A murder case from Christmas Eve 1870 is getting the true-crime podcast treatment next weekend, when Crimes of the Centuries records a live episode inside Ross High School's Performing Arts Center in Hamilton. The Butler County Historical Society has scheduled the taping for 7 p.m. on September 12, and it centers on a Hamilton saloon shooting whose trial became infamous nationwide for one of the strangest twists in American courtroom history.
According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, the event at 3601 Hamilton Cleves Road will run two hours and include a question-and-answer session after the recording. The program will examine the crime itself, the trial that followed, and the people and circumstances tied to the case, which the historical society says sparked intense public debate and involved a nationally known attorney. The case also included vigilante violence, though the paper's report does not elaborate on which part of the saga that refers to.
A Barroom Shooting and a Notorious Defense
The case being retold is the killing of Thomas S. Myers, shot during a deadly barroom brawl in Hamilton on Christmas Eve 1870, according to UKnowledge. Local saloon owner Thomas McGehan stood trial for the murder, and his defense hinged on an unusual theory: attorney Clement L. Vallandigham argued that Myers had not been shot by McGehan at all, but had accidentally shot himself in the abdomen while drawing his own pistol from his pocket while kneeling, as detailed by Dayton Unknown. Prosecutors countered that McGehan had carried the murder weapon in his right pocket.
Vallandigham was no ordinary defense lawyer. Before taking the case, he had served as a U.S. Congressman and led the anti-war “Copperhead” Democrats during the Civil War, a role that got him arrested and exiled by military court martial in 1863 — he even ran for Ohio governor from exile in Canada that same year, per Wikipedia. That national notoriety made him exactly the kind of nationally known attorney the historical society's own event materials point to when describing the case's fame.
The Demonstration That Killed the Defense Attorney
The trial took its fatal turn in June 1871, when Vallandigham tried to demonstrate his accidental-discharge theory to fellow defense attorneys at the Lebanon House, now known as The Golden Lamb. He inadvertently picked up a pistol he believed was empty, fired it into his own abdomen, and died the next day, according to the same Wikipedia account, which says he died after the accidental shooting.
The demonstration, gone tragically wrong, ended up proving the defense's point in the eyes of the jury. McGehan was acquitted of the murder charges. But his freedom didn't last: four years later, in June 1875, an unknown gunman shot McGehan through the window of his own saloon and killed him, according to RareNewspapers.com. The person responsible was never identified.
The Podcast Team Behind the Live Taping
The episode will be recorded by Amber Hunt and Amanda Rossmann, the pair behind Crimes of the Centuries. Per the Enquirer's reporting, Hunt has spent 30 years in journalism, including eight years as a crime reporter for the Detroit Free Press and a stint as an investigative reporter for the Cincinnati Enquirer from 2013 to 2025. She has also written several true-crime books and appeared on television programs focused on crime.
Rossmann worked as a visual journalist for the Cincinnati Enquirer for more than 15 years and was part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning team, the paper's account notes. The Enquirer credited Hunt's team specifically with the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting for “Seven Days of Heroin,” according to the Wikipedia page. Hunt also published a 2024 book, “Crimes of the Centuries: The Cases That Changed Us,” built on cases featured on the podcast. Together, the two produced podcasts that have received regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for news documentary and investigative reporting.
Their earlier show, Accused, drew more than 45 million downloads across four seasons and reached No. 1 on the iTunes podcast chart, per the same Wikipedia entry. Hunt and Rossmann's work also includes investigative audio.
Series Finale for a Local History Program
The September 12 taping is a Butler County Historical Society event. The society's 2026 public programming included an evening with Hall of Fame Reds broadcaster Marty Brennaman in March 2026.
The Butler County Historical Society works to preserve Butler County history — a mission this true-crime crossover event is designed to bring to a wider audience.
Tickets and VIP Perks
General admission tickets cost $35, while Butler County Historical Society members can attend for $25, according to the Enquirer. A $70 VIP package adds reserved seating, a meet-and-greet with the Crimes of the Centuries team, themed snacks, photo and autograph opportunities, and a signed copy of Hunt's latest book. Tickets are available through the Butler County Historical Society's website.
