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Curious Louisville

Curious Louisville: Did a German spy really live in my house?

By Joe Sonka,

Laura Ellis

Published August 29, 2025 at 6:00 AM EDT

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The Sutherlands wanted to know if a German spy actually worked out of this attic.

When Sarah and Lowe Sutherland bought their house back in 2007, a friend of a friend told her a titillating story: "I was a paper boy on your street back in that during the war, and when I was delivering the papers, I saw that they arrested a German spy in the house that you just bought."

The Sutherlands have wondered since then, is it true, or just an urban legend? LPM's Joe Sonka takes the case, on this episode of Curious Louisville:

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Joe Sonka

Joe is the enterprise statehouse reporter for Kentucky Public Radio, a collaboration including Louisville Public Media, WEKU-Lexington/Richmond, WKU Public Radio and WKMS-Murray. You can email Joe at jsonka@lpm.org and find him at BlueSky (@joesonka.lpm.org).

See stories by Joe Sonka

Laura Ellis

Laura is LPM's Director of On Demand and Digital Strategy. Email Laura at lellis@lpm.org.

See stories by Laura Ellis

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