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Talking Dateline: The Bluegrass Mystery

Explore episode Jul 15, 2026

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Exclusive Clip: JoLynn Stevenson Remembers Ella as a Mother

At 15:35 · chapter starts 14:30

In an exclusive clip, JoLynn Stevenson — who watched Ella raise young Alex from a neighboring home — paints a vivid picture of a woman for whom motherhood was everything. Ella wanted to pour so much love and joy into her children that they would be shielded from whatever she herself had been through. She never spoke negatively about her boys, never let frustration spill over to others. JoLynn found it an almost incomprehensible skill. After the clip, Blayne shares her own encounter with Alex during production: she describes a remarkably worldly, intellectually curious kid whose brilliance clearly reflects his mother's dedication. He participated in the episode to honor her, while choosing not to show his face.

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