The Discovery Channel and Gadfly Publishing Announce the November 18, 2014 Premier of "The Shot Doctor," the Ruby McCollum Murder Trial

Lutz, FL, November 11, 2014 --(PR.com)-- While covering the murder trial, Hurston recalled her work in the timber camps of North Florida, where she had discovered the practice of “paramour rights.” This unwritten law of the antebellum South allowed a white man to take a “colored” woman as his concubine and force her to have his children. Hurston expected the upcoming trial of Ruby McCollum to be an unprecedented forum for a “Negress” to testify in her own defense after being forced, through paramour rights, to bear a powerful white man’s children.

Eager to begin her writing assignment, Hurston traveled to Live Oak, only to find that presiding judge Hal W. Adams had issued a gag order banning all but defense attorneys and close relatives from visiting the defendant. When Hurston sought interviews with locals during the course of this Kafkaesque trial, the entire town—white and black alike—seemed complicit in what she called a “conspiracy of silence, operating behind a curtain of secrecy.”

Hurston dug deep into the case and eventually published her work as a series in the Courier, but her account of the trial was limited to that newspaper, and was also later published in William B. Huie’s book, Ruby McCollum: Woman in the Suwannee Jail.

Neither Hurston nor Huie were ever allowed to speak with Ruby McCollum.

Over half a century later, Dr. C. Arthur Ellis, Jr. reconstructed the missing trial transcript, wrote extensively about the case, and spoke to audiences across the country, including the Miami International Book Fair, LA Theatre Works and various radio and TV stations. He is acknowledged as the only historian who knew all of the characters in the story that took place in his hometown of Live Oak, Florida. He is also the first to point out that this was a landmark trial in establishing equal access under the law for African-Americans, who had previously been denied their Constitutional rights.

Now, the Emmy Award Winning Series, A Crime to Remember, is featuring the Ruby McCollum story, along with an interview with Dr. C. Arthur Ellis, Jr. on November 18, 2014. Dr. Ellis, is joined by his wife, Dr. Leslie Ellis, a forensic psychologist who offers additional insight into the psychological profiles of the major characters in the story. Updated scheduling available at: www.investigationdiscovery.com/tv-shows/a-crime-to-remember

Asked about the feature, Dr. Art Ellis commented, “It was a pleasure to work with the producers of this episode in the award-winning Crime to Remember series, and I’m looking forward to the premier. Given the production team's dedication to detail and their artistic integrity, I’m certain that viewers will not be disappointed.”

Readers may find Zora Hurston and the Strange Case of Ruby McCollum in paperback through all distributors, and an illustrated color Kindle version on Amazon with promotional discounts.