FILE 732 / 4 September 2026 / 73 MIN / express

Bush Blade In The Hog Bucket

Parsons, TennesseeListen

The town

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We're going to Parsons, Tennessee... this is in Decater County about 0:05:01

History, in brief

1880

In 1880 George Washington Parton left his home in Georgia by horse-drawn buggy to sell sewing machines, and ended up in Decatur County, where he married a woman named Maggie.

about 0:07:05

Town note

Parton bought land on the Perryville-Lexington dirt road near the present Bear Creek church building and opened a general store, which drew cotton gins, doctors and other businesses.

about 0:07:59

Town note

He applied for a post office to be called Partonville after himself; it was approved and he became the town's first postmaster.

about 0:08:17

Town note

A railroad from Memphis was completed and ended at Perry Mount, missing Partonville by about a mile to the south, so Parton bought the first lot sold in the new town and moved his buildings there.

about 0:08:42
All 6 history facts

1880

In 1880 George Washington Parton left his home in Georgia by horse-drawn buggy to sell sewing machines, and ended up in Decatur County, where he married a woman named Maggie.

about 0:07:05

Town note

Parton bought land on the Perryville-Lexington dirt road near the present Bear Creek church building and opened a general store, which drew cotton gins, doctors and other businesses.

about 0:07:59

Town note

He applied for a post office to be called Partonville after himself; it was approved and he became the town's first postmaster.

about 0:08:17

Town note

A railroad from Memphis was completed and ended at Perry Mount, missing Partonville by about a mile to the south, so Parton bought the first lot sold in the new town and moved his buildings there.

about 0:08:42

Town note

The post office moved with him and the new town became Parsons; Partonville was gone.

about 0:08:54

The figures, as told

Money

Median home value$126,100
Median household income$21,293
All figures and comparisons, as told in 2026

Population

"2,462"

No direction stated.

As told in 2026 about 0:06:07

Median household income

"$21,293"

Comparison: "less than half the national average". Direction: below.

As told in 2026 about 0:06:24

Median home cost

"$126,100"

Comparison: "extremely low". Direction: below.

As told in 2026 about 0:06:33

The reviews

4.5 / 5 · average of 2

5 stars

“Raised in Parsons and would not rather grow up anywhere else; a small town where everyone knows everyone, though there are few job opportunities.”
about 0:09:38

4 stars

“A small town where you get to know most residents within two years; friendly, with big towns and cities a 30 minute to an hour drive away, but everyone will hear about your life.”
about 0:09:55

In Tennessee

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The story

In October 1993 Timothy Barnett, known as Timmy, was a twenty-one-year-old farmer living on Wilkinstown Road off US-412 near Parsons, in Decatur County, Tennessee. They had married earlier in 1993 and had an eight-month-old daughter, Amelia Ann; Timmy also had two young sons from before the marriage.

Earlier Tim and Janice had confronted him near a small grocery store and asked him to make the cheques good; he said he would take care of them.

She hired a babysitter, Shelly, drove the back roads, stopped about two houses away and let him out in a ditch before returning to the apartment in Scott Hill. He was to telephone her when he was finished, but the Barnetts' telephone had been disconnected for unpaid bills. At about four in the morning he walked home, pale, sweaty, dirty and covered in grass.

On the road she raised the bad cheques, so he hit her with a gun, taped her hands and put her in the boot of her own Pontiac Grand Am. He went into the house, then returned to let her out, but she had kicked her way out of the boot and run to a neighbour's porch. The gun would not fire. He tackled her, took a brick from her and hit her head with it; hearing her neck pop, he thought she was dead. He then took a bush hook from a pig bucket, went into the bedroom and chopped Timmy, who was asleep, three times in the back of the head, stopping when the blood sprayed. Back outside, he lifted his sister's head and cut her throat from ear to ear to be sure. He burned wallets and clothes in a culvert, kept Tim's wallet, set the Grand Am alight and later burned it a second time with lighter fluid.

Beecham later threw them into the Forked Deer River near Jackson when she heard of the s' involvement. At about nine that morning Timmy's brother Ted let himself into the house, found Amelia crying in her crib and Timmy dead in the master bedroom, his head forced between the water bed and the frame, and called police.

Janice was still missing. Later that day a tip led officers to her body in tall grass and woods behind a neighbour's house. She had a deep cut on her left arm, a broken jaw and her throat cut from ear to ear. Her car was found burned in the Swallow Bluff area of south Decatur County, and the fire marshal found it had been burned twice. A search of the apartment on 20 October produced a two-shot Derringer that took the .22 cartridge found in the Barnetts' home, blood-stained sneakers, a pillowcase and a wash rag.

The defence blamed Michael Woody, who testified that he had nothing to do with the killings and had an alibi. Amelia was raised by Timmy's mother, Rita Barnett, who told the court that the child still called for her parents when she saw their photograph.

The case

Murders of Timothy and Janice Barnett

Victims

Timothy 'Timmy' Barnett (21). born 1972, a farmer near Parsons and father of three; according to police he sold drugs for Michael Woody
Janice Ann Barnett (24). born 1969, née , Timmy's wife, worked at a factory; younger sister

Accused and outcomes

As told in the episode, on 4 September 2026.

Accused

Accused

Outcome

Other people

Michael Woody. local drug dealer for whom Timmy and allegedly sold; the defence blamed him, but he testified he had nothing to do with the killings and had an alibi
Ted Barnett. Timmy's brother, who found the body
Ralph Barnett. Timmy's father
Amelia Ann Barnett. Timmy and Janice's eight-month-old daughter, found unharmed in her crib
Carla Duck. Janice's friend, who testified that had threatened to kill Janice and her baby
Janice Mitchell. friend told on the morning of 18 October 1993 that had killed the Barnetts
Tracy Beecham. of Jacks Creek; was given the stolen VCR and answering machine and threw them in the Forked Deer River
Tommy Alexander. rode with and was at the apartment when came home
Shelly. the babysitter hired on the night of the murders
Spencer. and young son, left with mother

The timeline

  1. 1967 is born.about 0:19:32
  2. 1969 Janice Ann is born.about 0:19:01
  3. 1972 Timothy Barnett is born.about 0:16:33
  4. February 1993 Amelia Ann Barnett, Timmy and Janice's daughter, is born.about 0:20:15
  5. the summer of 1993 leaves a message on Janice's answering machine saying she will kill Janice and her baby.about 0:59:11
  6. the summer of 1993 Janice and Carla Duck go to house; and Janice argue and fight, and says she will see them both dead. ( apartment)about 1:00:19

Places and phrases

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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