Episode 7.12: The Murder of Carol Jenkins

On September 16, 1968, 21-year-old Carol Jenkins was selling encyclopedias door-to-door in Martinsville, Indiana, when she became the victim of a brutal, racially motivated murder.

For more than three decades, Carol's family waited for answers. Then, a shocking revelation brought investigators closer to uncovering the truth about her murder and a secret that had remained hidden for over 30 years.

Sources

Associated Press. “Indiana Man Held in Woman’s 1968 Slaying Dies of Cancer.” Los Angeles Times, September 1, 2002. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-sep-01-na-martin1-story.html.

Cardona, McKenna. “Investigative Journalist Chapman Tells Story of Carol Jenkins’ Murder in Documentary.” Indiana University Media School, March 6, 2024. https://media.indiana.edu/news-events/news/item.html?n=investigative-journalist-chapman-tells-story-of-carol-jenkins-murder-in-documentary.

Chapman, Sandra. The Girl in the Yellow Scarf. Documentary. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/video/the-girl-in-the-yellow-scarf-jk9x7a/.

Cities of Rushville and Martinsville. “Rushville, Martinsville Partner to Honor Life of Carol Jenkins-Davis.” October 16, 2017. https://cityofrushville.in.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Rushville-Martinsville-partner-to-honor-life-of-Carol-Jenkins-Davis.pdf.

Goss, Kristen. “Grantee Documentary Shines New Light on 1968 Civil-Rights Case and Sparks Review by Federal Agency.” Fund for Investigative Journalism, October 2, 2024. https://fij.org/grantee-documentary-shines-new-light-on-1968-civil-rights-case-and-sparks-review-by-federal-agency/.

PBS FRONTLINE. “Carol Jenkins.” Un(re)solved. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/interactive/unresolved/cases/carol-jenkins/.

Singer, Mark. “Who Killed Carol Jenkins?” The New Yorker, December 31, 2001. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2002/01/07/who-killed-carol-jenkins.