The Shocking True Story Behind The Kings of Tupelo

On a peaceful April day in 2013, Paul Kevin Curtis’ life would change forever. His quiet home in Tupelo, Mississippi was raided by dozens of vehicles of police and federal investigators, and Curtis was arrested for an unthinkable crime: Sending letters to government officials, including President Barack Obama, that were laced with ricin, a lethal poison.

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This is the inciting point for Netflix’s new docu-series The Kings Of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Story. The three-part series follows the life of Curtis (known informally as Kevin), an Elvis Presley impersonator in Tupelo, the birthplace of the singer, and examines how conspiracy theories led to his dramatic arrest in 2013, the efforts to clear his name, and how an unexpected rival was at the root of the crime.

Here’s how The Kings of Tupelo uncovered what happened to Curtis and the rivalry that almost cost him everything.

An Elvis ruffles some feathers

Life was promising for Curtis. Like so many others in Tupelo, he grew up absolutely adoring Elvis. He became devoted to the art of impersonation, and alongside his brother Jack became a double act—Double Trouble—a tribute act featuring not one, but two Elvises. Kevin, as he was known, began a successful cleaning business to ensure a steady income to help support his wife and kids. He eventually earned a contract with the largest rural hospital in America, the North Mississippi Medical Center.

While cleaning there, Curtis discovered a freezer full of body parts, which he alleges resulted in him losing his job. While the hospital claimed it was standard procedure as part of their commitment to organ donation, the incident prompted Curtis to begin a fervent pursuit of an organ trafficking conspiracy theory. The documentary highlights the devastating impact the all-consuming effects the conspiracy had on Curtis’s life. He lost his job, wife, friends, and his relationship with his children in the pursuit of justice. His actions became increasingly unstable; he’d go on loud rants in public and eventually alienated himself from the city that loved him. In 2003, he also found himself embroiled in an altercation with David Daniels, the assistant District Attorney for the first district of Mississippi.

Curtis’ determination to end organ trafficking led him to member of the Mississippi House of Representatives Steve Holland. Curtis wanted Holland to sponsor a bill that would commit to ending the practice of organ trafficking. Finding the bill preposterous, Holland refused, and when Curtis discovered Holland was the owner of Mississippi’s largest funeral homes (“I put the fun in funeral,” Holland claims in the series), it did nothing to quash his suspicions that a massive conspiracy was afoot.

After failing to secure sponsorship from Holland, Curtis turned to Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker. While Wicker sent Curtis a letter saying he admired the bill, he would not be able to sponsor it, instead suggesting none other than Holland would be the best person to sponsor the bill. This sent Curtis into a tailspin, and he became convinced that Wicker was part of the cover-up alongside Holland. Things got worse for Curtis, who was arrested and charged with assault because of his altercation with assistant DA Daniels. The judge in the case was none other than Sadie Collins—mother of Steve Holland. Unable to find representation, Curtis represented himself and was sentenced to six months in prison. In prison, Curtis had time to do nothing but focus on his organ trafficking conspiracy, deepening his beliefs in the theories.

Two days before Curtis’s April 17 arrest in 2013, ricin-laced letters were sent to President Barack Obama, Senator Roger Wicker, and Judge Sadie Holland. The letters were urging action on fighting the war against organ trafficking: “No one wanted to listen to me before. There are still missing pieces. Maybe I have your attention now even if that means someone must die. This must stop. To see a wrong and not expose it, is to become a silent partner.” The letters all concluded with “I am KC and I approve this message.”

A martial arts instructor changes everything

When Curtis was questioned by the authorities about his knowledge of ricin, Curtis responded that he could barely stand rice, and hadn’t eaten it in years. Baffled by the fact that Curtis knew nothing of the very poison he was accused of using to try and kill the President, the suspicion that Curtis was being framed was rising. This was supported further as the forensic analysis on Curtis’s computer revealed nothing relating to ricin. It was also revealed that Curtis was a lifelong Democrat and a big fan of Obama, seriously putting the idea he wanted the President dead in jeopardy.

Six days after his arrest, Curtis was released from prison and all the charges against him were dropped. Suspicions pointed to James Everett Dutschke, a Tupelo resident, taekwondo instructor, Wayne Newton impersonator, and major personal rival of Kevin Curtis. The pair had a longstanding habit of fighting on social media. Things got personal quickly; Curtis regularly photoshopped images belonging to Dutschke, inserting himself in countless photos and posting them on social media. Curtis began claiming he was a professional martial artist, uploading videos online. Curtis also posted a fake certificate claiming he was a member of Mensa—infuriating Dutschke, who was an actual member. Everything the rivals were doing antagonized one another. It was believed that Dutschke, well aware of Curtis’ obsession with conspiracy theories, framed him so Curtis would finally leave him alone.

Agents searched Dutschke’s home on April 23 and arrested him four days later on the 27th. Overwhelming evidence was found on Dutschke’s computer, including an order of 100 castor beans, and five positive ricin hits were found in his home. He was indicted by a grand jury in 2013 and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. After a hellish experience for Curtis, his name was cleared and he was able to try to regain his life, vowing to put conspiracy theories behind him for good, and reconnect with the family he’d alienated over the last decade-plus of devoting his life to solving the trafficking of body parts.

Kings of Tupelo features one twist after another, and it saves its final twist for the very end, delivering shocking new information. Though Curtis has put conspiracy theories behind him, he gets an idea he cannot shake: Dutschke was framed. Dutschke further alleges that he was a former CIA operative, and was framed for framing Kevin Curtis because he possessed damning information on the Obama administration. It’s unclear if this claim has any merit. But the end of Kings of Tupelo demonstrates once again how destructive—and addictive—the pull of conspiracy theories can be. It appears Curtis isn’t quite free of that obsession.

The Shocking True Story Behind The Kings of Tupelo

The Shocking True Story Behind The Kings of Tupelo

The Shocking True Story Behind The Kings of Tupelo

The Shocking True Story Behind The Kings of Tupelo

The Shocking True Story Behind The Kings of Tupelo