TIFS Investigates: Breakfast meeting with Dennis McCaslin unveils the strange tale of 'Apple Annie'

By Sienna Snider, True Crime Writer for Today in Fort Smith

Last week, I had the pleasure of sitting down for breakfast with my boss, Dennis McCaslin, to discuss upcoming news assignments.

He proceeded to bring me to the verge of tears as he berated me for a "damn foolish" decision to go alone to meet a possible source, alone and at night, without informing anyone about the situation.

Once he calmed down and assured me his biggest concern was my safety, the conversation turned to other topics.

As we chatted over coffee and eggs, Dennis shared a story that was as intriguing as it was bizarre—one that has sparked a new project I’m excited to dive into.

Dennis recounted an experience with a former writer who had worked for Today in Fort Smith but was eventually let go for misconduct and shoddy work.

Apparently, this dismissal didn’t sit well with her, and she decided to exact her revenge in the most peculiar way. She began masquerading as someone she called "Apple Annie," claiming to live down by the Fort Smith river, where she allegedly turned tricks in exchange for tips about cold cases.

This odd persona became the stuff of local legend, but the story took an even stranger turn.

Late one night, this same disgruntled former writer called Dennis in a panic, claiming that Bigfoot had raped her. The absurdity of the situation might be laughable if it weren’t for the serious harassment Dennis endured during this time.

That harassment involved endless emails from fake accounts, false information on leads in important cases he was attempting to cover, a dead-end trail that led to a vacant lot in Van Buren, and a bizarre interaction behind Central Mall early one Sunday morning.

Intrigued by this bizarre tale, I’ve decided to take the plunge and explore the full story behind "Apple Annie." With the support of Today in Fort Smith, I will be launching a new podcast this fall entitled "The Life and Times of Apple Annie."

This podcast will delve into the strange life of the woman behind the alias, unraveling the bizarre choices she made and the impact they had on those around her.

But that’s not all. This fall will also see the release of another podcast I’m working on with Dennis called, "We Didn’t Start the Fire," which will cover the lives of a family plagued with multiple fires that spanned over three decades.

Stay tuned. I promise you won’t want to miss these podcasts—both are sure to uncover some of the most outlandish stories you’ve ever heard.