[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. of all manners. This Sat night 5/9, Part 1 of 2 episodes covering the Texas Killing Fields/I45 Murders. 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. He was taken to the district prison, later aiding with locating the bodies. The infamous killing fields first came into prominence in 1984 when a family dog took a human skull to a neighbor's house. 19 relations. Discovered in a field in the 3000 block of Calder Road. Dianne last spoke with Donna in 1989, when she requested her birth certificate for travel plans. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Since the early 1970s, 33 bodies of murder victims have been found along the I-45 area. Her body was found bound and partially nude in Turner's Bayou along with her friend, Maria. But hindered by niggling flaws, it hardly revolutionises an over-saturated genre."[13]. Between 1971 and 2006, 30 bodies have been found . Review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a score of 37% based on 46 reviews, with a consensus that read: "Texas Killing Fields is a competent boilerplate crime thriller, brewing up characters and plots used in better films. However, there have only been two convictions for murder, leaving countless homicides unsolved today. All four women were murdered in the same way. 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. "Just because somebody says they did something doesn't always give us ammunition to go to court," said DetectiveMarty Grant. Last seen accepting a ride near an island ice cream shop with Maria Johnson. Was The Colonial Parkway Killer Pretending To Be Law Enforcement? The killings have been never been solved. Netflix. 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. When familiar local girl Anne goes missing, the detectives find themselves racing against time to catch the killer and save the young girl's life. We also run the premiere real-estate site in the hill country at HillCountryRealestate.com. 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. From 1971 to 2006, over 30 women were . 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 . During the interview, Stallings pointed out the location of Janet Doe's bodyon a map he had drawn for Carroll. I-45 near Calder, TX, 30 Bodies Discovered to Date Since the 1970s, more than 30 young women have disappeared or been found dead along Interstate-45 in Texas. Between the early 1970s and mid-2000s decades many girls have been found murdered there. "I ended up getting the seat belt and hit her in the head with the seat belt buckle, right, and then wrapped the seat belt around her neck and choked her out," Stallings said. Police arealsostill working on trying to identify Janet Doe and are asking for help. Last seen walking between the 4000 block of Avenue S to the 3100 block of Avenue P at 10:45a.m. 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. The woman had a small caliber gunshot wound to the back. However, it is an abandoned oil field, the old League City Oil Field, which is the infamous killing field where the four women were killed and disposed off in the same manner. The same day Miller was found, police discovered a third unidentified body that they named Jane Doe. 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. Her severed remains were found near Addicks Reservoir in the same area as Colette Wilson. 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. The fact that any of this occurred is unsettling, to say the least. The entire region of over 50 miles is notorious for its many murders. Last seen at a convenience store located off of West Main Street and Hobbs in League City, Texas. If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. The inconsistencies throw even more questions into the mix, and add to the mystery of the Texas Killing Fields. [citation needed], The fields have been described as "a perfect place [for] killing somebody and getting away with it". At the time of death, Cook was 30 years old and working as a mechanic living in Houston, Channelview, and Heights, Texas. 27 febrero, 2023 . The documentary focuses much of its attention on a suspect named Clyde Hendrick, a roofer who lived in League City at the time. AG. [12] On a more lenient note, James Mottram of GamesRadar wrote: "Mann Jr. shows plenty of promise in a film that doesnt tarnish the family name. King died from natural causes behind bars in October 2015,[54] while Zwarst died in prison in November of 2020. 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. [5][6][7] Filming began on May 3, 2010,[5] in Louisiana, United States. The victim was a 23-year-old League City bartender named Heidi Fye, who had disappeared year earlier. 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 . "Jane Doe", who was 30 at the time and whose remains were found in 1986, was identified as Audrey Lee Cook. Since 1971, dozens of murder victims have been found in a 25-acre area near Interstate 45, between Galveston and Houston. [4], The film was distributed overseas by Entertainment Film Distributors, a British company. 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. In 1971, these two reportedly outdoorsy gals disappeared while hitchhiking, only to have their bodies discovered in the killing fields. 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. [2] Since the 1970s, 30 bodies have been found in and around the land, leading to the haunting name. While in real life there have been several itinerant serial killers involved over the years, the film focuses on specific local Texas City suspects. [3] Boyle said that the film was "so dark it would never get made". ", "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. A mile. 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. Since the 1980s, an usually high number of young women have mysteriously disappeared in the small cities between Houston and Galveston, many of whom have turned up dead. 30 bodies have been found along the stretch of land since 1971. He even knew two of the victims, Debbie Ackerman and Maria Johnson, who frequented the store. Opening theatrically Oct. 7, "Texas" looks likely to go to the ancillary killing fields quickly. But Grant said Stallings later recanted. Her mother reported her missing after finding Alison had disappeared from their apartment near. He stated that he did not remember the names of most of his victims, but confidently stated that he had killed Debbie Ackerman, Maria Johnson, Colette Wilson and Kimberly Pitchford, as well as two other then-unnamed girls whom he had abducted from Webster in August 1971, later identified as Rhonda Johnson and Sharon Shaw. 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. Cars drive on the infamous Interstate-45, July 12, 1999 between Houston and Galveston, TX. Fye vanished six months earlier after walking from her parents' home to use a pay phone. 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. King and Zwarst were convicted of aggravated kidnapping, and received life imprisonment sentences in 1998. 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. Then the term 'Texas Killing Fields' was coined to describe the area, according to the Netflix documentary. 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. Many investigators believe, per the outlet, that these four killings were the work of a serial killer, who turned this remote area into a "personal graveyard. 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'? ABC 13 reported that the decomposed body showed that she had been shot in the back and had several broken ribs. [59], In 2021, Reece was convicted of Johnston's murder and sentenced to death. Page of 2. There was also William Reece, who this year admitted he was responsible for the 1997 murders of Jessica Cain and Laura Smither. Bell confessed to murdering eleven young women in and around Galveston in the 1970s, and there was an A&E miniseries made about it. Since the 1970s, 30 bodies have been found in and around the area, leading to the. 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. They were unable to identify this victim, and she became known as a Jane Doe. He remained a prime suspect until his death in April 2019. The first victim was a 23-year-old League City bartender named Heidi Fye. The area was dubbed "The Killing Fields" and the cases were never solved. Texas Killing Fields (2011) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by Ami Canaan Mann Writing Credits ( WGA) Don Ferrarone . She had lived most of her life in Port Arthur, Texas, and was married with two sons. "Killing Fields" refers to an area along the Interstate 45 corridor from Huntsville to Galveston, where the bodies of . [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. The victim was later identified as Donna Prudhomme. Previously, he was a reporter for Houston Community Newspapers covering the Bellaire and Memorial areas. After his arrest, Zwarst told the police that he had hidden the body in one of the fields, where the other bodies were found. Between December 2013 and January 2016, the two wrote more than three dozen letters back and forth. 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. [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. The last time she had been seen or heard from was in December 1985, according to the FBI. Page 1. We may earn commission from the links on this page. Her body was found in Galveston Bay near, Last seen walking with Sharon Shaw along Seawall Boulevard in Galveston. texas killing fields crime scene photos. In this stretch, there is a particular rural patch that is even more intriguing and this part is known as the Texas Killing Fields. 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. Bell was able to name some of his victims: Despite his alleged confession, Bell was never charged with the murders and there was no physical evidence against him. [3] 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. Bell lived on a property near the beach in Galveston, where he was a silent partner of a surf shop. RELATED:Is A Serial Killer Responsible For The Colonial Parkway Murders Or Are The Vicious Roadside Slayings Unconnected? The Texas Killing Fields. A match was confirmed, using advanced technology that was not available at the time of Krystal's disappearance. She was a mother of two who had left her husband after he allegedly became abusive, said her sister. Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields is streaming on Netflix now, Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. Where is Anthony Cook From "Murdaugh Murders" Now? The film was originally going to be directed by Danny Boyle before he left the project and was replaced by Ami Canaan Mann, daughter of director Michael Mann, who produced the film. She had been beaten, raped and strangled. Authorities have never been able to identify the woman. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. After that, she never heard from Prudhomme again. His arrest and conviction for murder came 16 years after Baker's body was found in March 1996. 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. For over 3 decades, dozens of women & girls along a stretch of TX highway have gone missing, or been found murdered. [56][57][58] He has been suspected of kidnapping and killing Laura Smither and confessed, in 2016, to Friendswood Police that he did kill her. Her body was found in 1991. It also became apparent Stalling had lived in League City, near the home of many of the girls who had been murdered. 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. Killeen Map Killeen is a city in Bell County, Texas, The United States. 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. Initially, investigators wrote her off as a runaway, despite the fact that she needed medication for epilepsy which had been left at home. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The 25-acre patch of land in League City along Interstate Highway 45, between Houston and Galveston, is known as The Texas Killing Fields. Where Is Alex Murdaugh From Murdaugh Murders Now? It took decades of work before two of the four women were identified. Although it took years for justice to be served, in April of 2012, Kevin Edison Smith was convicted of her murder. 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. 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. But in 1986, her body was found in the same field Fye's had been located. Both men have since died in prison, King in October 2015 and Zwarst in November 2020. Furthermore, many young girls have disappeared from this area; the girls' bodies, if deceased . On September 8, 1991, additional remains were retrieved from Calder Field. Already serving time for the attempted murder and kidnapping of Sepo, Reece was convicted of Johnston's murder and sentenced to death. As of 2009, Killeen had 119,510 people. The other lead role is played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, which was inspired by Brian Goetschius. The Texas Killing Fields was where over 30 bodies were dumped between the 1970s and 1990s, with fears that two serial killers were on the loose. Content warning: This article contains reference to murder that some may find upsetting. 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. [49] Hedrick was released from jail in 2021 after serving eight years for the murder of Ellen Beason in 1984. Fourteen days later, her body was found in the. The impending takeover of HISD by the TEA dates back to 2019, when Wheatley High School triggered a state law by failing to meet accountability standards for seven consecutive years. The place is described as "a perfect place for killing somebody and getting away with it". 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 fact that dedicated people like Ferrarone, Land, and Goetschius were on the job brings as much comfort to the families of the victims as one might think could be had. He said they went to a motel and did some drugs. "I'd walk out there right now and point straight at where she was," Stallings said. Texas EquuSearch founder Tim Miller announces documentary Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields on Netflix. For me its that little bit of comfort to step into it and give people some answers, he explained. He confessed after hours of interrogation, but later retracted his confession, alleging he had been tortured into admitting to the murders by the police chief. [42], Michael Self died on December 21, 2000, still in custody. "Indict him!". "[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). Free shipping for many products! It was chilling detail such as this, together with the haunting faces of the victims, which inspired him to pen the screenplay for the movie Texas Killing Fields, compelling Sam Worthington to take the lead role. The following year, he was found guilty and convicted, receiving a 60-year imprisonment term. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. "And I said, "Look, you know, let's go for a ride,'" Stallings said. This remains the only solved case out of the possible 30 or more. Four women, Heidi Fye, Laura Mills, Audrey Lee Cook, and Donna Gonsoulin Prudhomme were found dead in that patch. Miller was a Clear Creek High School sophomore at the time of her disappearance two years earlier. He told police he carried out the rape and murder with the help of Gerald Peter Zwarst. She said she'd walk herself the short way back home. When no one cares . "[9] Metacritic gave the film a rating of 49/100, based on 17 reviews. The area is quite far away from civilization as well. 2. 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. 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. Private. Here are things to know about the 'Texas Killing Fields': In 1984, a grisly film was released titled 'The Killing Fields' about a journalist trapped in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge regime. "[52], Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields, a three-part miniseries about the Texas Killing Fields, was released on Netflix in November 2022. 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. Riverdale Has Dropped Its Final Season Trailer. After this revelation, Reece confessed to killing Jessica Cain and Kelli Cox, leading the investigators to the bodies' burial sites. In September 1974, he was convicted of killing Shaw and was sentenced to life in prison, despite questions over the credibility of his confession. ", In that rural field off Calder Road, four people were found dead from 1983 to 1991. 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! After some roadblocks, she ultimately brought her children to live with her mother. In 2016, Reece confessed to police he had kidnapped and murdered Laura Smither, 12. 'Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields' is the latest true-crime documentary to land on Netflix.