About the Author
McCracken King Poston, Jr. was born and raised in Catoosa County in Northwest Georgia. A four-term member of the Georgia House of Representatives, his world unraveled after a number of personal and professional setbacks, including a losing bid for the U.S. Congress.
Soon, Poston found himself representing a most unusual client - a man once revered as a natural TV repairman who had also suffered several downfalls, including being accused of holding his wife captive in their basement for almost three decades before killing her. Poston went on to complete the representation of Alvin "Zenith Man" Ridley, and the community was shocked to hear the truth of what went on at the dilapidated house in Ringgold, Georgia.
McCracken King Poston Jr, is currently a criminal defense attorney. He gained national attention for his handling of several notable cases that were featured on CNN Presents, Dateline NBC, A&E’s American Justice and Forensic Files.
About the Book
In October 1997, the town of Ringgold, Georgia, was shaken by reports of a murder in its midst. A dead woman was found in Alvin Ridley's house—and even more shockingly, she was the wife no one knew he had.
McCracken Poston had been a state representative before he lost his bid for US Congress and returned to his law career. Alvin Ridley was a local character who once sold and serviced Zenith televisions. Though reclusive and an outsider, the "Zenith Man," as Poston knew him, hardly seemed capable of murder.
Alvin was a difficult client, storing evidence in a cockroach-infested suitcase, unwilling to reveal key facts to his defender. Calling on medical experts, testimony from Alvin himself, and a wealth of surprising evidence gleaned from Alvin's house, Poston presented a groundbreaking defense that allowed Alvin to return to his peculiar lifestyle, a free man.
Years after his trial, Alvin was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, a revelation that sheds light on much of his lifelong personal battle. Part true crime, part courtroom drama, Zenith Man is also the moving story of an unexpected friendship between two very different men that changed—and perhaps saved—the lives of both.
About the Event
The event took place at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center on 06/22/23 at 2 p.m.
The program was recorded and you can view the presentation in its entirety by clicking here.
