A new audio series is analyzing a cold murder case of the namesake for a famed Chapel Hill restaurant.
27 Views is a podcast created by Hillsborough publisher, Elizabeth Woodman, that explores the South through writers and their stories. In the latest 4-episode series released this week, 27 Views explores the decades old unsolved murder of Rachel Crook, namesake of the iconic Crook’s Corner restaurant that closed in Chapel Hill in 2021. Operating a fish market and café out of the of the location that was home to the former Crook’s Corner restaurant, Crook was killed in 1951 at the footsteps of the building, and the murder remains unsolved.
Woodman narrates the series providing historical background with an embedded re-telling of events through the voices of local news and law enforcement individuals involved in the case. These voices are provided by local authors and other Hillsborough residents including Jill McCorkle, Eryk Pruitt, Sam Coleman, Jane Holding, James Rainsford, John Bemis, Pat Revels, and Tom Rankin.
The 27 Views website contains podcast notes and a photo archive of the Rachel Crook story that includes newspaper clippings from the Durham Sun.
You can listen to “Who Killed Rachel Crook?” on the 27 Views Podcast on APPLE | Spotify | Podbean & Other Platforms

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Local Podcast Series Explores the Unsolved Murder of Rachel CrookViews is a podcast created by Hillsborough publisher, Elizabeth Woodman, that explores the South through writers and their stories. In the latest 4-episode series released this week, 27 Views explores the decades old unsolved murder of Rachel Crook, namesake of the iconic Crook’s Corner. Operating a fish market and café out of the of the location that was home to the former Crook’s Corner restaurant, Crook was killed in 1951 at the footsteps of the building, and the murder remains unsolved.
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