Photos of Kevin Edison Smith and William Lewis Reece. Last seen at a teen club with her friend, Tamara Fisher. 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! [4], The film was distributed overseas by Entertainment Film Distributors, a British company. 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. Fye vanished six months earlier after walking from her parents' home to use a pay phone. In 1996, the body of 13-year-old Krystal Jean Baker of Texas City was found dumped in Chambers County. Last seen with Georgia Geer at the U-Totem convenience store off of FM 517 and I-45. The inconsistencies throw even more questions into the mix, and add to the mystery of the Texas Killing Fields. After using technology to reconstruct her face, showing it on the news, and having the FBI collect DNA per ABC 13 the remains were determined to be Cook. He said they went to a motel and did some drugs. Her remains were identified along with Georgia Geer's in an Alvin, Texas ditch. 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). "Janet Doe" was 34 at the time and was identified as Donna Prudhomme. Laura's father, Tim Miller, is still set on finding justice for his daughter as well. There have been several other arrests in relation to the Texas Killing Fields. The string of unsolved murders earned the route the nickname "highway to hell." "[9] Metacritic gave the film a rating of 49/100, based on 17 reviews. But if you yelled, no one would necessarily hear you. Since the 1970s, 30 bodies have been found in and around the area, leading to the. The Texas Killing Fields is a stretch of abandoned land just off the interstate road the I-45 between Houston and Galveston in Texas. [49] Hedrick was released from jail in 2021 after serving eight years for the murder of Ellen Beason in 1984. Nevertheless, he remained a prime suspect in their murders until his death in April 2019. This remains the only solved case out of the possible 30 or more. 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. Killeen Map Killeen is a city in Bell County, Texas, The United States. 26 memorials. AG. 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. 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. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. "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 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. The majority of victims have been young girls and young women, aged between 12 and 25 years old. After this revelation, Reece confessed to killing Jessica Cain and Kelli Cox, leading the investigators to the bodies' burial sites. ", RELATED:EquuSearch Founder Awarded $24 Million In Teen Daughters 1984 Abduction, Murder. He was sentenced to life in prison. 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. 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'? A year after Villareal-Fye's disappearance, 16-year-old Clear Creek High School student Laura Miller went missing. Texas Killing Fields on Pluto TV | Thrillers | 1hr 45 min | In the Texas bayous, a local homicide detective . 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. If he is, in fact, clearing his conscience, he's doing so in great detail. Years later, in 1991, a fourth body was found in the field and became known as Janet Doe, according to the FBI. [3] Boyle said that the film was "so dark it would never get made". That ride took them south to League City and a field off Interstate 45 and Calder Road. While in real life there have been several itinerant serial killers involved over the years, the film focuses on specific local Texas City suspects. That's exactly where I put her, exactly where I put her," Stallings said. 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. 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. Hill Country, and we welcome you to our family. Our 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. There is not much around the area. 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. 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. Only one perpetrator has been apprehended since early 1970s. The film focuses on the lead police detectives, Capt. The place is described as "a perfect place for killing somebody and getting away with it". Mark Roland Stallings, who is serving two life sentences for a series of unrelated crimes, told an author that he killed "Janet Doe" in 1991. In 1972, convicted sex offender Michael Lloyd Self became a suspect in the murders of Rhona Johnson and Sharon Shaw. The film's screenplay was loosely inspired by true events surrounding the murders of women kidnapped from cities spread along 30-plus miles of the I-45 corridor and dumped in many areas, including various bayous surrounding the oil fields of Texas City, Texas. Growing up in LC in the 80's & 90's, it was definitely a suburban area with many developed subdivisions and shopping areas. As Schneier points out, one major element of a perfect killing field is a hot, damp climate, something that Texas has in spades. For multiple decades on a desolate stretch of road in Texas, a nightmare unfolded. 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. Last seen accepting a ride near an island ice cream shop with Maria Johnson. And theyre on theyre own, said Ferrarone. [5][6][7] Filming began on May 3, 2010,[5] in Louisiana, United States. Netflix is all set to cover these murders with its upcoming docuseries Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields. A man named Kevin Edison Smith was sentenced to life in prison in 2012 for murdering a 13-year-old girl named Krystal Jean Baker in 1996, according to The Houston Chronicle. In 1998, Bell wrote several letters to the Harris County Attorney, confessing to the murders of five girls in 1971 and six more between 1974 and 1977. For multiple decades on a desolate stretch of road in Texas, a nightmare unfolded. She was found in April 1984, when a dog brought a human skull over to its owners. 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. It's where Stallings once worked as a ranch hand, and where three bodies had been discovered in the 1980s. Michael Land served as a study for Sam Worthingtons film character. Published Dec 8, 2022. Her body was ultimately discovered under an interstate bridge. Its being worked actively at the FBI and actively at the League City Police Department.. Already serving time for the attempted murder and kidnapping of Sepo, Reece was convicted of Johnston's murder and sentenced to death. 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. Skip past search results. The area surrounding the killing fields (Hobbs Rd/518) was pretty well developed with housing, gas stations, fast food restaurants, etc. After a long search, they were able to find the rest of Fye's body in the field. The series was directed by Jessica Dimmock. Four bodies were found in the Calder fieldbetween 1984 and 1991. Watch: Man confesses to a Texas Killing Field murder. That same year, two bodies were found in a field along Calder Road in League City. 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. She is known only by an artist's rendering as Janet Doe. Roadway Killers Are Still Active In United States Today. [2] After visiting some of the sites of recovered bodies in League City, Ami Canaan Mann, director of the film Texas Killing Fields, commented: "You could actually see the refineries that are in the south end of League City. In the following months, he retracted his confession, claiming that he had been tortured into confessing, with the interrogators suffocating with a plastic bag, burning him with cigarette butts and a radiator, as well as being assaulted by the police chief, Don Morris. 10:12p, 1/9/23. texas killing fields crime scene photos. She had an aptitude for music, but then she started having seizures, which impacted life as she knew it. Both men have since died in prison, King in October 2015 and Zwarst in November 2020. 1. Sort By. Evidence at the scene, however, was more or less destroyed. The Texas Killing Fields is easily one of the most discussed topics of the last decade due to the massive mystery around the area. Since 1971, dozens of murder victims have been found in a 25-acre area near Interstate 45, between Galveston and Houston. tv In 1997, 12yo Laura went missing. Maybe a family can then know what happened to their daughter. 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. Four women, Heidi Fye, Laura Mills, Audrey Lee Cook, and Donna Gonsoulin Prudhomme were found dead in that patch. His arrest and conviction for murder came 16 years after Baker's body was found in March 1996. In 2010 Killeen's population shot to 127,921. Cars drive on the infamous Interstate-45, July 12, 1999 between Houston and Galveston, TX. Directors Ami Canaan Mann Starring Sam Worthington, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chlo Grace Moretz Genres [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. . It took decades of work before two of the four women were identified. 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. Since. Since the early 1970s, some 30 bodies of murder victims have been found within the Killing Fields area. During the search, there was another gruesome discovery, though: One more woman was found dead. Last seen with Brooks Bracewell at the U-Totem convenience store off of FM 517 and I-45. July 7, 2012 - CBS News The real-life mystery of Texas' killing fields The first victim was a 23-year-old League City bartender named Heidi Fye. Since the 1970s, 30 bodies have been found in and around the land, leading to the haunting name. She is believed to have hitchhiked, but it is unclear how she ended up in Texas. The three-part documentary investigates the strange disappearance of young women in the 1980s and 1990s, only to be discovered dead on Calder Road in Texas. The 25-acre patch of land in League City along Interstate Highway 45, is known as The Texas Killing Fields. Her mother reported her missing after finding Alison had disappeared from their apartment near. In this stretch, there is a particular rural patch that is even more intriguing and this part is known as the Texas Killing Fields. 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. The victim was later identified as Donna Prudhomme. Your login session has expired. Why'd Alex Murdaugh Allegedly Kill His Wife & Son? Grant was one of the original detectives on the Janet Doe case. Heres what you need to know. Her severed remains were found near Addicks Reservoir in the same area as Colette Wilson. In 1976, some of her remains were found by police, but due to neglect, weren't identified as hers until a new detective took over the case in '81 and re-examined the ditch where they were originally found. 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. Debbie Ackerman And Maria Johnson. Email them at iteam@khou.com. 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. The decomposed body was found months later in 1991. 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. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. I just finished watching the following series (3 episodes) on Netflix, Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields, which documents the investigations of murders of females along the I-45 corridor south of Houston (Texas City, Friendswood, etc) during the 70's, 80's and 90's. One of those murdered was the daughter of the . MISSING: 79-year-old man with dementia last seen in NW Harris County, Texas GOP officially censures Rep. Tony Gonzales, Houston forecast: Get ready for a picture perfect weekend, Damage reported throughout North Texas area during severe weather, Man confesses to a Texas Killing Field murder. Her skeletal remains were found in a marsh near. 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. The Texas Killing Fields is an area bordering the Calder Oil Field, which is a 25-acre patch of land situated a mile from Interstate Highway 45. However, despite efforts by the League City, Texas police, along with the assistance of the FBI, very few of these murders have been solved, and those that have been solved were predicated on confessions given by prisoners, or confessions given under duress from the police. Mark Roland Stallings is clear and convincing in his account of what happened 25 years ago. They were all young women, left naked against a tree with their arms folded, according to a 1999 Texas Monthly article. These bodies joined the one other body that was found in the Calder field in 1983. It is a 25 acre abandoned lot. if (theYear < 1900) 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. Last seen accepting a ride near an island ice cream shop with Debbie Ackerman. In May 1997, he was arrested for the kidnapping and attempted murder of 19-year-old Sandra Sepo and received a 60-year sentence. A mile. 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. Despite the fact that his testimony shows great consistency with details, he hasn't been charged with any murders yet, but remains a suspect in the murders of Donna Prudhomme and Audrey Cook, as well as two unrelated murders in Fort Bend County. Over the last three decades, more than 30 women have been. But Grant said Stallings later recanted. 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. Some shared similar physical features, such as similar hairstyles. Initially, investigators wrote her off as a runaway, despite the fact that she needed medication for epilepsy which had been left at home. It's not that simple, according to investigators at the League City Police Department. Her parents panicked and called the police. Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields is streaming on Netflix now, Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. Heidi Fye and Laura Miller were the other two victims previously identified. This Sat night 5/9, Part 1 of 2 episodes covering the Texas Killing Fields/I45 Murders. Netflix. Seventeen picks products that we think you'll love the most. He had been arrested at least 12 times on charges of showing his genitals to children, but each time avoided imprisonment. They were mainly the bodies of girls or young women. The Texas Killing Fields are part of a 50-mile stretch that runs along Interstate 45, between Houston and the Island city of Galveston, Texas, dubbed the "highway to hell.". Her body was found bound and partially nude in Turner's Bayou along with her friend, Debbie. The fact that any of this occurred is unsettling, to say the least. This started in 1971 when three Galveston girls disappeared. In 1993, he was arrested in Panama and extradited back to the United States, where he was subsequently convicted of Dickens' murder and received a 70-year sentence. Brian Goetschius and Mike Land, who dedicated their careers to solving the mysteries of I-45. 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 . 14-year-old Brenda Jones from Galveston disappeared in 1971 while walking to her aunt's house. The lot measures nearly 25 acres and is full of overgrown mesquite trees and is criss-crossed with dirt roads. 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. Stallings had picked up the young woman on Telephone Road near Interstate 610. 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. On his office wall is a map of the killing fields and photos of all the missing girls in the county. Released in 2011, Texas Killing Fields went on to critical acclaim, but the mystery of what actually took place in those fields remains etched into the minds and memories of investigators. In 1998, he wrote several letters to the Harris County Attorney, in which he confessed to killing 11 girls in total. 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. [2] 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. It is a "principal city" of the Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood Metropolitan Statistical Area. The disturbing unsolved crimes are the focus of the new Netflix limited series "Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields. The 25-acre patch of land in League City along Interstate Highway 45, between Houston and Galveston, is known as The Texas Killing Fields. A 50-mile stretch of road that has been nicknamed the Highway of Hell due to the high frequency of traffic accidents, it is also a desolate, remote area, and one that has become a legendary dumping ground for bodiesin part because of the pop-culture rendering of the so-called Texas killing fields in the 2011 movie starring Jessica Chastain. After 33 years, the body was identified as Audrey Lee Cook. "Some of the things he told you does not corroborate some of the things he told me all those years ago," Grant said. 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. He then confessed to killing Jessica Cain, 17, and Kelli Cox, 20. In 2009, Smith had been arrested on a drug charge in Louisiana. Bell lived on a property near the beach in Galveston, where he was a silent partner of a surf shop. They were convicted of aggravated kidnap and were sentenced to life imprisonment in 1998. "[52], Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields, a three-part miniseries about the Texas Killing Fields, was released on Netflix in November 2022. Miller was a Clear Creek High School sophomore at the time of her disappearance two years earlier. The unidentified victim was called Janet Doe and appeared to have been beaten and possibly strangled, according to the 1997 report. Over 30 victims mostly women or girls were found along the 1-45 corridor south of Houston between 1971 and 2016. Opening theatrically Oct. 7, "Texas" looks likely to go to the ancillary killing fields quickly. In September 1974, he was convicted of killing Shaw and was sentenced to life in prison, despite questions over the credibility of his confession. 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. Her body was found in a ditch two days later. "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. "The effect that this has had on people for the last 30 years is still there," said Miller. ", In that rural field off Calder Road, four people were found dead from 1983 to 1991. 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. Police arealsostill working on trying to identify Janet Doe and are asking for help. Dianne last spoke with Donna in 1989, when she requested her birth certificate for travel plans. Favored by serial killers, gangsters and savvy locals, some are home to bodies numbering in the triple digits. The DNA matched Smith, who had been arrested for a minor drug offense in 2010. If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. In The Texas Killing Fields, the first victim discussed was Heidi Faye, a woman who disappeared from League City in 1983 and was found dead the following year.However, the first crime considered part of the Texas Killing Fields murders actually occurred much earlier. Newsweek has everything you need to know. In 2019, the League City Police Department was finally able to identify the two women found dead in Calder Field. Last seen walking near the Green Caye Subdivision on Halloween night. Last seen at a teen club with her friend, Lynette Bibbs, and a 22-year old companion. "Killing Fields" refers to an area along the Interstate 45 corridor from Huntsville to Galveston, where the bodies of . Discovered in a field in the 3000 block of Calder Road. 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.. Four women were ultimately found dead in a rural area of Texas that has become known as the Texas Killing Fields. However, there have only been two convictions for murder, leaving countless homicides unsolved today. More than 30 young women and girls either disappeared or had been found murdered in that corridor, and the mysteries surrounding the cases have never been far from the minds of the Texas authorities that investigated the crimes, including Brian Goetschius and Michael Land, from Texas City. The entire region of over 50 miles is notorious for its many murders. [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. [59], In 2021, Reece was convicted of Johnston's murder and sentenced to death. [44], Despite this, Bell was never charged with these murders, since no evidence, biological or otherwise, incriminated him. 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. Join the discussion on our new social platform Texjas.com! Prudhomme had asked her sister, Dianne, to mail her birth certificate to her home in Clear Lake near the end of 1989. You could see the I-45. Grant said investigators plan to pay Stallings a visit in prison, with the hope he will once again talk about what happened to Janet Doe. Her body was found near where Villareal-Fye's had been located, according to the FBI. theYear=now.getYear() 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. Where Is the Guy Who Allegedly Shot Alex Murdaugh? No one ever saw her again. 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. Yes, there have been multiple arrests in the numerous murders that have been associated with the Texas Killing Fields. To say that he became a sort of guardian angel for locals would be an understatement. Then the term 'Texas Killing Fields' was coined to describe the area, according to the Netflix documentary. And if you ran, there wouldn't necessarily be anywhere to go. He was taken to the district prison, later aiding with locating the bodies. Since the early 1970s, 30 bodies of murder victims have been found within the Killing Fields area. Hendrick was arrested in 2013 for Beason's murder and still remains a suspect in the Killing Fields murders. Content warning: This article contains reference to murder that some may find upsetting. From 1971 to 2006, over 30 women were . Then in 2011 the population shot up to 140,021. According to reports, some time later, two boys on dirt bikes found another body. Furthermore, many young girls have disappeared from this area; the girls' bodies, if deceased . Since the early 1970s, 30 bodies of murder victims have been found within the Killing Fields area. ", Stallings: "Exactly, when I picked her up I knew what I was going to do.". 2. Morris was sentenced to 55 years, while Deal to 30. She had been beaten, raped and strangled. This led authorities to seek out potential serial killers and other leads, but decades later, these murders still remain a mystery. document.write(theYear) Her remains were found 60ft away from where police had found Heide Villarreal-Fye the year before. They were also probed for other such crimes committed during the mid-1980s, but both vehemently denied any involvement. Do you have a story that I-Team should investigate? Page 1. What makes an area the perfect place to dispose of a body? [6], The soundtrack was scored by Dickon Hinchliffe (formerly of Tindersticks) except for three tracks credited to The Americans. We may earn commission from the links on this page. The below map shows the more than 500 cases in our Highway Serial Killings Initiative database; the red dots mark where bodies or remains have been found along highways over the past 30 years.
