Gay Pasley

To Gay Pasley, even dead men tell tales. Since viewing the book Without Sanctuary, containing the postcard image of Mary “Laura” Nelson’s lynched body on Yarboroughs Bridge, Laura “speaks to me. She wakes me up in the middle of the night and compels me to tell her story.” As both a mother and small-framed, dark-skinned woman like Laura, Pasley has “felt Laura’s rage and her betrayal on a personal level.” Over the course of over a decade, Pasley has researched every detail of Laura’s life and death.

As a forensic nurse, Pasley has continued to search for the truth in her work and has been instrumental in solving crimes in her community. She is a freelance writer (contributing to editorials and articles to prestigious journals like MCN Am J Maternal Child Nursing), a world-traveled humanitarian and photographer, and a gifted storyteller. Her ability to artfully and passionately piece words together creates a masterpiece of critical, timeless importance.