Story of‘Zenith man’ shared here on Feb. 6

Decades after his trial for the murder of Virginia Ridley, his wife of 30 years – a wife the community did not know existed – Alvin Ridley of Ringgold, GA, was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, a revelation that sheds light on much of his lifelong personal battle – and shows how easily those who don’t fit societal norms can be castigated and misunderstood.

His story is chronicled in the book Zenith Man: Death, Love and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom (2024) by Alvin’s attorney, McCracken King Poston Jr. Part true crime, part courtroom drama and full of local color, 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.

McCracken Poston had been a state representative before he lost his bid for U.S. 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. Gradually, Poston pieced together the full story behind Virginia and Alvin’s curious marriage and her cause of death—which was completely overlooked by law enforcement. Calling on medical experts, testimony from Alvin himself and a wealth of surprising evidence gleaned from Alvin’s junk-strewn house, Poston presented a groundbreaking defense that allowed Alvin to return to his peculiar lifestyle, a free man.

The public is invited to hear McCracken Poston recount this chilling and heartwarming story on Thursday, Feb. 6, at 5:30 PM at the Pike Historical Society (located next to the Zebulon park and City Hall). Myrtle’s Plot Twist of Griffin will have books on site available for purchasing and signing. This event is free and open to the public.