Yet another body was found by two horseback riders while police discovered Laura Mills in the same location as well. As of 2009, Killeen had 119,510 people. Four bodies were found in the Calder fieldbetween 1984 and 1991. Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields will cover this topic in more detail. Additional bodies were found during a period when numerous cases of missing or murdered young women and girls were yet to be solved, dating back to the 1970s. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for TEXAS KILLING FIELDS (Blu-ray, 2011) NEW at the best online prices at eBay! The main focus of the killing fields investigation centered on an area known as the Calder Road oil field in League City, Texas. Jim Carroll is an ex-con who exchanged letters with Stallings for more than two years. The Texas Killing Fields is an extremely large area of land (approximately 25-acres) off of Interstate 45 in southern Texas, between the cities of Houston and Galveston. And theyre on theyre own, said Ferrarone. The documentary dives . A year after Villareal-Fye's disappearance, 16-year-old Clear Creek High School student Laura Miller went missing. On his office wall is a map of the killing fields and photos of all the missing girls in the county. Ahead, find everything we know about the Texas Killing Fields victims, including who they were, when they went missing, and when their bodies were found. . But to this day, Stallings has not been charged in the murder of Janet Doe. These bodies joined the one other body that was found in the Calder field in 1983. "I mean even though she was in the condition she was in, I should have just let her play her own life out, you know she wanted to waste it and I should have just let her waste it," Stallings said. The area is quite far away from civilization as well. Netflix released the third installment of the popular docuseries Crime Scene on November 29, and like the first season, The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel, these crimes have never been solved. [4], The film was distributed overseas by Entertainment Film Distributors, a British company. "It's. Debbie Ackerman And Maria Johnson. It also became apparent Stalling had lived in League City, near the home of many of the girls who had been murdered. Her body was found in 1991. They include Jessica Cain, of Tiki Island, and Laura Smither of Friendswood, who were both murdered in 1997. Roland remains a prime suspect in the 1991 murder and two other slayings in Fort Bend County. Members of the community have left a memorial site for each of the four victims, though, to acknowledge the horrors that happened there and honor the women whose lives were cut too short, according to the FBI. But the reality of the fields is far more disturbing than any horror movie; their remoteness and atmospheric conditions lend the fields perfectly to anonymous body disposal. The DNA matched Smith, who had been arrested for a minor drug offense in 2010. The Texas Killing Fields, a Netflix true crime series from the makers of "Crime Scene: The Vanishing at Cecil Hotel", explores the deaths of women discovered dead on a Texas highway. She is known only by an artist's rendering as Janet Doe. Several weeks later, a body was discovered by a father and son out for a walk: When law enforcement insisted that it was just an animal carcass, it was left to the father to point out that, Animals dont wear socks.. It was only after his death that a number of police officials, including the former Harris County District Attorney, stated their belief that Self was wrongly convicted. Although the majority of the 33 murders tied to the Texas Killing Fields are unsolved, several confirmed and plausible suspects have been posited. [59], In 2021, Reece was convicted of Johnston's murder and sentenced to death. Bell was able to name some of his victims: Despite his alleged confession, Bell was never charged with the murders and there was no physical evidence against him. Details related to these and other abductions and murders in the area which Goetschius has had experience with are further outlined in the CBS interview, a link for which is provided here. For multiple decades on a desolate stretch of road in Texas, a nightmare unfolded. [52] A jury deliberated for about 30 minutes and found Smith guilty. There was also William Reece, who this year admitted he was responsible for the 1997 murders of Jessica Cain and Laura Smither. Texas Killing Fields on Pluto TV | Thrillers | 1hr 45 min | In the Texas bayous, a local homicide detective (Worthington) teams up with a cop from New York City (Morgan) to investigate a series of unsolved murders. For over 3 decades, dozens of women & girls along a stretch of TX highway have gone missing, or been found murdered. As more and more remains were discovered on Calder Road, locals began referring. "Killing Fields" refers to an area along the Interstate 45 corridor from Huntsville to Galveston, where the bodies of . One man, Edward Harold Bell, a convicted sex offender and murderer, claims to have killed Debbie and Maria (along with many of the other girls found in the fields), but he . Law enforcement officials who have investigated the Texas Killing Fieldswhich are primarily abandoned oil fieldsknow this all too well, and are in a constant race against time and nature. He told police he carried out the rape and murder with the help of Gerald Peter Zwarst. [42], Michael Self died on December 21, 2000, still in custody. Why'd Alex Murdaugh Allegedly Kill His Wife & Son? Did The Colonial Parkway Victims Know The Killer? Years after finding the four bodies in that field near Calder Roadpart of an area that became known as "the Killing Fields"investigators are still trying to find the murderer (s). Dozens of murders and disappearances associated with the Texas Killing Fields remain unsolved. Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields is the latest true-crime documentary to land on Netflix, joining a host of content such as Unsolved Mysteries, Killer Sally and I Am Vanessa Guillen. Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields is streaming on Netflix now, Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. Who Were "The Texas Killing Fields" Victims? Last seen at Dobie High School while she was there for a driving test. As for the other three victims, Stallings denies every killing them and League City Police said they continue to build a case on another suspect in those murders. Over the last three decades, more than 30 women have been found dead along an area of Insterstate 45 that runs 50 miles between Houston and Galveston. [50] He once said he had murdered four to five women. The population was 86,911 at the 2000 census. Only one perpetrator has been apprehended since early 1970s. .css-lec2h6{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;background-image:linear-gradient( to bottom, rgba(241, 220, 225, 1), rgba(241, 220, 225, 1));-webkit-background-position:0 100%;background-position:0 100%;background-repeat:repeat-x;-webkit-background-size:0 0;background-size:0 0;padding-top:0.05rem;padding-bottom:0.05rem;}.css-lec2h6:hover{color:#000000;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;-webkit-background-size:.625rem 3.125rem;background-size:.625rem 3.125rem;}The Washington Post reports that on October 10, 1983, 25-year-old bartender Heidi Villareal-Fye went missing in League City, outside of Houston, after leaving her parents' home to catch a ride to Houston to see her boyfriend. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. ALSO STREAMING: Netflix true crime documentaries also focus on Vanessa Guilln case. Following The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel & The Times Square Killer, Joe Berlinger's next installment in the Crime Scene docuseries examines the eerie connections between the still-unsolved murders of three young women. This started in 1971 when three Galveston girls disappeared. He posted bail several weeks later and in order to avoid conviction and further incarceration, he fled Texas and escaped from the United States, evading police for more than two decades. Last seen leaving her job as a waitress at Gaido's beach-front restaurant in Galveston. AG. In 2001, he questioned Stallings over five days at the scene and said the suspect confessed back then, too. Despite his alleged confession, he hasn't been charged with murder, but in 2021, he remained a suspect in the murders of Donna Prudhomme and Audrey Cook, according to USA Today. Private. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. When no one cares . Skip past search results. The following year, he was extradited to Texas and was convicted of the murders of Smither, Cain and Cox, receiving a life term after pleading guilty to each of the three murders.[27]. Directors Ami Canaan Mann Starring Sam Worthington, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chlo Grace Moretz Genres He confessed after hours of interrogation, but later retracted his confession, alleging he had been tortured into admitting to the murders by the police chief. According to the FBI, Miller was driven by her mother to a nearby store to use a pay phone and didn't return home as she had planned. Your login session has expired. We are born and bred in The ", RELATED:EquuSearch Founder Awarded $24 Million In Teen Daughters 1984 Abduction, Murder. [45][46], In 2013, Mark Roland Stallings, a convicted kidnapper serving a life term, confessed to killing a girl in 1991 and later dumping her body in the fields, later identified as Donna Prudhomme. The next victim was a 16-year-old named Laura Miller. Goetschius was integral to the investigation and became a guardian angel of sorts to Bakers mother in the process. Although it took years for justice to be served, in April of 2012, Kevin Edison Smith was convicted of her murder. Though Texas Killing Fields is a particular spot, the entire I-45 corridor saw multiple murders take place throughout the 50-mile stretch. Many investigators believe, per the outlet, that these four killings were the work of a serial killer, who turned this remote area into a "personal graveyard. texas killing fields crime scene photos. The body of Laura Smithers had been left in the water and among harsh elements, rendering it unrecognizable but her identity was later confirmed with DNA. reveals stunning new details in 41-year-old cold case - WFIN Local News", "Authorities reveal identities of 2 'Killing Fields' victims", "Names, real-life photos of 2 'Killing Fields' victims released", "Can DNA provide answers in deaths of 2 women in 'Texas Killings Fields'? Hendrick was convicted of abusing the corpse of a woman named Ellen Beason, who went missing in July 1984 after visiting the same bar in League City where Fye worked. Since the early 1970s, 30 bodies of murder victims have been found within the Killing Fields area. If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. theYear=now.getYear() Her skeletal remains were found two years later in. One of Netflix's latest true-crime docuseries,Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields, tells the story of the unsolved murders of four Texas women that occurred in the 1980s and 1990s in League City. Last seen walking with Rhonda Johnson along Seawall Boulevard in Galveston. After his arrest, Zwarst told the police that he had hidden the body in one of the fields, where the other bodies were found. The Texas Killing Fields is term that's been used to describe 33 murders that have taken place along the I-45 corrdior since the 1970s, many of them still unsolved. In 1987, John Robert King, 30, contacted the El Paso police, where he confessed to killing 19-year-old Shelley Sikes while she was in her car. Page of 2. The series is set to premiere on November 29, 2022. [53], In 1987, 30-year-old John Robert King phoned the El Paso police, claiming that on May 24, 1986, he, together with 33-year-old Gerald Peter Zwarst, attacked Shelley Sikes while she was in her car, after which the girl was raped and strangled. She was found in April 1984, when a dog brought a human skull over to its owners. The string of unsolved murders earned the route the nickname "highway to hell." Previously, he was a reporter for Houston Community Newspapers covering the Bellaire and Memorial areas. Police have not yet found Lauras killer: With the climate and terrain making the area a perfect killing field, its likely they never will. "I'd walk out there right now and point straight at where she was," Stallings said. if (theYear < 1900) Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Email them at iteam@khou.com. All four deaths had one thing in common, they were discovered alongside the interstate corridor connecting Houston and the beach town of Galveston, known as The Texas Killing Fields. He died on December 21, 2000, and 16 years later, a number of police officials admitted their belief that Self had been wrongly convicted, according to Fox News. Her remains were identified along with Georgia Geer's in an Alvin, Texas ditch. It competed in the 68th Venice International Film Festival.[2]. What to know about the Texas Killing Fields and Netflix's new docu-series on the League City murders, Timeline: How battle between Houston ISD, TEA has reached the point of a looming takeover. Nowhis story is changing again. It would take decades to identify the final two victims, until a breakthrough came in January 2019. At about the same time, a detective tested Baker's dress for DNA. Copyright 2008 - In 1996, the body of 13-year-old Krystal Jean Baker of Texas City was found dumped in Chambers County. Unfortunately, the movie often seems to stray from such discipline. places to stay, tourism, events, lodging, and we feature Texas Hill Country info In 1978, Bell, while masturbating on the street in front of a group of teenage girls, he was confronted by 26-year-old former Marine Larry Dickens, while his mother called the police. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Since. This led authorities to seek out potential serial killers and other leads, but decades later, these murders still remain a mystery. Her body was found in Galveston Bay near, Last seen walking with Sharon Shaw along Seawall Boulevard in Galveston. Almost two decades later, in 2015, Reece's DNA was found to match 19-year-old Tiffany Johnson, who had been murdered in Oklahoma in 1997. Here are the names of the other victims that have since been identified, as reported by CBS News: Abby is an editorial assistant at Seventeen, covering pop culture, beauty, life, and health. ", In that rural field off Calder Road, four people were found dead from 1983 to 1991. In 2019, advancements in genealogy led the authorities to identify the two victims as Donna Prudhomme and Audrey Lee Cook, both in their early thirties when they were murdered. Her parents panicked and called the police. Police have considered the possibility of transients, known serial killers like Henry Lee Lucas, unrelated crimes of opportunity, and more, but ultimately believe the four women were murdered by the same person, according to Texas Monthly. Sort By. Behind prison walls, behind thick glass of a. The bane of police departments around the country, these so-called killing fields make it next to impossible for detectives to gather enough evidence to catch the murderers. document.write(theYear) He was sentenced to life without parole, spared the death penalty because the investigators believed he might have been involved with other unsolved murders in the Highway of Hell. She had lived most of her life in Port Arthur, Texas, and was married with two sons. They were mainly the bodies of girls or young women. ABC 13 reported that the decomposed body showed that she had been shot in the back and had several broken ribs. Texas Hill Country. Texas Killing Fields (Blu-ray, 2012) | Films & TV, DVDs & Blu-rays | eBay! [47][48], Clyde Hedrick was named as a suspect in the 2022 documentary series Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields. The series was directed by Jessica Dimmock. When she's not busy watching the latest true crime docuseries, you can find her strolling through Sephora, thrifting the perfect dress, or jogging with her pup. It's where Stallings once worked as a ranch hand, and where three bodies had been discovered in the 1980s. They were all young women, left naked against a tree with their arms folded, according to a 1999 Texas Monthly article. Her family believes police found a white blouse that belonged to her after one of her convicted kidnappers, Gerald Peter Zwarst, drew them a map of where to find her body, but she still has never been found. The documentary focuses much of its attention on a suspect named Clyde Hendrick, a roofer who lived in League City at the time. The killings have been never been solved. Newsweek has everything you need to know. These were mainly the bodies of girls or young women. Join the discussion on our new social platform Texjas.com! (League City Police) "We're definitely talking about multiple killers. There have been several other arrests in relation to the Texas Killing Fields. After hours of interrogation, Self confessed to the murders. You must select an email preference. Then, on Sept. 10, 1984, she asked her mother to drive her to a payphone to call her boyfriend. After leaving her grandmother's house during a fight they were having, Krystal was last seen using a phone at a local convenience store to ask her friend if she could stay with her. Miller was last seen using the same pay phone that Fye was using months before. On the same day, the body of Laura Miller was discovered in Calder Field. Jane Doe was finally named as Audrey Lee Cook, a 30-year-old mechanic who worked in various parts of Texas and had last been seen alive in December 1985. During the interview, Stallings pointed out the location of Janet Doe's bodyon a map he had drawn for Carroll. RELATED:Is A Serial Killer Responsible For The Colonial Parkway Murders Or Are The Vicious Roadside Slayings Unconnected? Texas Hill Country Facebook page is growing by over 1,000 fans per Since the early 1970s, mass numbers of bodies have been discovered in the region, resulting in the area being grimly nicknamed by locals as "The Killing Fields.". Dickens removed the keys from Bell's vehicle and refused to return them. The Texas Killing Fields was where over 30 bodies were dumped between the 1970s and 1990s, with fears that two serial killers were on the loose. But it wasn't the first time Stallings admitted to killing Janet Doe. When familiar local girl Anne goes missing, the detectives find themselves racing against time to catch the killer and save the young girl's life. Shelley Sikes of Texas City disappeared in 1986 and was presumed dead after her vehicle was found abandoned in Galveston County off an Interstate 45 access road. The Texas Killing Fields is a 25-acre patch of land in League City, Texas[1] situated a mile from Interstate Highway 45 and approximately 26 miles southeast of Houston. Nevertheless, he remained a prime suspect in their murders until his death in April 2019. The fact that dedicated people like Ferrarone, Land, and Goetschius were on the job brings as much comfort to the families of the victims as one might think could be had. She struggled with depression and started doing poorly in school, the FBI wrote in a 2019 article on the case. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Several suspects have been convicted or charged in different cases over the years, and other names have also been put forward without evidence to support any charges, per Newsweek. 10. engagedbbw 18 days ago. The same day Miller was found, police discovered a third unidentified body that they named Jane Doe. In June 2022, he was extradited to Texas where he was found guilty of the murders of Smither, Cain, and Cox. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! His arrest and conviction for murder came 16 years after Baker's body was found in March 1996. Since the 1970s, over 30 young women and girls have disappeared or been found murdered in the 50-mile desolate area between Houston and Galveston - a stretch of land that some call a highway of. The following year, he was found guilty and convicted, receiving a 60-year imprisonment term. Over the next three decades, over 30 women turned up dead along the corridor. Her skeletal remains were found in a marsh near. Local and federal investigators believe, at least, some of the cases are. All four deaths had one thing in common, they were discovered alongside the interstate corridor connecting Houston and the beach town of Galveston, known as The Texas Killing Fields. Page 1. Bell confessed to murdering eleven young women in and around Galveston in the 1970s, and there was an A&E miniseries made about it. 10:12p, 1/9/23. [citation needed], The fields have been described as "a perfect place [for] killing somebody and getting away with it". From 1971 until 2006, over 30 women were found dead along an area of Interstate 45 that runs for 50 miles between Houston and Galveston. Three years later, police chief Don Morris and his deputy, Tommy Deal, were arrested and convicted of numerous crimes, including torture and misconduct against detainees. She is believed to have hitchhiked, but it is unclear how she ended up in Texas. There have been 30 . But according to the documentary, investigators learned Reece was in prison in Oklahoma during the span of the Calder Field murders. The next day, her bike was found in the foyer of the church. These days, the field, now owned by a local church, is no longer as remote as it once was: It's across from a housing development and has a paved road. According to reports, some time later, two boys on dirt bikes found another body. Yes, there have been multiple arrests in the numerous murders that have been associated with the Texas Killing Fields. This remains the only solved case out of the possible 30 or more. [55], In May 1997, William Lewis Reece was arrested for the kidnapping and attempted murder of 19-year-old Sandra Sapaugh from Webster. A man named Kevin Edison Smith was charged and sentenced to prison for murdering a 13-year-old girl named Krystal Jean Baker in 1990s.