Town file
Nettie, West Virginia
Nettie, West Virginia (Nicholas County, West Virginia) is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 685, "Secrets Of Murder Pond" (26 March 2026). Theresa Lucente Rollins was born in Clarksburg, West Virginia, in October 1954, one of five Italian-American sisters.
- Town
- Nettie
- County
- Nicholas County
- State
- West Virginia
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 685
- Approximate location
- 38.217, -80.699
Episode 685 / 26 March 2026 / 175 min / full
Secrets Of Murder Pond
"this is in Netty, West Virginia ... this is in Nicholas County" about 0:06:50
The case: Murder of Theresa Rollins (October 5, 2009). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2026
- Population
- 322
- Median age
- 44
- Median household income
- $23,485
- Median home value
- $56,300
- Cost of living
- 74
- Religious
- 33%
- Crime overall
- ▼ about half of the national average
- Violent crime
- ▼ about one third beneath the national average
History, in brief
- Summersville was laid out in 1824 and named for Lewis Summers, a local judge. about 0:07:33
- Summersville was home to both Union and Confederate encampments during the Civil War, on opposite sides of town. about 0:07:40
- The town was mostly burnt to the ground by Confederate spy Nancy Hart Douglas during the war, and rebuilt in 1884. about 0:07:55
- Summersville is nicknamed the world's largest speed trap, because US 19 goes from a two-lane to a four-lane highway there and northern travellers get tickets. about 0:06:54
- The Summersville Dam holds back West Virginia's largest lake, a 2,790-acre lake. about 0:08:38
- A farming village called Gad existed from the 1800s to the 1960s where Summersville Lake now is; it was sold and flooded to build the dam. about 0:09:05
- Officials wanted to call it the Gad Dam but settled on Summersville Dam. about 0:09:55
- On June 23rd, 2016 a huge flood hit Summersville, demolishing the middle school, which was relocated to trailers. about 0:10:10
- Summersville and the surrounding locations such as Nettie are featured in the 2018 game Fallout 76. about 0:10:30
- The town's only notable person is Buzz Nutter, an NFL centre and linebacker in 1958 and 1959, an NFL champion and member of the Virginia Tech Hall of Fame. about 0:10:50
The reviews read out
3.8 stars
"Not bad for a West Virginia town in the middle of nowhere."about 0:11:18
5 stars
"Very friendly and caring people, multiple restaurants, summer activities at Summersville Lake, a good school board, well-maintained schools and New Life Christian Academy as a private option."about 0:11:25
4 stars
"Best known for its lake, with a small town said to be under the water; a beautiful little town with many friendly people."about 0:12:41
3 stars
"A resident of over 20 years would not recommend it: stagnant job market, outdated mindset, poor economy, closed-minded and rude people, nothing for kids to do, costly groceries and health care, a declining population; the only good thing is almost no crime."about 0:13:08
2 stars
"Horrible for anyone wanting progress or growth; not a sustainable environment."about 0:14:41
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- Victor, West Virginia21 miles
- Webster Springs, West Virginia24 miles
- Layland, West Virginia27 miles
- Beckley, West Virginia40 miles
- Pemberton, West Virginia45 miles
- Dunbar, West Virginia57 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.