The SHOCKING never before told TRUE story of APPALACHIAS DEADLIEST: Andy Boshears and Henry Willis

A crime so horrifying that folks refused to speak of it for over a century until now. One of the most shocking events in American history took place in 1892 and sparked an outrage so intense that even today the mountains echo with cries for revenge. Buckle up for this incredible episode of Appalachia’s Deadliest and the true story of Andy Bo Shears and Henry Willis.
[Music] Our story begins in 1892 just south of the Kentucky state line in Campbell County, Tennessee. This sparsely populated area was in the heart of the Cumberland Mountains and was still as wild and untamed as any place on planet Earth. The bloody conclusion of the war between the states had brought in the iron horse, which came snaking through the rock gorges on steel tracks as wealthy northern industrialists were now stripping the hills of its coal and timber.
For the first time, paying jobs were available, and the lure of money brought in men from far away places to this otherwise desolate wilderness. Nearly overnight, boom towns such as Jelico and Kerryville sprang up with mining and timber camps, boarding houses, and saloons. Each day, the train brought more men who were looking to get in on this Appalachin gold rush.
But most of all, those steam locomotives brought shady characters with mysterious past and even brazen outlaws who were looking to reinvent themselves and to raise a little hell in those whiskey saloons, especially since there was little to no lawmen to be found. Instead, it was a place where any wrongdoing or feuds were settled the old-fashioned way with generous doses of gunpowder and lead.
Mountain justice was the law of the land. Indeed, Campbell County was every bit as dangerous as the Wild West. By day, the ring of axes and the groan of timber wagons echoed through the hollers. But by night, the glow of the barrooms and saloons lit up the dirt streets of Jelico, where miners strapped with fistfuls of cash wasted no time gambling, fighting, or drinking themselves blind.
Gunfights were common, and nearly every morning there was some poor soul who had wound up on the wrong end of a Winchester rifle or a coat pistol and was now being loaded up on the Undertaker’s wagon. Amazing praise. How sweet the sound that [Music] But not everyone in Campbell County was looking for brown whiskey and guns smoke.
Just a few miles away from the saloons of Jelico, tucked in a wooded fold of the Cumberland ridges, stood a tiny community of mountaineers known as Buckeye. And truth be told, it wasn’t much

And the folks who lived in Buckeye had little use for this new fang dangled way of life that that railroad had brought in over in those cold hounds. In their minds, only a fool would sell what little time he’d been blessed with here on this earth just to work for a few coins. All these hill folk needed was a roof over their head, food in the smokehouse, and peace enough to raise a family.
Among the men who called Buckeye home was Lewis Delk, a 22-year-old mountaineer whose name carried respect even in these untamed hills. Folks who knew him said that he was a straight dealing, honest soul, and he never took anything that wasn’t his. He rose with the sun, bowed his head before every meal, and ended each evening with a prayer, whispered beside the fireplace.
Lewis wasn’t one for drinking and gaming. No, instead he found satisfaction in hunting and fishing or just enjoying the simple beauty of nature. But more than anything else, he loved the preaching down at the Cedar Creek Baptist Church. That’s right. Folks would come from all over with picnic baskets and spend the entire day singing and fellowshipping and catching up on all the news and gossip with extended tongue wagon sessions after the service ended.
And as much as Lewis enjoyed those sermons and the socializing, the main reason for his frequent visits to Cedar Creek Baptist Church was none other than 17-year-old Mary Jane Douglas, the prettiest girl in the choir. Locals had long known that Lewis and Mary Jane were courting, and it was only a matter of time till the couple would get spliced.

And in June of 1892, that’s exactly what happened. Life couldn’t have been any more picture perfect for the newlyweds. And for a time, the world seemed to smile on Lewis and Mary Jane. Their little cabin sat on the banks of Cedar Creek underneath a stand of towering chestnuts. Each morning, the rooers’s crow carried across the holler and Mary Jane could be seen on the porch with her apron tied around her waist shaking out tablecloths while Lewis readied himself for the day’s chores.
6:18
They had only been married a month, but back then there wasn’t much of a honeymoon period. Instead, married folks got down to the business of living. The couple tended to a small patch of corn and beans behind their cabin and a few rows of ters that grew alongside the fence row. And with having their own egg laying chicken and a milk cow, most folks said that Louiswis and Mary Jane had all the wealth and happiness a family could ever dream of.
6:47
Surely this was the beginning of a long, beautiful life together, right? Well, not so fast, my friend. You see, things aren’t always as they appear, and lots of dangers hid in these mountains. And unbeknownst to Louiswis and Mary Jane, trouble was already stirring in those ridges.
7:10
And their picture perfect world was about to take a terrifying turn. Because what happens next would set the hills of fire with cries for mountain justice to avenge one of the most horrifying crimes in American history. [Music] Click the link below to order the brand new book, Appalachia’s Deadliest, and ride shotgun with some of the baddest outlaws in Appalachin history.
7:41
[Music] June 22nd, 1892 had been an exciting day at the Delulk Homestead. Louiswis had made the trip to Caraveville to sell a hog, and Mary Jane had never been happier than she was when she saw that flower printed fabric that her husband had bought for her while he was in town. But now it was evening.
8:10
The couple had already finished their supper and had retired to their favorite chairs in front of the fireplace as darkness fell upon the outside world. As usual, Lewis read a couple verses from the book of Matthew as his wife studied the new cloth by the light of the flickering flames and dreamed of all the things she could sew with it.
8:32
But just then, their blue tick hound let out a long warning howl outside. The kind of howl that let his owner know that someone was approaching. That sure is odd, Lewis thought to himself. Who in the world would be out and about at this hour? After all, their closest neighbor was nearly a half a mile away, and they never came calling this time of night.
8:57
Then, before Lewis could put his Bible down, he heard the sound of boots on the front porch. And then came a slow knock at the door. “Uh, who’s there?” Lewis called out. State your business. We’re officers from Jellico. We need two horses and we came to pay you to hire yours. Horses? Lewis thought to himself.
9:24
Nah, this business about needing horses didn’t sit right with him. And he told him plain and simple that his animals weren’t for hire. I’m sorry, stranger. We can’t help you. You best be on your way now. And then there was a lingering silence. Not a single sound. Both Lewis and Mary Jane held their breath as they stared without blinking at the door.
9:47
Had the mysterious strangers left? No, they couldn’t have. And the husband and wife were sure that they were still standing on the porch. Lewis looked across the room. There was his rifle leaning on the opposite side of the cabin. But if he moved towards it, the creaking floor would give away his every movement.
10:06
More silence until finally it was broken. The slow shuffle of boots could be heard walking off the porch outside. “Thank God, they’re leaving,” Mary whispered. “But just then the door burst open. The unknown men kicked it nearly off the hinges. And now the two desperate outlaws stood with bad intentions written upon their faces.
10:29
“Each man carrying a pistol. Don’t you move a step, boy.” One of them barked, leveling his coal pistol. You make a single sound and I’ll put you beneath the dirt. Mary Jane clutched her husband as her heart was hammering and Louiswis tried to step in front of her, but both outlaws pushed further in with their boots scraping on the rough plank floor and their eyes darting between the husband and wife like wolves closing in on their prey. Lewis, he had no choice.
10:58
He had to do something, and there was no time to waste. So, the husband made a desperate attempt to grab his weapon. But before he had gone two steps, both men began pistol whipping him to the ground, where one of the outlaws grabbed Lewis’s bloody head and dragged him into the front yard and continued the assault.
11:18
From inside the cabin, Mary Jane could hear Louiswis outside and the sickening thud of blows that were raining down on him. But there, standing in front of her, the other criminal stood looking her over. “Please, please don’t kill him. I beg you.” But the outlaw only smiled. and then stepped closer with hot breath and the stench of whiskey.
11:40
And without hesitation, he pressed the cold barrel of his cold pistol against her head. “Now, pretty girl,” he drawled. “You’re going to give us both what we came for.” “Mary Jane froze! The entire world spinning around her as the fire popped into hearth and the fabric that she had been admiring only moments before dropped to the floor.
12:06
And suddenly, in that moment, everything in her life changed in an instant. Outside the cabin, Lewis had been left for dead. But somehow he regained consciousness and crawled and hid at the edge of the creek. When the desperadoo realized that he had escaped, both men set quickly out into the dark forest to find him.
12:36
And when they did, they would finish the job. Completely traumatized, Mary saw a chance to escape. So she ran for her life, bursting out into the night, running with all her might as a chill of terror ran through her bones. She tore through the yard and down toward the creek, breathing in ragged gasp, when suddenly from behind her, the cabin door burst open and a voice roared like thunder.
13:01
“Get her! Don’t let her get away!” branches snapped and boots crashed against the underbrush as the outlaws gave chase into the blackness. But Mary was driven by something stronger than fear. Her desperate will to live. She splashed into the creek. And without thinking, she pressed herself low beneath the bank, clinging to the roots of an overhanging tree while the water pulled against her dress.
13:25
Time and time again, the desperado stormed past her. As they scoured the holler, Mary was too scared to breathe. She could hear them promising to finish her once they laid their hands on her again. In anger, one outlaw fired every shot in his pistol into the night sky with the echo rolling down the valley like a warning to every living soul.
13:49
But somehow, by the grace of God, both Lewis and Mary had survived. Now, Campbell County, Tennessee, was no stranger to violence, but this crime was different. This was a young bride of only 30 days and her innocence stolen in her own home with her husband left for dead. But who committed the crime? And just how long would it be before they got caught? [Music] Then by daybreak, the outlaws had disappeared into the unknown.
14:28
An unspeakable crime. But you better believe that there would soon be hell to pay. By the time the sun rose over the Cumberlands the next morning, wagon tongues had spread word of the outrage like wildfire. Men clenched their fist, women cried, and preachers muttered prayers over and over, urging restraint. And the local sheriff begged the mountaineers to just let the law handle the investigation.
14:55
But they knew what everyone knew. If those mountaineers caught those scoundrels, justice would be swift. Posies formed before noon, armed with rifles, shotguns, and pistols. Those mountain men combed the ridges and hollers and wagon roads. The sheriff at Jackboro was pressed by furious crowds, and he promised that he’d see the outlaws brought in alive.
15:17
But most folks, no, they doubted there would ever be a trial, especially since the rumor was that those same two men had carried out a similar act weeks before in neighboring Scott County. Now, no one thought for a second that those boys would make it to a trial. Mountain Justice had a way of running a little quicker than those courts.
15:40
And by Saturday evening, word came down that the fugitives had been spotted near Jelico. And that’s when two citizens from Cole Creek stumbled upon him while they were playing poker in the saloon. A the capture was almost too easy. Both men were armed but taken by surprise as they felt a pistol pointed at the back of each man’s head.
16:02
Within hours, Andy Boseren and Henry Willis were marched off to the train, guarded by a small army of sheriff deputies who were determined to get the prisoners to the safety of the Jboro jail, where they would be held until trial. When the train stopped in Caramel, there were hundreds of onlookers at the depot, ready to get a look at the men responsible for the outrage.
16:25
And among them was none other than Lewis Delk, who had several broken bones and his eyes were nearly swollen shut for the beating he took. But as soon as that train stopped, Lewis stepped on board, armed with a magnificent Winchester, ready to take the law into his own hands. And I tell you right now, it took every ounce of restraint from those officers to rustle that weapon from the enraged husband before he opened fire.
16:52
The lawman managed to drag the prisoners through the hostile crowd and loaded them on a wagon and transported them to the only jail in the county just a few miles away. But folks, times were different in Appalachia during those days. Mountaineers, well, they didn’t wait on the law. They took it into their own hands.
17:11
And that’s exactly what happened. Less than 5 hours after the men were booked into the Campbell County Jail, 150 mountaineers surrounded it, armed to the teeth. It was nearly midnight and the jail was guarded by six deputies. But one look at that mob caused each one of them to step aside. Once inside, the jailer had hid the keys in an effort to save those prisoners.
17:35
But it didn’t matter. Within minutes, sledgehammers had busted the lock from the jail cell, and Bose shears and Willis were then bound, gagged, and thrown on a back of a horse. An army of mountaineers, armed with rifles and torches, marched the prisoners out of the town to a scaffold that had been hastily made from a wooden beam and a gate.
17:58
And minutes later, the gate was pulled from under both of the accused, and they dropped out of this world and landed on the other side of eternity. Mountain justice had been served. Hey guys, JD Phillips here, and we’re on location here in Lafallet, Tennessee, just a few miles away from where this terrible crime took place. Uh and today here in Baker’s Memorial Cemetery, Andy Bo Shears is laid to rest here.
18:33
Uh his there’s a lot of B shears here. As I was walking around, maybe a hundred of them. But the thing is is that these people actually were not buried here. They were actually buried back at Cedar Creek where this crime took place in the first place. They were buried by um a Cedar Creek Baptist church which was located on the mouth of Cedar Creek before it poured into the Powell River.
19:02
However, in the 1940s when the TVA came in and through imminent domain, they took all the land around here to build this gigantic lake known as Norris Lake. They dug up all the bodies and they carried them here. Now, you may be asking, “Well, what what ever happened to the other criminal, Mr. Willis’s body?” Well, when he was originally buried there over on Cedar Creek, he had an unmarked grave.
19:31
So, when they started moving all the bodies, his along with countless others who had no gravestone were simply left there and they flooded the entire area, which is now underwater. And the craziest thing about this is they built a bridge right over where that cemetery used to be. And today tourists flock from all over America to go to this place.
19:56
It’s called the jumping bridge. And they dive in. Many people have died jumping off of that bridge because of the boulders and the rebar and all the stuff that’s underneath the water. But there’s something else under the water, and that’s all the bodies that were never moved. I decided to head out to Cedar Creek in Campbell County, Tennessee.
20:21
And as I made my way through the twisting, narrow back roads, I wanted to see the actual location for myself. So, here we are, guys. We are at the famous jumping bridge on Norris Lake here in Campbell County, Tennessee. And before the TVA came in and flooded this, the graveyard where Bchur and Willis were in was right here.
21:04
And right up here on the hill was the church. And of course, the TVA came in and took all the land through imminent domain and they dug up what bodies had tombstones and they moved them about 10 miles down the road from here. But many of the bodies are still right underneath here. The church itself is about a half mile up the road now. But um this is the site of one of the most gruesome terrible crimes ever committed in Appalachia.
21:36
And this is where the killers were buried. [Music] I always find it fascinating to visit the places where these stories took place so many years ago. to stand there and witness with my own eyes just how much has been forgotten. Yet, for some reason, many times as I stand there and reflect, I get the feeling that something knows why I’m there, even if no one else does.
22:12
H I’d like to leave you with this thought. According to newspapers at the time, Andy Boschers and Henry Willis was the first documented case of a hanging in the history of Campbell County. And as for those 150 men that stormed the jail and carried out the execution, no one ever faced criminal charges. A true story so evil that for years folks refused to talk about it again, hoping that one day it would be forgotten.
22:44
And for the last 130 years, it was until now. What about you, my friend? Do you think the mountaineers were right to take the law into their own hands, or should they have let the courts handle it? I look forward to your thoughts in the comments below. If you enjoy stories of true crime that’s nearly been forgotten, be sure to check out my brand new book, Appalachia’s Dead List.
23:08
It’s full of stories just like this one. Till next time, my friends, be sure to like and subscribe for more true stories from Appalachia’s past. [Music]