My grandmother was a striking 39-year-old mother of two who was murdered in Hot Springs, Arkansas in 1967. Her death dramatically changed the lives of generations that followed, yet was unsolved and forgotten at the time. This film follows my mother’s search for truth in a past clouded by chaotic events, mysterious characters and deep family secrets.

Mable Ashley was found dead in her white Thunderbird, two bullet holes in her chest, cigarette burns on her face and upholstery of her car, and her belongings strewn in struggle. The coroner’s report quickly called it a suicide. Her family suspected otherwise and hired a private eye, but after the P.I. was escorted to the county line by Hot Springs officials and told, “if you ever come sticking your nose in someone else’s business again, you’ll leave Hot Springs in a box,” the trail went cold.

My mother Mary, only 13 at the time, was forced to join the adult world, raising her younger sister. Within seven years, she was starting her own family and pushing the past aside. There was a great silence as no one in Mable’s family spoke of the murder.

Now forty years later, my mother can hardly speak about Mable without tears. But we return to Hot Springs together to find the end of this painful story. What could Mable have done to deserve this fate? Who were the last people she spoke to? Who remembers this occurrence? Who killed her? Why was a young single mother the target of this heinous crime, and what made Mable’s family forget about her and her children until now?

In the 1960’s illegal gambling and prostitution ran amuck in the small resort town of Hot Springs, Arkansas. Bookies and casino owners corrupted a significant part of the local government. When Winthrop Rockefeller became governor in 1967, he made it his mission to clean up the culture of corruption.

This documentary deals with buried pasts, and how one event can change the lives of several generations. It will evoke the nostalgia and romance of the past through use of archival footage and photographs from the time period, and contrast this sense of dangerous romance with the reality of a violent murder, and the powerful effect of a mother’s life taken. It will excavate details of Mable’s life and her struggle to make ends meet, and the history of the people and culture of this notorious yet alluring Southern town. It will use an array of sources, including interviews with people involved in the illegal gambling operations in Hot Springs and area historians, newspaper articles and books on the era. We’ll shoot footage of our journey as we search for information and hope for a resolution to this painful mystery.

The subject matter of this film will appeal to a broad audience, tapping public fascination with mystery, organized crime, and murder. It will hold appeal to an audience that will be interested in its personal look into the life of a family affected by a tragic loss. The film will speak to those in search of their roots, to women who struggle to provide for their families, and to those with a curiosity for forgotten stories from the past.

I (Audrey) recently took a trip down to Hot Springs, Arkansas to begin researching a documentary film I am making. I met my mother (whom the film is partially about) down there and we spent 5 days digging up the past, eating fried catfish and barbecue, bathing in hot springs and soaking up the vibe of this little town, and I have to say- I am in love with the history and old Americana feel of Hot Springs. Here are a couple of photos from the trip, the rest are on Mark’s Flickr page. I will be posting more about this project in the months (and years?) to come, I may even create a separate blog for the film, but I will keep everyone POSTED. Ha ha. Pun intended.