Southeastern Texans know it better as the "Killing Fields." The bodies and bones pulled from the old oil field along Calder Road in League City between 1984 and 1991 belonged to four young. 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.Since the early 1970s, 33 bodies of murder victims have been found along the I-45 area. Texas Killing Fields (Blu-ray, 2012) | Films & TV, DVDs & Blu-rays | eBay! Janet Doe, meanwhile, was identified as Donna Gonsoulin Prudhomme, according to the FBI. Laura's father, Tim Miller, is still set on finding justice for his daughter as well. Like many of the victims in the Texas Killing Fields, Baker was last seen alive when she was walking to a store to call a friend. The fact that any of this occurred is unsettling, to say the least. This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 06:21. Debbie Catherine Ackerman 23 Jun 1956 - 16 Nov 1971 . Unfortunately, the movie often seems to stray from such discipline. King and Zwarst were questioned about their involvement in other killings in the 1980s, but both denied having any involvement. It's a stretch of interstate from Houston down to the Gulf of Mexico dubbed "Highway to Hell" where dozens of women have gone missing and bodies dumped. Behind prison walls, behind thick glass of a. Last seen at a convenience store located off of West Main Street and Hobbs in League City, Texas. Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Last seen October 26, 1983: Sondra Ramber, 14, Last seen May 24, 1986: Shelley Sikes, 19, Last seen October 7, 1988: Suzanne Rene Richerson, Last seen July 12, 2002: Tot Harriman, 57, November 3, 2006: Terressa (or Teressa) Vanegas, 16. The documentary dives . 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. Browse 205 texas killing fields stock photos and images available or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. They were mainly the bodies of girls or young women. Though the swampland crime scenes are outside their jurisdiction, Detective Heigh is unable to turn his back on solving the gruesome murders. In 1998, he wrote several letters to the Harris County Attorney, in which he confessed to killing 11 girls in total. Was The Colonial Parkway Killer Pretending To Be Law Enforcement? She died six weeks to several months prior to being found. [63], Learn how and when to remove this template message, Murders of Rhonda Johnson and Sharon Shaw Michael Lloyd Self, List of fugitives from justice who disappeared, List of serial killers in the United States, "The Killing Fields: Decades Later, Investigators Still Searching for Answers in Murders of Four Women", "The real-life mystery of Texas' killing fields", "True crime podcast 'What About Holly?' Published Dec 8, 2022. 30 bodies have been found along the stretch of land since 1971. But according to the documentary, investigators learned Reece was in prison in Oklahoma during the span of the Calder Field murders. 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. But for a handful of families in the area, a serial killer's confession means they finally have answers. Do you have a story that I-Team should investigate? Some shared similar physical features, such as similar hairstyles. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. Then in 2011 the population shot up to 140,021. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Texas Killing Fields (2011) - Financial Information", "Venezia 68: International competition of feature films", "Sam Worthington Confirmed as Lead of The Fields, Formerly Called The Texas Killing Fields | /Film", "Danny Boyle Probably Not Entering The 'Texas Killing Fields' Or 'Ponte Tower', "Box office / business for Texas Killing Fields (2011)", "Texas Killing Fields (2011): Filming Locations", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Texas_Killing_Fields_(film)&oldid=1138529267, Wikipedia articles with plot summary needing attention from January 2016, All Wikipedia articles with plot summary needing attention, Rotten Tomatoes template using name parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 10 February 2023, at 04:56. 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 50-mile stretch of highway that runs from Houston, Texas, to the nearby beach town of Galveston. The inconsistencies throw even more questions into the mix, and add to the mystery of the Texas Killing Fields. 'Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields' is the latest true-crime documentary to land on Netflix. If he is, in fact, clearing his conscience, he's doing so in great detail. It may be labeled a cold case, but that doesnt mean its sitting on a shelf and isnt being worked, said Special Agent Richard Rennison in the article from the FBI. Join the discussion on our new social platform Texjas.com! The 25-acre patch of land in League City along Interstate Highway 45, between Houston and Galveston, is known as The Texas Killing Fields. 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. over 30 women were found dead along an area of Interstate 45. according to a 1999 Texas Monthly article. 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 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. At the time of death, Cook was 30 years old and working as a mechanic living in Houston, Channelview, and Heights, Texas. Netflix. This remote tract of land became a dumping ground for killers. The string of unsolved murders earned the route the nickname "highway to hell." [6], The soundtrack was scored by Dickon Hinchliffe (formerly of Tindersticks) except for three tracks credited to The Americans. What makes an area the perfect place to dispose of a body? [1] 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. 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. Both men were asked to indicate the whereabouts of Sikes' body in exchange for avoiding life sentences, but their directions failed to uncover it. [55], In May 1997, William Lewis Reece was arrested for the kidnapping and attempted murder of 19-year-old Sandra Sapaugh from Webster. Fye vanished six months earlier after walking from her parents' home to use a pay phone. It's where Stallings once worked as a ranch hand, and where three bodies had been discovered in the 1980s. At about the same time, a detective tested Baker's dress for DNA. ALSO STREAMING: Netflix true crime documentaries also focus on Vanessa Guilln 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. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Her body was found in Galveston Bay near, Last seen walking with Sharon Shaw along Seawall Boulevard in Galveston. Following their arrests, Zwarst told police where he had hidden Sikes's body, but unfortunately Sikes' body has never been found. Photo:Facebook/Chloe Grace Moretz The Angel. The string of unsolved murders earned the route the nickname "highway to hell." All That's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, and future. Jim Carroll is an ex-con who exchanged letters with Stallings for more than two years. But hindered by niggling flaws, it hardly revolutionises an over-saturated genre."[13]. Police have not yet found Lauras killer: With the climate and terrain making the area a perfect killing field, its likely they never will. Texas Killing Fields (also known as The Fields) is a 2011 American crime film directed by Ami Canaan Mann and starring Sam Worthington, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jessica Chastain and Chlo Grace Moretz. Miller was a Clear Creek High School sophomore at the time of her disappearance two years earlier. Four women were ultimately found dead in a rural area of Texas that has become known as the Texas Killing Fields. 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 killings have been never been solved. "Indict him!". Click here for more information about Janet Doe and who to contact if you think you may know who she is. In retaliation, Edward killed him and fled, but was subsequently apprehended by police. "[9] Metacritic gave the film a rating of 49/100, based on 17 reviews. But Grant said Stallings later recanted. The following year, he was found guilty and convicted, receiving a 60-year imprisonment term. Last seen accepting a ride near an island ice cream shop with Maria Johnson. Hill Country, and we welcome you to our family. Evidence at the scene, however, was more or less destroyed. "I shouldn't have did (sic) what I did," Stallings said. 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. There was also William Reece, who this year admitted he was responsible for the 1997 murders of Jessica Cain and Laura Smither. Based on true events. After hours of interrogation, Self confessed to the murders. The murders of Laura and Heide and five other women and girls, including two unidentified female murder victims, gave infamy to Calder Road and the fields surrounding it. The victim was a 23-year-old League City bartender named Heidi Fye, who had disappeared year earlier. 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. Years later, in 1991, a fourth body was found in the field and became known as Janet Doe, according to the FBI. The area is quite far away from civilization as well. [citation needed], The fields have been described as "a perfect place [for] killing somebody and getting away with it". Seventeen picks products that we think you'll love the most. Between December 2013 and January 2016, the two wrote more than three dozen letters back and forth. [43], An investigation by the League City police and the FBI in the 1970s identified another local resident, Edward Harold Bell, a known exhibitionist, as a suspect. 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. Over the next three decades, over 30 women turned up dead along the corridor. As of 2009, Killeen had 119,510 people. A dog discovered the first victim, Heidi Villareal Fye, 23, on April 4, 1984. Her remains were identified along with Georgia Geer's in an Alvin, Texas ditch. Between the early 1970s and mid-2000s decades many girls have been found murdered there. theYear=theYear+1900 2. Her mother reported her missing after finding Alison had disappeared from their apartment near. 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. 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. 19 relations. ", "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. Reader discretion is advised. Edward Harold Bell was also a suspect. .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. Last seen walking with Rhonda Johnson along Seawall Boulevard in Galveston. 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. Last seen at Dobie High School while she was there for a driving test. We may earn commission from the links on this page. The parents should know what's going on." July 7, 2012 - CBS News The real-life mystery of Texas' killing fields And theyre on theyre own, said Ferrarone. 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. "[4] Also, despite the fact that many popular true crime podcasts have grouped the murders of Dean and Tina Clouse with these victims, Dean and Tina Clouse were actually found in Houston off Interstate 10 in the 13,000 block of Wallisville Road, not League City (the location of the Texas Killing Fields). Tim Miller, the father of Laura Miller, said he saw the film for what the filmmakers intended to raise awareness about the crimes and to generate new tips. 26 memorials. [51], In April 2012, 16 years after Krystal Jean Baker's beaten, raped and strangled body was found, Kevin Edison Smith was arrested and convicted of murdering her. 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. Discovered in a field in the 3000 block of Calder Road. 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. 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. Last seen accepting a ride near an island ice cream shop with Debbie Ackerman. In 1996, the body of 13-year-old Krystal Jean Baker of Texas City was found dumped in Chambers County. As for the other women found dead along Interstate 45, only one case has ever been solved. After his arrest, Zwarst told the police that he had hidden the body in one of the fields, where the other bodies were found. And its just, you know, its just a perfect place [for] killing somebody and getting away with itIf you can just imagine having one of these little girls out hereone of these young girls out hereand theres no chance for them to be rescued, to be helped. [3] Boyle said that the film was "so dark it would never get made". Nevertheless, on September 18, 1974, Self was convicted of killing Shaw and received a life imprisonment term, despite the fact that his confessions showed great discrepancies concerning the victims' clothing, the date of the murders, the locations of the bodies, how they were killed, and various other details. [citation needed], In an interview with CBS News for 48 Hours, actor Sam Worthington said, "People you never know might just go and see the movie and go, 'Oh, I remember when someone went down in the fields, and I remember a certain car and a certain person seemed a bit dodgy.' These bodies joined the one other body that was found in the Calder field in 1983. "Jane Doe", who was 30 at the time and whose remains were found in 1986, was identified as Audrey Lee Cook. Its rattlesnake season in Texas. 1-Texas Killing Fields. The first victim was a 23-year-old League City bartender named Heidi Fye. [10], Roger Ebert of The Chicago Sun Times gave the film two out of four stars and said, "Texas Killing Fields begins along the lines of a police procedural and might have been perfectly absorbing if it had played by the rules: strict logic, attention to detail, reference to technical police work. Nobody Sees Anything 51m Skeletons are found in a field an area where women have disappeared since the 1970s and a Texas community fears there's a serial killer at work. Her car was found the next day, stuck in mud, blood-stained, and abandoned on the side of an I-45 access road, south of the Galveston causeway. "There she is right there. The next day, her bike was found in the foyer of the church. Brian Goetschius and Mike Land, who dedicated their careers to solving the mysteries of I-45. This remains the only solved case out of the possible 30 or more. The monkier is chilling enough, but once you delve into the Texas Killing Fields' murderous history, it's easy to fall down a true-crime rabbit hole. The search for culprits spanned decades and eventually revealed that two serial killers had allegedly committed the crimes independently of each other. Our 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 . By Benjamin Hedda. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. 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. Just off Interstate 45, along the Gulf Coast, the area was a desolate and uninteresting place. From 1971 to 2006, over 30 women were . "I think he's trying to clear his conscience, because he knows he's not going to get out," Carrol said. After investigating the death of a young woman, Texas City Detectives Mike Souder (Sam Worthington) and Brian Heigh (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) find time to inquire into the welfare of Ann . Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! The area surrounding the killing fields (Hobbs Rd/518) was pretty well developed with housing, gas stations, fast food restaurants, etc. The weather plays a tremendous part, especially humidity, heat and weather change, Schneier says. In 2010 Killeen's population shot to 127,921. 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. Last seen walking between the 4000 block of Avenue S to the 3100 block of Avenue P at 10:45a.m. Despite this, Self's attempts at an appeal failed. Bell confessed to murdering eleven young women in and around Galveston in the 1970s, and there was an A&E miniseries made about it. 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. The filmmakers hired officers Goetschius and Land as consultants while making the movie. [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. Three days later, her body was found strangled, raped, and with her hair cut off in a field across from Dickinson High School. 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 . The unidentified victim was called Janet Doe and appeared to have been beaten and possibly strangled, according to the 1997 report. They include Jessica Cain, of Tiki Island, and Laura Smither of Friendswood, who were both murdered in 1997. He pleaded guilty and received a life sentence. Heidi Fye and Laura Miller were the other two victims previously identified. In June 2022, he was extradited to Texas where he was found guilty of the murders of Smither, Cain, and Cox. Texas Hill Country. now = new Date 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. We also run the premiere real-estate site in the hill country at HillCountryRealestate.com. Her skull was found in Clear Lake, and the rest of her remains were recovered in a marsh nearby, alongside those of Rhonda Johnson. Donna found happiness after breaking up with her husband, but it was short-lived. He had been arrested at least 12 times on charges of showing his genitals to children, but each time avoided imprisonment. Its being worked actively at the FBI and actively at the League City Police Department.. Since the early 1970s, 30 bodies of murder victims have been found within the Killing Fields area. Michael Land served as a study for Sam Worthingtons film character. As compiled by the shows executive producer, Joseph Schneier, here are the five biggest killing fields in Americathat we know of so far: Since the 1970s, more than 30 young women have disappeared or been found dead along Interstate-45 in Texas.
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