Jesse James didn’t die in a gunfight or on horseback.
He died unarmed, dusting a picture frame in a rented house while the Ford brothers aimed a pistol at the back of his head.

This premiere episode of Season 5: Kansas City’s Darkest Crimes — Heartland Homicide cuts through the Hollywood myth and exposes the real Jesse James: a violent outlaw, a master manipulator of the press, and a man trapped by the legend he created.

We break down his early years as a Confederate guerrilla, the real crimes of the James–Younger Gang, the collapse of his network, and the final moments that led to one of the most infamous back-shootings in American history.

Next week:
The Union Station Massacre (1933) — the machine-gun ambush that turned Kansas City into a national crime headline.

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📚 RESOURCES & SOURCES

• Missouri State Historical Society Archives

• St. Joseph Public Records (1882)

• The Ford Brothers Trial Transcripts

• Kansas City Star Historical Crime Files

• “Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War” – T.J. Stiles

• Library of Congress: Western Outlaw Newspaper Collections

  ⚠️ DISCLAIMER

  This podcast discusses historical violence, murder, and criminal activity. All research is based on documented historical records, public archives, and verified sources. Some details may be graphic or disturbing for listeners.
  Listener discretion is advised.