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Gone
Two young women disappear. Another drowns. All linked to one man — Felix Vail. The Mississippi native was the last known person seen with three women — his wife, Mary Horton Vail, who drowned Oct. 28, 1962, his girlfriend, Sharon Hensley, who disappeared in 1973, and his wife, Annette Craver Vail, who disappeared in October 1984.
Initially arrested for questioning in his wife’s drowning in Lake Charles, La., he has never been prosecuted in any of the cases. The two women that disappeared were last known to be alive in Sulphur, La., where they were with Felix Vail at the time he was visiting his late sister.
Award-winning investigative reporter Jerry Mitchell went on the trail of Felix Vail, asking the important question: What are the odds of a man having a wife drown, another wife disappear and a common-law wife disappear?
“Smaller than the threshold of chance,” said James Alan Fox of Northeastern University, one of the nation’s leading criminologists. “Either he tends to select partners that lead higher risk lives or something else is going on that’s more nefarious.”
“Jerry Mitchell is the most distinguished reporter in the entire country, an ornament to the profession and a model for any young person who ponders whether or not to enter our business, a reflection of what one reporter with a conscience can do. I simply marvel at him and what he has done.”
— The late David Halberstam in 2005
Author Jerry Mitchell has been called "a loose cannon," "a pain in the ass" and a “white traitor." Whatever he’s been called, Jerry Mitchell — a MacArthur genius grant winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist — has never given up in his quest to bring unpunished killers to justice.
In his latest work, Mitchell has tracked the acts of suspected serial killer Felix Vail across the country and found evidence of foul play in the drowning of his first wife, Mary, in Lake Charles, La.
So far, the stories of the 53-year-old investigative reporter, who has worked for The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Miss., since 1986, has helped put four killers behind bars, including the imperial wizard of Mississippi’s most violent KKK group, the assassin of NAACP leader Medgar Evers and the Klan leader who orchestrated the 1964 killings of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Schwerner (popularized by the fictional film about that case, Mississippi Burning).
For his work, Mitchell has received more than 30 national awards, including the prestigious George Polk Award twice. In 2006, the Pulitzer Board named him a Pulitzer Prize finalist, praising him “for his relentless and masterly stories on the successful prosecution of a man accused of orchestrating the killing of three civil rights workers in 1964.”
In 2009, the MacArthur Foundation named Mitchell a MacArthur fellow for his work, becoming only the second investigative reporter to ever receive the $500,000 award.
Mitchell has been interviewed on all the major network and cable television programs, most recently appearing on The Colbert Report.
Others have noticed his work. In 1996, the film, Ghosts of Mississippi, depicted him and his work, leading to the reopening of the Medgar Evers case. Two years later, he was honored along with three other journalists at the Kennedy Center in Washington.
He is currently writing a book for Simon & Schuster titled Race Against Time on his pursuit of these unpunished killings.
Initially arrested for questioning in his wife’s drowning in Lake Charles, La., he has never been prosecuted in any of the cases. The two women that disappeared were last known to be alive in Sulphur, La., where they were with Felix Vail at the time he was visiting his late sister.
Award-winning investigative reporter Jerry Mitchell went on the trail of Felix Vail, asking the important question: What are the odds of a man having a wife drown, another wife disappear and a common-law wife disappear?
“Smaller than the threshold of chance,” said James Alan Fox of Northeastern University, one of the nation’s leading criminologists. “Either he tends to select partners that lead higher risk lives or something else is going on that’s more nefarious.”
“Jerry Mitchell is the most distinguished reporter in the entire country, an ornament to the profession and a model for any young person who ponders whether or not to enter our business, a reflection of what one reporter with a conscience can do. I simply marvel at him and what he has done.”
— The late David Halberstam in 2005
Author Jerry Mitchell has been called "a loose cannon," "a pain in the ass" and a “white traitor." Whatever he’s been called, Jerry Mitchell — a MacArthur genius grant winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist — has never given up in his quest to bring unpunished killers to justice.
In his latest work, Mitchell has tracked the acts of suspected serial killer Felix Vail across the country and found evidence of foul play in the drowning of his first wife, Mary, in Lake Charles, La.
So far, the stories of the 53-year-old investigative reporter, who has worked for The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Miss., since 1986, has helped put four killers behind bars, including the imperial wizard of Mississippi’s most violent KKK group, the assassin of NAACP leader Medgar Evers and the Klan leader who orchestrated the 1964 killings of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Schwerner (popularized by the fictional film about that case, Mississippi Burning).
For his work, Mitchell has received more than 30 national awards, including the prestigious George Polk Award twice. In 2006, the Pulitzer Board named him a Pulitzer Prize finalist, praising him “for his relentless and masterly stories on the successful prosecution of a man accused of orchestrating the killing of three civil rights workers in 1964.”
In 2009, the MacArthur Foundation named Mitchell a MacArthur fellow for his work, becoming only the second investigative reporter to ever receive the $500,000 award.
Mitchell has been interviewed on all the major network and cable television programs, most recently appearing on The Colbert Report.
Others have noticed his work. In 1996, the film, Ghosts of Mississippi, depicted him and his work, leading to the reopening of the Medgar Evers case. Two years later, he was honored along with three other journalists at the Kennedy Center in Washington.
He is currently writing a book for Simon & Schuster titled Race Against Time on his pursuit of these unpunished killings.
39 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 8, 2012
37 people are currently reading
190 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 28, 2013
Jerry Mitchell writes for my hometown paper. I look for articles by him often even though I no longer live there. To me, this man is a hero. He has assisted these families find justice. He has done this for many families in his career.
July 10, 2015
A good short story
I would like to know more about this man. It's fascinating to me that he actually outsmarted all inquiries, investigating and overall curiosity of family members and law enforcement.
I would like to know more about this man. It's fascinating to me that he actually outsmarted all inquiries, investigating and overall curiosity of family members and law enforcement.
April 24, 2020
Once I started reading, I didn't want to stop! This engrossing, True Crime story was updated by the journalist and author, Jerry Mitchell. And, yes, justice was finally served: https://www.clarionledger.com/story/n...
August 16, 2020
Great read
Very well written. Interested to know the rest of the story. Well researched, Vail absolutely disappeared those women, no doubt!
Very well written. Interested to know the rest of the story. Well researched, Vail absolutely disappeared those women, no doubt!
December 28, 2023
Αν μπορούσα να χαρακτηρίσω το βιβλίο με μόνο λίγες λέξεις, αυτές θα ηταν: ενδιαφέρον και μετά τελείωσε! (Όπως θα σκεφτόταν και η γιαγια Αγκάθα!)
Το «Gone» αναφέρεται στην ιστορία της εξαφάνισης τριών γυναικών. Και οι τρεις συνδέονται με τον Φέλιξ Βέιλ, γέννημα θρέμμα του Μισισιπή, ο οποίος ήταν ο τελευταίος άνθρωπος που είδε τις τρεις γυναίκες. Την Annette Craver Vail, σύζυγό του, που χάθηκε τον Οκτώβριο του 1984, την Sharon Hensley, κοπέλα του, που χάθηκε το 1973, και την σύζυγό του Mary Horton Vail, που πνίγηκε το 1962.
Αρχικά είχε συλληφθεί στη λίμνη Charles στο Λος Άντζελες και ανακρίθηκε για την εξαφάνιση της συζύγου του. Πριν χαθούν δύο από τις γυναίκες, εθεάθησαν σε ένα προάστιο του Λος Άντζελες, όπου βρίσκονταν με τον Φέλιξ Βέιλ.
Αποτέλεσμα; Τον βρήκαν; Πήγε φυλακή; Ποιος ξέρει; Ούτε εγώ ούτε εσύ αν διαβάσεις το βιβλίο. Έφτασα στο τέλος του χωρίς να δοθούν πληροφορίες για το ποιο ήταν το αποτέλεσμα των κατηγοριών για φόνο, ούτε αν καταδικάστηκε ποτέ. Μικρό βιβλίο και με αρκετές ελλείψεις.
Καλή ανάγνωση αν επιλέξετε να το διαβάσετε...
Το «Gone» αναφέρεται στην ιστορία της εξαφάνισης τριών γυναικών. Και οι τρεις συνδέονται με τον Φέλιξ Βέιλ, γέννημα θρέμμα του Μισισιπή, ο οποίος ήταν ο τελευταίος άνθρωπος που είδε τις τρεις γυναίκες. Την Annette Craver Vail, σύζυγό του, που χάθηκε τον Οκτώβριο του 1984, την Sharon Hensley, κοπέλα του, που χάθηκε το 1973, και την σύζυγό του Mary Horton Vail, που πνίγηκε το 1962.
Αρχικά είχε συλληφθεί στη λίμνη Charles στο Λος Άντζελες και ανακρίθηκε για την εξαφάνιση της συζύγου του. Πριν χαθούν δύο από τις γυναίκες, εθεάθησαν σε ένα προάστιο του Λος Άντζελες, όπου βρίσκονταν με τον Φέλιξ Βέιλ.
Αποτέλεσμα; Τον βρήκαν; Πήγε φυλακή; Ποιος ξέρει; Ούτε εγώ ούτε εσύ αν διαβάσεις το βιβλίο. Έφτασα στο τέλος του χωρίς να δοθούν πληροφορίες για το ποιο ήταν το αποτέλεσμα των κατηγοριών για φόνο, ούτε αν καταδικάστηκε ποτέ. Μικρό βιβλίο και με αρκετές ελλείψεις.
Καλή ανάγνωση αν επιλέξετε να το διαβάσετε...
February 5, 2020
There is an ending to this story. Listen to the free podcast on Stitcher... Episodes 114 & 115, A DARK PAST, on True Crime Garage. Hear how a female PI solved this case after reading this book from her own mouth. FANTASTIC.
May 15, 2014
GONE
I thought this book was gonna be a long book to read, but it fell very short,the story is good but it would of been nice to have more of a story!!!.
I thought this book was gonna be a long book to read, but it fell very short,the story is good but it would of been nice to have more of a story!!!.
January 3, 2016
Disappointed
The book did not tell the rest of the story. Did Felix get caught? Did they ever prove any thing? Is he still living free? Too many questions unanswered.
The book did not tell the rest of the story. Did Felix get caught? Did they ever prove any thing? Is he still living free? Too many questions unanswered.
February 7, 2016
Good story. Left me wondering in the end. Felix disappeared. Where the hell is he?
August 9, 2016
A very well written journalist's personal account of terrible crimes. I really hope the families get the justice they need so badly.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews