The Abduction of Mrs. Ruby Lowery Stapleton

On the evening of October 8, 1963, Mrs. Ruby Stapleton—a beloved English teacher at Harding College—drove to a local laundromat and disappeared. In the days that followed, law enforcement officers and hundreds of volunteers searched for her—all to no avail.This is the story of the crime against Mrs. Stapleton and the subsequent investigation which lasted more than 50 years. It’s a tragic small-town tale that played out in newspapers from Shreveport, Louisiana, to Chicago, Illinois.Deana Nall and Mike Allen—the authors who brought you A Murder in Searcy—provide a fresh look at the decades-old case, tracking down every lead in a crime that captured the attention of an entire state, and beyond.“A riveting and unblinking tale of murder and pervasive violence.” – Kirkus Reviews“Nall and Allen’s storytelling immediately drew me in. As I dove further into the English teacher’s story, there were moments I forgot I was reading.” – Kenzie James, The Christian Chronicle“This is a deeply-researched book into the mystery of an unsolved case that has haunted the Searcy and Harding communities for more than sixty years. The authors’ engaging style exhibits a straightforward, fact-based, ‘tell it like it is’ format, which will hopefully lead to new information related to this case.” – J.R. Howard, former Director of the Arkansas State Police“We have waited a long time for this comprehensive account. The abduction of Ruby Stapleton has to be the most shocking and disturbing event in the history of Harding University. With relentless research in law enforcement records and in other sources, Nall and Allen have spent years gathering the available information and evidence and have laid it all out for us in a spare, readable account with numerous pictures of people and places in the story.” – Joel Anderson, Chancellor-Emeritus of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, was a senior at Harding College in the fall semester of 1963"This book is gripping. I was hooked from the first page and didn't stopped reading until I'd finished. The authors unraveled the setting and events in a captivating, factual manner. As possible suspects were identified, I couldn't help but think ... in crimes like this things are never quite what they seem." – Barbara Burke, former federal agent Read more