The Unforgotten — Season 1: The Labor Day Ghost

Episode 7: Penny-Ante Thugs
Date: August 9, 2024
Host: Free Range Productions (Carol Dawson & Wes Ferguson)

Episode Overview

In episode 7, "Penny-Ante Thugs," the podcast explores the fallout from a corrupt District Attorney’s bribe, the collapse of justice for Shelly Watkins, and the resulting ripple effects on families and community. The hosts revisit the dismissed murder case, the federal prosecution of the DA and his associates, and the failed attempts by Shelly’s family to seek any form of closure or justice. Through firsthand accounts and intimate conversations, this episode lays bare the enduring trauma, systemic failures, and attempts at healing in the shadow of a 41-year-old mystery.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Collapse of the Murder Case

• Larry Warwick’s Devastation (00:00–02:20)

  • Larry, the investigator, shares his heartbreak over the case falling apart when District Attorney E. Ray Andrews and "middlemen" solicited a $300,000 bribe to sabotage the prosecution against Shelly’s husband, Jerry Mack Watkins.
  • “I felt like we had a good, strong case against him. And then to have the rug pulled.” (Larry Warwick, 00:55)
  • Larry visits Shelly’s grave, apologizing for failing her—not getting closure, despite usually bringing cases to resolution.

• The System’s Failure

  • “He didn’t fail her. The system failed her. But this is just one that haunted him.” (Kristi Warwick, 02:20)

The Bribery Scheme and Legal Fallout

• E. Ray Andrews’ Prosecution and Unexpected Outcomes (03:02–06:13)

  • Former DA E. Ray Andrews initially denies any wrongdoing but later pleads guilty under the Hobbs Act (federal extortion law), serving 42 months in prison.
  • The case involved not only financial bribery but allegations of Andrews demanding sexual favors from female defendants.
  • Surprisingly, Andrews later regains his law license and resumes practicing law:
    “My biggest shock was he got his law license back. And the next thing I know, he's back in town defending defendants.” (Jeff Millslagel, 06:13)

• E. Ray’s Middlemen

  • Scoob Wagner receives 18 months for cooperating; John Ward is eventually sentenced to 12 months and a day.

Revisiting E. Ray Andrews (06:13–08:49)

• The hosts personally interview the now elderly Andrews in a nursing home, who deflects responsibility and blames his “middlemen”:
  • “Well, both little outlaws.” (E. Ray Andrews, 06:45)
  • He claims he never agreed to the bribe and insinuates he was set up by others but offers little credible defense.

After the DA: Political and Legal Limbo

• Changing of the Guard (08:49–11:24)

  • After Andrews resigns, his assistant Mike Head and colleague Donna Little Bennett vie for DA; the upcoming election influences their choice not to pursue Watkins’ prosecution amid the scandal.
  • “One of the primary factors in deciding to go ahead and dismiss it... was that the bribe would become a major issue in the trial.” (Mike Head, 09:51)
  • Donna is elected and serves 16 years, but never brings charges against Jerry Mack Watkins again.
  • “Did I think he did it? Absolutely. I didn't have any questions in my mind...” (Mike Head, 12:01)

• The Unseen Cost of Corruption (12:24–13:50)

  • Narrators reflect that the greatest damage Andrews wrought was not only legal but emotional and systemic, for both the Watkins case and others under his tenure:
    “The cost of E. Ray Andrews’ crimes was literally the price of justice.” (Narrator, 12:24)

Civil Case and the Quest for Closure (13:50–17:53)

• Shelly’s Family Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit
  • With criminal charges dropped, Shelly’s mother and sister sue Jerry Mack Watkins for wrongful death.
  • Sandy Cripps, Shelly's sister, recounts the bitter mediation, forced settlement, and her attempts to ensure some financial protection for Shelly's daughters.
  • “It was the tiniest bit of closure, if you could even call it that. My mom got a monthly annuity of like a thousand dollars a month. So if you look at it like a win, that's as close as we ever got.” (Sandy Cripps, 15:29)
  • Despite the settlement, the legal document only shows a dismissal, with no admission of guilt:
    “There's nowhere does it say that he's in any way responsible.” (Larry Warwick, 17:55)
  • Sandy’s pain at the “blood money” settlement and absence of true justice is palpable.

Family Struggles, Grief, and Lasting Loss (18:37–25:24)

• Broken Family Ties

  • Sandy’s final visit with her nieces is recalled with heartbreak:
    “Ashley was totally glued onto my lap... The whole trip was terrible, but to be able to see the girls was huge.” (Sandy Cripps, 19:28)
  • She hasn’t seen them since 1995, intensifying the sense of loss and separation.

• Generational Trauma

  • Sandy’s father is described as another casualty, unable to process the injustice, ultimately drinking himself to death.

• Courtney Cripps’ Reflections (21:42–25:24)

  • As a child, Courtney (Shelly’s niece) grows up forever shaped by the murder and ensuing events:
    • “It was like two extra places at table for Ashley and Lane if they ever decided that they wanted to be there.” (Courtney Cripps, 23:24)
    • She contrasts her family’s endless mourning with her cousins’ (Shelly’s daughters) total separation and lack of knowledge about their mother:
      “They don't know who their mom was. And that is something that I, thank God, cannot comprehend.” (Courtney Cripps, 22:05)
    • She observes the painful symmetry: Her family carries the burden for both sets of children.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the System’s Failure:
  “He didn’t fail her. The system failed her. But this is just one that haunted him.”
  – Kristi Warwick (02:20)

• On E. Ray Andrews’ Corruption:
  “My biggest shock was he got his law license back. And the next thing I know, he's back in town defending defendants.”
  – Jeff Millslagel (06:13)

• On Defensive Deflection:
  “Both little outlaws.”
  – E. Ray Andrews, about his former middlemen Scoob Wagner and John Ward (06:45)

• On Lost Justice:
  “It was the tiniest bit of closure, if you could even call it that. My mom got a monthly annuity of like a thousand dollars a month. So if you look at it like a win, that's as close as we ever got.”
  – Sandy Cripps (15:29)

• On Enduring Grief:
  “It was like two extra places at table for Ashley and Lane if they ever decided that they wanted to be there... We’ve always talked about Ashley and Lane as if they’re the closest family we've ever known. And I, I know nothing about them.”
  – Courtney Cripps (23:24)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00–02:20 — Larry Warwick’s feelings on failing to achieve closure for Shelly.
• 03:02–06:13 — Bribery scandal, Andrews’ plea and surprising return to law.
• 06:13–08:49 — Interview with E. Ray Andrews; blame-shifting and denial.
• 08:49–12:24 — New DA, election aftermath, and prosecution’s permanent collapse.
• 13:50–17:53 — Civil suit for wrongful death; mediation, settlement, and unresolved justice.
• 18:37–21:42 — Last family visit with Shelly’s daughters, impact on extended family.
• 21:42–25:24 — Courtney Cripps’ account of growing up in the shadow of Shelly’s murder.

Summary

"Penny-Ante Thugs" delivers a stinging indictment of small-town corruption and the persistent wounds left when justice is denied. The episode’s emotional gravity comes from the stories of those still living with unanswered questions: the sister who fought for the tiniest scrap of justice, the detective haunted by the one case he couldn’t close, and the niece who grew up in the shadow of both the loss and the silence. Through candid interviews and a relentless examination of the system’s failings, this episode reveals not only the price of a successful bribe, but the enduring, intangible cost to families and communities left behind.