Sweet Tea Murders

The panhandle of Florida is known as the “slow” part of the state. Probably rightly named – lifestyles are slower, rivers are slower, and the culture calls for a slow, […]

The 1894 Trainor Murders: A Divorce, a Rushed Marriage, a Colt Revolver, and the Starving Man Who Defied the Gallows By Michael Earl Simmons Please take a moment to settle

Announcement: A New Chapter – Sweet Tea Murders Dear Readers, I am writing to inform you of a big change in this platform. As of yesterday, Old Gulf Coast Crime

By Michael Earl Simmons In 1762, in the sun-washed town of Vélez-Málaga on Spain’s southern coast, Pedro de Alba and Monica Lopez welcomed a son into the world. The village,

By Michael Earl Simmons The Gulf Coast’s secrets aren’t forgotten; they tend to hang around, like humidity settling into your bones after a long afternoon. Down in the Panhandle, where

By Michael Earl Simmons From the “Old Gulf Coast Crime Stories” chronicles, here is a story that highlights the spirit of the Florida Panhandle in its early years. Panhandle Lawmen

Why Training New Criminal Justice Officers in Department History Shapes Pride, Ethics, and Leadership By Michael Earl Simmons When a new recruit pins on a badge for the first time,

A Night of Fire in Allentown There are places along the Gulf Coast where the pines grow tall and the wind carries secrets. North of Milton, beyond the sandy roads

A Family That Shaped West Florida’s Criminal Justice Training In West Florida, we grow many things well—longleaf pine, stubborn pride, and young men and women who feel the pull of