The larger surprise was realizing that Jo Herring's body was lying next to Wilmer's.2 With that sobering realization, I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, as my chin fell to my chest. It felt like a long journey had just ended.
When I looked up again, I could see that both headstones were actually one large piece of granite at the base, as wide as the two graves but with separate pieces for each headstone and a narrow ledge between them. On the ledge between the headstones was an actual granite vase, large enough to hold a small bouquet of flowers, though empty at the moment.
I took in this scene for more than a few minutes, not knowing exactly what to do next, all the while wondering to myself if Wilmer Herring was comfortable with this arrangement. A cold wind suddenly came through the graveyard, and I wrapped my arms around myself in an attempt to create some warmth, but with little success.
Not knowing how long it had been since someone had last visited their graves, I looked for a flower or plant that I could leave in the empty vase. Scanning a nearby fence row, I spied a plastic flower, and after retrieving it I carefully shaped its stem so that it would stay upright in the granite container. A few minutes later, I was back on FM 39 driving north to Mexia and then on to Dallas.
They say the subconscious will always find a way to express itself, and over the years I've come to believe that mantra as surely as anything I know. I hadn't traveled more than a handful of miles when I remembered a story that I had been told under the guise of anonymity, by one of Wilmer Herring's relatives, one that I initially had dismissed as rumor but which now seemed to be relevant, if not perhaps explanatory in its nature.
As the story goes, when Eva Jo Ainsworth was growing up in the little Texas town nearby, her mother had run her own prostitution business. Notwithstanding the moral implications, apparently it was a shrewd business decision, given the influx of thousands of men, many flush with cash, seeking their own oil fortunes. More than this, Eva Jo's father had been his wife's pimp, and their reputation was known far and wide. According to the family relative, this was Eva Jo's traumatic past, a past that she could never escape, though the family member thought Eva Jo may have tried to recover from it in the years before she died.
I quickly pulled the car off the road and sat staring out the windshield as the car's engine hummed quietly. Shaking my head from side to side, I eventually maneuvered the car back onto the highway and was comforted by the thought that Jo and Wilmer Herring would have all of eternity to work out their differences, especially if my visit just happened to resurrect old wounds. As one of Wilmer's relatives so eloquently noted, “In our faith, we're taught to forgive, as we are forgiven.”
I hope somewhere that the topic of forgiveness has entered the “discussions” of Jo and Wilmer Herring and their daughter Paula, wherever they now reside after death. Perhaps in time, those still living, such as Alan Herring and Lizzie's daughter Gina, and the terrified citizens of Nashville who lived through this dark period of Metro's early history, will also be able to participate in this same attempt at forgiveness, and more than that, perhaps redemption.
As I made the drive back to Dallas, I thought about how much Nashville and its surrounding communities have changed in the past fifty years. The music business is still going strong and is more diverse than ever, and certainly so is the publishing industry, but now healthcare is leading the way, as we are home to some of the largest hospital corporations in the world. In contrast, Printers Alley is a minor tourist destination, but without the illegal entertainment aspect; it is often overlooked, as visitors flock to enjoy NFL football games, professional hockey, a world-class symphony hall, a sparkling new Country Music Hall of Fame, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, and a food experience rated among the best in America.
I should note that the corruption that took place in Music City some fifty years ago, though highly publicized by the media, was primarily the work of a few well-placed members of law enforcement and their willing accomplices in Printers Alley and beyond. And those individuals unfortunately tainted the excellent work done by many policemen, detectives, investigators, and sheriff's deputies of that era.
In the case of Paula Herring, the number of participants involved in her miscarriage of justice was much smaller, but sadly included even more powerful representatives from additional offices of Metro government. For those citizens who lived through the Paula Herring tragedy, they will forever remember the fear running through the community and the concern that the Metro consolidation experiment might fail. But, fortunately, Metro Nashville is still going strong at age fifty-plus, and continues to be a great place to visit, a great place to live, and it is, in my humble opinion, still America's best and biggest small town.
If Paula Herring were counted among the living today, perhaps she would be a mover and shaker in the new Nashville, or perhaps she would have carved out a life of her own in Knoxville with her beloved Volunteers or become a national officer in the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority. Tragically, she is gone. I pray that this story will finally allow her to rest in peace, and that it might also provide answers to the little boy who survived a house full of hell on the night that he slept through his sister's murder.
Al Baker (Nashville Public Library, Special Collections).
John Randolph Clarke—all-night interrogation (Nashville Public Library, Special Collections).
Mayor Clifton Beverly Briley (Nashville Public Library, Special Collections).
Eva Jo Herring—midnight interrogation (Nashville Public Library, Special Collections).
John Randolph Clarke escorted away (Nashville Public Library, Special Collections).
Jailhouse prisoners search for missing book (Nashville Public Library, Special Collections).
Herring home exterior—Timberhill Drive, Nashville (Nashville Public Library, Special Collections).
John Randolph Clarke (center), Charles Galbreath (in dark glasses), and defense team (Nashville Public Library, Special Collections).
Metro Detective inspecting the crime scene (Nashville Public Library, Special Collections).
Eva Jo Herring—hands-up pose with Evelyn Johnson (from Evelyn Johnson).
Paula Herring Senior photo (from Evelyn Johnson).
Richard Walter—the living Sherlock Holmes (from Richard Walter).
Paula Herring in New West Dormitory (from V. F. Hochnedel).
J. Edgar Hoover—letter (Metro Nashville Archives, Metro Photographer Record Group).
Herring garage on Timberhill Drive (Metro Nashville Archives, Metro Photographer Record Group).
Lawyers for the prosecution: (left to right) John Hollins, Whit LaFon, David Murray, and Howard Butler (The Tennessean, September 22nd © 1964, Gannett-Community Publishing).
Eva Jo Herring—Registered Nurse (from Evelyn Johnson).
Wilmer Herring—Baylor University 1949 Yearbook Senior Photo (The Texas Collection, Baylor University, Waco, Texas).
Mayor Briley's letter to Crieve Hall resident (Nashville Public Library, Special Collections).
Crieve Hall Prowler: He was never caught. One theory was that he cut his hair soon after being described in the local news as a “bushy-haired” rapist. Another was that he began serving in the military and was using his weekend leave to return to the area that he knew well, and that the black scuff marks found near some of the crime scenes were evidence of military-issued shoes and shoe polish.
The Paramours of Jo Herring: After narrowly escaping the destruction of a few political careers, as well as marriages, the number of men and women involved with Jo Herring quickly fell to zero after Paula's murder. A combination of events beginning with Jo's firing from Vanderbilt University Hospital, along with the arrests of the sheriff and several high-ranking police officers in springtime 1964, essentially brought activities to a halt.
Jesse Henderson: Deceased, 2011, and per his wishes he was “planted” in the Veteran's Cemetery in Nashville.
Carl Raylee: Worked for Vanderbilt University
Hospital and the VA Hospital system. Died in Spring Hill, Tennessee, almost fifty years to the day that Clarke (or Baker?) fired a bullet into the ground on 18th Avenue.
Nurse Lizzie: After a “no-stone-unturned” search for her whereabouts, a surprising discovery was made: extended family members confirmed that Nurse Lizzie died circa 1992 and was cremated by a local funeral home. She was aged sixty-four at the time of cremation.
Gina: Two years after Paula Herring's murder, Gina gave birth to a little girl, and became the frequent recipient of groceries from a highly placed public official in Nashville's Metro government, a man rumored to be the child's secret father. Gina still lives in Southern Kentucky. It is unknown whether she sought counseling help.
Al Baker: Collected reward money from the John Randolph Clarke conviction of at least $7,480.00 dollars. Deceased.
Sam Carlton: Wrongfully accused of the slaying of Paula Herring. Successfully escaped being murdered himself on the night of February 22, 1964. Sam Carlton died of a heart attack near Chicago, Illinois, in 1987, while driving a tractor trailer rig. He was sixty-years-old at the time of his death.
Edward Tarpley, MD: Deceased, 2006.
Charles Galbreath: Deceased, 2013. In the final analysis, Galbreath was correct: his client didn't kill Paula Herring. In my humble opinion, Galbreath had the makings of a mistrial in 1964, one of epic proportions.
John Seigenthaler, Sr.: Newspaper icon. Deceased, July 2014.
The Allmans: Gregg died May 27, 2017, as this book was about to go to press. He was aged sixty-nine.
W. B. Hogan: Died in 1998. Had his health remained strong, he would have eagerly helped investigate the Paula Herring mystery.
District Attorney's Office Staff: All of these men are now deceased. John J. Hollins Sr., led the prosecution in State of Tennessee v. John Randolph Clarke. Routinely voted one of America's top lawyers, he retired from practice in 2011 after more than fifty years of service and died in January 2016. Harry G. Nichol Sr. left the DA's office a few weeks before John Randolph Clarke finally reported to prison to serve his sentence in November 1966. Harry Nichol died in November 1984.
Metro Investigators: Many attempts were made to interview the investigators in the Paula Herring murder case. Some were willing to be interviewed and offered gracious assistance and remembrances. For others, when the topic of the Paula Herring murder was presented, the firewall response was “that was a long time ago, and I don't remember much about that case, sorry.” Most of these men are deceased as of the time of this writing.
Clifton Beverly Briley: Former county executive (judge) for Davidson County and Metro Nashville's first mayor. Based on his political acumen and vision, he was the catalyst for an impressive list of accomplishments for the city of Nashville as well as the new Metro government. Briley also endured a number of personal scandals during his political career, and the fascinating book by James D. Squires, The Secrets of the Hopewell Box, is a great source of information about Nashville's colorful history, as well as its colorful mayor. Briley's involvement with two nurses and a hidden lifestyle in 1964 played a role in the Paula Herring slaying, as a ne'er-do-well named John Randolph Clarke was framed for Paula's murder, though Clarke was truly innocent of the crime. Five months after the Paula Herring slaying, Briley was chosen Outstanding Southern Mayor by the Suncoast League of Municipalities. He died in 1980 at age sixty-six.
Leslie Edward Jett: Elected sheriff, 1960. He studied law at night via the YMCA Law School in hopes of expanding his political career. Indicted and convicted for income tax evasion, he left politics and became a car salesman for a local dealership. He died in 1990 at age sixty-eight.
Hubert Otis Kemp: First chief of police, Metro Nashville Government, 1963–1972. Kemp maintained a file on the Herring case that became the catalyst years later in identifying the players involved with Jo Herring and their motivations for covering up the truth. Kemp died in 1992, aged eighty-four.
The “Vandy” Kids: Jerome Shepherd exited Vanderbilt University within days of his arrest in February 1964. He eventually earned a law degree from Emory University and began a very successful small town practice in East Tennessee. He is retired as of this writing. John Burwell Wilkes finished his undergraduate and law school degrees at Vanderbilt University and earned a Bronze Star for service in Vietnam with the United States Marine Corp. After clerking for Judge Charles Galbreath (yes, that Charles Galbreath), he became Nashville's first “Night Court Judge.” Colonel Wilkes retired from the military in 1996, but continued careers in law and aviation. Among other hobbies he writes aviation adventure novels.
Nurse Evelyn: Decided to set the record straight on Paula Herring's behalf. The delightful Miss Evelyn is sadly deceased.
Nurse Amanda: She was a twenty-nine-year-old field nurse for Sumner County when she was recruited by Eva Jo Herring to go with her to the Noel Hotel to “discover” Wilmer Herring's body. Her public health service and Hollywood starlet good looks earned her extensive coverage in a 1954 Nashville Tennessean Magazine article. She still resides in Tennessee.
Eva Jo Herring: On a hot summer day in July, twelve years after her daughter's murder, Jo Herring was getting ready to attend a party in Waco, Texas. But her plans didn't work out, and while getting dressed for the event she fell against a wall at home, and then crumpled to the floor, dead. It was July 7, 1976, and she was fifty-two years old. Her remains are in a small remote cemetery in Limestone County, Texas, watched over by an old church chapel. Other residents include a few live oak trees and nearby gas wells. Her body lies next to a man she did or did not murder in September 1960. She never was formally arrested, indicted, or convicted of any crime, including the death of her husband or that of her only daughter.
Wilmer Herring: His remains are next to wife, Jo Herring. It is unknown as to his acceptance of this arrangement, given that she was buried next to him some sixteen years after his death or, as some might describe, after his murder. He preceded his daughter, Paula, in death.
Alan Herring: The author hopes that this work can provide answers to the little boy who slept through his sister's murder in February 1964.
Michael Bishop: He grew up on a small farm near Gadsden, Alabama. He is a graduate of Freed-Hardeman College/University and also earned a master's degree from the University of Tennessee. He is at work on his next book. His wife is hoping for a novel.
This work also would not exist without the incredible patience and love of my wife, Anne, who fully supported the long journey to the truth. And with deep appreciation to my mother who helped me unravel the secrets of my vanishing Aunt Mae when I was six years old. Thanks also to my family members, especially those whose professional insights offered invaluable assistance: a minister, nursing home executive, nurse, lawyer, social worker, and more.
Immense gratitude is owed to my New York literary agent, Sharon Pelletier of Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. Sharon patiently helped shape the proposal into a readable tome and then provided her professional expertise in finding just the right publishing house for this project. An author should be so lucky as to be represented by Sharon Pelletier.
Which leads me to my editor, Steven L. Mitchell, of Prometheus Books. Steven Mitchell quickly recognized the potential of the story and took a chance on an unknown author from Tennessee. I am in his debt and can only aspire to his eloquence with word and pen. If this work finds commercial success in the marketplace of readers, it is in large part due to the wise counsel of Steven Mitchell and the talented staff at Prometheus Books: Hanna Etu, Sheila Stewart, Cate Roberts-Abel, Jackie Cooke, Jill Maxick, Jake Bonar, and others, and the distribution group at Random House. You are an amazing team. Thank you.
My humble gratitude also to the early readers of the manuscript and to my coworkers who found the story more intriguing than the mistakes so evident in the early versions they read. Their emotional response to the discoveries along the way kept me writing and rewriting in hopes that I could do justice to the story. And in that regard, a sp
ecial note of thanks to Clayton Perkins, Friday Blackwood, Nichole Riley-Doud, and Katie Walton Lancaster for keeping the project on the right path.
To the world-class experts who so freely shared their insights with me, I am eternally grateful. The list is long and includes Dr. Al Harper, Dr. Klaus Neudecker, Dr. Andrew Hodges, Don Rabon, Mark McClish, and my good friend Richard D. Walter.
Thanks also to the amazing Beth Odle of the Nashville Public Library, Special Collections division and the gracious Ken Fieth of the Nashville Metro Archives. This book also would not exist were it not for the helpful staff at the Tennessee Supreme Court, the Tennessee State Archives, and the gracious assistance of Judge Alan E. Highers, retired, of the Western Division of the Tennessee Appellate Courts as well as Sue Roberts, former Chief Deputy Clerk.
I can only smile when I think of the “Vandy Kids” Jerome Shepherd and John Burwell Wilkes, IV and their willingness, decades later, to share their memories of their arrest experience at the time of Paula Herring's slaying. As highly successful lawyers in their own right, they were very encouraging of having the truth finally come to light.
I would be remiss if I did not express my humble gratitude to Paula Herring's classmates at John Overton High School, especially Bill Beasley Jr., Buzzy Neil, Richard Price, Paula's next-door neighbor Becky Wexler, and the amazing women who shared their all-too-brief experience with Paula at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Kudo's as well to the leaders of Alpha Omicron Pi for their assistance in locating the student leaders who had planned to initiate Paula Herring into their sorority. Also to the members of the first Ski Club at the University of Tennessee, Paul Pharr, Susan Lackey, and others.
A Murder in Music City Page 30