The Lake Waco Murders: 10 Chilling Facts About Them

The Lake Waco Murders: 10 Chilling Facts About Them

The Lake Waco Murders were terrific murders that involved three teenagers who were brutally murdered near Lake Waco in Waco, Texas. This incident involved three teenagers, two female, and one male. It happened on 13^th July 1982 which sent shocking waves in this locality.

As two fishermen were on their routine activities near Lake Waco on 13^th July 1982, they discovered the three bodies. These bodies were of 17-year-old Jill Mongolia, 17-year-old Raylene Rice, and 18-year-old Kenneth Franks in Speegleville Park. The three teenagers might have gone through a torture due to the manner in which their bodies were.

All three victims’ bodies had stab marks which indicated that they were stabbed repeatedly. The throats of the two women were slashed. The body of Frank was found propped against a tree and had sunglasses over his eyes.

Investigations into the women’s bodies showed that they had been sexually assaulted before being dumped. The people of the locality were left in fear and began taking precautions like getting armed and being home earlier before dusk. Investigations began and criminal trials followed and lasted for more than ten years.

The trials resulted in the execution of David Wayne Spence, and life imprisonment to Anthony and Gilbert Melendez. Muneer Mohammad Deeb, the fourth suspect was eventually released years later after maintaining innocence. Here are the 10 Chilling Facts About the Lake Waco Murders:

1. Three Teenagers Were Victims of These Murders

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On the morning of 13^th July 1982, residents of Waco, Texas were hit by the unexpected shock after the discovery of three bodies. Fishermen discovered the bodies of three teenagers who were victims of the murders.

17-year-olds Jill Mongolia, Raylene Rice and 18-year-old Kenneth Franks were murdered. Their bodies were found dumped in Speegleville Park near Lake Waco.

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2. The Girls Had Travelled from Waxahachie to Collect Jill’s Last Paycheck

Jill Montgomery and Raylene Rice found themselves in the wrong place a long way from their homes. The two girls were friends who hailed from Waxahachie, but Jill had worked in Texas.

Jill and Raylene had driven from Waxahachie to Waco to collect Jill’s last paycheck from her previous job. She used to work at the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum.

During their visit to Waco, they had to hook up with Kenneth Franks. Kenneth was a friend of Jill from their days at the Methodist Children’s Home. This is how they were caught up in this incident and were brutally murdered.

3. The Male Victim’s Body Was Propped Against A Tree

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The bodies of these three victims were dumped in a very disturbing manner which contributed to the fear among the residents of the area. Kenneth Franks’s body was found propped against a tree.

To make the scene more scary, they placed sunglasses over his eyes. This scene was described to be disturbing to the public and those who found the bodies.

4. The Victims Were Stabbed Repeatedly

The assailants of these victims ensured that they went through much pain before they died by the nature of the murders. All three bodies had stab wounds all over indicating that they had been stabbed repeatedly. These stab wounds caused excessive bleeding which was the cause of their deaths.

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5. The Two Women Victims Had Their Throats Slashed

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Other than the clear multiple stab wounds on the bodies of the three victims, the female victims went through more torture than Kenneth Franks. The throats of Jill Mongolia and Raylene Rice were slashed open by a sharp object.

This clearly showed that the aim of the assailants on these two young females was different unlike on Kenneth. Other than this, their bodies had shallow cuts on their breasts indicating to be signs of torture.

6. Jill & Raylene Were Sexually Assaulted

Jill Mongolia and Raylene Rice had a brutal encounter at the hands of their assailants before they were murdered. They had been stabbed repeatedly and had their throats slit open.

As investigators continued with their investigations, they made another discovery on the bodies of the two teenage women. There were clear indicators that they were sexually assaulted. However, it was not clear whether the sexual assault was done before or after they were murdered.

7. Shocked Parents Kept Children at Home & Called for Curfews in City Parks

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The Lake Waco Murders made parents get fear for the safety of their children at parks around the city. This made them keep their children in the safety of their homes to prevent them from being the next victims. Some of the parents went to the stage of getting armed and ready to protect their families as they never experienced such incidents.

Shocked parents also called for the city authorities to take a major step in preventing another murder event. They requested the authorities to institute curfews at the city parks. The Lake Waco Murders were so random in nature that they sent chills across the city.

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8. It Took More Than A Decade to Conclude Investigations of the Lake Waco Murders

The Lake Waco Murders were not that easy to solve as there were little clues left behind at the crime scene. The murders were so random because most murder victims are known by their assailants and the girls were just visitors in the locality and ended up being murdered.

It took more than a decade for investigations to be made and concluded as well as prosecution of the suspects. The Waco police were under pressure from the public and media to solve this case that went on for years.

9. One of the Suspects had Boasted of Committing the Murders

As investigations continued, witnesses’ accounts were noted to help in catching the suspects. Terry Harper was one of the suspects who was alleged to have been seen by witnesses in the park that same night the murders took place.

Other witnesses also claimed that Harper had boasted of committing the murders of the three teenagers. Harper was linked to one of the victims, Kenneth Franks, as an associate in the drug trade.

10. Four Suspects Were Arrested, Three Were Convicted & One Set Free Later

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James Russell Bishop and Terry Harper were the first suspects linked to the murders, but both had credible alibis. Muneer Mohammad Deeb was the first person to be arrested as he had a contentious relationship with Kenneth Franks. His arrest came from a report from a female who had reported that Mohammad had confessed to the killings.

However, he was released later as he passed the polygraph test for lack of evidence. David Wayne Spence, Anthony, and Gilbert Melendez were also arrested and convicted of the murders. The Melendez brothers were handed life sentences while David was executed with lethal injection.

The Lake Waco Murders gained more coverage in the United States sending more chills to families. When Spence was getting his execution, he turned to the victims’ families and pleaded innocent and stated that they were being victimized and the killer was free. The Spence brothers died while in prison.

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