Tea Time Crimes

The Mysterious Death of Ocey Snead: Part 1

Episode Summary

24-year-old Ocey Snead was found dead in a bathtub in her East Orange, NJ home. A note near her body points to a suicide, but a simple visual inspection of the house says otherwise. As investigators dig deeper into Ocey’s past, they quickly discover that the three women closest to her, her mother, aunt, and mother-in-law, seem to have a strange hold over Ocey. It’s not long before everyone is asking, what really happened to Ocey Snead? Listen in for part one of this very strange case.

Episode Notes

24-year-old Ocey Snead was found dead in a bathtub in her East Orange, NJ home. A note near her body points to a suicide, but a simple visual inspection of the house says otherwise. As investigators dig deeper into Ocey’s past, they quickly discover that the three women closest to her, her mother, aunt, and mother-in-law, seem to have a strange hold over Ocey. It’s not long before everyone is asking, what really happened to Ocey Snead? Listen in for part one of this very strange case. 

Content Warning: This episode contains suicide ideation.

If you, or someone you know is struggling, help is available. 

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Call or Text 988

SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357

Tea of the Day: Apple Spiced Chai 

Theme Music by Brad Frank

Sources:

• Three Sisters in Black: The Bizarre True Case of the Bathtub Tragedy by Norman Zierold and narrated by Gabrielle de Cuir
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/85942398/fletcher-wardlaw-snead
• The Kentucky Post and Times-Star - 09 May 1910, Mon · Page 3 https://www.newspapers.com/image/760480546/
• Detroit Evening Times - 06 May 1910, Fri · Page 1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/835273211/
• The Murfreesboro Post - 27 Oct 2014, Mon · Page 23 https://www.newspapers.com/image/694769134/
• The Brooklyn Daily Eagle - 30 Nov 1909, Tue · Page 2 https://www.newspapers.com/image/55381702/
• Times Union - 01 Dec 1909, Wed · Page 1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/556004272/
• The New York Times - 02 Dec 1909, Thu · Page 2 https://www.newspapers.com/image/20470744/
• The Washington Post - 03 Dec 1909, Fri · Page 11 https://www.newspapers.com/image/28948838/
• St. Louis Globe-Democrat - 05 Dec 1909, Sun · Page 7 https://www.newspapers.com/image/571543061/
• The Brooklyn Daily Eagle - 06 Dec 1909, Mon · Page 3 https://www.newspapers.com/image/54453151/
• The Brooklyn Daily Eagle - 07 Dec 1909, Tue · Page 3 https://www.newspapers.com/image/54453707/
• The Washington Post - 08 Dec 1909, Wed · Page 1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/28954399/
• The Washington Post - 12 Dec 1909, Sun · Page 22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/28958331/
• The Topeka State Journal - 16 Dec 1909, Thu · Page 1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/323200332/
• The Baltimore Sun - 18 Dec 1909, Sat · Page 1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/372957797/
• The Roanoke Times - 26 Dec 1909, Sun · Page 1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/911686526/
• The Morning Post - 10 Jan 1910, Mon · Page 8 https://www.newspapers.com/image/447369020/
• The Washington Herald - 07 Feb 1910, Mon · Page 1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/48229848/
• The Boston Globe - 12 Aug 1910, Fri · Page 9 https://www.newspapers.com/image/430842486/
• The Charlotte News -09 Jan 1911, Mon · Page 3 https://www.newspapers.com/image/58493450/
• The Roanoke Times - 09 Dec 1909, Thu · Page 1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/911685418/