28:53]
• Tour “Hooray” and Fan Love: [30:23–31:52]

Overall Tone

The conversation balances MFM’s signature blend of true crime detail with irreverence, warmth, and care for the victims. Karen and Georgia’s banter—darkly comedic, compassionate, and deeply human—lends weight and texture to this lesser-known but sobering story from American history.