Kate and Anna McGarrigle were a duo of Canadian folk rock and country folk singer-songwriters (and sisters) from Quebec, who performed together until Kate’s death in 2010. Anna wrote the beautiful song Goin’ Back to Harlan, later recorded by Emmylou Harris.

The Harlan in question is in Kentucky. The Wikipedia entry on Harlan shows a very impressive courthouse built between 1918-22. I assume it was in this very building in 1924 that (despite so much evidence to the contrary) a man, Condy Dabney, was convicted and sentenced to hard labour for life for the murder of a 14-year-old girl, Mary Vickery, who was later found alive. The story is related here.

Dabney was pardoned and released a year later. The only testimony against him came from one Marie Jackson, who had no connection with Vickery and had apparently fabricated the entire story to claim a $500 reward offered by Vickery’s father.

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