Betty Frizzell

There's another hillbilly elegy. It's the reality of multi-generational trauma, poverty, and how our society has abandoned millions of Americans to suffer the ravages of a system they don't control.

A Family's Legacy of Poverty, Crime and Mental Illness in Rural America

If You Can't Quit Cryin', You Can't Come Here No More

On May 12, 2013, 48-year-old Vicky Isaac of rural Puxico, Missouri—a woman with a history of learning disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, and drug addiction— loaded a .22 caliber handgun and shot her violent addict husband while he slept in the trailer they shared with Vicky’s adult son. Or did she? According to police reports, Vicky called 911 and confessed to the crime. Was this another sad case of murder amongst addicts or something more? Betty Frizzell escaped her family’s legacy of crime, addiction, and abuse to become a respected law enforcement officer and teacher. Drawn back to the town and people of her past, Betty works to uncover the truth of murder and her family’s history of violence. Her investigation uncovers sad realities about mental illness, small-town politics, and a society that doesn’t care about “poor, white trash”. There are never easy answers when the odds are stacked against you and no amount of “elegies” will save your family.

Betty Frizzell

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