On a quiet mountain in eastern Tennessee three men ride off on all-terrain vehicles for an evening of exploring, fishing, and swimming but never return. When foul-play is revealed, what seemed like a straightforward murder mystery turns into a bizarre puzzle that local law enforcement spend nearly a decade trying to untether. This is the story of the July 1988 Signal Mountain murders.
Episode Source Material
- Statement of Facts: State vs. Casteel. By Franklin Casteel.
- Unsolved Mysteries: Season 2. Episode 13 via Youtube.
- Bloodlands: Signal Mountain Murders. Season 1. Episode 3 via discoveryplus.com.
- A&E: City Confidential, Season 3, Ep. 10, Chattanooga: Dangerous Trespassing via Amazon.com.
- The Daily News-Journal: Officials seek 3 missing men, by Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- Kingsport Times-News: Search intensifies for 3 missing men, by Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- The Jackson Sun: Police: Missing men may have been shot, by Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- Kingsport Times-News: Authorities have little hope of finding missing men alive, by Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- The Leaf-Chronicle: Three Bodies Found, Examined By Officials, by Associated press via Newspapers.com.
- Kingsport Times-News: Bodies found probably those of 3 missing men, by Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- Kingsport Times-News: Authorities say arrests may be near in slayings, by Dan George via Newspapers.com.
- The Tennessean: Woods look dark after 3 slayings, by Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- The Tennessean: Murder probe yields clues to 2nd mystery, by Mike Moser via Newspapers.com.
- The Jackson Sun: McWherter authorizes reward in three-wheeler murders, by, Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- The Tennessean: Crime Stoppers offers up to $1,000 for information in killing of 3 men, by Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- Kingsport Times- News: TV’s ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ to probe mountain deaths, by Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- WDEF News 12: Signal Mountain Murders, by WDEF News 12 via Youtube.com.
- Johnson City Press: TV program fetches tips on slayings, by Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- Kingsport Times-News: Investigator to probe Signal Mountain Slayings, by Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- The Tennessean: DNA Technology, FBI help solve Signal Mountain slayings, by Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- The Tennessean: Man won’t face death penalty in killing of 3 on three-wheelers via Newspapers.com.
- Johnson City Press: Witnesses place suspect at scene, prosecutors say, by Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- The Jackson Sun: Trial date set for triple murder suspect, by wire reports via Newspapers.com.
- The Jackson Sun: Alleged killer’s trial may get a change of venue, by Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- The Leaf-Chronicle: Signal Mountain ATV murder suspect seeks change of venue via Newspapers.com.
- The Jackson Sun: Slaying suspect’s jury from elsewhere, by Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- The Daily News-Journal: Signal Mountain man on trial in triple killing, by Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- Johnson City Press: Trial under way in decade-old killings on Signal Mountain, by Rachel Zoll via Newspapers.com.
- The Jackson sun: Ex-mistress testifies in murder trial, by Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- Johnson City Press: Ex-mistress says she cooperated to learn truth about murders, by Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- Rome News-Tribune: Casteel claims persecution by police in murder case, by Associated Press via News.google.com.
- The Jackson Sun: Suspect convicted in triple murder, by Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- Johnson City Press: Guilty verdict brings no end to pain of loss, by Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- State vs. Frankie E. Casteel, E1999-00076-CCA-R3-CD, Filed December 15, 1999. Decision April 5, 2001 via tncourts.gov.
- Johnson City Press: Court overturns Signal Mountain decision, by Jason Strait via Newspapers.com.
- The Tennessean: New trial order spurs appeal by gunman’s attorneys, by Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- The Tennessean: Retrial date set for man accused of triple slaying, by Bill Poovey.
- The Jackson Sun: Defendant seeks new judge in triple murder, by Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- The Jackson Sun: Judge recuses self in triple murder retrial, by Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- The Daily News-Journal: Retrial set for Signal Mountain ATV murders, by Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- Johnson City Press: Retrial jury to come from Knoxville, compiled from wire reports via Newspapers.com.
- Johnson City Press: Retrial in 14-year-old killings to start, by Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- Johnson City Press: Jury hears evidence in trial of man accused of killing ATV riders in 1988, by Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- The Chattanoogan: Casteel Wife Says He Did Not Commit Murders, by Rob York.
- Johnson City Press: Witness surprises prosecutors at trial, by Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- Johnson City Press: Man convicted second time in murders, by Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- STATE OF TENNESSEE v. FRANKIE E. CASTEEL. No. E2003-01563-CCA-R3-CD- Filed September 24, 2004 via Tncourts.gov.
- The Jackson Sun: Hearing in motion for third murder trial, by Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- FRANKIE E. CASTEEL v. STATE OF TENNESSEE. No. E2008-01526-CCA-R3-PC – Filed March 15, 2010 via Tncourts.gov.
- The Chattanoogan: 30th Anniversary Of Signal Mountain Murders, by William Watts.
- News Channel 9: “It is finally over”: Frank Casteel, convicted of 1988 ATV murders, dies in prison, by WTVC.
- The Chattanoogan: Son of Frank Casteel Writes Book About Signal Mountain Murders.
- Find A Grave: Earl E. Smock
- Find A Grave: Kenneth Darrell Griffith
- Find A Grave: Richard Doyle Mason
- Tennessee Department of Correction: Frankie Casteel Inmate Profile