Timothy Evans and Murfreesboro, Tennessee: Difference between pages

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{{Infobox Settlement
{{POV|date=April 2008}}
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'''Timothy John Evans''' ([[November 20]], [[1924]] – [[March 9]], [[1950]]) was a [[Welsh people|Welsh]] prisoner who was hanged in the [[United Kingdom]] in 1950 for the murder of his infant daughter. Events subsequent to his execution, including several books proclaiming his innocence and a [[pardon]] for his daughter’s murder, helped to get [[capital punishment]] abolished in Britain. The case is one of the most serious [[miscarriages of justice]] that has occurred in Britain.
<!-- Basic info ---------------->
|official_name = Murfreesboro, Tennessee
|settlement_type = [[City]]
|nickname = "The 'Boro"
|motto = ''Creating a better quality of life.''
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|map_caption = Location in [[Rutherford County, Tennessee|Rutherford County]] and the state of [[Tennessee]].
|pushpin_map = USA Tennessee
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|subdivision_type2 = [[List of counties in Tennessee|County]]
|subdivision_name2 = [[Rutherford County, Tennessee|Rutherford]]
|government_footnotes =
|government_type = [[Mayor-council government|Mayor-Council]]
|leader_title = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name = Tommy Bragg
|leader_title1 = [[Deputy mayor|Vice mayor]]
|leader_name1 = Chris Bratcher
|established_title = Settled
|established_date = 1811
|established_title2 = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
|established_date2 = 1817
<!-- Area --------------------->
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|area_water_percent = 0.54
<!-- Population ----------------------->
|population_as_of = 2008
|population_footnotes = <ref name="dnj080524">{{cite news |url=http://dnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080524/NEWS01/805240313 |title=City's special census tops 100,000 |work=Daily News Journal |date=2008-05-24 |accessdate=2008-05-24}}</ref>
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|population_total = 100575
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|elevation_footnotes =
|elevation_m = 186
|elevation_ft = 619.0
<!-- Area/postal codes & others -------->
|postal_code_type = [[ZIP code]]s
|postal_code = 37127-37130
|area_code = 615
|website = [http://www.murfreesborotn.gov MurfreesboroTN.gov]
|blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info = 47-51560{{GR|2}}
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|blank1_info = 1295105{{GR|3}}
|footnotes =
}}
'''Murfreesboro''' is a city in and the [[county seat]] of [[Rutherford County, Tennessee|Rutherford County]], [[Tennessee]], [[United States]].{{GR|6}} The population was 100,575 according to the city's 2008 official special census, up from 81,393 residents certified during the 2005 special census.<ref name="dnj080524" /> The [[center of population]] of Tennessee is located in Murfreesboro.<ref name="TNcenter">{{cite web |url=http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/statecenters.txt |title=Population and Population Centers by State: 2000 |work=Census.gov |accessdate=2007-01-12}}</ref> The city is part of the [[Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area]], which includes thirteen counties and a population of 1,486,695 (2007).<ref name="census1">[http://www.census.gov/popest/counties/files/CO-EST2007-ALLDATA.csv U.S. Census Population Estimates for 2007 - Counties]</ref>


Although Murfreesboro is sometimes considered a [[suburb]] or [[Commuter town|exurb]] of [[Nashville, Tennessee]], it is far enough away [about {{convert|35|mi|km}}] and has a large enough population to maintain a separate identity from its larger neighbor. It is Tennessee's fastest growing major city and one of the fastest growing cities in the country, with a population growth from 46,000 to 69,000 between 1990 and 2000, a change of 66%. The city is also home to [[Middle Tennessee State University]], the largest undergraduate university in the state of Tennessee, with a current undergraduate population of 20,899 and 23,264 total students.<ref name="NBJd10">{{cite news |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2007/09/10/daily10.html |title=MTSU fall enrollment crosses 23,000 mark |work=Nashville Business Journal |date=[[2007-09-11]] |accessdate=2007-09-12 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5RnXJntaq |archivedate=2007-09-12}}</ref>
[[Image:Timothy Evans Grave.JPG‎|thumb|The grave of Timothy Evans]]


In 2006, Murfreesboro was ranked by ''[[Money (magazine)|Money]]'' as the 84th best place to live in the United States, out of 745 cities with a population over 50,000.<ref name="cnnmoney560">{{cite web |url=http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2006/snapshots/PL4751560.html |title=Best places to live 2006: Murfreesboro, TN snapshot |work=CNN.com |year=2006 |accessdate=2008-03-21}}</ref><ref name="nbj060717">{{cite news |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2006/07/17/daily1.html |title=Murfreesboro a 'Best Place' to live |work=Nashville Business Journal |date=[[2006-07-17]] |accessdate=2007-07-23}}</ref>
==Life prior to the murder of his wife and daughter==
Evans was a native of [[Merthyr Tydfil]] in South [[Wales]]. In 1935 his mother and her second husband (Evans' natural father had walked out on the family just after Timothy's birth) moved to London and he found work as a [[painter and decorator]]. At the time of his arrest, he was working as a lorry driver.


==History==
On [[September 20]], [[1947]], Evans married Beryl Susanna Thorley. In [[Easter]] [[1948]], the couple moved into the top-floor flat at [[10 Rillington Place]], [[Ladbroke Grove]], [[Notting Hill]], [[London]]. Their daughter Geraldine was born on [[October 10]], [[1948]].
In 1811, the Tennessee State Legislature established a county seat for Rutherford County. The town was first named "Cannonsburgh" in honor of Tennessee politician [[Newton Cannon]], but was soon renamed "Murfreesboro" for Revolutionary War hero Colonel [[Hardy Murfree]], later the great-grandfather of author [[Mary Noailles Murfree]].


As Tennessee grew westward, it became clear that having the state capital in [[Knoxville, Tennessee|Knoxville]] would be a burden to those who had to travel from the western end of the state. In 1818, Murfreesboro became the capital of Tennessee until 1826, when [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]] became the state capital.<ref name="murfhistory">{{cite web |url=http://www.murfreesborotn.gov/visiting/history.htm |title=History of Murfreesboro, TN |work=MurfreesboroTN.gov |accessdate=2007-05-22}}</ref>
It is not disputed that Evans was prone to tell elaborate lies about himself. He and Beryl were also given to having loud arguments which could be heard by the neighbours. The relationship started to suffer due to Beryl's inability to manage the family's finances, a fact exacerbated when she revealed to Evans, in late 1949, that she was expectant with their second child.


On [[December 31]], [[1862]], the [[Battle of Stones River]], also called the Battle of Murfreesboro, was fought near Murfreesboro. This was a major engagement of the [[American Civil War]]. After the battle, Murfreesboro was used as a supply depot for the Union Army. [[Stones River National Battlefield]] is now an historical site.
Evans was informed by the ground floor tenant, [[John Reginald Halliday Christie]], that he (Christie) possessed medical experience sufficient to carry out an [[abortion]]. Evans initially refused, but relented in the face of his wife's insistence that she wanted to abort and 'trusted Mr Christie'. Beryl Evans was last seen alive on [[November 8]], [[1949]].


==Geography==
==Events leading to Evans' arrest==
Murfreesboro is located at {{coor dms|35|51|28|N|86|23|41|W|city}} (35.857700, -86.394725){{GR|1}}.
On [[November 30]], [[1949]], Evans went to the police in [[Merthyr Tydfil]] and confessed to killing Beryl and disposing of her body down the drain outside the apartment building. He said that he had given his wife something contained in a bottle and that she died after ingesting it. He told the police that afterwards he had made arrangements to have his daughter Geraldine looked after, and had returned to Wales. His wife had in fact been strangled, knowledge of which can only have been known to the real murderer.


According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|39.2|sqmi|km2}}. {{convert|39.0|sqmi|km2}} of it is land and {{convert|0.2|sqmi|km2}} of it (0.54%) is water.
When police examined the drain outside the front of the building they found nothing and also found that the weight of the drain cover required the combined strength of three police officers to lift it. When re-questioned, Evans told a different story. He now claimed that his neighbour and fellow tenant, [[John Reginald Halliday Christie]], had offered to provide an [[abortion]] for Beryl. Evans had returned home from work on November 7 to find Christie waiting for him who told him that the operation "didn't work" and that, as a result Beryl was dead. He said Christie told him that he would dispose of the body "down one of the drains" and told him that he knew of a young couple in [[East Acton]] who would look after Geraldine and then told Evans to sell his furniture and "get out of London somewhere".


Murfreesboro is the [[Geographic centers of the United States|geographic center]] of the state of Tennessee. A stone monument marks the official site on Old Lascassas Pike, about a half-mile (800&nbsp;m) north of [[Middle Tennessee State University|MTSU]].
During a search of 10 Rillington Place, on [[December 2]], [[1949]], the police found the bodies of Beryl and Geraldine in the small wash house (54" x 52"; 1.37 m x 1.32 m) in the back area of the building. Both had been strangled; the baby's body placed behind the door and Beryl's behind timber that had been propped against a sink in the right hand corner facing the door. The search must have been perfunctory because the search failed to reveal the bones of Christie's previous victims visible in the tiny garden next to the wash house. The police showed scant regard for [[forensic]] clues and apparently failed, for example, to search for [[fingerprints]] on the wash house door or any other surfaces which the murderer had likely touched when dumping the parcels containing the bodies.


==Transportation==
When Evans was shown the clothing taken from the bodies of his wife and child he was immediately asked whether he was responsible for their deaths. He apparently replied with a simple “Yes”. [[Ludovic Kennedy]] has argued that until that time Evans had had no forewarning that his daughter was dead and that the affirmative response could, in that situation, mean anything or nothing. Evans now apparently confessed to having strangled Beryl during an argument over debts on November 8, 1949, and to having strangled Geraldine two days later, after which he left for Wales. There was evidence produced later by Ludovic Kennedy and others that the police coerced Evans into making a [[false confession]]. Evans was [[illiterate]] and the language used in the confession showed it to be a police fabrication. They relied on false information provided by Christie, who at the later trial would be the chief prosecution witness against Evans. When Christie was unmasked later, he himself confessed to murdering Beryl Evans, vindicating the first confessions of Evans, and repudiating the later "confessions" at Notting Hill police station obtained by police coercion.
Murfreesboro is served by [[Nashville International Airport]] ([[International Air Transport Association airport code|IATA code]] BNA), [[Smyrna Airport (Tennessee)|Smyrna Airport]] (MQY) and Murfreesboro Municipal Airport (MBT). The city also benefits from several [[highway]]s running through the city, including [[Interstate 24]]; U.S. Routes [[U.S. Route 41|41]] and [[U.S. Route 231|231]]; and State Routes [[State Route 1 (Tennessee)|1]], [[State Route 2 (Tennessee)|2]], [[State Route 10 (Tennessee)|10]], [[State Route 96 (Tennessee)|96]], [[State Route 99 (Tennessee)|99]], [[State Route 268 (Tennessee)|268]] and [[State Route 840 (Tennessee)|840]].


===Public transportation===
==Evans' trial and execution==
The City of Murfreesboro ordered nine buses to serve as the city's new transportation. Each bus is capable of holding sixteen people and includes two spaces for wheelchairs. With the system being called "Rover", the buses are bright green in color with "Rover" and a cartoon dog painted on the side.


The system has been in service since April 2007, with buses operating in six major corridors: Memorial Boulevard, NW Broad Street, Old Fort Parkway, South Church Street (Stopping at Warrior Drive), Mercury Boulevard and Highland Avenue.
Evans went on trial at the Old Bailey in January 1950. He was defended by [[Malcolm Morris]]. The court heard evidence related to both killings, although Evans was officially charged only with the killing of his daughter. During the trial, he reverted to his story that his neighbour Christie was the actual killer. Christie gave evidence in the witness box which countered everything Evans alleged, and his word was accepted by the court, and under pressure from the judge, by the jury. His [[perjury]] was later found to be an elaborate deception designed to cover his own culpability. Christie had previous convictions, including violence against women, whilst Evans had a completely clean record.


A one-way fare is [[United States dollar|US$]]1.00 for adults, US$0.50 for children 6-16 and seniors 65 and over, and free for children under 6. The system operates Monday to Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.<ref name="roverbegins">{{cite news |url=http://www.murfreesborotn.gov/news/roverbegins.htm |title='Rover' bus service set to begin in early April |work=MurfreesboroTN.gov |accessdate=2007-03-22}}</ref><ref name="rover">{{cite news |title=Work begins on Rover bus fleet |work=Daily News Journal |first=Turner |last=Hutchens |date=[[2007-01-05]]}}</ref>
Two important facts were withheld from the jury. There was evidence that Beryl had been sexually assaulted after death, which was inconsistent with Evans' statement; and two workmen, who were willing to testify that there were no bodies in the wash-house when they worked there several days after Evans supposedly hid them, were not called to give evidence (Christie had moved the bodies to the wash-house two weeks later, after the workmen had finished).


[[Image:Swanson building 9743.JPG|thumb|200px|right|Swanson Building, Murfreesboro.<br />Joseph Swanson is a major developer in the area.]]
The jury found Evans guilty of his daughter’s murder and he was hanged at [[Pentonville Prison]] by [[Albert Pierrepoint]] and [[Syd Dernley]] on [[9 March]], [[1950]].


==Demographics==
His last words were "Give my kind regards to Mr Black" - his arresting officer Chief Superintendent James Neil Black QPM. He maintained his innocence to the end.
As of the [[census]]{{GR|2}} of 2000, there were 68,816 people, 26,511 households, and 15,747 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|1764.9|PD/sqmi|PD/km2}}. There were 28,815 housing units at an average density of {{convert|739.0|/sqmi|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the city was 79.85% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 13.89% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.28% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 2.69% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.03% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.88% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.38% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 3.53% of the population.


There were 26,511 households out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.02.
==Serial Killer Christie==


In the city the population was spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 20.5% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 17.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.2 males.
Three years later, a new tenant in Christie's flat, Beresford Brown found the bodies of three women (Kathleen Maloney, Rita Nelson and Hectorina Maclennan) hidden in the papered-over kitchen pantry, a recess immediately next to the wash house where Berylk and Geraldine Evans were found . A further search of the building and grounds turned up three more bodies, including Christie’s wife under the floorboards of the front room and two women, Ruth Fuerst, an [[Austrians|Austrian]] nurse, and Muriel Eady on the right hand side of the back garden area to the building. Indeed, one of their thigh bones had been used by Christie to prop up a trellis in the garden, but had been missed by the police in their earlier examination of the garden. Christie was arrested on [[March 31]], [[1953]], on the embankment near [[Putney Bridge]] and during the course of interrogation made four separate confessions to the killing of Beryl Evans. He never admitted to the killing of Geraldine Evans, although the evidence points overwhelmingly to his guilt. He had the means and motive to kill the child, and so prevent investigation of their disappearance. The child was strangled, just like all his other victims. Christie was found guilty of murdering his wife and was hanged on [[July 15]], [[1953]].


The median income for a household in the city was $39,705, and the median income for a family was $52,654. Males had a median income of $36,078 versus $26,531 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $20,219. About 8.2% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 12.0% of those under the age of 18 and 11.1% of those 65 and older.
The murder of Beryl Evans was never a primary charge in either of the two arrests of Evans or Christie. The former had been charged with the murder of his daughter and the latter with the murder of Mrs Christie. Hence questions that went to the murder of Mrs Evans were not those with which the trials were especially concerned and when Christie was later the subject of a hastily convened inquiry, questions drafted by a solicitor representing Mr Evans were deemed unnecessary by Parliamentary Counsel and never asked. It is this omission, exacerbated by the mental inadequacy of Evans and mental incapacity of Christie that has resulted in the ensuing debate as to whether the execution of Evans was a [[miscarriage of justice]]. The [[forensic evidence]] was very badly handled, although what remains points quite clearly to Christie as the murderer. He had the motive, and the method of strangulation was similar to the other victims.


According to Murfreesboro's 2008 special census, the population had reached 100,575. Special census estimates in 2005 indicated 81,393 residents, and in 2006 the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey estimated a population of 92,559, with 35,842 households and 20,979 families in the city.<ref name="dnj080524" /><ref name="uscb2006">{{cite web |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFPopulation?_event=&geo_id=16000US4751560&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US47%7C16000US4751560&_cityTown=Murfreesboro&_state=04000US47 |title=2006 population estimate for Murfreesboro city |work=United States Census Bureau |year=2006 |accessdate=2007-07-25}}</ref>
Christie’s conviction in 1953, and his confession of the murder of Beryl Evans, raised considerable doubts about the guilt of Timothy Evans. A Parliamentary inquiry initiated by the publication of [[Ludovic Kennedy]]'s book ''[[10 Rillington Place|Ten Rillington Place]]'' in 1961, however, produced an equivocal response from the [[Home Secretary]] [[R.A. Butler]] who stated that whereas no jury would have found Evans guilty in the light of what later became known, there was no certainty of Evans' innocence. Such a response has been rejected by recent commentators, who affirm that Evans was entirely innocent of the charges for which he was hanged. It is clear that police malpractice and incompetence not only led to the hanging of an innocent indivdual, but also indirectly to the murder of four more female victims. The system of criminal justice also failed to recognise at the time and for many years afterwards that a major [[miscarriage of justice]] had been made.


==Parks==
==The campaign to overturn Evans' conviction==
*'''Cannonsburgh Village''', [http://www.rutherfordchamber.org/cvb/visitors/what-to-see/what-to-see-detail.php?PRKey=4].
*'''Stones River National Battlefield''', [http://www.nps.gov/stri]. Civil War Battlefield.
*'''Oaklands Historic House Museum''', [http://www.oaklandsmuseum.org/]. Location of a Civil War house and baseball park.
*'''Old Fort Park''', [http://www.murfreesborotn.gov/government/parks_rec/Parks/old_fort.htm]. 50 acre park including baseball fields, tennis courts, Kids Castle playground, 18-hole championship golf course, picnic shelters, bike trails.
*'''Barfield-Crescent Park''', [http://www.murfreesborotn.gov/government/parks_rec/Parks/barfield_crescent.htm]. {{convert|430|acre|km2|sing=on}} park including 8 baseball fields, {{convert|7|mi|km}} of bike/running trails, 18-hole championship disc golf course, and 10 picnic shelters.


==Culture==
[[Michael Eddowes]], a lawyer, examined the case in his book ''The Man on Your Conscience'' which demonstrated why Evans could not have been the killer. The Liberal political leader and television journalist [[Ludovic Kennedy]] followed with his more extensive book where he cast doubt on the police investigation and evidence submitted at the 1950 trial in which Evans was found guilty. Nothing happened until a chemical manufacturer and [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal Party]] member named [[Herbert Wolfe]] in Darlington, County Durham, got in touch in 1965 with the editor of ''[[The Northern Echo]]'', [[Harold Evans]] (no relation). Harold Evans made it a major campaign and when Kennedy returned from travels abroad they formed the Timothy Evans Committee with many famous people, including Lady Gaitskell. The result of a prolonged campaign was that the Home Secretary, [[Frank Soskice, Baron Stow Hill|Sir Frank Soskice]], ordered a new inquiry (known as the Brabin enquiry after the High Court judge who wrote the subsequent report). Brabin found that Evans likely did not kill his baby but probably murdered his wife, an unusual conclusion because most commentators at the time (and the lawyers at Evans' trial) thought that whoever killed Beryl Evans also killed the child. Both were strangled, and both were parcelled up after their murder, and put together in the wash house. [[John Christie]] had the opportunity, motive and experience to have murdered both Beryl Evans and the baby. He had already murdered two women at the same house during the war, and later strangled four more women, storing their bodies under the floorboards, in an alcove next to the washroom or (with the earlier victims), burying them in the garden.
===Music===
Murfreesboro hosts several music-oriented events annually, including the [http://www.mainstreetjazzfest.com/ Main Street Jazzfest], which is presented by MTSU's School of Music, and Uncle Dave's Macon Days. Numerous bands also originate from the city, from hardcore acts A Plea for Purging and The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza to Indie Rock fixtures like The Features and Glossary.


===Arts===
Since Evans had been convicted of killing the baby, he was therefore innocent of the specific crime of which he was found guilty. [[Roy Jenkins]], Soskice's successor as Home Secretary, recommended a [[royal pardon]], which was granted, and Evans was disinterred from [[Pentonville Prison]] and reburied outside. The outcry over the Evans case (with other miscarriages) contributed to the abolition of the [[death penalty]] in the [[United Kingdom|UK]].
Murfreesboro contains a [http://www.boroarts.org/ Center for the Arts] close to the Square. It entertains with an array of exhibits, theatre arts, concerts, dance, and magic shows.


===Museums===
==Innocence of Timothy Evans==
The [http://www.discoverycenteronline.org/ Discovery Center of Murfree Spring] houses an interactive gallery of exhibits and is a local favorite for school trips.


[http://www.bradleymuseum.org/ Bradley Academy Museum] contains collectibles and exhibits of the first school in Rutherford County. This school was later renovated to become to only African American school in Murfreesboro, which closed in 1955.
On [[16 November]] [[2004]], Timothy Evans' half-sister, Mary Westlake, started a case to overturn a decision by the [[Criminal Cases Review Commission]] not to refer Evans' case to the [[Court of Appeal]] to have his conviction quashed. She argued that although the previous inquiries concluded that Evans probably did not kill his daughter, they did not declare him innocent, since a pardon is a forgiveness of crimes committed. The request to refer the case was dismissed on [[November 19]] [[2004]], with the judges saying that the cost and resources of quashing the conviction could not be justified, although they did accept that Evans did not murder his wife or child.


The [http://www.stepintohistory.com/states/TN/Cannonsburgh%20Pioneer%20Village.htm Cannonsburgh Pioneer Village] is a reproduction of what a working pioneer village would have looked like from the period of 1830s to the 1930s. Visitors can view the grist mill, school house, Leeman House, Caboose, Wedding Chapel, and even a doctor's office.
A book was published in 2007 by [[The National Archives]] and authored by [[Edward Marston]]. It reviews the records (many held at the archives) and concludes that Evans was completely innocent of the murder of his wife and child.


==Bibliography==
===Shopping===
There are current two main malls located within the city limits. One is the indoor mall, [http://www.stonesrivermall.com Stones River Mall], and an outdoor mall, [http://www.shoptheavenue.com/default.aspx?tabname=The%20Avenue%20Murfreesboro The Avenue of Murfreesboro]. The Historic Downtown Murfreesboro district offers a wide variety of unique shopping and dinning experiences that encircle the pre-Civil War Courthouse.
* [[Michael Eddowes]], ''The Man on Your Conscience: An Investigation of the Evans Murder Trial'' , Cassell and Co (1955).
* [[Ludovic Kennedy]], [[10 Rillington Place]], Gollancz (1961).
* [[Edward Marston]], ''John Christie: Crime archive'', The National Archives (2007).


==See also==
==Media==
Murfreesboro is serviced by the following media outlets:
*[[False confession]]
*[[Falsified evidence]]
*[[Forensic science]]
*[[Intimidation]]
*[[Miscarriage of justice]]
*[[Police misconduct]]
*[[witness]]


Newspapers:
==Timothy Evans in popular culture==
*''[[The Daily News Journal]]''
* [[Ewan MacColl]] wrote the song ''The Ballad of Tim Evans'' (also known as ''Go Down You Murderer'') about the case. This song appears in the [[Roger Corman]] movie ''[[A Bucket of Blood]]''.
*[http://www.murfreesboropost.com ''Murfreesboro Post'']


Radio:
* A film of ''[[10 Rillington Place]]'' directed by [[Richard Fleischer]] and starring [[Richard Attenborough]] as Christie, [[Judy Geeson]] as Beryl Evans, and [[John Hurt]] as Timothy Evans was released in the UK on [[May 12]] [[1971]].
*[[WGNS]] - Talk radio
*[[WMOT]] - Jazz station operated by MTSU
*[[WMTS-FM]] - Free-form student-run radio station operated by MTSU

TV:
*''[http://www.murfreesborotn.gov/government/channel3/channel3_index.htm Channel 3]'' - Murfreesboro government access channel
*[[WETV-LP]]
*Middle Tennessee Television (MTSU's student-run station)

==Notable natives==
{{Refimprovesection|date=April 2008}}

*[[David Rankin Barbee]], journalist and historian
*[[James M. Buchanan]], [[Nobel Prize in Economics|Nobel Prize]]-winning [[economist]]
*[[Will Allen Dromgoole]], author
*[[Winfield Scott Featherston]], Confederate general in the American Civil War
*[[Bart Gordon]], U.S. [[Congressman]]
*[[Andrew Nelson Lytle]], author, novelist, member of Vanderbilt ''Fugitives''
*[[Jean MacArthur]], wife of Gen. [[Douglas MacArthur]]
*[[Matt Mahaffey]], musician
*[[Carl P. Mayfield (radio announcer)|Carl P. Mayfield]], talk show host, [[Sirius satellite radio]] show ''[[Carl P & The P-Team]]''
*[[Hardy Murfree]], Revolutionary War colonel
*[[Mary Noailles Murfree]], author
*[[Andre Norton]], science fiction and fantasy writer
*[[Sarah Childress Polk]], First Lady of the United States; wife of Pres. [[James K. Polk]]
*[[David Price (baseball player)|David Price]], baseball pitcher; [[2007 Major League Baseball Draft]] first round pick, signed with the [[Tampa Bay Rays]]
*[[Grantland Rice]], sportswriter
*[[Margaret Rhea Seddon]], astronaut
*[[Chris Young (musician)|Chris Young]], musician; 2006 ''[[Nashville Star]]'' winner
*[[Fernando Bryant]], Cornerback for the New England Patriots
*[[Chad Chaffin]], NASCAR driver

[[Image:Rutherford county courthouse 9736.JPG|thumb|250px|[[Rutherford County, Tennessee|Rutherford County]] Courthouse in Murfreesboro]]

==Points of interest==
* [[Cannonsburgh Pioneer Village]]
* [[Discovery Center at Murfree Spring]]
* Geographic center of Tennessee
* [[Middle Tennessee State University]]
* [[Oaklands Historic House Museum]]
* [[Stones River Greenway Arboretum]]
* [[Stones River National Battlefield]]

Murfreesboro is the home of a [[Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy]] (CMOP). It is part of an initiative by the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide mail order prescriptions to veterans using computerization at strategic locations throughout the United States.

==Top employers in Murfreesboro==
{| class="wikitable"
! width="20"|# !! width="210"|Employer !! width="90"|Number of<br/>employees
|-
| 1. || [[Rutherford County, Tennessee|Rutherford County]] government || 3,350
|-
| 2. || [[Middle Tennessee State University]] || 1,700
|-
| 3. || [[State Farm Insurance|State Farm Operations Center]] || 1,450
|-
| 4. || Alvin C. York Veterans Administration Medical Center || 1,411
|-
| 5. || Middle Tennessee Medical Center || 1,300
|-
| 6. || [[Verizon Communications|Verizon]] Wireless Call Center || 1,083
|-
| 7. || Murfreesboro city government || 827 (full time)<br/>234 (part time)
|-
| 8. || [[General Mills]]/[[Pillsbury Company]] || 750
|-
| 9. || Johnson Controls, Inc. || 750
|-
| 10. || MAHLE Tennex || 650
|-
| 11. || Lewis Brothers Bakeries || 525
|}

* Information is current as of November 2006.<ref name="top10employers">{{cite web |url=http://www.murfreesboropost.com/news.php?viewStory=717 |title=Post Top 10 employers |work=The Murfreesboro Post |month=November |year=2006 |accessdate=2007-03-26}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.murfreesborotn.gov Murfreesboro city website]
* BBC News [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/4015283.stm Hanged man's pardon 'inadequate']
*[http://www.linebaugh.org/ Linebaugh Public Library System]
* [http://sniff.numachi.com/~rickheit/dtrad/pages/tiTIMEVANS.html The Ballad of Tim Evans].
*[http://www.dnj.com/ Daily News Journal (newspaper)]
* [http://www.innocent.org.uk/cases/timothyevans/timothyevans.pdf Discussion of the case]
*[http://www.murfreesboropost.com/ Murfreesboro Post (newspaper)]
* [http://yourarchives.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php?title=John_Christie_/_Timothy_Evans_Case Archive of Documents]
{{Geolinks-US-cityscale|35.8577|-86.394725}}

{{Rutherford County, Tennessee}}
{{Tennessee}}


[[Category:Murfreesboro, Tennessee| ]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Evans, Timothy}}
[[Category:1924 births]]
[[Category:County seats in Tennessee]]
[[Category:1950 deaths]]
[[Category:Former United States state capitals|Tennessee]]
[[Category:People from Merthyr Tydfil]]
[[Category:Nashville metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Overturned convictions in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Settlements established in 1811]]
[[Category:People executed by hanging]]
[[Category:People executed for murder]]
[[Category:20th century executions by the United Kingdom]]


[[bg:Мърфрийсбъро]]
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Revision as of 13:39, 11 October 2008

Murfreesboro, Tennessee
City
Downtown Murfreesboro
Downtown Murfreesboro
Official logo of Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Nickname: 
"The 'Boro"
Motto: 
Creating a better quality of life.
CountryUnited States
StateTennessee
CountyRutherford
Settled1811
Incorporated1817
Government
 • TypeMayor-Council
 • MayorTommy Bragg
 • Vice mayorChris Bratcher
Area
 • Total39.2 sq mi (101.5 km2)
 • Land39.0 sq mi (101.0 km2)
 • Water0.20 sq mi (0.5 km2)  0.54%
Elevation
619.0 ft (186 m)
Population
 (2008)[1]
 • Total100,575
 • Density2,600/sq mi (990/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes
37127-37130
Area code615
FIPS code47-51560Template:GR
GNIS feature ID1295105Template:GR
WebsiteMurfreesboroTN.gov

Murfreesboro is a city in and the county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States.Template:GR The population was 100,575 according to the city's 2008 official special census, up from 81,393 residents certified during the 2005 special census.[1] The center of population of Tennessee is located in Murfreesboro.[2] The city is part of the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes thirteen counties and a population of 1,486,695 (2007).[3]

Although Murfreesboro is sometimes considered a suburb or exurb of Nashville, Tennessee, it is far enough away [about 35 miles (56 km)] and has a large enough population to maintain a separate identity from its larger neighbor. It is Tennessee's fastest growing major city and one of the fastest growing cities in the country, with a population growth from 46,000 to 69,000 between 1990 and 2000, a change of 66%. The city is also home to Middle Tennessee State University, the largest undergraduate university in the state of Tennessee, with a current undergraduate population of 20,899 and 23,264 total students.[4]

In 2006, Murfreesboro was ranked by Money as the 84th best place to live in the United States, out of 745 cities with a population over 50,000.[5][6]

History

In 1811, the Tennessee State Legislature established a county seat for Rutherford County. The town was first named "Cannonsburgh" in honor of Tennessee politician Newton Cannon, but was soon renamed "Murfreesboro" for Revolutionary War hero Colonel Hardy Murfree, later the great-grandfather of author Mary Noailles Murfree.

As Tennessee grew westward, it became clear that having the state capital in Knoxville would be a burden to those who had to travel from the western end of the state. In 1818, Murfreesboro became the capital of Tennessee until 1826, when Nashville became the state capital.[7]

On December 31, 1862, the Battle of Stones River, also called the Battle of Murfreesboro, was fought near Murfreesboro. This was a major engagement of the American Civil War. After the battle, Murfreesboro was used as a supply depot for the Union Army. Stones River National Battlefield is now an historical site.

Geography

Murfreesboro is located at 35°51′28″N 86°23′41″W / 35.85778°N 86.39472°W / 35.85778; -86.39472Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (35.857700, -86.394725)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 39.2 square miles (102 km2). 39.0 square miles (101 km2) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) of it (0.54%) is water.

Murfreesboro is the geographic center of the state of Tennessee. A stone monument marks the official site on Old Lascassas Pike, about a half-mile (800 m) north of MTSU.

Transportation

Murfreesboro is served by Nashville International Airport (IATA code BNA), Smyrna Airport (MQY) and Murfreesboro Municipal Airport (MBT). The city also benefits from several highways running through the city, including Interstate 24; U.S. Routes 41 and 231; and State Routes 1, 2, 10, 96, 99, 268 and 840.

Public transportation

The City of Murfreesboro ordered nine buses to serve as the city's new transportation. Each bus is capable of holding sixteen people and includes two spaces for wheelchairs. With the system being called "Rover", the buses are bright green in color with "Rover" and a cartoon dog painted on the side.

The system has been in service since April 2007, with buses operating in six major corridors: Memorial Boulevard, NW Broad Street, Old Fort Parkway, South Church Street (Stopping at Warrior Drive), Mercury Boulevard and Highland Avenue.

A one-way fare is US$1.00 for adults, US$0.50 for children 6-16 and seniors 65 and over, and free for children under 6. The system operates Monday to Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.[8][9]

Swanson Building, Murfreesboro.
Joseph Swanson is a major developer in the area.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 68,816 people, 26,511 households, and 15,747 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,764.9 inhabitants per square mile (681.4/km2). There were 28,815 housing units at an average density of 739.0 per square mile (285.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 79.85% White, 13.89% African American, 0.28% Native American, 2.69% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.88% from other races, and 1.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.53% of the population.

There were 26,511 households out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 20.5% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 17.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $39,705, and the median income for a family was $52,654. Males had a median income of $36,078 versus $26,531 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,219. About 8.2% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.0% of those under the age of 18 and 11.1% of those 65 and older.

According to Murfreesboro's 2008 special census, the population had reached 100,575. Special census estimates in 2005 indicated 81,393 residents, and in 2006 the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey estimated a population of 92,559, with 35,842 households and 20,979 families in the city.[1][10]

Parks

  • Cannonsburgh Village, [1].
  • Stones River National Battlefield, [2]. Civil War Battlefield.
  • Oaklands Historic House Museum, [3]. Location of a Civil War house and baseball park.
  • Old Fort Park, [4]. 50 acre park including baseball fields, tennis courts, Kids Castle playground, 18-hole championship golf course, picnic shelters, bike trails.
  • Barfield-Crescent Park, [5]. 430-acre (1.7 km2) park including 8 baseball fields, 7 miles (11 km) of bike/running trails, 18-hole championship disc golf course, and 10 picnic shelters.

Culture

Music

Murfreesboro hosts several music-oriented events annually, including the Main Street Jazzfest, which is presented by MTSU's School of Music, and Uncle Dave's Macon Days. Numerous bands also originate from the city, from hardcore acts A Plea for Purging and The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza to Indie Rock fixtures like The Features and Glossary.

Arts

Murfreesboro contains a Center for the Arts close to the Square. It entertains with an array of exhibits, theatre arts, concerts, dance, and magic shows.

Museums

The Discovery Center of Murfree Spring houses an interactive gallery of exhibits and is a local favorite for school trips.

Bradley Academy Museum contains collectibles and exhibits of the first school in Rutherford County. This school was later renovated to become to only African American school in Murfreesboro, which closed in 1955.

The Cannonsburgh Pioneer Village is a reproduction of what a working pioneer village would have looked like from the period of 1830s to the 1930s. Visitors can view the grist mill, school house, Leeman House, Caboose, Wedding Chapel, and even a doctor's office.

Shopping

There are current two main malls located within the city limits. One is the indoor mall, Stones River Mall, and an outdoor mall, The Avenue of Murfreesboro. The Historic Downtown Murfreesboro district offers a wide variety of unique shopping and dinning experiences that encircle the pre-Civil War Courthouse.

Media

Murfreesboro is serviced by the following media outlets:

Newspapers:

Radio:

  • WGNS - Talk radio
  • WMOT - Jazz station operated by MTSU
  • WMTS-FM - Free-form student-run radio station operated by MTSU

TV:

  • Channel 3 - Murfreesboro government access channel
  • WETV-LP
  • Middle Tennessee Television (MTSU's student-run station)

Notable natives

Rutherford County Courthouse in Murfreesboro

Points of interest

Murfreesboro is the home of a Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy (CMOP). It is part of an initiative by the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide mail order prescriptions to veterans using computerization at strategic locations throughout the United States.

Top employers in Murfreesboro

# Employer Number of
employees
1. Rutherford County government 3,350
2. Middle Tennessee State University 1,700
3. State Farm Operations Center 1,450
4. Alvin C. York Veterans Administration Medical Center 1,411
5. Middle Tennessee Medical Center 1,300
6. Verizon Wireless Call Center 1,083
7. Murfreesboro city government 827 (full time)
234 (part time)
8. General Mills/Pillsbury Company 750
9. Johnson Controls, Inc. 750
10. MAHLE Tennex 650
11. Lewis Brothers Bakeries 525
  • Information is current as of November 2006.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b c "City's special census tops 100,000". Daily News Journal. 2008-05-24. Retrieved 2008-05-24.
  2. ^ "Population and Population Centers by State: 2000". Census.gov. Retrieved 2007-01-12.
  3. ^ U.S. Census Population Estimates for 2007 - Counties
  4. ^ "MTSU fall enrollment crosses 23,000 mark". Nashville Business Journal. 2007-09-11. Archived from the original on 2007-09-12. Retrieved 2007-09-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ "Best places to live 2006: Murfreesboro, TN snapshot". CNN.com. 2006. Retrieved 2008-03-21.
  6. ^ "Murfreesboro a 'Best Place' to live". Nashville Business Journal. 2006-07-17. Retrieved 2007-07-23. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ "History of Murfreesboro, TN". MurfreesboroTN.gov. Retrieved 2007-05-22.
  8. ^ "'Rover' bus service set to begin in early April". MurfreesboroTN.gov. Retrieved 2007-03-22.
  9. ^ Hutchens, Turner (2007-01-05). "Work begins on Rover bus fleet". Daily News Journal. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ "2006 population estimate for Murfreesboro city". United States Census Bureau. 2006. Retrieved 2007-07-25.
  11. ^ "Post Top 10 employers". The Murfreesboro Post. 2006. Retrieved 2007-03-26. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)

External links

Template:Geolinks-US-cityscale

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