In 1808, in Randolph County NC, Johnathan Lewis murdered Naomi Wise, who was pregnant with his child. Lewis escaped before conviction. Omie Wise's death became the subject of this traditional American ballad. One version opens:     Oh, listen to my story, I'll tell you no lies,     How John Lewis did murder poor little Omie Wise. In accordance with the broadside ballad tradition, lyrics to the original version of the song were written shortly after the murder itself; a 19th-century version of the ballad text has recently been discovered. The first recorded version of the song was performed by G. B. Grayson, who recorded the song in 1927 in Atlanta, Georgia. The first person to record the song under the title "Naomi Wise" was Vernon Dalhart on November 24, 1925. The song is thematically related to other American murder ballads such as "Banks of the Ohio" and "The Knoxville Girl". Each of these songs relates the tale of a woman murdered by her lover, who then disposed of her body in a river. Performers who have recorded versions of this song include Doc Watson, Clarence Ashley, Dock Boggs, Roscoe Holcomb and others.