Mississippi Axe Murders: Tragedy in Water Valley

A Notorious Double Murder Revisited

Οn May 5, 1931, Callie Wiggins rose from her bed, dressed, and--as she had done many times before--headed to 323 Wagner Street in Water Valley to the home of her employers, W.B. and Mamie Wagner. She was planning to cook them a hearty breakfast, but when she entered the house, she found the usually pristine interior in shambles. The smell of blood hung heavy in the air. Then she saw the hardwood floors streaked with gore. When police arrived, they ventured into the carnage to find bloody footprints, signs of an attempted cleanup, and, in the dining room, an axe covered in blood, hair, and bone. Author Mark Neaves revisits the notorious and grisly murders of the richest and most influential couple in a small Mississippi town.

Mark Neaves is a lifelong resident of North Mississippi who has spent twenty-two years as a history teacher at the middle school, high school and community college levels. His love of history was fueled by his grandfather from the time he was young, and he has spent countless hours researching different historical periods. He holds a bachelor’s degree in social studies from the Mississippi University for Women, a master’s degree from the University of Mississippi and a master’s degree from Heritage Christian University. He is the coauthor of Little Fish, Big Splash and author of Mississippi Bear Hunter Holt Collier: Guiding Teddy Roosevelt and a Lifetime of Adventure. He has been married to his wife, Marti, for twenty-five years, and they have two children, Riley and Emma Kay. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, writing, hunting, fishing and spending time with his family.