Trials of Hex

by J. Ross McGinnis

Against a backdrop of superstition and mysticism as old as the hills of southern York County, a vagabond and two accomplices committed a murder that left in its wake issues for the community to be resolved that would be as intractable as the source of the demons that allegedly had caused the tragedy.

The story is fact.

It has all the essential ingredients of a fascinating tale of mysticism and the occult: a brutal, bloody murder done in the name of the ancient, primitive, and satanic power of witchcraft and superstition.

The story of the murder still echoes and re-echoes with intensity and interest as a remarkable episode in the county's past. It is compelling and fascinating - a blend of local customs, pow-wow, belief in the supernatural, and extreme violence. Its full impact cannot be understood apart from the trials, which provide the backdrop for an accurate analysis of the story. Without the trials, the story becomes the straightforward recitation of a gory, violent murder. The trials add a broad dimension of absorbing personalities, local color, and community response to a unique and overwhelming event.

Genres: True Crime

454 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Eden Silverfox · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is about the murder of Nelson Rehmeyer and the trials following his death.

I read this because I was interested in learning more about what had happened and there are only two books on the Hex Murder, the first being Hex and then this one.

I learned a bit more than I already knew, but I read Hex about two years ago and I feel that is the better book to read if you wish learn more about the Hex Murder.

This one was alright, though. Didn't really like it as much as Hex.

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Less a narrative of the murder and trials, more an anthology of primary and secondary source documents. Around three quarters of the book is made up of trial transcripts and contemporary newspaper reports from journalists who attended the trials. I’m researching this story and having all of these documents in one place, rather than needing to dig through databases to find them myself, is invaluable.

This also means that the book is not suited for casual interest, but for readers who are willing to wrestle with the frequent tedium of the transcripts and uneven and uneven tone and flowery prose of the newspaper accounts.

[Susan]

This might be a really good book and this review has nothing to do with the story itself. I bought the Kindle version The formating makes it nearly impossible to read. The line spacing is uneven, the font is uneven, I tried to adjust it every which way I could and I just couldn't make it work.

[Mission Kiki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was our go to book for research on our Hex Hallow Murder episode.

[Colleen]

A thorough, detailed account that I'm sure I'll be turning to often for research purposes...😉