Town file
Morgantown, West Virginia
Morgantown, West Virginia (Monongalia County, West Virginia) is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 227, "Intensely Intensifying Bloodbath" (10 June 2021). Morgantown, West Virginia, is a college town in Monongalia County, built around West Virginia University, and the Balatti family lived on an isolated hilltop outside it.
- Town
- Morgantown
- County
- Monongalia County
- State
- West Virginia
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 227
- Approximate location
- 39.637, -79.947
Episode 227 / 10 June 2021 / 151 min / full
Intensely Intensifying Bloodbath
"Here we're going to Morgantown, West Virginia, which is a college town." about 0:06:19
The case: Murders of Carolyn, Andrea and Francy Balatti (night of October 8, 1982). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2021
- Population
- 30,099
- Median age
- 24.1
- Median household income
- about $37,900
- Median home value
- $188,700
- Two-bedroom rent
- about $790
- Cost of living
- 90
- Religious
- 29%
- Property crime
- right about average
- Violent crime
- ▼ just below average
History, in brief
- Colonel Morgan Morgan is thought to have made the first permanent settlement in West Virginia, at Cool Spring Farm. about 0:09:18
- Morgan Morgan was born in the late 1600s and arrived in West Virginia in 1731, when he was appointed to the Commission of the Peace. about 0:11:04
- Morgan Morgan had eight children, including Zachwill and, as the eighth, Morgan Morgan II. about 0:12:01
- Zachwill Morgan settled the Morgantown area. about 0:12:33
- Zachwill Morgan fought in the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War and became a colonel. about 0:12:45
- In October 2006 MTV taped a reality series about a Morgantown High School choir, due to premiere in spring 2007; it never aired. about 0:13:43
The reviews read out
5 stars
"Loves Morgantown and is glad to call it home: a small town with little traffic, sweet people, West Virginia University in the middle of town, plenty of schools, very diverse, and would live there as long as possible."about 0:14:06
1 star
"After a year and a half says only three of 17 people are kind; was punched by an assistant manager and then fired; landlords are either nasty or good; 'it's your fault here, no matter the issue'; not much good there."about 0:14:46
2 stars
"Born and raised there but says it is a terrible place to raise a family: students match the number of residents, children are exposed to adult things early, summers are boring, few jobs outside the hospitals and college, fine for college if you want to party, otherwise go elsewhere; West Virginia is a black hole that tries to suck you back."about 0:16:43
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- Clarksburg, West Virginia34 miles
- Gormania, West Virginia40 miles
- Wheeling, West Virginia50 miles
- Bellaire, Ohio50 miles
- Ambridge, Pennsylvania68 miles
- Daugherty Township, Pennsylvania79 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.