The Unforgotten – Bonus Episode: Devil Town

Podcast: The Unforgotten (by Free Range Productions)
Episode Title: Bonus: Devil Town
Date: January 5, 2026
Host: Wes Ferguson
Featured Voices: Joe Henry, Ana Pesino Walker, Philip Williams, Lee, Michelle, Robbie (Kelly's dad)

Overview

This bonus episode of The Unforgotten takes a break from Season 4's "Kill Site" to reintroduce "Devil Town," Wes Ferguson's investigative reporting on the unsolved 1992 disappearance of Kelly Wilson, a 17-year-old from Gilmer, Texas. The episode revisits the chilling and confounding disappearance that spawned mass hysteria, wild accusations involving satanic cults, and a cloud of suspicion over the town that has never lifted. Ferguson explores what happened to Kelly, the impact on her community, and the tangled family drama at the heart of the case.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction and Significance of the Kelly Wilson Case

• [00:30] Wes Ferguson explains that "Devil Town" is being relaunched due to continued listener interest and the enduring mystery of Kelly Wilson's disappearance, a case close to his own childhood memories.
• [01:39] Wes Ferguson (narration): Sets the scene — Kelly, 17, finishes work at Northeast Texas Video in Gilmer, TX, then vanishes into the night after parting ways with her boss, Joe Henry.
• [03:49] Philip Williams (local reporter): “I mean, a little town like this, you can just imagine what an impact it had. They were just butt puzzled. I mean, you know, this girl just vanished into thin air.”
  Memorable quote emphasizing disbelief and shock of the community.

2. The Night Kelly Disappeared: Timeline and First Clues

• [01:54] Joe Henry describes the closing routine: “We closed the store about 8 p.m.… She goes around, throws the trash away… She gets in her car. I get in mine. And the rest, as they say, is history.”
• [02:44] Wes Ferguson: Describes how Kelly’s unlocked car was found with a slashed tire, purse inside, and no sign of a struggle; her family immediately knew something was wrong.
• [04:04] West Ferguson: Vivid personal recollections of the widespread panic — media coverage, billboards, reward money, and community obsession.

3. From Small-Town Mystery to National Infamy

• The investigation quickly shifts into bizarre territory:
  • [05:10] Michelle & Lee: National spotlight falls on Gilmer, but for dark reasons.
  • [05:35] Wes Ferguson (narration): Discussion of rumors — satanic cults, cannibalism, claims of Kelly being held captive and abused.
  • [06:15] Philip Williams and Robbie: Acknowledge sensational turns and “mass hysteria” which overtook the real facts.
  • Community becomes gripped by rumor, fear, and suspicion — no one knows what’s real or rumor in the woods of East Texas.

4. Who Was Kelly Wilson?

• [07:43-08:18] Ana Pesino Walker (Ferguson’s former editor): Offers perspective as a community member and journalist: "Every time that I hear or see in the paper remains were found anywhere in the East Texas area, I'm like, is that Kelly? It's gonna be Kelly. I wonder if it's Kelly."
• [09:08] Wes Ferguson: Reflects on how Kelly became a symbol, stripped of personality by headlines; resolves to uncover who she really was with help from friends and family.

5. Community Portrait: Gilmer, Its People, and the Case’s Impact

• [11:05] Philip Williams: Introduces himself as a lifelong Gilmer resident and describes the town's tight-knit nature and annual traditions.
• [11:54] Philip Williams: “If you told me all that was going to happen ... I would have thought you were a good candidate for a state mental hospital. But it all happened and I was right in the middle covering all of it.”
  Memorable, evocative quote; underlines how surreal the events felt to locals.

6. Joe Henry: Suspect, Friend, Witness

• [15:33] Joe Henry: “Man, I just can't begin to tell you this has just been an unbelievable thing. It is just... it's almost like some kind of crazy fictional story."
• [16:08] Joe Henry: Remembers Kelly as “bubbly,” friendly, and someone who confided in him about her parents’ ugly divorce.
• [17:14] Joe Henry & [17:45] Robbie: Both discuss Kelly’s desire to either stay in Gilmer or return to her dad in Louisiana, caught in family tensions until the very end.

7. Family Perspectives: Kelly’s Father and Unanswered Questions

• [17:45-20:39] Robbie (Kelly’s dad):
  • Describes difficult circumstances of the divorce and Kelly’s divided loyalties.
  • Shares an ominous memory:

    "She told me that night that there were some things going on there that she needed to... just needed to share with me at some point in time that she said I wouldn't like it.... I have no idea. Never did get a chance to talk to her again."
    — Very poignant and haunting.

• Kelly’s mother declined to comment, leaving a gap in the picture.

8. Kelly’s Friends: Memories of a Selfless, Loyal Teenager

• [22:39] Lee (friend):
  • Recalls innocent “party group” reputation and the last night she was supposed to accompany Kelly to a Sunday party, but was grounded last minute.
  • [23:12] Lee: Kelly quickly fit in as the “new girl” and was always helping others.
• [26:03-28:52] Michelle (friend):
  • Details how Kelly and her mother provided a safe haven for her and her baby during a tough period:

    “Kelly was very motherly, too. She was like... I kind of always described her as an old soul because, you know, she recognized right away that I had a need and wanted to fulfill it.”

  • Contrasts positive experience in Kelly’s home with negative reports from Kelly’s dad; observes that Kelly was stressed by family situation but always supportive to others.

9. Contradictory Portraits: Home Life from Two Sides

• Friends describe Kelly’s home with her mom as loving, supportive, filled with laughter and warmth; her dad characterizes her as homesick and troubled by the divorce.
• [30:10] Michelle: Reveals Kelly's ambition to attend LSU and struggle between loyalty, opportunity, and adult manipulation/disputes, giving a nuanced, non-sensational perspective on the victim.

10. The Unanswered Questions and Last Night

• Friends (Lee and Michelle, [31:47-32:52]) recount the planning around the last party and how small twists of fate (being grounded, getting clothes dirty) led to Lee missing what could’ve been a last chance to see Kelly.
• [33:24] Michelle and Philip Williams (teaser montage):
  • Hint that powerful people may have wanted Kelly silenced.
  • Tease future revelations about the town-wide panic and the case’s fallout:

    “It's much bigger than anybody could anticipate. If one girl could expose what's going on and bring that many powerful people down, she's not gonna survive.”
    — Michelle ([33:24]) “From seven years old, my head's been full of devil worshiping, killers, cannibalism, sexual misconduct. I was the good guy. And then all of a sudden, I'm in jail going, I kill and eat a 17 year old girl and sacrifice...10 babies to the devil.”
    — Philip Williams ([33:49])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [03:49] Philip Williams: “This girl just vanished into thin air.”
• [05:15] Wes Ferguson: “No one really knew what was real and what was madness.”
• [07:43] Ana Pesino Walker: “Every time...remains were found...I'm like, is that Kelly?”
• [15:33] Joe Henry: “It's almost like some kind of crazy fictional story.”
• [20:21] Robbie (Kelly's dad): “She told me...there were some things going on there that she needed to share...I wouldn't like it. I have no idea. Never did get a chance to talk to her again.”
• [28:52] Michelle: “She was always very protective of me...she wanted Taylor and I to have a good start. That's what kind of friend Kelly was.”
• [33:24] Michelle (teaser): “If one girl could expose what's going on and bring that many powerful people down, she's not gonna survive.”
• [33:49] Philip Williams (teaser): “And then all of a sudden, I'm in jail going, I kill and eat a 17 year old girl and sacrifice 10 babies to the devil.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:12] — Kelly’s last shift at the video store described
• [03:49] — Town’s shock and immediate reaction
• [05:35] — Satanic cult rumors and media hysteria
• [07:43] — Ana Pesino Walker on the emotional impact years later
• [11:05] — Philip Williams introduces Gilmer and personal connection
• [15:33] — Joe Henry’s emotional exhaustion and first-person account
• [17:45] — Robbie recalls Kelly’s family turmoil and her "secret"
• [22:39] — Lee and friends recall teenage innocence and plans for the last night
• [26:03] — Michelle’s recount of Kelly’s friendship and support
• [28:52] — Contrasting friend vs father’s view of Kelly’s home life
• [33:13] — Closing teaser with ominous hints for the rest of the season

Tone & Storytelling Approach

• Authentic, localized, and conversational, with Wes Ferguson weaving his rural Texas roots and relationships into the narrative.
• First-person accounts dominate, with candid exchanges and recollections that balance empathy, nostalgia, and investigative grit.
• Dark and foreboding, the story balances community warmth with tension, confusion, and pain.

Summary

This introductory episode of "Devil Town" sets up the mysterious and sensationalized disappearance of Kelly Wilson, revealing a complex web of family drama, small-town dynamics, and mass paranoia fueled by rumor, media, and genuine terror. Through interviews with Kelly’s friends, family, and community members, host Wes Ferguson invites listeners to move past headlines and get to know Kelly as a person, while also teasing the wider conspiracy and the season’s search for the truth behind her fate.