Crystal Beach, 1949: A paradise shattered by a man named Rastus Russell
In a town where neighbors left their doors unlocked and kids rode bikes barefoot down shell-paved streets, evil came creeping in through the back door — and never left.
Crystal Beach, Florida, wasn’t the kind of place where things like this happened. In 1949, it was paradise: a sleepy coastal village with clear, blue water, fruit trees, and a community that felt like family. And yet, one steamy summer morning, a horror unfolded that would haunt the town for decades — whispered about in hushed voices, if at all.
The man responsible?
John Calvin “Rastus” Russell.
A charismatic ex-con with movie-star looks and a mind that didn’t work like yours or mine. He had escaped asylums, lied his way past judges, and left a trail of violence from Florida to Chicago. But what he did to Norman and Anne Browne on August 7, 1949, was something else entirely.
He tied them up.
He tortured them.
And then he came back.
And brought hell with him.
By the time the day was over, multiple people lay wounded or dead. A manhunt ensued that gripped the entire west coast of Florida. Armed citizens scoured the woods. Mothers kept their kids indoors. And through it all, the name Rastus Russell became something locals never forgot — even if they tried.
So why hasn’t the rest of the world heard this story?
Why isn’t Rastus Russell mentioned alongside the names Manson or Berkowitz?
Because time buries truth. Especially when it happens in small towns.
I didn’t set out to write a true crime book.
I stumbled onto this story while reading a local history book in my old neighborhood. And when I realized the murder house had stood just a hundred yards from my front door, something inside me lit up — and wouldn’t let go.
I spent years digging up what really happened.
Old newspaper clippings. Firsthand interviews. Police records.
What I found was even more disturbing — and fascinating — than the legend.
This isn’t just a murder story. It’s Florida Gothic.
Imagine Charles Manson meets Mayberry.
A psychological thriller hiding inside a piece of forgotten Americana.
If that intrigues you… I invite you to read the full story.
👉 Get the book: on Amazon
It’s not just about what happened in 1949.
It’s about what still haunts the woods of Crystal Beach today.
