Jeremiah Lexer was a wealthy East Tennessee plantation owner and one of the original settlers in Hamblen County. Lexer was reported to always seemed moody but appeared to be a good family man. The Lexer family lived on his plantation in Talbott, Tennessee, where he was considered a founding father. They were, by all accounts, a happy and wealthy family.
Lexer, however, had another side. If he hadn’t committed the unthinkable (slaughtering his family) in July of 1902, he would have been remembered as just another rich man with a dark side. But that one fateful day changed all that.
It is thought that Jeremiah had a mental illness, and if he were alive today, he probably would be diagnosed with bipolar disorder and acute schizophrenia. Unfortunately, he became known as an American serial killer.
Beginning in 1887, quite a few people in the Talbott, Tennessee area were reported as missing. Reports of missing persons continued until 1902. People in the area thought the missing people were just a fact of life because of the dangerous mountains they lived in. The mountains had treacherous terrain and were full of dangerous animals. If someone living in the area went missing, it was generally thought that the mountains were the cause of their demise. As many as thirty people disappeared during this time, and it is believed the number could have been well over one hundred people.
Lexer lived a double life, a family-man and rich plantation owner by day and a serial killer by night. We may never know what caused him to go on a brutal killing spree with his family, but on July 5, 1902, Jeremiah Lexer did just that.
Lexer was a grandfather of three and lived with his extended family on a plantation named for his family. In the early morning hours of July 5, 1902, he slashed his entire family to death. His wife, son, daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren, ages two, four, and eight, were his victims. After killing them, he dismembered the bodies with an ax. After dismembering his family, Lexer walked up the steps to the second floor, placed the bloody ax on the mantle, and jumped headfirst out a second-floor window to his death.
F. Hays was the Hamblen County Sheriff in 1902. He was called to the plantation grounds to investigate. The body parts of Lexer’s six family members were found scattered inside the house, along with incoherent phrases written on the walls of the house using the blood of his own family.
Sheriff Hayes was quoted in the Morristown Gazette, “Seeing so much gruesome torture and murder to innocent life was truly sickening. I vomited and had to go outside to regain my composure.” While the Sheriff’s Department investigated the deaths of the Lexer family, they discovered thirty-one dismembered bodies in a pit on the plantation, uncovering an even darker side.
The bodies found in the pit were never identified. As word spread of the remains found on the plantation, Lexer became nationally known as one of the most notorious small-town serial killers of the 1800s.
Today, the Lexer house is considered haunted by many. The home was truly covered in terror, and innocent blood was shed there. Reported sightings vary widely, including people claiming to see a shadowy figure standing in front of the window where Lexer jumped to his death. Many who claim to have seen this “ghost” believe it is Lexer. It is said to be the size of a grown man, all white and blurry. The “ghost” is said to be standing at the window looking down at the ground where he met his death.
Others report seeing Lexer holding an ax, going from room to room, and hearing the sound of the ax hitting the floor. Still more have reported hearing whispers and groans. They report hearing the sound of items falling and notice things had been moved about for no reason. In the early morning and late evening, if you listen carefully, it is said you can hear the children laughing. At mealtimes, you can smell bread baking, and sometimes if you are lucky, you can get a glance of Mrs. Lexer cooking a family meal. Lexer’s son and daughter-in-law have been seen roaming the grounds. It is thought they are looking for their children.
The pit where the 31 bodies were found is also thought to be haunted. People have reported seeing the area covered in what appears to be thick white smoke. Others say you can hear moans around midnight,
