Criminology: The Texarkana Moonlight Murders
A .32 caliber cartridge casing was also found, possibly ejected from a pistol wrapped in a blanket. American Psycho depicts a restaurant called "Texarkana" where the serial killer protagonist, Patrick Bateman, takes one of his victims. The Texarkana Moonlight Murders continue to captivate true crime enthusiasts worldwide, acting as a chilling reminder of the elusive killer who haunted the town in 1946. During the spring of 1946, the Phantom Killer struck at night, targeting young couples parked in secluded areas. Over a span of ten weeks, this mysterious assailant claimed the lives of five victims and seriously injured three others, leaving the entire town paralyzed with fear.
She also had significant facial bruising and a broken nose, while the other victims did not. Additionally, the tip of an X-Acto knife was found in her eye socket and the bullets in her body matched the ones found in Mary Pratt. Investigators had hoped that Booker's saxophone, which she had played the night of her murder and which was missing, might lead them to a suspect.
On November 5, 1948 (two and a half years after the Phantom Killer’s last strike), Tennyson was found dead in his bedroom in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Washington County Sheriff Bruce Crider, a local police officer, discovered that Tennyson had purchased mercury cyanide two days earlier . As the investigation struggles to gain ground, a young officer makes a breakthrough.
And he did not intimate that he would like to go with her. She attended Texarkana, Ark., and Texarkana, Texas high schools and played in the Arkansas high band a part of the time Forensic science the Tennison boy did, her father said. Newspapers over the nation again concentrated their attention on this city and wire services began humming the details of the death.
There were only two bullet holes in the window, leading Sheriff Davis to believe an automatic rifle was used. Investigators declared that after the killer shot Virgil, he waited patiently outside the window to shoot Virgil's wife. By March 27, local police had interviewed around fifty to sixty witnesses, including patrons and employees of Club Dallas, a local bar near the crime scene. "Bill" Presley and three other officers arrived at the scene of the attack, but the assailant had already left. Larey spotted an old car parked off the road, but found it empty, and was again confronted by the attacker, who asked her why she was running.
Residents in other cities also began stocking up on guns and axes. After three weeks with no murders, the town's fear began to lessen. The concern lasted throughout the summer and eventually subsided after three months had passed.
Investigators discovered that Tennyson played in the same high school band as the murder victim, Betty Jo Booker, and they were not friends. They both played instruments – Betty played the saxophone, Tennyson the trombone – but they didn’t really know each other. As panic tightened its grip around Texana, businesses began experiencing a 20% drop in activity, and some residents began taking the law into their own hands.
His family told police they did not possess the weapons used to kill the five victims and that none of Tennyson’s fingerprints matched those found at the crime scenes. Dr. said that the killer will continue to attack randomly. Dr. said that there is a connection between the four crimes. Lapalla thinks, he undoubtedly believed, that the murder of Virgil Starks and the shooting of Katie Starks could be connected to the other three crimes. Dr. Lapalla described the killer as intelligent, clever and cunning, while he described the Phantom as between 30 and 50, who may have lived an ordinary life and appeared to be a good citizen in his personal life.
Other Arkansas locations were Garland and Scott , along with Shreveport, Louisiana, where a scene was shot in front of Pierce’s home. Between February and May 1946, three people were brutally attacked and five were murdered in Texarkana by a man dubbed the Phantom Killer. Texarkana straddles Texas and Arkansas and had a population of about 27,000 at the time of the murders. Several suspects were arrested, and several interrogations were made but the Phantom Killer was never unveiled. Youell Swinney, a petty thief was the prime suspect, but he was not directly linked to the Phantom Killer’s attacks and murders.
Calling the man out by name, Johnson said, "You know you didn't kill those people. What'd you go and do this for?" The drunkard replied, "Well, hell, I got a fifth of whiskey out of it." Early on Saturday morning, bloodhounds were brought in from Hope by the Arkansas State Police. By Sunday night, more State Police officers were called in to help in the investigation and aid in protecting the local civilians. Officers had detained at least twelve suspects but only kept three for further questioning. Texas The attacks happened on weekends between February 22, 1946 and May 3, 1946.
In 2014, a meta-sequel to The Town That Dreaded Sundown with the same name was released. The director of the Texarkana Parks & Recreation Department, Robby Robertson, advised in 2009 that many people had requested DVD copies of the movie. Robertson said, "It's still shown only on VHS tape and those aren't even available anymore." The free event is sponsored by the Texarkana Department of Parks & Recreation. This showing of the movie has been a tradition since 2003.
B. Tennison, last week took poison and left notes saying he killed three of the "phantom's" victims. Authorities, however, have not yet completed study of the confession and the youth's activities. The phantom killer struck only once -- a double kill -- but all Winnsboro feared that the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Paola before dawn last Monday might be the first of a series. They compared the killings to those in Texarkana, Ark.-Tex., in the spring of 1946. Tennison, 17, a moody college freshman, was found dead in his rooming house here, where he attended the University of Arkansas.
The term "serial killer" wasn't around yet, but the town knew they were dealing with an unknown killer who was attacking couples on "lovers' lanes". The attacks became known as the "Texarkana Moonlight Murders" by the news media. Since the killer was never identified or apprehended, the description of the killer came from the only two survivors.
Hollis was hospitalized for several days to recover from multiple skull fractures, but both survived the attack. Most of the town hid in fear inside their houses or hotels, sometimes even leaving town. Some youths took matters into their own hands by trying to bait the Phantom so they could kill him. The disappearance of Virginia Carpenter, a cold case in Texarkana in 1948, has been speculated as the work of the Phantom. Whilst sitting in his armchair reading the paper, he was shot twice in the back of the head through the window.