Meet Michael Earl

Michael Earl Simmons · Historical True Crime Storyteller

There’s a Story Beneath These Streets.

When I walk through an old Southern town, I wonder about the people who were there before us. Who kept the store on the corner? What happened behind the courthouse doors? What story once had everyone talking—and why has it been forgotten?

Those questions keep me looking.

I’m Michael Earl Simmons, a retired police senior sergeant, author, and historical true crime storyteller based in Pensacola, Florida. I research forgotten Southern crimes and mysteries, then bring them to life through speaking engagements, books, walking tours, and Sweet Tea Murders gatherings.

I love finding a remarkable old story. I enjoy sharing it even more.

From Working Cases to Exploring the Past

As a second-generation law enforcement officer, I spent thirty years with the Pensacola Police Department, including assignments in homicide and crimes against persons.

That experience shapes the questions I ask when researching history. What did investigators know at the time? What could a witness actually have seen? Which details can be supported—and which remain uncertain?

My work as a criminal justice educator has also deepened my interest in the people behind the badge, the responsibilities they carried, and the communities they served.

History gives me another way to explore those lives and share what they can teach us.

The Stories That Draw Me In

I’m especially drawn to older cases that have slipped from public memory: a disappearance in a timber community, a feud along a country road, or a crime beneath the familiar windows of a downtown street.

Pensacola and the Gulf Coast are my starting point. My curiosity reaches across the South, into small towns and communities whose histories deserve a wider audience.

Research takes me through newspaper archives, court records, historical photographs, and surviving case materials. Family recollections can add valuable perspectives, too. I compare those sources, look for connections, and distinguish documented events from the legends that sometimes grow around them.

Behind every case are people whose lives mattered. That is where the story begins.

Pull Up a Chair

My storytelling is conversational, animated, and rooted in the atmosphere of the South. I want you to picture the street, understand the people, and feel curious about what happens next.

There is suspense, room for appropriate humor, and time to consider the questions a case leaves behind. I tell these stories with respect for victims, families, and the officers who worked to uncover the truth.

You might hear me at a historical society gathering, follow me through old Pensacola, or join me over barbecue and sweet tea at Sweet Tea Murders: A Southern Storytelling Supper. You can also explore the stories through my books, written posts, and audio storytelling.

Wherever we meet, I hope you leave knowing a little more about a place—and wanting to hear another story.

Bring a Story to Your Community

Does your organization enjoy history, mystery, and a good Southern story?

I welcome speaking inquiries from historical societies, museums, libraries, civic organizations, and event hosts across the South. We can discuss an available presentation or explore the possibility of researching a story connected to your community.

I’d be glad to hear what you have in mind.

[Explore Speaking & Storytelling]

[Read or Listen to a Story]

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