Willie McGee and the Traveling Electric Chair

from Radio Diaries · host Radio Diaries & Radiotopia

This episode includes topics and archival audio that some people will find disturbing.Seventy-five years ago, on the night of May 7th, 1951, close to a thousand people gathered around the courthouse in the small town of Laurel, Mississippi. They came to witness an execution. Willie McGee was a young Black man who had been accused of raping a white woman and sentenced to death.Six decades later, Bridgette McGee-Robinson teamed up with Radio Diaries to find the truth about what happened to her grandfather. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published May 7, 2026

Embed this episode

Attribution link and audio player

NOW PLAYING

Willie McGee and the Traveling Electric Chair

0:00 27:39

1×

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Share this episode

Similar Episodes

No similar episodes found.

Similar Podcasts

Dragnet Entertainment Radio The Dragnet radio show was a groundbreaking and influential police procedural drama that ran on NBC from 1949 to 1957. Here are some key things to know about it:Main Features:Focus: The show followed the cases of Sergeant Joe Friday and his partners, primarily in the Los Angeles Police Department. It depicted the real-life work of detectives, including the tedious investigation process, interviews, stakeouts, and occasional danger.Realism: Jack Webb, the show's creator and star, aimed for authenticity. Episodes were often based on real cases, with details changed to protect the innocent. The dialogue was direct and unvarnished, mimicking the way police officers actually spoke.Famous Intro: The show's opening sequence is iconic: the announcer's voice declaring "This is the city... Los Angeles... California..." followed by the signature "dun-dun-DUN" theme music.Impact:Pioneering Police Procedural: Dragnet is considered a pioneer of

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Radio Diaries?

This episode is 27 minutes long.

When was this Radio Diaries episode published?

This episode was published on May 7, 2026.

Can I download this Radio Diaries episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.

URL copied to clipboard!