alvin ridley was a well-known figure in ringgold. at one time, he ran the town's only television repair shop. in 1966, he married 18-year-old virginia hickey and almost immediately virginia cut off all contact with her family. alvin said it was because her family was too intrusive. virginia's sister says alvin forced virginia to stay away from her family. >> i sent them an invitation to every wedding, every death, every birthing in our family to no avail. nothing was ever acknowledged. nothing. my father's death. my father went to his grave after making every effort possible to try to see his daughter. >> alvin ridley had a reputation in ringgold, and it wasn't a particularly good one. he was known for filing lawsuits against anyone he felt had wronged him. and in the process he had made a lot of enemies. >> he's always accusing. he's very suspicious. he trusts no one, really. >> in 1984 after a minor traffic accident, he filed a series of legal actions and got hit with a countersuit. he lost and had to forfeit his van as payment. >>

. >>> ringgold, georgia, is a small rural town located at the base of the blue ridge