The three families: Settling in antebellum Texas
Migrating to a new frontier: the Texas Panhandle
Amarillo, 1910: John Beal, Lena
and Al
A secret too big to keep
"Let the old men settle it"
A man with a plan
Escape, flight, and pursuit
The gathering storm
Then the killings begin
To the courts
From guns to gavels
Lena's sanity hearing
"The greatest legal battle ever"
The 1912 Fort Worth murder trial of John Beal Sneed
Protecting a home, or protecting a killer?
The conclusion of the 1912 John Beal Sneed murder trial
The waiting game
Ambush at the death cottage
"Because this is Texas"
The second Fort Worth murder trial of John Beal Sneed
The murder trial begins
The verdict
"Making'em believe in ghosts"
The Beech Epting murder trial
"No trial for the dead"
The Vernon murder trial of John Beal Sneed
The John Beal Sneed wars continue
Combat in the courts, firefights in the streets
Epilogue: A. Snatching victory from the jaws of defeat
Spin-doctoring, dirty tricks, and whatever else it takes
B. Reflections, speculations, unsolved mysteries
And what happened to Lena's baby?
Appendix one: The rest of the tragic story of Hugh D. Spencer
Miss Lillie was a rover
Appendix two: Timeline.