THE TEXARKANA MOONLIGHT MURDERS

INTRODUCTION

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Early 20th century America hosted many major events and cultural changes that continue to leave an impact today. This time period also saw the rise of savage serial killers terrorizing cities and civilians throughout the country. The Phantom Killer in Texarkana is likely one of the most well-known. While the serial killer was never identified, the murders they committed continue to interest many investigators and theorists today.

OCCURRENCE

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The first attacks to terrorize Texarkana began on February 22, 1946. Jimmy Hollis, and his girlfriend Mary Jeanne Larey, were parked on a lovers’ lane after seeing a movie together. After some time, a man wearing an eerie mask with slits for his eyes shone a flashlight onto the car. He ordered the two to exit the car and follow his instructions. Hollis was ordered to remove his clothes, and afterwards, the attacker struck Hollis on the head with his pistol. Larey initially thought Hollis was shot because the sound was very loud; in reality, Hollis received skull fractures from the hit. Larey was then told to run, and she ran to an old abandoned car nearby. She was confronted by the attacker who then sexually assaulted her with the pistol. After the assault, Larey was able to escape to a house, awaken the residents, and call the police. Hollis regained consciousness back at the original site and managed to grab the attention of someone nearby to call police. Both survived the attack but had conflicting testimonies about the attacker. Larey claimed the man was African-American while Hollis claimed the man was white.

The first double-murder occurred after the first attack on Hollis and Larey. On March 24th, the bodies of Richard Griffin and Polly Ann Moore were discovered by a passerby in a lovers’ lane. Both were shot and evidence shows that they were killed outside the car and placed inside. A pistol was found at the scene wrapped in a blanket. Rumors spread that there was also evidence that sexual assault occurred as well. Police offered a money award for any information about the case, but this only yielded false leads. This first killing began the downfall and insanity inside Texarkana as parents began warning children of not staying out late.

The second double-murder would take place on April 13th. Betty Jo Booker was picked up by a friend, Paul Martin, after her gig with her band. She had a saxophone with her as well in a case. Their bodies would be later discovered. Martin was shot four times, once through his nose, and found on a road. His blood was also found down the road near a fence. Booker’s body was found hours later. She was shot twice and found behind a tree. Both Booker and Martin were fully clothed. The saxophone would not be found until half a year later, where the saxophone and its case was found near the location where Booker’s body was found, in underbush. The car they were in was found miles away from both bodies. The keys were still inside it. It is unknown who was killed first. This second double-murder resulted in the city setting curfews.

The final killing occurred on May 3rd, and it shocked the community. Virgil and Katie Starks were inside of their home relaxing, Virgil resting in the living room while Katie rested in bed in her bedroom. Katie heard noise from the backyard and asked Virgil to lower their radio. Katie heard the sound of glass breaking and assumed Virgil dropped something. When she went to look, Virgil stood up, but quickly slumped in his chair and died. He was shot twice, and this prompted Katie to run to her phone and call the police. As she was about to call, she was shot twice in her face, one shot breaking her jaw. She ran to grab a pistol but could not see because of her blood. She ran to the bedroom to leave a note as she assumed she was going to die. She heard the attacker enter her house through the kitchen window. She ran out the front door and described that she left a river of blood and teeth behind her. She ran across the street to the house in front of hers, but no one was home. She then ran to another house to alert the residents before collapsing. The person who answered the door, A. V. Prater, proceeded to grab a rifle and shoot it in the air to get the attention of the neighbor, Elmer Taylor. Together, they helped Katie reach the hospital, where she survived the attack. The body of Virgil reportedly almost caught on fire from a heating pad he had on before he was killed. When investigators arrived, they found that the chair he was in caught on fire, but his body fell to the floor. Bloody footprints and a flashlight were also found on the scene of their house. This final attack prompted Texarkana to fall into chaos.

The town paper stated that this killer can attack anyone at any time, prompting fear onto residents. The citizens began heavily arming themselves, locking doors, and blocking windows. Many stores sold out of locks, weapons, and other security measures. The city became a ghost town as businesses lost revenue because people did not go out at night. The police station was swarmed with calls about prowlers throughout the city. It became required that citizens call their friends before they visited to ensure safety. In many newspaper ads, guard dogs were widely sought after. The Texas Rangers patrolled the city for a couple of months. After months of silence from the Phantom Killer, the Texas Rangers quietly left the town, and no more murders took place.

THEORIES

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Many different leads and suspects were questioned during these killings. Some suspects and theories, however, do stand up with evidence. Youell Swinney is the prime suspect for all of these killings. What first happened was that Officer Max Tackett noticed that a car was stolen on the night of one of the murders. Tackett found a car that was reported as stolen and waited for the driver to approach the car before arresting her: Peggy Swinney. Peggy stated that her husband was in Atlanta, Texas selling another stolen car. The police chief in Atlanta was able to identify the citizen who Peggy’s husband tried to sell the stolen car too. Tackett decided that he and the citizen would walk together in public places throughout town - he concluded that the Phantom Killer would not want to be seen with this citizen and would escape. While Tackett and the citizen were together in a train station, Tackett noticed a man flee out of the building. Tackett chased after him and arrested him: he was Peggy’s husband, Youell Swinney. Peggy ended up confessing that Youell is the Phantom Killer and described the location where Youell discarded evidence. At that location, police found a shirt that may be linked to the Starks killing, but it is not certain. Because Peggy was an unreliable witness, Youell was charged for car burglaries only. Additionally, the evidence they had against Youell was only circumstantial and not conclusive.

Another mysterious suspect is Henry Booker Tennison. He was a freshman at the University of Arkansas when he was found dead in his home from suicide. He left a mysterious note which left clues for officers to discover more clues. They found a pen which had poison on its cap. Inside the pen, another note was found which gave clues to the combination of a lockbox. Rather than use the clues, the police forced the box open. Under a bunch of papers and rolls of film of Mexico in the box, police found yet another note. This note was a confession - a confession that Tennison was the Phantom Killer. After questioning family members and friends, the officers noted that Tennison was a very shy individual who did not have many friends. Furthermore, it appears that he had no knowledge of guns. Craig, brother of Henry, even stated that Henry did not even know how to drive until after the killings occurred. Thus, it is widely believed that Henry is not the Phantom Killer.

Many other suspects were questioned as well. From a veteran to a German prisoner to many false confessions, this case has yet to receive an answer. Texarkana has returned to normal, but the citizens still seek answers to the following questions: who was the Phantom Killer, and why did he kill so many individuals?

SOURCES

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The Texarkana Moonlight Murders (https://morbidology.com/the-texarkana-moonlight-murders/)

Texarkana Moonlight Murders (https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/texarkana-moonlight-murders-4478/)

Texarkana Moonlight Murders (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texarkana_Moonlight_Murders#Consternation_and_panic)

Texarkana Murder Mystery (https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-culture/texarkana-murder-mystery/)