Chasing The Devil - Franklin, Louisiana

Small Town Murder covers a Franklin, Louisiana murder case centered on a volatile encounter between an ex-couple. The episode details how a secret Walmart meeting, a home pregnancy test, and relationship tensions escalate into a night of multiple murders and one of the most dramatic police chases on record. The narrative arc moves from the initial awkward confrontation through escalating violence to a chaotic high-speed pursuit involving a van attempting to evade police at 100+ mph through crop fields. The hosts promise shocking twists regarding who survives and who admits to what crimes, framing the case as exceptionally wild and unpredictable. The show notes emphasize the absurdity and dark humor of the situation—the irony of meeting at Walmart as a safety measure that backfires, the impracticality of using a van for a high-speed escape, and tangential observations about Louisiana's endangered black bears. The episode runs over three hours, suggesting deep-dive storytelling with multiple layers to the crime narrative. As with the Small Town Murder format, the hosts likely blend true crime investigation with comedic commentary and banter, using the inherent absurdities of the case to generate entertainment value alongside the serious subject matter.

Verdict: A solid true crime episode with an apparently wild, multi-layered case and comedic framing that should entertain the show's established audience, though the source material alone doesn't confirm exceptional execution or originality.

Comedy rubric

• Laugh density 3/5 24%

  Show notes emphasize comedic observations (van escape absurdity, Walmart irony, bear facts) suggesting steady humor, but without hearing the delivery, can't confirm consistent laugh-landing throughout 3+ hours

• Originality of material 3/5 24%

  The case itself appears distinctive (dramatic chase, multiple murders, relationship drama), but the Small Town Murder format of true crime + comedic commentary is their established template

• Chemistry and delivery n/a

  Source material provides no information about host rapport, timing, or conversational dynamics between James and Jimmie

• Substance 3/5 18%

  Show notes promise substantive crime details (ex-couple conflict, Walmart meeting, pregnancy test, multiple murders, high-speed chase) but lack specifics on depth of investigation, interviews, or analysis

• Delivers on its title 4/5 18%

  'Chasing The Devil' directly references the dramatic police chase promised in notes; episode appears to deliver the wild pursuit narrative and murder details the title implies

• Value for time 3/5 18%

  3+ hour runtime for a single case suggests either dense storytelling or potential padding; show notes don't clarify pacing or whether length is justified by content complexity

How we score Comedy

Worth it if you enjoy Small Town Murder's blend of true crime investigation and dark humor, appreciate absurdist crime narratives, or want a deep-dive into a genuinely chaotic Louisiana murder case.

Based on the episode description. AI-generated; it can be wrong.