Good morning,
My name is Michael Earl Simmons, a retired police sergeant from the Pensacola Police Department. During my 30-year career serving the city of Pensacola, I spent part of that time as a detective investigating homicides.
Law enforcement has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. When I was just two years old, my father joined the Pensacola Police Force. I grew up running the hallways of the old police station at 40 South Alcaniz Street. Years later, after my father passed away, I joined the department myself—and I was given the honor of wearing his old badge. I still have it today.
In 1995, I took on the unofficial role of Pensacola Police Historian and began researching and writing about the department’s past. That work led to my first book, Pensacola’s Finest. Since then, I have written fourteen books, numerous articles, and hundreds of blog posts exploring the history of policing in our city. For the past several years, many of those stories have appeared on my website, Old Police Stories.
Along the way, I discovered something interesting. While people appreciate the stories of the officers who served this city, they are often even more fascinated by the crimes themselves—the events that once shocked the community and left their mark on Pensacola’s history.
So in 2026, the website evolved into something new: Sweet Tea Murders.
Today, my work focuses on telling the true crime stories of Pensacola’s past—stories that once filled the newspapers, stirred the streets, and were slowly forgotten over time.
To bring these stories to life in a new way, I will begin hosting “Sweet Tea Murders LIVE: An Evening of Pensacola Crime Stories,” starting Thursday, May 28, 2026. These stories will be told at the Pensacola Museum of Art, which is the former Pensacola Police Headquarters at 407 S. Jefferson Street.
During the first evening, I will tell two of Pensacola’s most chilling historical crimes:
• The fatal stabbing of Captain Martin Villar in 1882
• The infamous 1926 Axe Murder that once terrorized the town
These storytelling events will take place monthly throughout the summer of 2026, giving audiences the opportunity to step back into the darker chapters of Pensacola’s history.
Later this year, I will also begin offering Sweet Tea Murders walking tours, exploring the very streets where many of these crimes once occurred.
Most of these stories have faded from memory over the years—but together, we will bring them back to life.
For tickets and more information, visit:
sweetteamurders.com
Michael Earl Simmons
