Welcome to Sweet Tea Murders, where old Gulf Coast crimes are served sweet and Southern—true tales of mystery, justice, and human nature, drawn from courtrooms, backroads, and forgotten files.

I’m Michael Earl Simmons, and for more than three decades I’ve lived at the intersection of law enforcement and history. As a second-generation Pensacola Police Officer, retired Sergeant, and homicide detective, I walked these beats, investigated major cases, stood at countless crime scenes, and followed leads through humid Florida nights. Those experiences shaped me…not just as a lawman, but as someone who understands the human cost behind every headline.

Today, I still serve by training the next generation of officers in the realities of policing, ethics, and historical context. I also preserve and share the stories of Northwest Florida’s law enforcement legacy, as a recognized police historian, international speaker, and author of multiple books on regional true crime, fallen officers, legendary cases, and the evolution of justice in our corner of the South.

• Law Enforcement Legacy
  • Second-generation Pensacola Police Officer, following family tradition
  • 30+ years of service: patrol, detective, homicide investigations, supervisor, academy instructor
  • Retired Sergeant with firsthand experience in major cases and real-time crisis response
• Training & Leadership
  • Director, George Stone Criminal Justice Training Center (region’s premier facility)
  • Developer of programs that blend practical skills with historical lessons to honor truth and build better officers
• Historian & Legacy-Keeper
  • Leading authority on Pensacola Police Department and Northwest Florida law enforcement history
  • Author of 12+ works, including police histories, true-crime collections, accounts of line-of-duty deaths, and investigative narratives
  • Preserver of stories about early marshals, sheriffs, fallen heroes, and the shaping of Southern justice
• Speaker & Educator
  • International speaker on true crime, police history, and storytelling
  • Frequent presenter at historical societies, law enforcement events, tours, podcasts, and public lectures

But credentials only tell part of the story.

What truly drives me is the quieter side – the late nights poring over yellowed files, the conversations with families who still carry the weight of unsolved cases, the moments when a long-silent voice finally gets heard. I’m a storyteller at heart, raised in a tradition where history isn’t dry facts but living tales passed over glasses of sweet tea on front porches.

Through Sweet Tea Murders, I bring those forgotten Southern crimes back to life, not for sensationalism, but to honor the victims, recognize the officers who sought justice, and remind us all that the past still speaks if we listen closely. Whether it’s a 19th-century mystery on the bayou or a mid-20th-century tragedy in Pensacola, every story carries lessons about humanity, resilience, and the thin line between order and chaos.

I write because certain truths only emerge when we slow down, sip slowly, and let the details unfold. My goal is simple: to keep the legacy alive, one true tale at a time.

Thank you for joining me on this journey through Gulf Coast history and true crime. Explore the stories, dive into the books, or reach out if you have a family tale or historical question worth preserving.

Pour yourself a glass of sweet tea, settle in, and let’s remember together.

Michael Earl Simmons

Pensacola, Florida

Southern Crime Historian

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