In 2013, a serious incident occurred when poisoned letters were sent to President Barack Obama and several other officials. Investigators quickly pointed to a suspect: an Elvis Presley impersonator from Tupelo, Mississippi, known for his odd conspiracy theories.
What they didn’t anticipate was that the impersonator himself would become a victim of a real conspiracy.
This intriguing twist is the focus of a new three-part docuseries called The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga, which premiered on Netflix this week. Directed by brothers Chapman and Maclain Way, who are renowned for their previous projects like Untold and Wild, Wild Country, the series opens with a quote from author William Faulkner, emphasizing the importance of understanding places like Mississippi to grasp the world around us.
The documentary delves into an attempted assassination plot that has largely been forgotten over time. It presents a colorful cast of characters, including a conspiracy-minded Elvis impersonator, a karate instructor aspiring to be a Congressman, and a flamboyant politician with outrageous claims about his electoral prowess.
The Chapman brothers reflect on their experience, noting that what started as a simple exploration of small-town life in Mississippi transformed into a riveting tale about the essence of America, narrated through the rich tradition of Southern storytelling.
Set in Tupelo, the birthplace of Elvis Presley, the story follows Paul Kevin Curtis, a well-known impersonator of the famous singer. Despite his reputation, Curtis struggles to make ends meet and takes a job as a janitor at a local hospital. There, he makes a shocking discovery: a severed head stored in a fridge, leading him to believe he has uncovered a horrifying conspiracy involving stolen body parts.
As Curtis dives deeper into conspiracy theories online, he finds himself at odds with many residents of Tupelo. This tension escalates, resulting in dramatic and dangerous events, including a car explosion, a deadly house fire, a drive-by shooting of an elephant, and ultimately, the mailing of ricin-laced letters to the President.
Kings of Tupelo is available for streaming on Netflix starting December 11.
