Being the Gospel Girl on DiscoveryID's Swamp Murders

6/12/2013

Screen shot of Caleb Patrick McCoy and Nicole Kovacs in Swamp Murders

As some of you may or may not know, I was blessed enough to be cast in DiscoveryID's new series, "Swamp Murders". Investigation Discovery is a channel that features stories of real life crimes and takes us through the history of them with reenactments and true accounts of the people involved. My dad calls it the "murder channel", haha.

I was in an episode titled "Gospel Girl" and played the victim of a brutal murder. The episode follows my character, Edith McLeroy West, from the age of 15 to 23, as she transforms from a sweet Alabama church girl to a rebellious biker chick.

The real Edith McLeroy West

This was more than just a script and an acting gig to me, though. I was telling the true story of a young girl who is no longer here to tell it herself. This was such a dynamic and challenging role for me since there were so many aspects of the character to cover, and of course, working through the murder scene was as traumatic as I could handle. I suppose that's a good thing, as it certainly helps one understand the gravity of the situation.

One of my biggest concerns was to do Edith justice. I wasn't really playing a character; I was the vessel used to tell Edith's story. The thought that this beautiful young woman wasn't here to tell it breaks my heart, and add to it the thought that her family may be watching the episode... I can't even begin to imagine what they must feel. I am so honored to be the one chosen for this.

Screen shot of Nicole Kovacs as Edith McLeroy West

Please tune in to the DiscoveryID channel to see our episode on Tuesday, June 18th at 10pm EST. Keep an eye out for local Atlanta talent, such as Caleb Patrick McKoy (as Archie West), Kathleen Seconder (as Carol McLeroy), Kent Ingleheart (as J.W. McLeroy), Nate Seman (as Greg McLeroy), Joshua Mikel (as Mike Burnett), John Kap (as James Hines) and Tyler McDaniel (as Ricky Brown). Also, I must say, director Scott Thigpen and the whole crew at Crazy Legs Productions really could not have been a more enjoyable group to work with.

As always, THANK YOU to all of my friends, family and fans for your support. I know I say it all the time, but it really does mean the world.

**THIS EPISODE IS NOW AVAILABLE ON iTunes! Search TV Shows > Swamp Murders > Gospel Girl