Unspeakable: A True Crime Podcast By Kelly Jennings · Envision Podcast Productions

DEJA VU

·1 hr·2 clips

I knocked back the contract because I wasn't happy.

This episode of Unspeakable investigates the 1996 double murder of 75-year-old Sally McKay and her 53-year-old nephew, Joseph Baker, in Arkansas. Host Kelly Jennings, a former law enforcement officer and criminal justice educator, narrates the case. She frames the story around the unsettling concept of déjà vu, hinting at a tragic repetition within a family. The episode details how Joseph Baker, a blues musician and high school teacher, lost his home to a suspected arson in August 1996. His aunt, Sally McKay, a CPA managing the family estate, offered him a cabin on her property. Roughly a month later, a fire destroyed Sally's home, revealing the bodies of both Sally and Joseph inside. Autopsies showed both victims died from gunshot wounds before the fire started. Sally's red Toyota Camry was found wrecked a mile from the scene, with a blood-smeared windshield. After four months, police arrested 15-year-old Travis Lewis for the crimes. Travis Lewis was not a stranger to his victims; his mother worked as Sally McKay's housekeeper, and Joseph Baker was his high school English teacher. Despite initially denying guilt, his fingerprints were found in Sally's stolen car. He later pled guilty and was sentenced to 28.5 years in prison as an adult. The episode reveals that Sally's daughter, Martha, a practicing Buddhist, initiated a years-long correspondence with Travis while he was incarcerated. Believing in rehabilitation and forgiveness, Martha eventually spoke before the parole board in support of his early release. Travis Lewis was granted parole and released at age 39, after serving roughly 23 years. Martha even offered to help him reintegrate into society, despite him being the murderer of her mother and cousin. The host notes that Travis had the opportunity for parole, unlike in her home state of Louisiana, where such a sentence might have been life without parole. Jennings describes the prison where Travis served time, the Varner Unit, as a Supermax facility nicknamed the "gladiator school" that housed juvenile offenders. One surprising insight is the detailed exploration of "victim-offender dialogue" or restorative justice, explaining its modern rules and psychological benefits for victims. The host shares a Buddhist parable about forgiveness, comparing holding onto anger to remaining in a prison of one's own making. A memorable moment is the revelation that Travis Lewis allegedly passed three polygraph tests before failing a fourth during the investigation. The tone is conversational and educational, delivered with a Southern narrative flair and direct commentary from the host's law enforcement perspective. Jennings interjects personal opinions, such as her views on prison rehabilitation and the comparative leniency of Arkansas sentencing. She uses vivid descriptions to paint a picture of the historic Snowden family home and the Southern setting. True crime listeners interested in deep dives into lesser-known cases with psychological and legal nuances will appreciate this episode. Those sensitive to stories involving the murder of elderly victims or skeptical of restorative justice concepts might find parts of it challenging. Listeners who prefer fast-paced, action-driven narratives over detailed historical and procedural context may want to skip it.

As heard by us

A prison story that keeps asking what punishment can actually fix.

DEJA VU follows Travis through the hard edge of a youth facility for juvenile offenders, a place nicknamed "gladiator school" for a reason. The episode stays close to the damage prison can do to a young man who already has a violent record, and it is blunt about the way custody…

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Why you'd press play

A grave look at Travis, a juvenile offender sent to a facility nicknamed the gladiator school.

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