When Virginia Ridley was found dead inside her Georgia home in 1997, suspicion quickly fell on her husband, Alvin—a reclusive television repairman whose unusual behavior and eccentric reputation had made him an outsider in his own community.

Charged with his wife's murder, Alvin faced a criminal justice system that struggled to understand him. But attorney McCracken Poston Jr. would discover that behind the rumors, the locked doors, and the troubling circumstances of Virginia's death was a far more complicated story.

In this episode of Dreadfully Yours, I sit down with McCracken Poston Jr., criminal defense attorney and author of Zenith Man: Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom, to discuss one of Georgia's most extraordinary murder trials.

From the challenges of representing an unconventional client to the evidence that would reshape the narrative surrounding Alvin and Virginia's marriage, McCracken shares his experiences inside and outside the courtroom—and reflects on the friendship that grew from a case neither man would ever forget.

It's a conversation about justice, prejudice, loyalty, love, and the danger of mistaking someone's differences for evidence of guilt.

Featured Book: Zenith Man: Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom by McCracken Poston Jr. Find more info about Poston, Jr. on his website at https://www.zenithmanbook.com/ and find the book anywhere you get your books.

Originally available on:

Dreadfully Yours: Conversations with Dark Storytellers

Mentioned in this episode:

The Darkest Season

Find The Darkest Season: True Crime in the American South from Halloween to Christmas anywhere you get your books. Releasing Mid-October 2026.

A special announcement from Raven Rollins introducing Dreadfully Yours: Conversations with Dark Storytellers — a brand new companion-ish podcast dedicated to conversations with authors, filmmakers, journalists, podcasters, musicians, and the minds behind the stories that linger long after the final page.

🎙️ Now streaming wherever you get your podcasts.

From chilling novels and psychological thrillers to horror, film, true crime, and the art of storytelling itself, Dreadfully Yours is a podcast that invites listeners into conversations with the minds behind the stories that stay with us.

Hosted by author, audiobook narrator, and podcaster Raven Rollins, each chapter blends cinematic narration with intimate discussions exploring fear, creativity, obsession, grief, suspense, and the human experiences woven into dark storytelling.

Find the podcast anywhere you stream your podcasts or web stream on Captivate.

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Dreadfully Yours, Raven Rollins

Seven-year-old Athena Strand should have been safe at home.

Instead, on November 30, 2022, she vanished from outside her father’s property in Paradise, Texas after a FedEx delivery driver came to the home. What followed became one of the most haunting child murder cases in recent memory — a case that would ultimately lead to the arrest, conviction, and death sentence of Tanner Horner.

In this episode, I walk through the timeline of Athena’s disappearance, the search efforts that gripped the community, the disturbing evidence shown during the capital murder sentencing trial, and the heartbreaking testimony from the people who loved Athena most.

Portions of audio featured in this episode come directly from the live trial proceedings, including testimony from Maitlyn Gandy and the Medical Examiner.

Listener discretion is strongly advised. This episode contains discussion of violence against a child, forensic testimony, and traumatic material.

Advocacy. Investigation. Education. Storytelling.

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Mentioned in this episode:

This Is True Crime (Book)

This Is True Crime: How to Become an Advocate for Justice (book) by Raven Rollins