Mentions of organ trafficking, murder attempts, death, bullying, racism, and xenophobia.
Warning: major spoilers for Netflix’s The Kings of Tupelo docuseries
Netflix’s documentary miniseriesThe Kings of Tupelotakes a look at a wild series of events in the town of Tupelo, Mississippi, that peaked with an attempt to kill President Obama, and it’s full of shocking reveals and twists. Netflix’s catalog of true-crime documentary series continues to expand, and one of its latest additions isThe Kings of Tupelo. The series takes the audience to Tupelo, Mississippi, the birthplace of Elvis Presley and thus home to many Elvis fans and impersonators, among them Paul Kevin Curtis.
After becoming widely known for his performances as an Elvis impersonator, Kevin Curtis began his own cleaning business, which led to a disturbing discovery. This was the beginning of years of investigation and countless conspiracy theories, and Kevin earned many enemies in the process, mostly involved in politics. One enemy, in particular, went to lengths to bring Kevin down and shut him up, leading to a massive scandal that put Tupelo in newspaper headlines for the worst reasons.The Kings of Tupeloexplores the rise of Kevin Curtis as an Elvis impersonator and his gradual fall, and it has some shocking moments and reveals.
10Kevin & Jack Curtis Were A Famous Elvis Impersonators Duo
Double Trouble Was A Big Success
As mentioned above, Tupelo is home to many Elvis impersonators and the King of Rock and Roll has a huge and loyal fanbase there. Kevin Curtis’ interest in Elvis started at a young age, in large part thanks to his mother, who even called him “little Elvis.” As a kid, Kevin started working on his Elvis moves and voice, and at 14, his mother got him a jumpsuit like that of Presley. Curtis participated in various Elvis impersonator contests and went on to become a successful Elvis impersonator in town – and one day, his older brother, Jack, decided to become an Elvis impersonator, too.
Kevin and Jack’s mother, Elois, reveals inThe Kings of Tupelothat she met Elvis Presley as her husband worked with him, and he kissed her, showing a photo of that moment.
One day, Kevin came up with the idea of performing with his brother, both as Elvis Presley, following the idea of what if Presley’s twin brother had survived.The Curtis brothers’ show was called “Double Trouble” and they found great success together, but it all ended due to Kevin’s incessant work on uncovering a very disturbing business.
9Kevin Curtis Spent Years Trying To Expose The Black Market Of Human Body Parts
Kevin Curtis Investigated A Truly Disturbing Business
After becoming a father, Kevin’s wife, Laura, made it clear to him that being Elvis doesn’t pay the bills, so he started working as a janitor. Kevin’s cleaning business was going well and he started working for the North Mississippi Medical Center, his biggest job up to that point. However, it all crashed down when, on Aug 24, 2025, Kevin was asked to go to the morgue and clean and he did.
Kevin got thirsty and was looking for something to drink, but when he opened the freezer at the morgue,he found severed body parts, including the head of a manhe claimed to have previously seen at the ER. This was the beginning of a years-long investigation by Kevin into the black market of human body parts, in which he found out that funeral homes were involved, as they took the body parts of dead people and sold them in the black market.
8Steve Holland Owns A Funerary Home
When the business of organ harvesting was exposed, Kevin Curtis continued his work and was determined to make more of it known to the world. Kevin’s next step was writing legislation he named “House Bill 6631” to stop the illegal sale of body parts in Mississippi. Kevin sent it to state representative Steve Holland, the only man in Mississippi with the power to pass it into law – however, to Kevin’s surprise,Holland refused to help as he owned Holland Funeral Directors, three of the state’s largest funeral homes.
Holland himself explains that he established the first program ever for organ donation in Mississippi.
The Kings Of Tupelodoesn’t confirm or deny that Holland was involved in the harvesting and sale of body parts, but Holland himself does explain that he established the first program ever for organ donation in Mississippi. Thanks to it, many lives were saved, which is why he refused to help Kevin pass his bill. Still, it was a shocking discovery for Kevin as the only person who could have helped him was firmly against his idea.
7Kevin Curtis Wrote A Book About The Black Market Of Organs
“Missing Pieces” Is A Real Book
Without support from those in power, and his family no longer supporting him either, Kevin Curtis continued his fight against illegal harvesting and selling of human body parts. After creating too many websites and believing there was a conspiracy against him to get him to shut up because he knew too much, Kevin wrote a book titledMissing Pieces.Kevin released some chapters online, and in them, he exposed the corruption of the justice system in Mississippi, related to his work in investigating the black market of human body parts.
Missing Piecesgot attention but not a positive one, and it marked the beginning of a more chaotic turn for Kevin. As explained by Kevin himself, his book turned him into “public enemy #1” and he was being watched all the time, with police cars driving around his house every day and helicopters flying above his house, keeping a close eye on him. Of course, this made Kevin a lot more paranoid.
6Everett Dutschke Led An Aggressive Campaign Against Steve Holland
Everett Dutschke Went Too Far
Everett Dutschke comes into play when Kevin Curtis is looking for support after learning of Holland’s funeral homes. Dutschke was a local politician with good connections and who published his own newspaper. Dutschke also worked for Jack at the time, which Kevin didn’t know until he talked to him. According to Kevin, Dutschke gave him false hopes of publishing his story in his newspaper. The third and final episode ofThe Kings of Tupelogoes deeper into Dutschke’s story, revealinghe wanted to take Holland’s place as state representative.
Dutschke also made xenophobic and homophobic campaigns and used Holland’s image to paint him as an enemy of the town.
Dutschke’s campaign was too aggressive, making false accusations against Holland, photoshopping his face in various images, and more to damage his image. Dutschke also made xenophobic and homophobic campaigns and used Holland’s image to paint him as an enemy of the town. This was just an initial taste of how far Dutschke was willing to go to get where he wanted, but ultimately, the people continued to stand by Holland and reelected him.
5Kevin Curtis Tried To Imitate Everett Dutschke
Kevin Curtis Wanted To Mess With Everett Dutschke
While Kevin Curtis claims that Everett Dutschke was obsessed with him and that’s why he did what he did, Dutschke claims it was the other way around.The Kings Of Tupeloexplains that Dutschke is a black belt in karate and was a well-known martial arts instructor, and after he arrived in town and became known and loved by the community, Kevin started taking karate lessons (though not with Dutschke).Kevin also copied Dutschke’s outfits and his way of talking, but he went too far in his “mission” of outshining Dutschke.
Kevin even made his own Mensa certificate as Dutschke was an official member, which Dutschke felt was very disrespectful.
Kevin created a Facebook profile named “Billy Bobby Body Parts”, where he shared photos of Dutschke’s wife andphotoshopped his own face onto Dutschke’s wedding pictures, photos with other politicians, and a lot more. Kevin even made his own Mensa certificate as Dutschke was an official member, which Dutschke felt was very disrespectful.
4President Obama Isn’t The Only One Who Got Poisoned Letters
The Letters Were Sent To Three People
Kevin Curtis’ conflicts and his rivalry with Everett Dutschke led to a huge scandal: the poisoned letter sent to President Obama in April 2013.The letter contained ricin, a highly toxic protein from the seeds of the castor oil plant. However, President Obama wasn’t the only one who received a poisoned letter from Mississippi with the same message, asMississippi Republican Senator Roger Wicker and Lee County Court Judge Sadie Holland (Steve Holland’s mother) also got one. The letters read:
There are still ‘Missing Pieces’
Maybe I have your attention now
Even if that means someone must die.
To see a wrong and not expose it,
Is to become a silent partner to its continuance
I am KC and I approve this message
The FBI’s investigation led them to Kevin Curtis, as there were some obvious clues that led to him, such as theMissing Piecesreference and his initials in the final line, among other details found in the letters. However, when Kevin was interrogated and he genuinely didn’t know what ricin was, along with a lack of evidence of ricin in his home, the investigation took a turn.
3Kevin Curtis Didn’t Send The Poisoned Letters
Kevin Curtis Was Framed
When Kevin Curtis was asked if he had enemies who could go as far as to frame him for something like that, he gave them the name of Everett Dutschke. After investigating Dutschke, following him around town, and searching his home, the authorities determined there was enough evidence to arrest him for sending the poisoned letters to President Obama, Senator Wicker, and Judge Holland. In addition to this,Dutschke was also charged with child molestation and sexual assault.
After further investigating Dutschke and talking to those closest to him, there was enough evidence to take Dutschke to court for trying to kill President Obama, Senator Wicker, and Judge Holland and framing Kevin Curtis. Kevin was set free and received a lot of attention from the media, whileDutschke pleaded guilty in May 2014 and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
2Everett Dutschke Claims To Have Worked At The CIA
Everett Dutschke Makes Some Shocking Reveals
Kevin Curtis’ name being cleared and Everett Dutschke going to prison isn’t the end ofThe Kings of Tupelo. After showing how Kevin realized that the real “missing piece” was his family, who he had set aside for years to focus on his investigation of the harvesting and sale of human body parts, and reuniting with his brother for a final Double Trouble performance,The Kings Of Tupeloreunites with Kevin and Dutschke nine months later.
According to Dutschke, in 2012 he was working for the CIA and was given important information about operational funding of terrorism.
Kevin explains he Googled Everett Dutschke’s case and found a photo of the attorney-general and the husband of Kevin’s attorney. This leads Kevin back to his old ways and believes Dutschke was an operative of the CIA… which Dutschke confirms. According to Dutschke, in 2012 he was working for the CIA and was given important information about operational funding of terrorism.This was “very damaging to Obama administration officials” and he refused to relinquish it to them, which, according to Dutschke and Kevin, might have led the CIA to frame Dutschke.
1Kevin Curtis & Everett Dutschke Believe The Latter Was Framed
But They Have Different Ideas About It
After everything they went through, Kevin Curtis and Everett Dutschke finally agree on something: they both believe Dutschke was framed, but they have different ideas about this. Kevin Curtis is sure that very powerful people framed Dutschke and he’s innocent, but he also believes that those people hate him too, which is why he was dragged into this and was framed at first.Dutschke also believes he was framed but insists that Kevin Curtis has nothing to do with itand was just a “low-level patsy” in the scheme.
The Kings Of Tupeloends with Kevin writing to Dutschke exposing his new theory on what truly happened and offering to team up to find out who is truly responsible for the whole poisoned letters scandal, but Dutschke isn’t interested as this has nothing to do with Kevin – but he does agree that powerful people were behind the scandal.
Kings of Tupelo
An Elvis impersonator becomes ensnared in a conspiracy theory, reflecting on small-town challenges and the perils of online misinformation. Set against the backdrop of Southern life, the series delves into themes of identity and the search for meaning amidst swirling rumors and digital age conflicts.
