NYC journalist returns home to Mississippi to find her grandmother’s killer in new podcast
A New York City journalist who returned home to Mississippi to solve her grandmother’s killing form decades ago has captivated audiences across the U.S. with her new true crime podcast.
Larrison Campbell, Greenville native who once worked at Mississippi Today, is the reporter and host of the Campside Media podcast that delves into a decades-old unsolved crime in her hometown.
Titled Witnessed: Devil in the Ditch, after a popular southern children’s game, the podcast takes listeners on a gripping investigation into the murder of Campbell’s grandmother, Presh, which occurred in Greenville in 2003. Despite numerous theories and suspicions, the case remains unsolved.
Campbell, who had recently graduated from college and was working in New York at the time, received a phone call from her father informing her of the shocking murder. Even before the funeral was over, the family began voicing their suspicions, with some questioning the thoroughness of the police investigation. Intriguingly, there were whispers of possible family involvement, centering around a cousin that Campbell refers to as “Richard.”
Motivated by the lack of closure after two decades and the limited progress made by the Greenville Police Department, Campbell took it upon herself to uncover the truth. Returning to her hometown, she embarked on the journey initially unaware of the intricate details surrounding her grandmother’s murder.
“I started thinking about whether or not I could kind of use my experience as a journalist to sort of justify digging into a family story,” said Campbell. “And to justify going out to the people I know, people in my family, and asking them questions that they probably did not want me to ask.”
Throughout the podcast, Campbell engages in conversations with friends, family, and even a few individuals suspected of being involved in the crime. With each episode, she unravels deep-seated animosities and accusations among family members and listens to them explain their long-held suspicions. With each subject she interviews, she brings her audience along as she pieces together fragmented memories and long-kept secrets.
Despite facing resistance from the police, who consistently denied her requests to access the case files, Campbell sought alternative sources of information. She reached out to former police officers and investigators who provided a better perspective on the case and pointed her to new leads.
Witnessed: Devil in the Ditch serves as a platform for Campbell’s personal story and sheds light on the larger issues regarding crime in Greenville. The city has a complex history of unresolved murders, with 13 taking place the same year Presh was killed, and no suspects named in any of these cases.
“When I realized that my experience was not a unique experience in this community,” Campbell said. “I think that’s when it became a story to me.”
By emphasizing the lack of progress in her grandmother’s unsolved murder, despite her family’s resources and connections, she highlights the inaction of the police in addressing violent crime in the city. She reveals the fact that the Greenville Police Department has a mere 15% success rate in solving murders, underscoring a troubling pattern.
Campbell’s investigation goes beyond her personal family impact, as she occasionally interviews local residents about their own experiences with crime and murder in the city. This issues leave many residents feeling helpless, even when they have their own suspicions about who the culprits are.
Through her detailed exploration of the case, Campbell also manages to tackle deep-rooted cultural and social problems that persist in the Mississippi Delta. Other than detailing the murder of her grandmother, she manages to address and explore themes on race, economics, and class divisions in the city.
Since its release, the podcast has gained significant attention and developed a dedicated following. Listeners are captivated by Campbell’s meticulous research, storytelling, and the mysteries of the Mississippi Delta she tackles in each episode.
You can listen to Witnessed: Devil in the Ditch on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
This story was originally published June 27, 2023 at 10:03 AM.