Town file
Collinsville, Virginia
Collinsville, Virginia is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 350, "The CSI Effect" (31 December 2022). In January 2006 the body of a 55-year-old woman named Nancy Motes Wingfield was found in pieces in and around her home in Collinsville, Virginia, a small town just outside Martinsville.
- Town
- Collinsville
- State
- Virginia
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 350
- Approximate location
- 36.721, -79.912
Episode 350 / 31 December 2022 / 69 min / express
The CSI Effect
"We're going to Collinsville, Virginia, which is a small town just outside of Martinsville, Virginia." about 0:03:28
The case: Murder of Nancy Motes Wingfield (January 2006); Murder of David Dwayne Lawson (1997). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2022
- Population
- 6,878
- Median household income
- $36,210
- Median home value
- $106,200
History, in brief
- Founded by American Revolutionary War general Joseph Martin, who was born near here and developed a plantation on Scuffle Hill on the banks of the Smith River. about 0:04:25
- Patrick Henry lived here briefly and a county was named after him. about 0:04:40
- In the 20th century DuPont built a large plant producing textile nylon filament, which was important for the Second World War. about 0:05:04
- During the Cold War the Soviet Union identified the area as a strategic bombing target because of the nylon filament production. about 0:05:16
- Nylon production jump-started the growth of the local textile industry. about 0:05:50
- Martinsville Speedway opened in 1954 and was on the roster for the first NASCAR season in 1949. about 0:05:57
- For years Martinsville was known as the sweatshirt capital of the world. about 0:06:13
- In the 1980s Martinsville boasted more millionaires per capita than any other city in America. about 0:06:29
- In the 1990s textiles and furniture manufacturing became economically obsolete, the shops closed and thousands of workers were laid off; the city has tried to reposition itself as a centre for technology. about 0:07:01
The reviews read out
4 stars
"A quiet city, good to live and study, with friendly and lovely people; the only problem is that you need a car, and on vacation there is not much to do so you have to go to another city."about 0:07:30
3 stars
"A small town where you meet lots of amazing people and friends; the middle schools are not that great and have serious insect problems, but the high schools are great with teachers who try hard to meet your needs."about 0:08:38
2 stars
"Lacking things to do, just some fast food places and a bowling place to go sometimes; a town in the middle of nowhere."about 0:09:44
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- Keeling, Virginia35 miles
- Summerfield, North Carolina36 miles
- Vinton, Virginia38 miles
- Mount Airy, North Carolina42 miles
- Radford, Virginia45 miles
- High Point, North Carolina51 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.