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Ole Misc.: Holy Shit, Paul McLeod Killed a Guy at Graceland Too

I mean, it was a matter of time before something like this happened.

By The Ghost of Jay Cutler
Paul McLeod's eccentric Holly Springs home/shrine/museum
Paul McLeod's eccentric Holly Springs home/shrine/museum
Wikimedia Commons

Graceland Too, an attraction which can only accurately be described as a shrine to Elvis Presley, was the scene of a fatal shooting two nights ago, as Paul McLeod, the sole owner and operator of the Holly Springs "museum," shot an alleged trespasser, who was found dead just inside the the establishment's front door.

An oddly important cultural institution in our odd neck of the woods, Graceland Too has seen countless students from Ole Miss and other schools in the area making the trek to Holly Springs for a visit. The site, which is nothing more than McLeod's eccentrically decorated home, features memorabilia, photographs, paintings, a room full of televisions (it's so that Mr. McLeod can record any instance where he sees Elvis Presley on air in any form), and an attempted recreation of the set of Jailhouse Rock. It is a popular spot to visit after a night of drinking, as the home is open 24-hours a day and only costs a meager five dollars to tour. McLeod himself serves more as the sideshow, offering amusing-but-hardly-true anecdotes (no, Paul, I don't believe that Bill Clinton showed up and offered "one million dollars cash" for some rare Elvis figurine you happen to possess) as entertainment throughout the tour.

The thing about a visit to Graceland Too that makes it both entertaining and haunting is that you really can't tell if what he is doing is an honest business venture or the inevitable result of his mentally unwell obsession with Elvis Presley. On the one hand, he's an honest fan and entertainer who really just loves talking about Elvis with complete strangers. But, on the other hand, he's a hoarder who lets people into his home, people who he routinely sexually harasses and threatens with violence.

That's why none of this is so surprising to anyone who has ever been to Graceland Too (I'm a lifetime member of that fine establishment, for whatever that's worth). McLeod's kooky and weird in a way that can only exist in a small town in north Mississippi. He's obsessive, easily agitated, and somehow simultaneously paranoid and hospitable. He even routinely brandishes what I can only presume is the same .45 caliber pistol used in this shooting while giving tours of his home, just to let you know who's really in charge at Graceland Too.

The victim is Dwight David Taylor, a 28-year-old man who McLeod alleges broke into the house and demanded money, leading to a violent altercation. Charges have not yet been brought against McLeod.

AND THEN THERE'S THIS, JUST AS I'M ABOUT TO CLICK PUBLISH

Uh... wow.

Other Links

  • It's Ole Miss' turn at SEC Media Days today! Hugh Freeze will speak, as will Bo Wallace, Cody Prewitt, and C.J. Johnson. We'll livetweet and liveblog it today, so stay tuned. There's actually not a link here. Whoops.
  • Ole Miss' talented sophomores will likely be the focus today during Media Days.
  • Somebody at Media Days voted Ole Miss to win the SEC Championship. What's more shocking is that somebody else voted for Arkansas.
  • The basketball team's nonconference schedule is out and, aside from a games against Creighton, Oregon, and Dayton, it's not all that great.