Town file
Leonardtown, Maryland
Leonardtown, Maryland (St. Mary's County, Maryland) is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 336, "The General's Secrets" (12 November 2022). Michael K. Blankenship was 49 years old in January 2000, a mortician who lived in a townhouse in St. Mary's County, Maryland, and who was known around Leonardtown as a brigadier general in the US Army Reserve.
- Town
- Leonardtown
- County
- St. Mary's County
- State
- Maryland
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 336
- Approximate location
- 38.304, -76.640
Episode 336 / 12 November 2022 / 66 min / express
The General's Secrets
"We're going down to Maryland this week... this is Leonard's town or Leonard town, one singular Leonard... Leonard town, Maryland. It's in the southern Maryland panhandle." about 0:03:10
The case: Murder of Michael K. Blankenship (January 2000). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2022
- Population
- 3,912
- Median household income
- $61,000
- Median home value
- $426,000
History, in brief
- During the War of 1812 the British blockaded Chesapeake Bay and a thousand British marines invaded the town, plundering and wrecking it; the area was subject to repeated British plundering and destruction. about 0:05:06
- By 1860 the town had about 35 dwellings, a newspaper and a couple of hotels. about 0:05:30
- A Mennonite farming community a few miles to the northwest produces furniture and crafts. about 0:05:46
The reviews read out
5 stars
"A very safe community, very different from Great Mills not far down the road; no kids wandering at all hours but it still feels safe walking even at night, the police are very visible and patrol the neighbourhoods; the safest place the reviewer has ever lived."about 0:06:08
4 stars
"Houses range from traditional two-storey family homes to townhouses, all lived in and well cared for, with people out tending their lawns at weekends; other neighbourhoods have a thriving community with children who sometimes run amok but generally keep out of trouble; the local woods may hold hunters or druggies and most stay away from the deep woods."about 0:07:28
2 stars
"Nothing fun to do in Leonardtown; a few grocery stores, but hard shopping means going out of town, and the reviewer complains that a Hillary Clinton road sign was stolen."about 0:08:24
1 star
"Nothing to do especially for teenagers, limited shopping, no malls nearby, limited job growth unless you work for the county, taxes paid to Leonardtown but children sent to Chopticon High, no good restaurants, little diversity, a hospital that sucked, lots of smokers and no health food stores; safe only because even criminals do not want to live there."about 0:09:31
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- Lothian, Maryland36 miles
- St Michaels, Maryland40 miles
- Woodbridge, Virginia41 miles
- Largo, Maryland41 miles
- Dumfries, Virginia41 miles
- Easton, Maryland45 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.