In this powerful face-to-face interview, Mary Phagan-Kean — great-niece and namesake of 13-year-old Little Mary Phagan — shares the uncensored family story of one of America’s most controversial crimes: the 1913 sex murder of Little Mary Phagan inside Atlanta’s National Pencil Company.
Convicted of the brutal rape and murder was Leo Frank, the factory superintendent and local B’nai B’rith president. His case became a national flashpoint, sparking intense accusations of antisemitism, racism, and a media war between North and South. It directly led to the founding of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in 1913.
Mary Phagan-Kean, who was named after her great-aunt and only learned the full story at age 13, opens up about her decades-long personal investigation. She reveals:
How she discovered the truth through original 1913 newspaper accounts rather than biased later books
Her extensive personal archive, including trial evidence, family photos, and artifacts (many now preserved at Georgia State University)
Claims of planted evidence, changing stories, and historical revisionism over 112 years
The emotional family impact and why she took the case personally as both namesake and researcher
From her Southern upbringing grounded in character over color, to her father’s moving story of honoring a Jewish friend, Mary emphasizes she judges people by actions — not race or religion. She presents the evidence she believes the public has been denied for over a century.
This conversation also explores broader implications: the origins of the ADL, the meaning of antisemitism today, generational trauma, and the battle over historical memory.
Watch as Mary tours her personal collection and discusses her 2025 revised book.
The Murder of Little Mary Phagan by Mary Phagan-Kean is now available on Amazon and her website: Little Mary Phagan, Leo Frank, Jim Conley, 1913 … (Proceeds support a planned documentary to honor Little Mary.)