Double Trouble

William and Nancy were mirror images of each other, both in appearance and in mindset. Where one was, the other could not be far behind. The two were abandoned as infants, but two elderly widows, Nannie and Sally Batterton, took them in and raised them as their own. William and Nancy had an unknown sadistic streak, however. At a young age they began capturing and torturing small domestic animals. As they grew older, their thirst for blood grew as well. Unbeknownst to the town, the twins would mutilate livestock at surrounding farms during the night. Because Nannie and Sally were trusting and knew nothing of the twin’s psychotic behavior, nothing was done to reprimand the Batterton Terrors. Therefore, the behavior of the twins only worsened. At the age of twenty, William and Nancy's sadist thirst outgrew the small pleasure of killing animals; they needed something bigger, something human. On the night of November twenty-third, William and Nancy snuck into the bedroom the elderly sisters shared and strangled both in the night. The pair proceeded to brutally dismember the bodies and hide them throughout the house. Some time later, the two confessed to the murders of their guardians. However, the Batterton Terrors never told where the bodies were hidden, and the townspeople never found out. To this day, the gravestones of Sally and Nannie mark empty ground. A week following their death, the Batterton House was completely emptied and for many years following, no one set foot in the house. In 1954, the Batterton House was renovated and reopened as a National Historic Landmark. Nearby neighbors often claim to hear loud banging coming from the Batterton House. Some believe it sounds like floorboards being ripped off the foundation, one by one.

Sarah Reynolds

Taylor County High School