Town file
Clifton, Arizona
Clifton, Arizona (Greenlee County, Arizona) is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 592, "Murder Texts Are Forever" (26 April 2025). Matthew Gerald Meisner was born in August 1984 and grew up in Tucson, Arizona, the son of Gene and Raymond, in a happy home with two brothers and two sisters.
- Town
- Clifton
- County
- Greenlee County
- State
- Arizona
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 592
- Approximate location
- 33.030, -109.284
Episode 592 / 26 April 2025 / 73 min / express
Murder Texts Are Forever
"We are going to Clifton, Arizona... this is Greenlee County, in the far southeastern corner of Arizona" about 0:03:26
The case: Murder of Matthew Meisner (February 10, 2020). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2025
- Population
- 3,780
- Median household income
- about $69,000
- Median home value
- $118,500
History, in brief
- The area was first known as Goulding's Camp, named for one of the early miners. about 0:04:59
- The town of Clifton was founded in 1873, with miners settling along the canyons and the banks of the stream. about 0:05:05
- Mining companies were formed and claims were staked out and developed; the whole history of the town is based on mining. about 0:05:13
- If the mine shut down everybody would leave, because there is nothing else there. about 0:05:22
- Copper is the big thing mined there, and after 140 years of continuous mining they are still pulling copper out. about 0:05:41
The reviews read out
4 stars
"Lived there since childhood; a tiny town that can be very toxic, and there is not enough for teenagers and young adults to do."about 0:05:59
4 stars
"A great sense of family and community; everybody works in the same place and the town loves to put on events for the community."about 0:06:45
3 stars
"Only one big company to work for, the mine, which pays the best; several smaller places pay less."about 0:07:05
2 stars
"Not many places to choose from but there are several bars, and the grocery store is mediocre and overpriced."about 0:07:19
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- Silver City, New Mexico61 miles
- St. Johns, Arizona102 miles
- Catalina Foothills, Arizona106 miles
- Oro Valley, Arizona107 miles
- Florence, Arizona123 miles
- Apache Junction, Arizona133 miles
Everything here is as told in the episode, on the date it went out; figures and places may have changed since. Endings are covered: open an episode and use the spoiler switch to read them.