Meet Paul Kevin Curtis and the Wild Characters of 'Kings of Tupelo' Doc - Netflix Tudum

  • Who’s Who

     The Kings of Tupelo Is a Messy True Crime Saga with a Wild Cast of Characters

    Here’s your guide to the motley crew in Tupelo, Mississippi. 

    By Roxanne Fequiere
    Dec. 11, 2024
This article contains major plot details.

“Southerners, we’re the best storytellers,” says former Mississippi state Rep. Steve Holland at the beginning of The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga. “Believe it or not, we actually like drama. And in this story right here, we’re proud to show you every characteristic of being a crazy Southerner.” 

Tupelo, Mississippi, is the birthplace of Elvis Presley and the place where Machine Gun Kelly (the gangster, not the rapper) allegedly robbed his last bank. And true to Holland’s word, the documentary gathers a rollicking cast of characters that wouldn’t be out of place in a classic Southern Gothic novel, to share, in their own down-home style, the story of how one loudmouth Elvis impersonator and janitor ended up being accused of trying to poison the president of the United States. 

“For the unique setting we always yearn for, Tupelo delivered,” Chapman and Maclain Way told Netflix. “What other place in the world could a child born in a shotgun shack rise to become the King of Rock-n-Roll?  It had us thinking about American heroes and the grand dreams they sow for us. Then we met a rich cast of town locals, several of whom not only offered commentary on the case but who were themselves exceptionally talented in telling stories in their grand Southern tradition.”

The unbelievable story of Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga unfurls over several years, and requires many voices in order to retell it, and it’s easy to get tangled up as their various yarns begin to overlap and intertwine with each other. In order to help keep the story straight, we’ve put together a guide to everyone’s backstory, relationship, and role within this peculiar, twisted saga. As the directors of the three-part doc series told us: “Welcome to Tupelo.”

Paul Kevin Curtis

Paul Kevin Curtis

Occupation
Elvis impersonator
About

Tupelo native Paul Curtis was raised to worship Elvis Presley, and went on to create a first-of-its-kind Elvis act called “Double Trouble,” alongside his brother Jack, while also starting his own janitorial company.  His life took a dramatic turn in December 1999 when, while cleaning a hospital morgue, he discovered a refrigerator filled with body parts. He quickly delved into conspiracy theories about illegal body parts trafficking, but despite his efforts to raise awareness (with some success online), no one in his life seemed to listen. He drafted a bill proposal to ban the sale of body parts in Mississippi, but his efforts were thwarted. In April 2013, Kevin was arrested for allegedly sending ricin-laced letters to public figures, including President Obama. The FBI soon realized Kevin’s innocence and turned their attention to his local adversary, Wayne Newton impersonator James Everett Dutschke.


Jack Curtis

Jack Curtis

Occupation
Brother of Kevin Curtis
About

Jack Curtis is just an insurance agent—well, an insurance agent and an Elvis impersonator—who wants what’s best for his estranged brother. 

 

 Double Trouble imploded in 2003 when Kevin used a  performance to make a public statement about illegal body parts trafficking, . but Jack continued performing with Kevin’s wife, Laura. Still, Jack stood by Kevin when he was wrongly accused in 2013.


Laura Curtis

Laura Curtis

Occupation
Ex-wife of Kevin Curtis
About

Laura is one of those Elvis fans who can’t be wrong: she knows her ex-husband didn’t send those letters. 

 

Growing up in Tupelo, Laura loved Elvis—and his impersonators, eventually marrying Kevin and becoming a backup singer for Double Trouble.. But after becoming disillusioned with Kevin’s obsession with conspiracies, Laura  eventually filed for divorce. 


David Daniels

David Daniels

Occupation
Assistant DA
About

Now an assistant district attorney in Mississippi, David Daniels found out the hard way what happens when you come at the King (or an impersonator). 

 

A guitarist in Double Trouble, he ended up in an argument with Kevin that started out about Laura (Kevin’s wife), grew to encompass the alleged body parts trafficking conspiracy, and ended only after a gun was drawn. 


Rep. Steve Holland

Rep. Steve Holland

Occupation
Former state representative
About

A Mississippi state representative for 35 years, Holland’s political career was never wilder than when Kevin Curtis left his office all shook up. 

 

Also the owner of a funeral home business and a major proponent of organ donation, Holland became the focal point of Kevin’s suspicions when he refused to support his proposed legislation. Kevin saw Holland’s rejection as evidence of deeper corruption.


Sen. Roger Wicker

Sen. Roger Wicker

Occupation
US Senator
About

When United States Senator Roger Wicker received a ricin-laced letter in 2013, it wasn’t because of his positions on abortion, the Second Amendment, or the climate. Oh no. Oh goodness no. 

 

Senator Wicker  met Kevin when Double Trouble performed at a party he threw for a young engaged couple. According to Kevin, Wicker made a comment that confirmed to him that he was aware of his body parts trafficking campaign; Wicker claims that he didn’t know about Kevin’s cause until later, when Kevin sent him a copy of his House bill proposal resolution. Kevin took Wicker’s cool response as further evidence of a conspiracy to supress his efforts.


Sadie Holland

Occupation
Mother of Steve Holland
About

After Kevin ended up in Judge Sadie Holland’s courtroom, he found a new place to dwell: prison, for six months. 

 

Sadie Holland was Steve Holland’s mother and partner in the funeral-home business. As a judge in Tupelo, she presided over Kevin’s case when he was arrested for the altercation he’d had with Daniels. Unable to find legal representation, Kevin served as his own attorney and lashed out in court. The sentence she handed down, coupled with Steve Holland’s lack of support for his bill,  deepened Kevin’s  suspicions of a conspiracy working against him.


James Everett Dutschke

James Everett Dutschke

Occupation
Former antagonist/rival of Kevin Curtis
About

 

A Wayne Newton impersonator and martial-arts instructor who claimed membership in Mensa and gave the impression of a mysterious past, J. Everett Dutschke moved to Tupelo in 2004, and things were never quite the same after.

 

Initially, he appeared to be an ally of Kevin’s, especially when challenging Holland for a state house seat in 2007. However, their relationship soured when Kevin discovered Dutschke’s flirtation with Laura, and it worsened after Dutschke refused to publish Kevin’s manifesto, “Missing Pieces,” in a community newspaper. Their feud intensified, culminating in Kevin telling the FBI that Dutschke was framing him for the ricin letters. Dutschke remained confident even as the feds investigated him for his possible connection. Dutschke eventually claimed the ricin incident was a setup to silence him after he had uncovered sensitive information on the Obama administration.


 

Related Tags

Shop The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga

Go to Netflix Shop

Based on What You’ve Watched

  • Meet the Squad Schooling Bullies in Teach You a Lesson
    Kim Moo-yul and Lee Sung-min are ready to knock some sense into troublemakers.
  • Spend your summer with the final installment of the iconic legal drama.
  • It’s time to take down the bad guys in these high-stakes shows.
  • Plus: Black Rabbit thrills and Adolescence gets an Emmy-winning boost.
  • Kim Moo-yul and Lee Sung-min make the principal's office look like paradise.
  • The man, the myth, the legend.
  • A martial arts officer kicks ass and takes names in this action comedy.
  • A dating show contestant with Paris dreams meets a Texan cowboy in this rom-com.

Discover More Who’s Who

  • Here’s how to keep track of everyone in the South Carolina small town.
  • Here’s how to keep track of everyone in the small town of Serenity, South Carolina.
  • A guide to the ensemble of this sharp, funny workplace rom-com.
  • Everything you need to know about the friend group and their A-list connections.
  • Alfred Molina and Geena Davis as retirees in a new sci-fi series.
  • Matthew Law and Y’lan Noel lead the thrilling series from the creator of Power.

Discover More Documentary

  • She would do anything to be believed. See how far she’d go in the new doc.
  • Plus: The Four Seasons stays on vacay, and War Machine climbs the Most Popular list.
  • These titles are worth their weight in goals.
  • They’ll have you hungry for more (episodes).
  • Detectives reveal the details of New York City’s most notable cases.
  • The new documentary artist comes to Netflix after a debut at Tribeca Film Festival.
  • These films are ready to stream … now.

Latest News

  • South African Show The Polygamist Promises Serial Seduction and Revenge
    Woman in elegant white attire with pearls and fur hat looking into an open casket at a funeral, holding sunglasses and a clutch, with floral arrangements in the background.

Popular Now

  • Stream Voicemails for Isabelle, Office Romance, a new season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, and more.
  • The Bridgerton onscreen brothers discuss their offscreen bond.
  • Events, merch drops, and more to honor HUNTR/X slaying their way to your hearts.