FILE 99 / 27 December 2018 / 150 MIN / full

The Coroner's Waiting Room

McIntosh, FloridaListen

The town

N ↑Public placeTown centre (approximate places)
Static locations; no street basemap. Places and details. OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap.

We're going to Macintosh, Florida. It's in central Florida... It's in Marion County, Zip Code 32664, Area Code 352. about 0:11:05

History, in brief

1828

The area around McIntosh began to develop about 1828, the year Andrew Jackson was elected president.

about 0:12:56

Town note

United States policy of Indian removal traded lands in the West for lands held by tribes in the East.

about 0:13:49

1835

By 1835 open warfare had erupted, beginning the Second Seminole War.

about 0:15:48

Town note

The Seminole warrior Osceola and his followers killed Indian agent Wiley Thompson at Fort King.

about 0:16:13
All 12 history facts

1828

The area around McIntosh began to develop about 1828, the year Andrew Jackson was elected president.

about 0:12:56

Town note

United States policy of Indian removal traded lands in the West for lands held by tribes in the East.

about 0:13:49

1835

By 1835 open warfare had erupted, beginning the Second Seminole War.

about 0:15:48

Town note

The Seminole warrior Osceola and his followers killed Indian agent Wiley Thompson at Fort King.

about 0:16:13

Town note

Major Francis Dade led 108 soldiers against the Seminoles and was ambushed; 107 were killed and one survivor reached Fort Brooke, present-day Tampa.

about 0:16:43

1835

The Second Seminole War lasted from 1835 to 1842.

about 0:17:38

1837

Colonel John Houston McIntosh had a sugar plantation and processing works in the area; his sugar works were destroyed in the war about 1837.

about 0:18:55

1885

In 1885 the town offered a free residential lot to any settler who would build a house of a certain value.

about 0:19:56

1895

By 1895 the town had a doctor, a postmaster, a Western Union, a church, a meat store, a school, a drug store, an ice house, a millinery shop, the McIntosh hotel and a Christian mercantile store.

about 0:20:48

1913

McIntosh was incorporated by an act of the legislature in 1913, and its town hall has not changed since.

about 0:22:05

Town note

The town has 68 sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places within 0.70 square miles.

about 0:22:31

1991

The movie Doc Hollywood was filmed in McIntosh in 1991.

about 0:23:58

The figures, as told

Religious

35.4%

Biggest faith: Jewish residents, 0.1%

about 0:28:03

Who lives here

White 93.3% · Black 0.0% · Asian 0.0% · Hispanic 6.69%

Ethnicity can overlap race.

Crime / national average

Property crime
right at average

about 0:33:56

Violent crime
▲ about 10% high

about 0:34:01

Money

Median home value$94,000
Two-bedroom rentabout $1,020
Median household incomeabout $46,000
Cost of living98

For sale

$65,000

Three-bedroom one-bath house, 800 square feet

about 0:30:38

For sale

$135,000

Two-bedroom one-bath house, 1,040 square feet

about 0:30:50

For sale

$439,000

Four-bedroom three-bath house on 10 acres, 2,961 square feet

about 0:31:46
All figures and comparisons, as told in 2018

Population

"461"

Comparison: "up 12% since 1990". Direction: above.

As told in 2018 about 0:24:56

Median age

"59.6"

Comparison: "national average 37.4". No direction stated.

As told in 2018 about 0:25:16

Residents aged 60 to 84

"over double the national average"

Comparison: "national average". Direction: above.

As told in 2018 about 0:25:45

Female population

"61.5%"

Comparison: "usually about 50-50, maybe 51% female". No direction stated.

As told in 2018 about 0:26:32

People per household

"1.76"

Comparison: "2.63 people per household in the U.S.". No direction stated.

As told in 2018 about 0:26:50

Married population

"55%"

Comparison: "a little bit higher than normal". Direction: above.

As told in 2018 about 0:27:05

Single with no children

"0.00%"

Comparison: "usually about 10%". No direction stated.

As told in 2018 about 0:27:11

White population

"93.3%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2018 about 0:27:23

Black population

"0.0%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2018 about 0:27:23

Asian population

"0.0%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2018 about 0:27:23

Native American population

"0.0%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2018 about 0:27:23

Hispanic population

"6.69%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2018 about 0:27:53

Residents who are religious

"35.4%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2018 about 0:28:03

Jewish residents

"0.1%"

Comparison: "way low for Florida". Direction: below.

As told in 2018 about 0:28:52

Voted Democrat in the last election

"41%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2018 about 0:29:02

Voted Republican in the last election

"57%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2018 about 0:29:02

Household income

"about $46,000"

Comparison: "national average about $53,000". No direction stated.

As told in 2018 about 0:29:17

Cost of living

"98"

Comparison: "100 is overall normal". Direction: about the same.

As told in 2018 about 0:29:39

Median home cost

"$94,000"

Comparison: "usual home cost $216,000". No direction stated.

As told in 2018 about 0:29:47

Homes worth under $60,000

"about 20%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2018 about 0:29:50

Average two-bedroom rental

"about $1,020"

No direction stated.

As told in 2018 about 0:30:14

Three-bedroom one-bath house, 800 square feet

"$65,000"

No direction stated.

As told in 2018 about 0:30:38

Two-bedroom one-bath house, 1,040 square feet

"$135,000"

No direction stated.

As told in 2018 about 0:30:50

Four-bedroom three-bath house on 10 acres, 2,961 square feet

"$439,000"

No direction stated.

As told in 2018 about 0:31:46

Property crime

"right at average"

Comparison: "national average". Direction: about the same.

As told in 2018 about 0:33:56

Violent crime

"about 10% high"

Comparison: "national average". Direction: above.

As told in 2018 about 0:34:01

The reviews

5.0 / 5 · average of 1

5 stars

“McIntosh is straight off a Hallmark card; the writer loves the town and the memories made there, says every face is familiar and inviting and tells people to stop by and relish the cosiness.”
about 0:23:28

In Florida

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The story

Heather Strong grew up in Mississippi. The relationship kept breaking down and restarting. In 2003, when both were in their early twenties, they left Mississippi to start again in Marion County, Florida, settling in the McIntosh area.

Five years later, in June 2008, Heather had had enough. During one of their separations she moved out with her two children to become the live-in nanny for Benjamin McCollum, a friend of them both who owned an auto shop and had two children of his own. Within three weeks she and Benjamin were involved.

He married Heather instead, with the same ring. Heather told friends she had loved him all along.

They refused. She asked another friend to put the word out on the street, saying she would pay $500 out of her income tax return. Nobody took the job.

That same day Heather, who worked at the Iron Skillet restaurant inside a truck stop, took an emergency call about her children and left work.

A plastic bag was put over her head and taped around her neck. Someone held her nose and covered her mouth until she stopped breathing. She died of suffocation.

On the evening of 15 February Jamie Acomey came home to find Heather and the children gone and their belongings cleared out. Heather did not turn up for work or for the children. She was missing for nine days before her cousin Misty Strong contacted the Marion County Sheriff's Department on 24 February 2009.

At first both denied everything. He also called his mother from the holding cell and said, "I done it, mama. I didn't do it by myself, but I done it. I just wanted them children, mama."

Heather was found in a shallow grave about three feet deep, covered with two pieces of wood and black plastic bags, partly stuffed into a large zip-up suitcase, wearing a T-shirt, jeans and one shoe. The autopsy concluded she died of suffocation. Duct tape from the trailer matched tape found on her, and a thumbprint and bloodstains tied the scene together.

In November 2010 she asked for a delay and a new attorney; the judge refused. It voted seven to five for death.

The case

Murder of Heather Strong

Victims

Heather Strong. mother of two from Mississippi, worked at the Iron Skillet restaurant inside a truck stop

Accused and outcomes

As told in the episode, on 27 December 2018.

Accused

Accused

Outcome

Other people

Benjamin McCollum. Heather's boyfriend, an auto shop owner with two children, for whom she was the live-in nanny
Jamie Acomey. ex-boyfriend and father of one of her children; pulled her off Heather, refused to kill Heather, later Heather's boyfriend
Carolyn. Heather's mother, living in Mississippi
Misty Strong. Heather's cousin, who reported her missing
Rock Hooker. Marion County prosecutor who sought the death penalty against
Terrence Lenaman. defence attorney, certified for death penalty cases

The timeline

  1. before 2008 Heather Strong grows up in Mississippiabout 0:38:35
  2. at age 15 Heather begins a relationship with , also fifteenabout 0:38:48
  3. by age 18 Heather and have two childrenabout 0:39:14
  4. 2003 The family moves to Marion County, Florida, settling near McIntoshabout 0:44:04
  5. June 2008 Heather moves out with her children to be the live-in nanny for Benjamin McCollumabout 0:46:13
  6. June 2008 Within three weeks Heather and Benjamin become involvedabout 0:47:08
  7. June to November 2008 stalks and harasses Heather and Benjamin for six months, repeatedly threatening them with a gunabout 1:00:10
  8. November 2008 proposes to and she acceptsabout 1:01:07
  9. December 26th, 2008 takes the ring back from and marries Heatherabout 1:03:34
  10. January 2009 Jamie Acomey pulls off Heatherabout 1:17:23
  11. January 2009 offers Jamie Acomey and a friend $500 between them to kill Heather; they refuseabout 1:20:25
  12. January 2009 asks another friend to put the word out on the street that she is looking for someone to kill Heather for $500about 1:22:14
  13. January 2009 and Heather begin a custody battle over their two childrenabout 1:25:52
  14. February 15th, 2009 asks his mother to help him compose a letter and says he will offer Heather $500 for custody ('s mother's house)about 1:26:18
  15. February 15th, 2009 Heather takes an emergency call at work about her children and leaves the Iron Skillet (Iron Skillet restaurant)about 1:28:51
  16. February 15th, 2009 mother sees Heather and drive away with at the wheel ('s mother's house)about 1:29:12
  17. February 15th, 2009 lures Heather to the abandoned mobile home on family property (Mobile home on family property)about 1:34:18
  18. February 15th, 2009 Heather tries to flee; wrestles her back and she breaks a window with her arm (Mobile home on family property)about 1:35:48
  19. February 15th, 2009 ties Heather to a chair; she escapes and he pulls her back while duct-tapes her to it (Mobile home on family property)about 1:37:24
  20. February 15th, 2009 makes Heather sign a custody document while she is taped to the chair (Mobile home on family property)about 1:37:39
  21. February 15th, 2009 hits Heather over the head with a flashlight, breaking it (Mobile home on family property)about 1:38:26
  22. February 15th, 2009 A plastic bag is placed over Heather's head and duct-taped around her neck (Mobile home on family property)about 1:39:05
  23. February 15th, 2009 tries to break Heather's neck and fails (Mobile home on family property)about 1:39:36
  24. February 15th, 2009 Someone holds Heather's nose and covers her mouth until she dies of suffocation (Mobile home on family property)about 1:40:17
  25. February 15th, 2009 Jamie Acomey comes home to find Heather and the children gone; calls to say they are back together (Jamie Acomey's apartment)about 1:29:29
  26. February 17th, 2009 returns to the trailer and buries Heather in a shallow grave behind it (Shallow grave behind the trailer)about 1:40:53
  27. February 24th, 2009 Misty Strong reports Heather missing to the Marion County Sheriff's Department (Marion County Sheriff's Department)about 1:31:30
  28. February 2009 Police interview and , who both deny knowledge at first (Marion County Sheriff's Department)about 1:32:16
  29. February 2009 sister agrees to cooperate and records telephone callsabout 1:33:09
  30. February 2009 Heather's body is found in a shallow grave behind the trailer, in a suitcase under wood and plastic bags (Shallow grave behind the trailer)about 1:50:07

Places and phrases

N ↑Public placeTown centre (approximate places)
Static locations; no street basemap. Places and details. OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap.

Places in the story

Public places are marked on the map.

Heard in this episode