After a murder, the victim often becomes a footnote in his own death. Thomas Millar McWaters Jr. died at 64, yet three decades later, almost nothing is known about him. In this episode, we try to find out who he was.
From a small museum in Bedford, Virginia, to census records, church archives, and the people who briefly crossed his path, we trace Tom’s life from his birth in 1924 through his decades in Greenwich, Connecticut, and his move to a 129-acre estate he renamed Balmoor. Along the way, we find that the Tom in the records and the “Thos” who arrived in Virginia, with his Cornell degree, his work for NASA, and his aristocratic English roots, may be two different men. We also look at how he met a newly paroled young man named Joseph Savino, and how he spent years working the system from the outside to bring him home.
Who was Tom McWaters before any of it? As much as anyone still can, you’ll know by the end.
Content note: This episode includes descriptions of violence, death, and drug use. Listener discretion is advised.
*Threat to Society is a true story. Certain names and identifying information have been changed to protect the living. The views expressed are solely those of the host and do not represent any employer, institution, or organization.*
If you have information about Joseph Savino or Thomas McWaters, email [threattosocietyproject@gmail.com](mailto:threattosocietyproject@gmail.com). Follow the show on Instagram and TikTok at Threat to Society Project, and find the ways to support it in the show notes.
Austyn CastelliHost