The Texarkana Moonlight Murders: 10 Shocking Facts About the Phantom Killer

The Texarkana Moonlight Murders: 10 Shocking Facts About the Phantom Killer

The Texarkana Moonlight Murders was a title given to a series of four unsolved murders in and around the Texarkana region of Arkansas and Texas in 1946. The contemporary press came up with this name after the murders and related violent crimes were committed by an unidentified individual. This individual who committed these crimes was later given the name the Phantom of Texarkana or the Phantom Killer or Phantom Slayer.

The Phantom Killer attacked eight people, with only five dying in the ten weeks period of late winter and spring of 1946. These attacks and murders were directed at couples during the nights on weekends between February 22 and May 3. The Phantom Killer launched his first three attacks on lovers’ lanes or abandoned road stretches on the Texas side.

His fourth attack took place at a very isolated farmhouse in Arkansas. These murders and attacks were reported nationally and caused a state of panic which made residents arm themselves at dusk and locked themselves in early. Some youths tried to bait and ambush The Phantom Killer without success.

His identity has never been revealed even after some descriptions from survivors of his attack. Psychologists tried to picture who it could be and came up with a theory that he might have been a sadist. Here are the 10 Shocking Facts About the Phantom Killer:

1. The Phantom Killer Targeted Young Couples Who Were in Secluded Places

Photo by Rulo Mora: Pexels

The Phantom Killer had his preferred victims during his spree of atrocities and attacks. All his victims were young couples who were not over 40 years old.

His oldest victims were aged 36 years and 37 years, while his youngest victims were 17 years old and 15 years old. The criteria for selecting his victims helped build up the personality of the Phantom Killer even though he was never arrested.

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2. The Killer Launched Attacks on Weekends, 3 Weeks Apart

The trend of the Phantom seemed to be predictable. He used to launch his attacks on weekends and at the wee hours of the night.

The Phantom Killer had three weeks cool off between his attacks as his murders and attacks used to occur after the 3 weeks. His favorite places of attack were in isolated areas where he attacked his victims with much ease.

3. He Sexually Assaulted His First Victim Using the Barrel of His Gun

Relative of Jimmy Hollis, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

At around 11:55 pm on 22^nd February 1946, the Phantom Killer launched his first attack on a young couple, 25-year-old Jimmy Hollis and 19-year-old Mary Jeanne. The lovers had parked their vehicle on a secluded section of the road known as the lovers’ lane. The Phantom Killer who wore a white mask came out of nowhere and ordered the two out of their vehicle.

He ordered Jimmy to take off his pants and pistol-whipped him unconscious. The Phantom Killer ordered Mary to run up the road after she was hit too. As she approached an old car parked by the roadside, the Phantom Killer confronted her again.

The Phantom Killer asked her why she was running and received the answer that he had told her to run. He got furious with her and called her a lair. She was knocked out and he sexually assaulted her using the barrel of his gun. The two got lucky as they were not murdered by the aggressor.

4. The Phantom Killer Murdered His First Victims Using a .32 Calibre Gun

The Phantom Killer committed his first double murder some weeks after his first attack. His victims were 29-year-old Richard Griffin and 17-year-old Polly Ann Moore. The two were found dead in the car of Griffin on 24^th March 1946 by a motorist who saw the vehicle parked at the lovers’ Lane.

Richard and Polly had been shot dead using a .32 caliber firearm and it is believed that the murder had been done outside the vehicle, and bodies were placed inside. The two had been shot once in the back of their head, and blood had been flowing through the car to the ground. It is believed that the Phantom Killer had wrapped the pistol in a blanket and shot the two. The investigations were conducted for several weeks with interviews being done but the perpetrator was not arrested.

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5. There was Some Struggle in His Second Double Murder

Texarkana Daily News, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Phantom Killer’s next victims were 17-year-old Paul Martin and 15-year-old Betty Jo Booker who had been picked at 1:30 am on 14^th April from a musical show. The body of Martin was first discovered at around 6:30 am and the body of Betty was found six hours later.

Martin had been shot four times through the ribs from behind, through the nose, through the back of his neck, and in the right hand. The body of Betty was found with two gunshot wounds, one in the face and the other in the chest.

A .32 automatic Colt pistol was the weapon that the Phantom Killer used in the murders. Investigators later stated that there was a struggle between the Phantom Killer and his victims before he Killer them.

6. The Phantom Killer Fatally Injured Wife of Fifth Victim After Killing Him

JeremeK, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

On 3^rd May, 37-year-old Virgil Starks and his wife, 36-year-old Katie were at their home almost 16km from Texarkana. The Phantom Killer came from nowhere and shot Virgil twice in the back of the head through a closed double window. His wife rushed to the scene, found her husband dead, and rushed back inside to call the police.

Katie made the call which rang twice before she was shot twice in the face making her fall to the ground. However, she managed to get up and rushed to the neighbor’s home where she was rushed to hospital. The Phantom Killer managed to escape after this attack.

7. The First Victims Described the Phantom Killer as a Tall Light Skinned African American

Jimmy Hollis and Mary Jeanne, the first victims of the Phantom Killer, were able to describe their perpetrators. He was described as being six feet (1.8 m) tall and having holes carved out for his eyes and mouth in a white mask covering his face.

Mary believed that he was a light-skinned African American, while Hollis thought he was a youthful, dark-tanned, white male who was under 30. Investigators and people believed that it was the same perpetrator who committed the acts even though there was no detailed description from others.

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8. He was Described as a Sadist

Tillman B. Johnson, Sr., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

After his fifth murder and attack on Katie, the Phantom Killer cooled down his attacks. Investigators were not able to piece together and unveil the identity of the Killer as he committed the crimes intelligently.

A psychologist at the Federal Correctional Institution of Texarkana, Dr Anthony Lapalla described the Phantom Killer as a sadist. He stated that he was motivated by a strong sex drive and was a sadist.

9. He was Considered to have known the Area of the Murders

The Phantom Killer committed his atrocities across and around the Texarkana region. He first attacked his victims along the lovers’ lane and later moved his attacks to a farmhouse.

Investigators later revealed that the Phantom Killer must have known the area of his crime very well before committing them. It was also alleged that he might have been a resident of the locality.

10. The Phantom Killer Intelligently Planned His Attacks & Knew How to Cover His Tracks

For the span of ten weeks, the Phantom Killer committed the attacks and murders without being caught. An investigating officer stated that the killer was a shrewd criminal who concealed his identity and had intelligently planned his work. Dr. Anthony also described him as a cunning planner, clever, intelligent, shrewd, and very dangerous individual.

Several suspects were arrested, and several interrogations were made but the Phantom Killer was never unveiled. Youell Swinney, a petty thief was the prime suspect, but he was not directly linked to the Phantom Killer’s attacks and murders.

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