The Murders at Snowden House

In September of 1996, tragedy shattered the peace at the historic Snowden House, a grand estate resting in the heart of the Arkansas Delta. It was there that 75-year-old Sally Snowden McKay and her nephew, 52-year-old Joseph Lee Baker, were brutally murdered—a brutal act of violence that stained a home that had stood for generations. The killer? A teenage burglar, Travis Lewis, who had crept onto the property that day with intentions that turned deadly. He was caught, convicted, and sentenced to life behind bars. Justice, it seemed, had prevailed. But some stories don’t end where we expect them to. And for the Snowden family, the darkness wasn’t finished with them yet.

Fast forward more than 20 years, and the unthinkable happened—the same house, the same family, the same killer but a new victim. This time, 63-year-old Martha McKay. How did a convicted murderer get a second chance to kill? Why did Martha McKay, who believed in forgiveness, allow him back into her life? And how did this twisted story finally end? We’re breaking down every eerie and unbelievable detail in this episode. Trust us, you won’t believe how it all unfolds.

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Art for the podcast was created by Kelly Steen. Editing/Production for the podcast by Bltzwolff (bltzwolff@gmail.com).

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References:

Baker, K. C. (2020, May 6). Inside the bizarre case of a killer striking twice 23 years apart, murdering a mother and daughter. PEOPLE. https://people.com/crime/inside-the-bizarre-case-of-a-killer-striking-twice-23-years-apart-murdering-a-mother-and-daughter/

Baker, K. C. (2021, May 17). 'People Magazine Investigates': Inside the mother-daughter murders at Horseshoe Lake – 24 years apart. PEOPLE. https://people.com/crime/people-magazine-investigates-mother-daughter-murders-horseshoe-lake/

Baker, J. (2020, March 25). Martha McKay murdered at Horseshoe Lake home. Memphis Flyer. https://www.memphisflyer.com/martha-mckay-murdered-at-horseshoe-lake-home

 Criminal Matters. (n.d.). Woman killed by same man who killed mother 20 years earlier. Vocal Media. https://vocal.media/criminal/woman-killed-by-same-man-who-killed-mother-20-years-earlier

Finger, M. (2012, December 3). Lady of the lake: Martha McKay's love affair with Arkansas' iconic Horseshoe Plantation. Memphis Magazine. https://memphismagazine.com/habitats/lady-of-the-lake/

Jones, J. (2021, June 29). Murder mystery: Murder at Horseshoe Lake, conclusion. AY Magazine. https://aymag.com/murder-mystery-murder-at-horseshoe-lake-conclusion/

National Organization of Victims of Juvenile Murderers. (n.d.). Joseph Baker, Martha McKay, & Sally McKay. https://teenkillers.org/memorials/arkansas-victims/joseph-baker-martha-mckay-sally-mckay/

Puryear, M. (2020, September 30). Murder mystery: Murder at Horseshoe Lake, Part 1. AY Magazine. https://aymag.com/murder-mystery-murder-at-horseshoe-lake-part-1/

Weintraub, A. (2020, March 26). Arkansas woman killed by same man convicted of mother's murder 23 years earlier, sheriff says. ClickOrlando.