if (theYear < 1900) In 2016, Reece confessed to police he had kidnapped and murdered Laura Smither, 12. Texas Killing Fields on Pluto TV | Thrillers | 1hr 45 min | In the Texas bayous, a local homicide detective . People reported that her body was found by a group of boys riding their bicycles on February 2, 1986, 17 months after she had gone missing. Copyright 2008 - The documentary dives . Joe Berlinger's next installment in the Crime Scene docuseries examines the eerie connections between the still-unsolved murders of three young women. The disturbing unsolved crimes are the focus of the new Netflix limited series "Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields. Laura's father, Tim Miller, is still set on finding justice for his daughter as well. Exclusive: Abbott explains push against diversity hiring programs, Bun B, Badu, J.J. Watt celebrate RodeoHouston Southern Takeover, Texas wants to ban delta-8, but veterans are pushing back, The Breakfast Klub sues prominent City Hall consultant for fraud, UH, Texas A&M removing DEI statements from hiring practices, Houston is the most stressful city to work in, says new study, Lauren Daigle at Houston Rodeo: 'God always has your number', Galveston gets fourth Carnival Cruise Line, Astros GM Dana Brown the antithesis of his predecessors, Houston and Galveston, many of whom have turned up dead, Netflix true crime documentaries also focus on Vanessa Guilln case, Texas Equusearch, a search and rescue organization, Jessica Cain, of Tiki Island, and Laura Smither of Friendswood, Shelley Sikes of Texas City disappeared in 1986, murdering eleven young women in and around Galveston in the 1970s, and there was an A&E miniseries made about it, who is serving two life sentences for a series of unrelated crimes, 997 murders of Jessica Cain and Laura Smither, Final Four March Madness Music Festival 2023 lineup released, McCombs service draws luminaries, regular folks to pay respects, 2023 Houston rodeo parade: Route, map and more for season kickoff, Watch a Clydesdale collapse during mishap at Texas rodeo, 2023 Houston rodeo: Parking map, where to park and more. "Indict him!". For over four decades, the murders are thought to be the work of multiple serial killers, but has anyone ever been arrested for the countless murders at the Texas Killing Fields? The filmmakers hired officers Goetschius and Land as consultants while making the movie. 1. 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. She had a pretty tough life, but she loved her children so much, and, you know, we all just do the best we can with what we have, sister Dianne Gonsoulin-Hastings told the FBI. She was a mother of two who had left her husband after he allegedly became abusive, said her sister. A dog discovered the first victim, Heidi Villareal Fye, 23, on April 4, 1984. Then in 2011 the population shot up to 140,021. Not knowing the identities of the victims was a major reason behind the stalled investigation that saw no evidence, links, or suspects. Fye vanished six months earlier after walking from her parents' home to use a pay phone. The unidentified victim was called Janet Doe and appeared to have been beaten and possibly strangled, according to the 1997 report. Favored by serial killers, gangsters and savvy locals, some are home to bodies numbering in the triple digits. Sort By. 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. Edward Harold Bell was also a suspect. [citation needed], The fields have been described as "a perfect place [for] killing somebody and getting away with it". The victim was a 23-year-old League City bartender named Heidi Fye, who had disappeared year earlier. Then, on Sept. 10, 1984, she asked her mother to drive her to a payphone to call her boyfriend. (written by) (as Donald F. Ferrarone) Cast (in credits order) complete, awaiting verification Produced by Music by Dickon Hinchliffe Cinematography by Stuart Dryburgh . The series was released on November 29 but the grisly story of the 'Texas Killing Fields' has been told in books, a 2011 film, and numerous Houston Chronicle reports on the series of murders dating back to the time they began. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Authorities have never been able to identify the woman. 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. Email them at iteam@khou.com. [4], The film was distributed overseas by Entertainment Film Distributors, a British company. There have been 30 . 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. Though Texas Killing Fields is a particular spot, the entire I-45 corridor saw multiple murders take place throughout the 50-mile stretch. A year after Villareal-Fye's disappearance, 16-year-old Clear Creek High School student Laura Miller went missing. Her body was ultimately discovered under an interstate bridge. Before long, the killer changes the game and begins hunting the detectives, teasing them with possible clues at the crime scenes while always remaining one step ahead. theYear=now.getYear() (League City Police) "We're definitely talking about multiple killers. Then the term 'Texas Killing Fields' was coined to describe the area, according to the Netflix documentary. [2] Furthermore, many additional young girls have disappeared from this area; these girls' bodies are still missing. Most of the cases related to the 30 bodies recovered so far remain unsolved, but there are some striking similarities among the victims: Young girls with similar physical features and hairstyles, between the ages of 10-25. Texas Killing Fields (1,668) 5.7 1 h 44 min 2011 X-Ray R 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. [60], Screenwriter and Federal Agent Donald Ferrarone said he drew information from an interview with a kidnapping victim, Michelle Ann E. and the family of one of the murder victims. 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. .css-azif86{color:#000000;display:block;font-family:GTWalsheim,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:0.3125rem;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-azif86:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-azif86{font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.3;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-azif86{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.3;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-azif86{font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.3;}}Is "Daisy Jones & The Six" Based on a True Story? There is not much around the area. It is a "principal city" of the Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood Metropolitan Statistical Area. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. 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). William Lewis Reece is the only suspect to be convicted of more than one murder linked to the Texas Killing Fields. Smith was linked to the murder years later through DNA evidence. The first victim was a 23-year-old League City bartender named Heidi Fye. Between 1971 and 2006, 30 bodies have been found . 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. [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. He was sentenced to life in prison. In 1972, convicted sex offender Michael Lloyd Self became a suspect in the murders of Rhona Johnson and Sharon Shaw. It is a 25 acre abandoned lot. Did The Colonial Parkway Victims Know The Killer? A man named Robert Abel, a then retired aerospace engineer who was leasing the property and bought a portion of it for a horse stable, said his stepdaughter stumbled upon the corpse while riding. Last seen walking near the Green Caye Subdivision on Halloween night. Most of the victims were aged 1225 years. "I shouldn't have did (sic) what I did," Stallings said. 19 relations. "The effect that this has had on people for the last 30 years is still there," said Miller. When no one cares . His arrest and conviction for murder came 16 years after Baker's body was found in March 1996. According to law enforcement officials, the qualifications are simple: a mix of hot, humid climate and hungry wildlife to ensure the quick destruction of evidence, and a location remote enough to prevent unwitting visitors from stumbling across a body, but not impossible for the perpetrator to reach in the dead of night. [59], In 2021, Reece was convicted of Johnston's murder and sentenced to death. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Four women were ultimately found dead in a rural area of Texas that has become known as the Texas Killing Fields. ", "FamilyTreeDNA Helps Identify Two Victims from the 'Texas Killing Fields', "Houston-based DNA company helps identify 'Killing Fields' victims", "Texas 'Killing Fields' victim from Memphis, police say", "The Texas killing fields and the highway of death", "Man convicted in 'Killing Fields' murder of Texas City teen", "DNA linking man to teen's '96 death gives her family answers", "Krystal Baker murder case featured on TV series Tuesday night", "Man convicted in Texas City girl's 1996 slaying", "Krystal Jean Baker Act Aids Law Enforcement in More Quickly Connecting Missing Links in Unsolved Cases", "The disappearance of 12-year-old Friendswood girl Laura Smither", "The killing fields: Disappearance of Texas girl still haunts reporter", "William Lewis Reece sentenced to life in prison for murders of Laura Smither, Jessica Cain and Kelli Ann Cox", "Remembering Jessica Cain, 20 years after her disappearance", "Parents of slain girl face Reece in courtroom", "Man seen at Jessica Cain body search site linked to young girls' disappearances", "Body found in SE Houston field confirmed to be Jessica Cain", "Remains confirmed to be those of Jessica Cain, who vanished in 1997", "Family awaiting news about missing woman", "Dickinson family hoping for break in Halloween cold case murder", "Elderly Inmate Claims to Have Committed Nearly a Dozen Murders", "Texas killer's death leaves unanswered questions in girls' slayings", "Confessed killer details murder of Texas Killing Fields victim", "League City police determine identities of 2 women found in 'Texas Killing Fields', "Clyde Hedrick: Man convicted in decades-old murder case in Galveston County released from prison", "Galveston Co. man released from prison for 1984 killing due to old mandatory release law", "The Killing Fields 48 Hours CBS News", "Man convicted in one of 'I-45 Killings' cases dies in prison", "Kidnapper convicted in Texas City teen's 1986 disappearance denied parole again", "Experts: William Reece fits 'serial killer' profile", "Cases against accused killer William Reece at a standstill", "Convicted kidnapper reveals location of Kelli Ann Cox's remains", "Detectives hope 'Killing Fields' film help solve 60 murders", "Victims' kin skeptical on film on Galveston Co. killings", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Texas_Killing_Fields&oldid=1142230120, Last seen on her way to visit her aunt. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. [55], In May 1997, William Lewis Reece was arrested for the kidnapping and attempted murder of 19-year-old Sandra Sapaugh from Webster. [47][48], Clyde Hedrick was named as a suspect in the 2022 documentary series Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields. 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 term "killing fields" originally referred to the sites of mass genocide during Cambodia's Khmer Rouge regime. 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]. This Sat night 5/9, Part 1 of 2 episodes covering the Texas Killing Fields/I45 Murders. 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. ", Stallings: "Exactly, when I picked her up I knew what I was going to do.". Texas Hill Country. One of the suspects was Abel himself, who said at the time that investigators wrongly targeted him as a suspect because of his connection to the property. We may earn commission from the links on this page. In April 2012, Kevin Edison Smith was arrested for the murder of 13-year-old Krystal Jean Baker. After telling her mother she was going on a 20-minute jog, Laura was last seen running down the same street that her home sat on. AG. One particular part of the highway, off Calder Road in League City, has gotten its own disturbing moniker: It's become known as the "Texas Killing Fields. Jan 20, 2013. They do have DNA and can make a match. Over 30 victims mostly women or girls were found along the 1-45 corridor south of Houston between 1971 and 2016. Her body was found bound and partially nude in Turner's Bayou along with her friend, Maria. Netflix has recently dropped a three-part docuseries titled "Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields," which explores the unsolved murders of four Texas women that occurred between the '80s and . The area was dubbed "The Killing Fields" and the cases were never solved. Be the first one to comment on this story. [2] "[9] Metacritic gave the film a rating of 49/100, based on 17 reviews. Photo:Facebook/Chloe Grace Moretz The Angel. A film adaptation of the deadly events that occurred along the I-45 highway was released on September 9, 2011, with the title Texas Killing Fields. After this revelation, Reece confessed to killing Jessica Cain and Kelli Cox, leading the investigators to the bodies' burial sites. Then you may live next to one of Americas infamous killing fields. [50] He once said he had murdered four to five women. Bell confessed to murdering eleven young women in and around Galveston in the 1970s, and there was an A&E miniseries made about it. Cemetery Visibility: Public. The Texas Killing Fields is a 25-acre patch of land in League City, Texas situated a mile from Interstate Highway 45 and approximately 26 miles southeast of Houston. The decomposed body was found months later in 1991. He then confessed to killing Jessica Cain, 17, and Kelli Cox, 20. As compiled by the show's executive producer, Joseph Schneier, here are the five biggest killing fields in Americathat we know of so far: 5. As for the other women found dead along Interstate 45, only one case has ever been solved. This remains the only solved case out of the possible 30 or more. ", RELATED:EquuSearch Founder Awarded $24 Million In Teen Daughters 1984 Abduction, Murder. "Killing Fields" refers to an area along the Interstate 45 corridor from Huntsville to Galveston, where the bodies of . 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. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Her body was found in 1991. For multiple decades on a desolate stretch of road in Texas, a nightmare unfolded. He remained a prime suspect until his death in April 2019. 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. Has 1 dangerous predator prowled this area, or perhaps more than one. Even when he was on his deathbed, her sister Josie Poarch told Texas Monthly, he brought the family together and made us promise that we would never give up the search for her killer.. 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. They were mainly the bodies of girls or young women. In June 2022, he was extradited to Texas where he was found guilty of the murders of Smither, Cain, and Cox. The entire region of over 50 miles is notorious for its many murders. The DNA matched Smith, who had been arrested for a minor drug offense in 2010. 1-Texas Killing Fields. The search for culprits spanned decades and eventually revealed that two serial killers had allegedly committed the crimes independently of each other. They were mainly the bodies of girls or young women. The three-episode limited series titled Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields tells the story of the victims whose bodies were dumped (and later found) in a desolate oil field along a. Previously, he was a reporter for Houston Community Newspapers covering the Bellaire and Memorial areas. But for a handful of families in the area, a serial killer's confession means they finally have answers. In September 1974, he was convicted of killing Shaw and was sentenced to life in prison, despite questions over the credibility of his confession. Her skull was found in Clear Lake, and the rest of her remains were recovered in a marsh nearby, alongside those of Rhonda Johnson. [44], Despite this, Bell was never charged with these murders, since no evidence, biological or otherwise, incriminated him. 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. View the links for more information on the Texas Killing Fields. HOUSTON A Texas prisoner has admitted he killed one of the young women whose body was dumped in the so-called "Killing Fields" of League City. "And I said, "Look, you know, let's go for a ride,'" Stallings said. [5], In 1972, a gas station operator and convicted sex offender from Galveston, Michael Lloyd Self, became a suspect in the murders of Rhonda Johnson and Sharon Shaw. Prudhomme had asked her sister, Dianne, to mail her birth certificate to her home in Clear Lake near the end of 1989. She had been beaten, raped and strangled. In 1997, the disappearance of one girl in particular captured the medias attention: 14-year-old dancer Laura Smither went out for a jog, trying to build up her stamina, and didnt come home for breakfast. We have sent you an . The series is set to premiere on November 29, 2022. Its rattlesnake season in Texas. Police arealsostill working on trying to identify Janet Doe and are asking for help. Growing up in LC in the 80's & 90's, it was definitely a suburban area with many developed subdivisions and shopping areas. "I know I had no right to take this young girl's life;she was just an innocent girl," Carroll read from one of the letters. Since 1971, dozens of murder victims have been found in a 25-acre area near Interstate 45, between Galveston and Houston. [61][62], Janet Miller, mother of victim Laura Miller, said in an interview with the Dallas Morning News that she was angry at first about the film, stating "I was upset because no one notified me. She vanished in 1983, and had last been seen going to use a payphone at a store, according to Texas Monthly. The Texas Killing Fields. The fact that any of this occurred is unsettling, to say the least. I looked at that and it was just tens and tens of girls that had gone missing and I have got a young sister and you know it kind of disturbed me in a way that I just said straight away, I wanted to be a part of this, to get this story out and make people aware of whats gone down there will hopefully maybe shed some light on some of the disappearances and the mysteries involved, he explained. texas killing fields crime scene photos. Last seen with Georgia Geer at the U-Totem convenience store off of FM 517 and I-45. After two decades on the run from U.S. police for the murder of former Marine Larry Dickens, Edward Harold Bell was extradited from Panama to the states to face trial in 1993. The last time she had been seen or heard from was in December 1985, according to the FBI. 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. She struggled with depression and started doing poorly in school, the FBI wrote in a 2019 article on the case. The Texas Killing Fields is a stretch of abandoned land just off the interstate road the I-45 between Houston and Galveston in Texas. [5][6][7] Filming began on May 3, 2010,[5] in Louisiana, United States. 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. 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. 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. Behind prison walls, behind thick glass of a visitation room, Mark Roland Stallings is clear and convincing in his account of what happened 25 years ago. In the mid-1970s, he acquired a plot of land in Dickinson and lived near the place where two more victims, Brooks Bracewell and Georgia Geer, were last seen alive. Her remains were found in the 3000 block of Calder Road after a dog brought her skull to a nearby house. 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. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! In 1971, these two reportedly outdoorsy gals disappeared while hitchhiking, only to have their bodies discovered in the killing fields. Since the 1970s, more than 30 young women have mysteriously disappeared or been found murdered along Texas' Interstate 45, in what has become the state's most notorious killing spree. The place is described as "a perfect place for killing somebody and getting away with it". Ryan Nickerson is an engagement reporter for the Houston Chronicle. It took decades of work before two of the four women were identified. Yes, there have been multiple arrests in the numerous murders that have been associated with the Texas Killing Fields. Her remains were found 60ft away from where police had found Heide Villarreal-Fye the year before. Stallings, 50, is serving more than two life sentences for unrelated crimes, including aggravated kidnapping for a 1998 escape attempt while in prison. 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. At about the same time, a detective tested Baker's dress for DNA. Where is Anthony Cook From "Murdaugh Murders" Now? 27 febrero, 2023 . Although the majority of the 33 murders tied to the Texas Killing Fields are unsolved, several confirmed and plausible suspects have been posited. They were mainly the bodies of girls or young women. During the interview, Stallings pointed out the location of Janet Doe's bodyon a map he had drawn for Carroll. Several killings occur along Houston's I-45 corridor between Houston and Galveston, in and around an area known as "the Killing Fields". "Janet Doe" was 34 at the time and was identified as Donna Prudhomme. It's not that simple, according to investigators at the League City Police Department. Directors Ami Canaan Mann Starring Sam Worthington, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chlo Grace Moretz Genres Are you praying for their souls? the CBS correspondent asked.
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