If Trees Could Testify...: A Novel Based on the True Story of Madison County's Infamous Gahagan Murders

by William D. Auman, Kevin C. Auman (Narrator)

IF TREES COULD TESTIFY... is a historical mystery novel based on the true story of the infamous Madison County NC Gahagan murders. The homicides occurred near the Appalachian mountain town of Marshall, North Carolina, known by locals to be “a block wide, a mile long, sky high and hell deep.” On a quiet summer night in 1983, two elderly siblings were tragically murdered in their colonial, Georgian-style home across from Big Laurel Creek. Known for their distrust of banks and collection of antiques, gold, and silver coins, it was assumed that robbery was the principal motive. The murders captivated the close-knit rural community for nearly two decades, spanning three different sheriff administrations. “Who done it” rumors abounded, with theories of organized crime, outlaw biker gangs and even local family members. Almost eighteen years after the murders, warrants were issued charging a father and two of his sons with having committed the crimes. According to a local newspaper publisher, the case was filled with “stranger than life events” and a Hollywood film crew was interested in producing a motion picture based on the case. This book is a fictional mystery novel based on the true story of the murders and prosecution of those accused. Author William Auman was the principal defense attorney in the actual case. Names have been changed to protect the innocent (as well as the potentially guilty). It is a haunting tale told with a focus on the search for justice for both victims and defendants.

Audible Audio

Published June 26, 2025

About the author

William D. (Bill) Auman is the author of two books and numerous articles in various legal and outdoor journals. He has been a trial and appellate lawyer since 1986 and has taught as an adjunct professor at both UNC-Asheville and Mars Hill University for 25 years. A veteran of 3 "courts", he was at one time a USPTR tennis professional and an AAU/high school basketball coach. He is the proud parent of two, grandfather of two more, and can often be found paddling his kayak with his wife in the French Broad River valley of the NC mountains.