The Manzo Shepherd Case
“Murder and Mayhem in Bloody Harlan”
“Murder and Mayhem in Bloody Harlan”
Story by Tony Felosi
The story of Manzo Shepherd and the events that spawned one of the most infamous trials in Harlan County history started on Black Mountain. At 4,145ft it is the tallest peak in Kentucky and one evening in late April 1942, was the location of a brutal murder.
Within one month of the murder of Joe Christian, a taxi cab driver, Shepherd would be shot in a crowded courtroom of 300 people and his accomplices, Sherman Clouse and Howard Hensley, would both eventually get life sentences to avoid the death penalty.
Shepherd was killed By Jack Heaton nephew of the murder victim who within 9 months would be set free. Here is a short article describing the events in the courtroom when Shepherd was shot.
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