Video credit - News on 6 Tulsa
Article credit - Nov 14, 2023 ‐ Fox23 News
TULSA, Okla -- Local authors, podcasters, and true crime advocates, Raven Rollins and Mandy McNeely have recently published their book, “Sins of the South,” where they both take the reader on a deep dive into three of Oklahoma's cold cases.
“I have always had a fascination with crime. I can remember watching Unsolved Mysteries when I was young and being enveloped in the why of it all. As a victim of sexual assault, and having lost family members to murder, it only seems fitting that I would end up running a true crime podcast and writing true crime novels,” said Rollins.
McNeely says before they both began to write their book, she and Rollins really thought about giving the victims’ families to have a voice in the story.
“We wanted the reader to understand that the victim is not just the person that the crime was committed on. It is the family, friends, even neighbors. The loss of a loved one to homicide does not just go away and one does not just simply get past it. These families have fought for justice and their stories deserve to be told,” said McNeely.
The co-authors say it took two years to complete the book. They both took their time researching, gathering evidence, conducting interviews, and writing.
“Sins of the South” explores the case of 15-year-old Daniel Furr who went missing in 1995 in Ada, Okla.
“A body was found four days later that was identified as Daniel. We also focus on Sheila Deviney, a 30-year-old newly single mother of two with a domestic violence history who ended up burned alive in her own home in Maysville, Okla. Her death was initially thought to be accidental,” said Rollins.
The book also focuses on Shawna Jones’ cold case.
“She was a single mother of two who had moved back home to Henryetta, Okla. and was later found near a pond on New Year’s Day of 1994 in Henryetta, also initially thought to be accidental," said Rollins. "All of these cases, we feel, were mishandled by authorities and continue to be ignored. We feel like these cases could have been solved rather quickly if they had been handled appropriately and can still be solved today with the right information in the appropriate hands."
“Sins of the South” was launched in September of 2023.
“The feedback has been that the book engulfs them and when they are reading it they can feel the family's strength through the pages,” said McNeely.
The authors have both attended local book signings, where at most of the events they also hold panel discussions with family members of the victims.
“Our goal is to have these cases reopened, reinvestigated, and closed with a solve. If that ceases to happen, we take solace in knowing that their names, who they were, and their time here on earth will not be forgotten,” said Rollins.
The authors believe it is vital to shed light on these Okla. cold cases through their work.
“If it’s cold, it means a killer still walks among us, and you simply never know who that killer may be. It not only calls for public safety, but advocacy for someone’s lost loved one, and you never know who may hold the key to solving the case. As Robert Stack said, ‘It could be you.’ With the book distribution among our local communities, we hope to reach someone who may hold answers in one or all of these cases," said Rollins.
Original Article https://www.fox23.com/entertainment/local-true-crime-podcasters-write-book-in-hopes-to-breathe-new-l
*Sins of the South is available in ebook format, paperback and hardback on Amazon. It can also be found in some local stores, like Rivendell Books & Baubles & Book and Bloom in Broken Arrow and The Re-Finery in Ada, Oklahoma. You can also purchase the ebook here on our website. https://www.thesirenspodcast.com/product-page/sins-of-the-south
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