Alvin Ridley married his wife, Virginia, in 1966. A few years later, he ran his own TV repair shop in historic downtown Ringgold, Georgia. The couple loved each other but they lived a life of isolation. She’d suffered from epilepsy since childhood and was uncomfortable being out in public. They didn’t have a phone and never had any visitors. For most of their marriage, Virginia never left their home at all. In fact, no one but Alvin saw her for nearly 27 years.
Join us at the quiet end for A Hidden Life. On the morning of Oct. 4, 1997, Alvin Ridley drove to a pay phone and called 911 after finding Virginia dead. Alvin was already widely disliked and considered an oddball, so soon there was talk around town about how and why he had murdered his wife. Alvin claimed that Virginia died after suffering a seizure while sleeping. Nonetheless, he was arrested and charged with murder, assault, and false imprisonment after the coroner concluded that Virginia had been strangled to death.
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Sources
Death in a Small Town, American Justice, S10 E22, 12/19/2001
Zenith Man by McCracken Poston Jr.
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