Investigation Discovery

The Discovery Channel and Gadfly Publishing have announced the premier of “The Shot Doctor,” a television special about the Ruby McCollum murder trial that took place in Live Oak during the 1950s. The hour-long episode is part of the television series “A Crime to Remember,” and will premier on Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 10 p.m. on Investigation Discovery. The trailer can be seen here.

In 1952, the Pittsburgh Courier hired Zora Neale Hurston to cover the trial of Ruby McCollum, a wealthy African-American wife who shot and killed a prominent physician and recently elected state senator. The trial became a landmark case in the history of the segregationist South.

While covering the murder trial, Hurston recalled her work in the timber camps of North Florida, where she had discovered the practice of “paramour rights.” This unwritten law of the antebellum South allowed a white man to take an African American woman as his and force her to have his children.

Eager to begin her writing assignment, Hurston traveled to Live Oak, only to find that presiding judge Hal W. Adams had issued a gag order banning all but defense attorneys and close relatives from visiting the defendant.

Hurston dug deep into the case and eventually published her work as a series in the Courier and was also later published in William B. Huie’s book, “Ruby McCollum: Woman in the Suwannee Jail.”

Neither Hurston nor Huie were ever allowed to speak with Ruby McCollum.

Over half a century later, Dr. C. Arthur Ellis Jr. reconstructed the missing trial transcript, wrote extensively about the case, and spoke to audiences across the country, including the Miami International Book Fair, L.A. Theatre Works, and various radio and TV stations. He is acknowledged as an historian who knew all of the characters in the story that took place in his hometown of Live Oak.

Now, the Emmy Award winning series, “A Crime to Remember,” is featuring the Ruby McCollum story, along with an interview with Dr. Ellis. He is joined by his wife, Dr. Leslie Ellis, a forensic psychologist who offers additional insight into the psychological profiles of the major characters in the story. Updated scheduling and more information is available at:www.investigationdiscovery.com/tv-shows/a-crime-to-remember.

Asked about the feature, Dr. Art Ellis commented, “It was a pleasure to work with the producers of this episode in the award-winning ‘Crime to Remember’ series, and I’m looking forward to the premier. Given the production team’s dedication to detail and their artistic integrity, I’m certain that viewers will not be disappointed.”

Readers may find “Zora Hurston and the Strange Case of Ruby McCollum” in paperback through all distributors, and an illustrated color Kindle version on Amazon with promotional discounts.