Does Netflix have another Tiger King sensation on its hands with The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga? We’ll find out soon enough when the three-part docuseries arrives on the streamer on Wednesday (December 11), but from everything we’ve seen so far, it’s certainly another wild, wild addition to the “truth is stranger than fiction” collective.
The logline for the series teases, “A small-town feud, an internet conspiracy, and an assassination attempt on the president. Welcome to Mississippi where this jaw-dropping story spirals from local drama to a national scandal. Buckle up for a wild ride. This isn’t fiction — it’s Tupelo.”
So who are the major players involved in this scandal? Here’s a look at what we know about the people involved.
James Everett Dutschke
Nicknamed “Douchebag” by at least one interviewee featured in the show’s trailer, Tupelo native James Everett Dutschke was sentenced to 25 years in prison after sending a ricin-laced letter to then-President Barack Obama — along with Senator Roger Wicker and Judge Sadie Holland — in 2013. The letters were mailed from Memphis, Tennessee. After another suspect was freed for lack of evidence, Dutschke’s home in Tupelo, Mississippi, was searched in the investigation, which ultimately led to his indictment and conviction.
In 2013, shortly after his arrest, CNN published a profile of the suspect from interviews with his neighbors, which revealed that he was accused of sexually abusing young girls at his martial arts studio and “terrorizing” his neighborhood. Dutschke also worked for an insurance company owned by Jack Curtis (whose brother he’d later frame for the crime) and ran for state house — losing to a man whose mother was the judge he’d later send ricin to. He was described by neighbors as smart and reportedly carried around a Mensa membership card to show off to people.
After pleading guilty to the federal charges against him, he recanted his plea at sentencing and argued that Paul Kevin Curtis was the real perpetrator, offering to sprinkle the contents of the ricin letters on a peanut butter sandwich and eat it to prove his innocence. However, his conviction stood — which also resolved his separate indictment for hiring someone to send ricin to Wicker from jail to cover his tracks — and he was sent to prison. He was later sentenced to 20 years for the molestation charges and had to register as a sex offender.
Paul Kevin Curtis
Before Dutschke was arrested for the ricin-poisoned letters, he allegedly attempted to frame Paul Kevin Curtis from Corinth, Mississippi. Curtis was an Elvis impersonator since 1982 who was initially arrested for the letters but was released after searches of his home and vehicle revealed no trace of the poison. He then told press, “I thought they said rice and I said I don’t even eat rice. I respect President Obama. I love my country and would never do anything to pose a threat to him or any other U.S. official.”
Still, Curtis had his own set of eccentricities to speak of. He was familiar to Senator Wicker, whom he’d sent some of his written claims that he’d seen black-market body parts in a hospital freezer and even wrote a book about it. A Clarion-Ledger reporter who spoke with the local sheriff after his arrest reported that Curtis had a criminal history of assault, telephone harassment, and stalking. He was also known for sharing conspiracy theories on social media with the sign-off, “This is Kevin Curtis & I approve this message,” which was later emulated in the ricin letters, which concluded with, “I am KC and I approve this message.” The letters also referenced ‘Missing Pieces,’ which was the name of Curtis’ conspiracy theory book.
He and Dutschke had a falling out and were not on speaking terms since 2010. When he claimed he was framed and gave police a list of people who might have done it, it included Dutschke. In an interview with Katie Couric, Curtis revealed that Dutschke formerly worked at his brother’s insurance company, and his ex-wife was his manager. Curtis revealed that Dutschke asked his ex-wife curious questions about him and called his performance clients to encourage them to cancel their longstanding contracts with him. When asked why Dutschke might’ve had a grudge against him, though, Curtis said simply, “To this day, I don’t know.”
Jack Curtis
In addition to owning an insurance business, Jack Curtis, the brother of Paul Kevin Curtis, would sometimes perform alongside him, portraying the Las Vegas-era Elvis while Kevin did the younger version, according to The New York Times.
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Laura Curtis
Paul Kevin Curtis’ ex-wife Laura spoke about the history between her husband and Dutschke, whom she worked with at Jack Curtis’ insurance company. She told NYT, “I have told Kevin, ‘You two are so much alike, you should be friends.’ It’s very ironic these two men are in this situation. They are basically good men. It’s a nightmare.”
Senator Roger Wicker
Senator Wicker was the intended recipient of the first ricin letter on April 15, 2013, the same date as the Boston Marathon Bombing. His letter was intercepted before it reached the congressional building, and he was given additional security details as a result of the incident.
Judge Sadie Holland
In addition to being the mother of the man who beat Dutschke in his house race, this judge also had a history with Curtis, having sentenced him to jail for six months in 2004 after an altercation. Curtis told Katie Couric, “The last time I saw that judge, we smiled, and we had no conflicts. She just did her job as the judge… In fact, I was her first case ever.”
The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga, Wednesday, December 11, Netflix