On June 3rd, 1985, in Summerfield, North Carolina, police watched in horror as a Chevy Blazer full of passengers exploded on NC150 right before their eyes. There were no survivors. Within minutes, the dark clouds hovering in the sky let loose, dumping rain and hail on the grotesque scene. “It was like the Lord was mad,” one officer said later. “Like He was real mad. I mean, really pissed off.”

In the Blazer was Susie Newsome Lynch, her first cousin and lover Fritz Klenner, and Susie's young sons, John and James. The events that led to this tragic moment are drenched in deep-seated resentment, paranoia, fear, obsession, and hatred. By the time the carnage was over, nine people had died, three officers were wounded, three families were left in ruins, and those who survived were devastated. It left everybody scratching their heads and asking, “Why?”

Join Jen and Cam while they discuss the wild case "Killing Cousins: Susie Newsom Lynch & Fritz Klenner'.

The book Jen talked about is called Bitter Blood by Jerry Bledsoe. Mr. Bledsoe originally wrote about this case in the Greensboro News & Record, and that piece won an award. That was then turned into this book that hit the New York Times Bestseller list. Jen would mark it as one of the top True Crime books she's read. You can find the Amazon link at the top of the sources list.

The made-for-TV two-part movie is called In The Best of Families: Marriage, Pride & Madness. Starring Kelly McGillis, Harry Hamlin, and Keith Carradine.

Thank you to Bingo Bash for sponsoring this episode.
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Written and researched by Lauretta Allen
with bits added in by Jen
Listener Discretion by Edward October from OctoberpodVHS
Executive Producer Nico Vitesse of The Inky Paw Print

Sources:
Bitter Blood on Amazon
https://www.nydailynews.com/2022/06/11/justice-story-kissing-and-killing-cousins-kept-their-crimes-in-the-family/
https://wfhszephyr.com/4137/features/too-close-to-home-fritz-klenner-and-susie-lynch/
https://carolinacrime.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/cc-episode-2-susie-lynch-and-fritz-klenner-.pdf
https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/40-the-bitter-blood-murders
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9421073/frederick-robert-klenner
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/90748424/susie-sharp-lynch
https://murderpedia.org/male.K/k/klenner-frederick.htm
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7842386/delores-lynch
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kEQsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bM4EAAAAIBAJ&dq=Susiee%20lynch&pg=6795%2C3744851
https://www.newspapers.com/image/624539730/?terms=Fritz%20Klenner&match=1 (Ian Perkins)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/109736856/?terms=Fritz%20Klenner&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/624010626/?terms=Fritz%20Klenner&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/785739676/?terms=Fritz%20Klenner&match=1
(Tom Lynch talks about the case)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/624406709/?terms=Fritz%20Klenner&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/655273817/?terms=Fritz%20Klenner&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/624540804/?terms=Fritz%20Klenner&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/624542056/?terms=Fritz%20Klenner&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/624397924/?terms=Fritz%20Klenner&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/624536791/?terms=Fritz%20Klenner&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/960962141/terms=Susie%20Newsom%20Lynch&match=1 *** good breakdown of info
https://www.newspapers.com/image/961017140/terms=Susie%20Newsom%20Lynch&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/960962122/terms=Susie%20Newsom%20Lynch&match=1 (timeline of all the players)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/960962013/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/960962122/terms=Susie%20Newsom%20Lynch&match=1
https://southwritlarge.com/articles/susie-marshall-sharp-its-not-just-the-woman-thing/
(It's not really pertinent to the case, but it's a fascinating read about Susie's aunt and namesake.)
https://the-line-up.com/bitter-blood-murders-excerpt
https://www.newspapers.com/image/110732872/?terms=Delores%20Lynch&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/110733599/?terms=Delores%20Lynch&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/109736740/?terms=Delores%20Lynch&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/109705632/terms=%22Delores%20Lynch%22&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/109854161/terms=%22Delores%20Lynch%22&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/662583612/terms=%22Delores%20Lynch%22&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/109854546/terms=%22Delores%20Lynch%22&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/688614306/terms=%22Delores%20Lynch%22&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/109863783/terms=%22Delores%20Lynch%22&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/109860683/terms=%22Delores%20Lynch%22&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/943338070/?terms=Newsom%20Murder&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/623980205/?terms=Newsom%20Murder&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/943340471/?terms=Newsom%20Murder&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/939337482/?terms=Newsom%20Murder&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/939328246/?terms=Newsom%20Murder&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/939328246/?terms=Newsom%20Murder&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/939328544/?terms=Newsom%20Murder&match=1 (obituaries for Robert, Florence, and Hattie.)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/939284753/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/944761848/?terms=Hattie%20Newsom&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/939286290/?terms=Hattie%20Newsom&match=1
https://www.newspapers.com/image/943292724/?terms=Hattie%20Newsom&match=1
http://www.theknightshift.com/2015/06/bitter-blood-thirty-years-later.html
https://www.newspapers.com/image/624541232/terms=John%20James%20Lynch&match=1
https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/hickoryrecord.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/63/163576f3-8eb6-57b1-a141-90d9cb245c0e/60b54be019b05.pdf.pdf
http://www.theknightshift.com/2015/06/bitter-blood-thirty-years-later.html