About this episode
A stormy night, a black out and a mysterious phone call lead the police to an eerie house on a hill containing the bodies of an entire family. All of this, plus a connection to The Exorcist, feels like the setup to a particularly scary movie. Instead, it was a real life tragedy that took place in November 1987. Sources: 1. Jones, Janie. “Murder Mystery: The Mask of Mercy - AY Magazine.” AY Magazine , https://www.facebook.com/ayisaboutyou/ , 24 July 2018, https://aymag.com/murder-mystery-the-mask-of-mercy/ . 2. “Murders on Main: 30 Years since Little Rock Businessman Killed His Family, Himself.” Arkansas Online , https://www.arkansasonline.com/murdersonmain/ . Accessed 10 Oct. 2025. 3. “Mercedes McCambridge’s Son’s Note Exonerated Her - Los Angeles Times.” Los Angeles Times , Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 1989, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-04-17-mn-2098-story.html . 4. “Suicide Letter Blames Actress Mother - UPI Archives.” UPI , UPI, 18 Apr. 1989, https://www.upi.com/Archives/1989/04/18/Suicide-letter-blames-actress-mother/7918608875200/ . 5. The Friday the 13th Murders . 2025. 6. Batesville Guard , 7 Dec. 1987. 7. Baxter Bulletin , 5 Dec. 1987. 8. The Sun , 5 Dec. 1987. 9. The Log Cabin Democrat , 5 Oct. 1993. 10. The Sun , 19 Nov. 1987. 11. Batesville Guard , 20 Nov. 1987. This Week’s Episode Brought to You By: Shopify - $1 per month trial - http://shopify.com/lovemurder Find LOVE MURDER online: Website: lovemurder.love Instagram: @lovemurderpod Twitter: @lovemurderpod Facebook: LoveMrdrPod TikTok: @LoveMurderPod Patreon: /LoveMurderPod Credits: Love Murder is hosted by Jessie Pray and Andie Cassette, researched by Sarah Lynn Robinson and researched and written by Jessie Pray, produced by Nathaniel Whittemore and edited by Kyle Barbour-Hoffman See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .