S-Town: Where is Tyler Goodson now? What happened to John B McLemore’s friend?

martin

8 years ago

Warning – spoilers for episode two and beyond.S-Town began life when Serial producer Brian Reed received an email with the subject: “John B McLemore lives in S***town, Alabama.”

John had written to Brian to ask if he would investigate an alleged murder in his hometown and its subsequent cover-up.

Brian travelled south and met with John – an eccentric horologist who hated his hometown, yet remained living there for his entire life.

In episode two, we hear how Brian solved the mystery and discovered that the alleged murder victim was alive and well.

Shortly after he received the devastating news that John, who had become his friend, had committed suicide.What follows is a tender portrait of John and the town and people that shaped him.

Much time is devoted to his friendship with a local man named Tyler Goodson, who to John embodied everything wrote with his hometown.

Tyler told Tuscaloosa News that he and John “were pretty close”, adding: “He was like a daddy to me.”

On the day that John died, he and Tyler celebrated “their Father’s Day”.

TYLER GOODSON

Tyler Goodson features heavily throughout S-Town

“He was depressed all day because he was about to turn 50 years old and he acted like his life was over with and all the people that he grew up with were dead and gone,” Tyler explained. “It was just one thing after another.”

If I could bring John B back to life, I’d probably beat the hell out of him

Tyler Goodson

“He always talked about suicide and I just called his bluff and wasn’t going to keep listening to him because I felt like I would drive myself crazy running over there every time he hollered he was going to kill himself.“The one time I didn’t go over there, he really did it.

“I miss the hell out of him, but if I could bring him back to life, I’d probably beat the hell out of him for all the hell he’s put me through for killing himself like that.”

S-Town is a new podcast which tells the story of John B McLemore, who among other things, built a hedge maze at his home in Woodstock, Alabama. Here is a look at John, his maze and his hometown in pictures.

John B McLemore

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S-Town: John B McLemore’s maze in Woodstock, Alabama

Tyler revealed during the podcast that John had asked him if they could indulge in some “church” – a ritual where Tyler would inflict pain on John to satisfy a fetish.He refused, and never saw his friend alive again.

According to Tyler, John told him to “take whatever he wanted” after he died, and during the podcast we hear John speak about leaving part of his estate to Tyler and his family.

But John left no will which could corroborate this, and after his death his estate and custody of his mother Mary Grace was awarded to a distant cousin, Rita.

TYLER GOODSON

Tyler described John as being “like a daddy”

Tyler wanted to live in John’s home and care for Mary Grace – who he called Momma.He was told to stay away from the property, but broke in to retrieve John’s laptop, paperwork, and belongings he claimed were his – including two school buses full of lumber and antiques and a 48-foot trailer.

Bills of sale were produced to prove that the vehicles belonged to Tyler, but Rita has claimed that the dates do not add up with Google Earth images showing them to be on John’s yard.

JOHN B MCLEMORE

John killed himself by drinking suicide

Tyler also dug into John’s land in search of a stash of gold bars.John, who was unbanked, had presumably hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of gold hidden somewhere on his property.

As a result of his activities John was charged with trespassing and felony theft charges.

At the end of the series Tyler is awaiting trial and living in a home that he has constructed with the materials he took from John’s property.

Brian visits him and asks whether his search for Johns gold was successful.

ANDREA MORALES / S-TOWN

Brian Reed created and presented S-Town

“Listen, I clearly want to know if you ever do find it,” Brian says. “But you should think about it before you tell me. If you ever do. Because it’s going to then be public.”Tyler replies: “Yeah, I know. That’s what I’m scared of now.”

“Well. As far as just talking about this stuff?”

“Yeah, kinda.”

Tyler then asks Brian to turn the recorder off so that they could speak in private, leaving listeners wondering whether or not he found the treasure.