Unsolved: The Texarkana Moonlight Murders

Studying instead  of playing around, going out with the people in my age group instead of staying home and dreaming.... This is my last word to you fine people, and you are fine. I want to thank you for all the trouble that you have gone to, to send me to college and to bring me up, you have really been wonderful.
The second being a flashlight which was found in the hedge underneath the window that Starks was shot from. The last clue was of smudged fingerprints as well as bloody footprints on the kitchen floor. Early Saturday morning, bloodhounds were brought in from Hope by the Arkansas state police. They found two trails that led to the highway before the scent was lost.

Swinney remained in prison as a habitual offender until 1973, and died in 1994, without ever implicating himself in the murders. Over the ensuing years, hundreds of people were questioned and numerous suspects were interrogated. Thousands of clues have been followed yet all led to a  dead end. Despite the extensive investigation into the murders, the elusive figure that made Texarkana dread sundown still remains unidentified. The noise, however, was Hollis’ skull fracturing three times from the violent blows. After attacking Hollis, he turned his attention on Larey.
As things got worse, Peggy Sweeney recanted her confession at a trial. Also, since she was married to Yuval Swinney, she could not have been Historical crimes compelled to testify against him. However, Yuval Swinney refused to confess to the murders because of the possibility of the death penalty.

Prater shot a rifle in the air to summon another neighbor, Elmer Taylor. Prater called to Taylor to bring his car because Mr. and Mrs. Starks had been shot. Taylor, along with Mr. and Mrs. Prater and their baby, rode with Mrs. Starks to Michael Meagher Hospital at 503 Walnut Street.
While some sources say he later died in prison, others say he died in 1994 at a nursing home in Dallas. An unidentified assailant often known as the Texarkana Phantom Killer committed a number of murders and assaults in Texarkana through the spring of 1946. While there was one major suspect, he was never convicted of these crimes. The attacks served partially as the basis for a motion picture, The Town that Dreaded Sundown.

Between the 1940s and 1950s, the population on both sides of the Texan divide increased dramatically, with the majority choosing to live on the Texas side, but both areas received an influx of new residents. Psychiatrists and doctors who were consulted stated she had nothing to run away from but had rather enthusiastically looked forward to the future. It was also suggested that her body could have been weighed down and sunken in Lewisville Lake , which was too large and too deep to be dragged. Carpenter knew three of the victims who were murdered by the "Phantom Killer" credited with the Texarkana Moonlight Murders, leading to speculation as to whether that case was linked to her disappearance. In May 1998, the police were tipped by a man in his 70s claiming that he knew who killed Carpenter and where she was buried. He stated she was buried on the grounds of the TSCW campus.
During that same night, in Lufkin, a local resident named Robert Atkinson spotted a peeping tom in his window. Atkinson grabbed a flashlight and chased after the man, but he escaped. Atkinson then got in his car and went looking for him. Atkinson caught the man he believed was the peeping tom, but the man convinced Atkinson that he was not the window peeper and that he had just taken his girlfriend home. Atkinson later heard the story about Thomas and decided to notify the police of his experience.
The killer's distinct pattern emerged – young couples targeted in remote areas during the night. The Town That Dreaded Sundown True Story sheds light on one of America’s most perplexing and terrifying crime sprees. The unsolved nature of the Texarkana Moonlight Murders continues to captivate the imagination, leaving us wondering about the true identity of the Phantom Killer. As we remember the victims and pay homage to their memory, may their tragic stories serve as a stark reminder of the resilience and strength of communities faced with unimaginable fear. Apart from the 1976 film “The Town That Dreaded Sundown,” the true story also served as inspiration for a 2014 remake with the same title. The Phantom Killer’s reign of terror marked an important turning point in crime reporting.

But if that attack didn’t convince Texarkana no one was on the way to rescue them, then the night of May 3 would. The pair had known each other since kindergarten, and while it’s unclear if they were dating, most newspapers seem to think the circumstances at least make their night look like something of a date. Martin was seventeen, a well-liked guy who his classmates described as a sweet kid with no enemies. Booker was fifteen and a junior at Texas High, where her classmates described her as well-liked, as well. She made good grades and did dance and belonged to a sorority, and played saxophone not just with the Rhythmaires but in the school band, too. On the night of Saturday, April 13, 1946, he headed to the Texarkana VFW building, where Jerry Atkins and His Rhythmaires played their weekly gig, to meet up with their alto sax player, Betty Jo Booker.
Sheriff Crider revealed Sunday that Tennison had left behind another note in his room stating that he wanted the other notes disregarded. Freeman told Deputy Prosecutor Robert E. Hall that he spent the evening with Tennison that night. He said he recalled the night because they heard of the Starks killing over the radio or someone came in and told them about it.

(U.P.) -- Winnsboro got through its one-week anniversary night safely, but jittery residents were still fearful today that "phantom" killer would strike again. And more than two years after the attacks a University of Arkansas freshman from Texarkana killed himself with poison after leaving a note saying he was responsible for three of the "phamtom" [sic "Phantom"] killings. The assailant, standing outside the house, waited until Stark's attractive wife ran to him and then shot her. "Since that time a detailed investigation has been made of all his statements and a study of all notes left by him," the statement said.
I feel even another five minutes could have done the world of good just to extend some of the kill scenes and build characters a fraction more. It's certainly not unwatchable, but in a genre that has  been quite stale for a while now is this adding anything new? A remake of a film that acknowledges the original's existence - now there's an interesting idea. It's not the first film to have done it, I know 'The Human Centipede II ' in 2011 played around with the same concept and I'm certain it would have  been done before that.

Moore and Griffin were last seen alive the night before, at around 10 p.m., eating with Griffin’s sister and her boyfriend. They were next seen around 9 a.m., dead in Griffin’s car. A man approached the driver’s side door, holding a flashlight and a pistol.