Small Town Murder: "The Thirsty Killer – Kings Mountain, North Carolina"
Hosts: James Pietragallo & Jimmie Whisman
Release Date: August 29, 2025
Location: Kings Mountain, North Carolina
Episode Overview
Comedians James Pietragallo and Jimmie Whisman take listeners to the insular, rural community of Kings Mountain, North Carolina, for a wild—and tragic—tale of neighborly rage taken to lethal extremes. What starts as a petty feud over dirt roads and loud music escalates into relentless harassment, legal sparring, and ultimately a shocking act of violence. Through their mix of in-depth research and sharp humor, the hosts dissect the personalities, community dynamics, and preventable nature of a double shooting that left a family shattered and a small town reeling.
Kings Mountain: Setting the Stage
Town Overview
- Population: 10,775
- Median Household Income: ~$42,000 ("That is a third under the average. More than a third. That's a lot. That's not great." – James, 04:23)
- Known for its blue-collar, close-knit community, the area straddles Cleveland and Gaston counties and has a blend of rural poverty and old-school neighborly (or not-so-neighborly) ties.
- "It's all it is though. It's court. Makes it sound like there's like a cul-de-sac...but it's not. Just a one lane dirt road about 200 yards long." (James, 12:20)
Signature Events
- Described with irreverence: Beach Blast Festival, Mountaineer Days Heritage Festival, events rooted in small-town tradition and nostalgia ("They stopped finding things to do in 1957." – Jimmie, 10:09).
- Local reviews blend small-town pride and underlying tension.
- “Everyone in the Kings Mountain area is connected by family or mutual friends…" – (James, 05:16)
Main Players & Social Dynamics
The Oaks Family:
- Jeffrey Wayne Oakes: 51, lifelong local, truck driver/mechanic.
- Myla Nicole Oakes (née Ellis): 32, described as lively and friendly, but also with a notable arrest record for petty offenses.
- “Myla's known for being very lively and very friendly. And by 2014…loves going to church and…helping other people...She also had some problems.” (James, 16:03)
- Two sons: Jeffrey Jr. (around 12 at the time of shooting) and Aiden.
The Neighbors:
- Robert "Chad" Bridges: Mid-30s to 40s; entrenched resident, becomes primary antagonist in the feud.
- "His middle name is Chad and he chooses to go by Chad for some reason. No one should ever choose Chad ever, as a name." (James, 21:45)
- Leslie England: Chad’s fiancée; active in calling the police and seeking legal protection.
Local Color:
- The hosts riff repeatedly on the region’s love of “Buster” as a name, and the wild regional quirks.
- “I love her dad’s name. It’s my favorite. Manuel Effin Ellis. E-F-F-I-N. I’m Manuel Effin Ellis, and you don’t fuck with me, pal.” (James, 15:34)
The Feud: From Petty to Deadly
The Spark and Acceleration
- Oaks family moves in (Fall 2014) and quickly irritate neighbors: tearing up the shared dirt road with ATVs, blasting music at all hours, random late-night gunfire.
- “They are going up and down it all the time, riding ATVs on it, tearing their car back and forth, doing donuts at all hours of the night…” (James, 18:19)
- Initial attempts at diplomacy fail; complaints escalate:
- "The residents, the other neighbors kind of got together and said, what do we do about this? Well, let's try talking to them." (James, 19:36)
- Both sides begin cataloguing grievances, calling law enforcement:
- Between Jan 2015 and Jan 2016: 34+ 911 calls (21 by the Oaks, 13 by Chad).
- "After the third call, what the cops should have done is gathered everyone involved on a lawn and beat the living shit out of all of them." (James, 26:11)
- Law enforcement fatigue sets in; police essentially stop responding.
- “The deputies started not showing up anymore...‘We’re not going back out there.’” (James, 26:57)
Memorable Quote:
"You're adults and being fucking weird."_ (Jimmie, 26:44)_
Escalation: Legal and Personal Attacks
- Mutual restraining orders; both families compile video evidence meant to bolster charges; harassing behavior continues.
- Example: Chad labels surveillance footage: “Bitch stalking me while I build doghouse.” (31:50)
- Regular property damage, insults, late-night confrontations; both sides perceive themselves as victims.
- A fist fight at Jeff's workplace leads to more threats and reciprocal legal filings.
Notable Quotes
-
On the feud’s escalation:
"Things are going fine on in Man Court. Everybody's happy. Then in fall of 2014, there's some new neighbors in the court here."_ (James, 12:57)_ -
On escalating complaints:
"Jeff and Myla Oaks call 911 twenty-one times on Chad. Chad calls 911 thirteen times on them."_ (James, 25:56)_ -
On the police:
"After the third call...what the cops should have done is gathered everyone involved on a lawn and beat the living shit out of all of them...If I get one more fucking call from you people about neighbor disputes, I swear to God, I'm coming back with my gun."_ (James, 26:11)_
The Day of the Murder
Timeline & Key Events
- January 27, 2016 (7:00–7:11am)
- Jeff Oakes drives his son Jeff Jr. to the end of the dirt road for the school bus.
- Chad Bridges, frustrated at Jeff driving slowly (and apparently zigzagging to prevent passing), rams Jeff’s car with his truck. Both vehicles are stuck; the two men exit and argue.
- Myla, summoned by Jeff’s phone call, quickly joins the fray.
- Five minutes of heated yelling ensue, with 12-year-old Jeff Jr. huddled in the backseat.
- Chad goes back to his truck, retrieves a handgun, and—after a five-second pause—shoots Myla in the head as she and Jeff try to run.
- Jeff, turning towards his wife, is shot twice in the head.
- One bullet nearly hits Jeff Jr., still in the car.
- The bus arriving on scene witnesses the aftermath; Jeff Jr., in shock, flees to the bus for help. Multiple 911 calls are made.
- Paramedics find Myla dead; Jeff is airlifted but left permanently paralyzed and incapacitated.
Notable Quotes:
"Seven in the morning for road rage."_ (Jimmie, 41:34)_
"They argue for five whole minutes."_ (James, 43:18)_
"This kid's got balls. Jeff Jr. you are a fucking kid."_ (James, 45:54)_
Investigation and Prosecution
- Evidence:
- Three recovered cell phones; only Myla's contains helpful footage (showing alleged coaching of her son, but also a stated intent to "let the law handle it").
- Multiple video records from both sides.
- Chad’s Actions:
- Claimed self-defense, saying Jeff pulled a gun (the gun was found under the car seat; Jeff never drew it).
- He fled briefly, disposed of his gun in a neighbor’s yard, then surrendered calmly.
- “Once it’s out, it’s out, usually. You know what I mean? It’s like your dick. Once you take it out, you’re doing something with it.”_ (James, 49:09)_
- Medical Outcomes:
- Myla dies at the scene.
- Jeff Oakes survives but is left in a vegetative state and dies several years later.
The Trial
- Charges: First- and second-degree murder, attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, discharging a firearm into occupied property.
- Community Support: Divided, but many neighbors side with Chad, seeing him as pushed beyond endurance by the Oaks.
- Plea Offer: 32 years (Chad refuses, goes to trial.)
- Trial Outcomes:
- Found guilty of second-degree murder and other charges.
- Sentence: 38 to 47.5 years.
- Eligible for parole at 80 (unlikely to live that long).
Notable Court Quotes:
"How do you claim self defense when you shoot an unarmed woman in the head? You, sir, may fuck off."_ (Judge, 68:13)_
"He had 32 offered and he's gonna do 40 fucking years now."_ (Jimmie, 69:05)_
Aftermath & Reflections
- Children: Jeff and Aiden placed with relatives; significant financial drives for medical and counseling expenses.
- Community Reaction:
- “Someone who fears for their life attempts to flee. There was no attempts to flee on his part…”
- “Everyone has a breaking point.”
- Victims: Myla buried in Sunset Cemetery. Jeff Oakes dies in 2021 after years in a nursing home.
- Chad: Incarcerated, likely for the rest of his life.
Memorable Episode Theme:
- The entire saga is a grim tale of mutual escalation, rural dysfunction, and a justice system’s limits. The hosts emphasize how remarkably avoidable it all was, with humor cutting through the absurdity and tragedy.
"Self defense exists, and it's certainly a thing, but a man swerving to not let you pass is not worthy of gunshots... You can't shoot someone for being a dick."_ (Jimmie & James, 56:24–56:36)_
Key Timestamps
- [03:05] – Town background & color
- [12:45] – Introduction to Man(n) Court and the Oaks family
- [18:00] – Escalation of neighbor disputes
- [25:56] – 911 call tallies, sheriff’s response
- [33:04] – Both sides file criminal complaints
- [39:15–47:05] – The shooting: Morning of Jan 27, 2016
- [55:48] – Legal aftermath and community split
- [66:48–68:13] – Verdict, sentencing, and final thoughts
Tone & Style
The episode blends detailed narrative and research with the hosts’ trademark irreverence. They riff on Southern culture, small town quirks, and the absurd escalation of the conflict without undercutting the gravity of the tragedy. Memorable character names, running jokes about local customs, and mock exasperation at the sheer pettiness and preventability of the violence provide comic relief as they guide listeners through a painful rural drama.
Summary:
The “Thirsty Killer” episode of Small Town Murder paints a vivid, tragicomic portrait of how small grievances can turn deadly when neighbors—desperate for control and validation—choose escalation over empathy, culminating in an act of violence that devastates families and scars a community forever.