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Knowledge of our past is our inheritance. What we do with that knowledge will shape our destinies...

Monday, October 28, 2013

Crime Tidbit: The Texarkana Moonlight Murders, 1946

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Time for another unsolved historical tidbit.

Did you know...that in the 1946, the twin cities of Texarkana, TX and Texarkana, AR were briefly terrorized by a serial killer known only as the Phantom Killer?

Much like the Monster of Florence, the Phantom Killer struck at couples in their cars late at night. The attacks generally occurred on the weekends, roughly three weeks apart. 

In the first confirmed attack, the couple both survived. They managed to give a vague description of their attacker, though it was more frightening than enlightening. They claimed it was a man, roughly six feet tall, whose face was covered in a white bag with holes cut out for the eyes and mouth. He always used a .32 caliber pistol to kill and no one else ever got a look at him. The only other survivor didn't, and the rest were only recovered as corpses. 

In all, eight people were attacked, with five killed, and the killer's name came from the fact that he simply disappeared each time without a trace. Sheriff William Presley told the press, "This killer is the luckiest person I have ever known. No one sees him, hears him in time, or can identify him in any way." (Source) The murders themselves became known as the Texarkana Moonlight Murders, and were never solved.

Many have speculated that this might have been the early work of the notorious Zodiac Killer, though no solid link has ever been made between the two cases.

What do you think? Decent story fodder? Anyone else intrigued by possible link to the Zodiac?

5 comments:

  1. Officially freaked out. That's so spooky!

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  2. The Zodiac Killer practicing? That's scary enough. Call Cold Case!

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    1. Right? I always think it's way interesting/terrifying when one case might be linked to another, more sinister one! Thanks Maurice!

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  3. Cold case. But how tragic for all those families.

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    1. I agree. How do you even begin to deal with a death of this kind? I always think that when I read about these cases. Thanks Julie.

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