Bordering the Calder oil field and League City, the location is relatively remote and was even more so back in the 1970s. The 25-acre patch of land in League City along Interstate Highway 45, is known as The Texas Killing Fields. He was taken to the district prison, later aiding with locating the bodies. (L to R) Atmosphere in Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields, It's Not the Role of Government to Protect Us From Apps, Don't Put Tiktok Out of Business Based on Hypotheticals, Biden Admin Uses Trump's Own Words to Blast McCarthy's Wall St. And although leads have come and gone, the murders remain unsolved. In April 2012, Kevin Edison Smith was arrested for the murder of 13-year-old Krystal Jean Baker. Despite his alleged confession, he hasn't been charged with murder, but in 2021, he remained a suspect in the murders of Donna Prudhomme and Audrey Cook, according to USA Today. Fye's remains were located in April 1984 and Laura Miller's in 1986. Web1. WebTexas 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. Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields is streaming on Netflix now. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. At first, most of the girls were assumed to be runaways, and their stories were little impediment to others spending a summer on the beach. In an interview with CBS News for 48 Hours, actor Sam Worthington said, "People you never know might just go and see the movie and go, 'Oh, I remember when someone went down in the fields, and I remember a certain car and a certain person seemed a bit dodgy.' The Calder Road Fields prompted tragedy-stricken father Tim Miller to found the Texas EquuSearch in memory of his daughter Laura Miller, who went missing at the age of 16 in 1984. Despite the fact that his testimony shows great consistency with details, he has not been charged with any murders, but remains a suspect in the murders of Donna Prudhomme and Audrey Cook, as well as two unrelated murders in Fort Bend County.[68][69]. He has been involved in the case in some way ever since, either as the case agent or supervisor. Following his release, Hedrick has been living in a halfway house and in July 2022, Tim Miller won $24 million in liability and damages after filing a 2014 wrongful death lawsuit against Hedrick who was his former neighbour. However, it wasn't until 2020 that the mystery was solved and the victim was revealed to be Julie Gwenn Davis, as per The Record. But, theTrue Crime Edition reports, by the end of 1971, several young women had been killed in the area. Were actually going to build a little park there. Police have considered the possibility of transients, known serial killers like Henry Lee Lucas, unrelated crimes of opportunity, and more, but ultimately believe the four women were murdered by the same person, according to Texas Monthly. Cow deaths: 18,000 cows killed in explosion, fire at Texas dairy farm may be largest cattle killing ever. While the Millers waited 17 months, Dianne Gonsoulin-Hastings waited more than 30 years to find out what happened to her sister Donna, who Dianne describes as a beautiful woman and mother who loved to cook Cajun food and go fishing. In 1971, these two reportedly outdoorsy gals disappeared while hitchhiking, only to have their bodies discovered in the killing fields. Updated: 12:03 PM CST February 16, 2016. Hedrick[72] had a previous criminal record that included charges of trespassing, theft, abuse of a corpse, attempted arson, possession of marijuana, driving while intoxicated and sexual assault. However, there have only been two convictions for murder, leaving countless homicides unsolved today. In September 1974, he was convicted of killing Shaw and was sentenced to life in prison, despite questions over the credibility of his confession. Despite this, Self's attempts at an appeal failed. [8], Texas Killing Fields received mixed to negative reviews from critics. Laura was kidnapped, murdered, and found back in 1986, 17 months after she went missing in the area off I-45 in League City known as the "Texas Killing Fields." Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. [44], In 2013, Mark Roland Stallings, a convicted kidnapper serving a life term, confessed to killing a girl in 1991 and later dumping her body in the fields, later identified as Donna Prudhomme. The monkier is chilling enough, but once you delve into the Texas Killing Fields murderous history, its easy to fall down a true-crime rabbit hole. This meant that, for much of the history of the murders here, investigations were muddled and dispersed amongst 11 different departments. The "Killing Fields" is a term used to describe a 25-acre stretch of an abandoned oil field located in League City, Texas. Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields shared the deadly history linked to the Great Houston area, but there are many things the show left out. In 2009, Smith had been arrested on a drug charge in Louisiana. In that rural field off Calder Road, four people were found dead from 1983 to 1991. Location in Texas which is the scene of 30+ murders, mostly unsolved, "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (, Murders of Rhonda Johnson and Sharon Shaw Michael Lloyd Self, List of fugitives from justice who disappeared, List of serial killers in the United States, "The Killing Fields: Decades Later, Investigators Still Searching for Answers in Murders of Four Women", "The real-life mystery of Texas' killing fields", https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3FZ-4BP, "True crime podcast 'What About Holly?' Neither was she waiting at home. ', "I want to let Clyde know that, 'I know what you did to my daughter, and I'm not going to let you rest until we have you where you need to be for the rest of your life. As heard in The Texas Killing Fields on Netflix, despite Hedrick's charming persona, he had quite the criminal rap sheet, including offenses against minors, strangers, former partners, and the state. For cases that had seemingly stalled out decades ago, it was a hugely significant development and one that proved the power of DNA analysis. [4], The film was distributed overseas by Entertainment Film Distributors, a British company. The Killing Fields September 18, 2019 Decades Later, Investigators Still Searching for Answers in Murders of Four Women The women seemingly had little in common. The parents should know what's going on." [70] Hedrick was released from jail in 2021 after he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the murder of Ellen Beason in 1984. On September 10, 1984, her mother drove her to the payphone, and Laura planned to walk the half-mile back home. Theft Leads to Foster Care Agencys Closure. Since 1970, up to 30 young women have gone missing along a stretch of Interstate 45 between Houston and Galveston known as the Texas Killing Fields and police believe some of them could be the victims of a single unknown serial killer. Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields shared the deadly history linked to the Great Houston area, but there are many things the show left out. In June 2022, he was extradited to Texas where he was found guilty of the murders of Smither, Cain, and Cox. The Texas Killing Fields is a stretch of abandoned land just off the interstate road the I-45 between Houston and Galveston in Texas. TheGuardianreports thatthe Millers searched for Laura themselves, even checking local hospitals. It competed in the 68th Venice International Film Festival. After two decades on the run from U.S. police for the murder of former Marine Larry Dickens, Edward Harold Bell was extradited from Panama to the states to face trial in 1993. Clyde Hedrick was named as a suspect in the 2022 documentary series Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields. 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. The film is loosely based on the murders while depicting a fictional portrayal of the struggle that local police faced while attempting to solve the murders. The disturbing unsolved crimes are the focus of the new Netflix limited series "Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields. The fire in Castro Countyspread quickly through holding pens where the cows were trapped. Fye's father spent the rest of his life searching for answers, ultimately dying before he could ever get one. In January 2019, Rennison received a call that breathed new life into this cold casethe identification of Jane Doe and Janet Doe. The Calder Road Fields prompted tragedy-stricken father Tim Miller to found the Texas EquuSearch in memory of his daughter Laura Miller, who went missing at the age of 16 in 1984. The monkier is chilling enough, but once you delve into the Texas Killing Fields murderous history, its easy to fall down a true-crime rabbit hole. WebKevin Edison Smith is the only other killer who has been caught and given a murder conviction in the Texas Killing Fields, for strangling 13-year-old Krystal Jean Baker in 1996. Since the early 1970s, 33 bodies of murder victims have been found along the I-45 area. 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. One such individual is a woman that was known as Princess Blue. Shed gone to a nearby store to use a payphone and never returned. Since the early 1970s, 33 bodies of murder victims have been found along the I-45 area. Tim Miller, father of murder victim Laura Miller. As a detective, he assisted in the investigation. 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. Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields shared the deadly history linked to the Great Houston area, but there are many things the show left out. In 1986, Cook's remains were uncovered on the same day and in the same location as those of Laura Miller. It soon became apparent that the young girl was missing perhaps in a car that Colette's mother had seen on her way to pick up her daughter. As for the other women found dead along Interstate 45, only one case has ever been solved. [2] After their phone call, Laura Miller had intended to walk home but she never returned. But in 1986, her body was found in the same field Fye's had been located. Advancements in fingerprint technology helped the FBI and state law enforcement partners find and bring to justice a man who kidnapped and sexually assaulted a young girl in Pennsylvania two decades ago. As for Rennison, these are the only cold cases hes worked that remain unsolved. What Are The Texas Killing Fields? While Fye and Miller were positively identified through dental records, limited scientific options at that time meant that Jane Doe and Janet Doe would remain unknown for more than 20 yearsuntil just a few months ago. Both men have since died in prison, King in October 2015 and Zwarst in November 2020. Not long after, Colette's skeletal remains were uncovered nearby. The Calder Road Fields prompted tragedy-stricken father Tim Miller to found the Texas EquuSearch in memory of his daughter Laura Miller, who went missing at the age of 16 in 1984. The workerwas in critical but stable condition Tuesday. Bordering the Calder oil field and League City, the location is relatively remote and was even more so back in the 1970s. Total financial losses could reach tens of millions of dollars, she said, not including destructionof equipment and buildings. They were unable to identify this victim, and she became known as a Jane Doe. Pam Stall: Would you request your partner to not continue to be the asshole he was when I was married to him? People just simply forget. Smith admitted to abducting and killing Baker, then leaving her remains beneath a bridge. Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields is streaming on Netflix now. Bordering the Calder oil field and League City, the location is relatively remote and was even more so back in the 1970s. [80], 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. Following their arrests, Zwarst told police where he had hidden Sikes's body, but unfortunately Sikes' body has never been found. The "Killing Fields" is a term used to describe a 25-acre stretch of an abandoned oil field located in League City, Texas. One was just a teenager. While some of the victims found in the Texas Killing Fields were identified relatively quickly, others remained unknown for quite some time. Knowing the names of the women has given Rennison and the local police something to work with. Located near Galveston, the Texas Killing Fields is a 25-acre stretch of land only a mile from Interstate 45. 2. McCarthy used his speech in NYC to slam President Joe Biden for doing "nothing" to address the nation's financial crisis. As technology evolved, they also used the Internet to try to find her. Dickens removed the keys from Bell's vehicle and refused to return them. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Baker, who was a great-niece of Norma Jean Baker (also known by her stage name, Marilyn Monroe), had argued with her grandmother and stormed out of the house, according to theHouston Chronicle. They would be identified two decades later as Audrey Lee Cook and Donna Gonsoulin Prudhomme. As the killings continued through the years, the area became known as the Texas Killing Fields. It was directed by Ami Canaan Mann and starred Sam Worthington and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Already serving time for the attempted murder and kidnapping of Sepo, Reece was convicted of Johnston's murder and sentenced to death. Subscribe As the decades pass, advances in technology are helping to reveal the identities of remains found in the Texas Killing Fields. They were mainly the bodies of girls or young women. Maybe a family can then know what happened to their daughter. 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), They pick up Anne Sliger (Chlo Grace Moretz) who is under probation and is suppose to be home but she doesn't get along with her troubled mother Lucie (Sheryl Lee). Yes, there have been multiple arrests in the numerous murders that have been associated with the Texas Killing Fields. But hindered by niggling flaws, it hardly revolutionises an over-saturated genre."[13]. ", In that rural field off Calder Road, four people were found dead from 1983 to 1991. On Monday, members of the House Judiciary Committee met in New York for a hearing on violent crime in the city. Claire Wilson is reported as saying, "Colette was dead, but we could bury her." Since the early 1970s, dozens of bodies of murder victims have been found along the Interstate Highway 45 area. One was just a teenager. It's reported that Self had brain damage, and theTrue Crime Edition claims that he had a reputation as an "oddball" and was a nonviolent voyeur who showed an interest in local police activity. Self died in prison in 2000, with many wondering if the wrong man had been convicted after all. [64][65][66] He had been suspected of kidnapping and killing Laura Smither and confessed to Friendswood Police, in 2016, that he murdered her. 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. A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. As heard in Texas Killing Fields on Netflix, Tim Miller, the father of Laura Miller believes Hedrick is the man responsible for his daughter's murder. Texas fire officials were investigating. Culture of Suspicion 51m The case of a missing 12-year-old gets media attention, while more bodies turn up. Janet Doe, meanwhile, was identified as Donna Gonsoulin Prudhomme, according to the FBI. The victim was later identified as Donna Prudhomme. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Another two bodies would be found in the same area. 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. Prudhomme was a mother of two who was last seen in the summer of 1991. Was The Colonial Parkway Killer Pretending To Be Law Enforcement? The next victim was a 16-year-old named Laura Miller. More than a year after her disappearance, Lauras body was found. For me, I just cant get into the justice part of it, because for me, its about healing our family, she said. An official website of the United States government. Donna Gonsoulin Prudhomme was one of six children. Its being worked actively at the FBI and actively at the League City Police Department.. According to CBS News, the isolated nature of the spot makes it the perfect place for taking someone else's life, unseen and unheard. Web1. In 1991, passersby discovered a fourth body, known at that time as Janet Doe. In 1971, these two reportedly outdoorsy gals disappeared while hitchhiking, only to have their bodies discovered in the killing fields. Mere minutes passed between when Colette was dropped off and when her mom arrived to find a deserted intersection. 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. One man has received plenty of attention for his possible link to multiple crimes in the area, as Houston Public Media reports. Located near Galveston, the Texas Killing Fields is a 25-acre stretch of land only a mile from Interstate 45. [58], Three years later, in 1976, Don Morris and his deputy, Tommy Deal, were arrested and convicted of various crimes, including torture and other misconduct against detainees. Hedrick was released from Estelle Supermax Penitentiary in Huntsville on good behavior grounds in October 2021. In 1998, he wrote several letters to the Harris County Attorney, in which he confessed to killing 11 girls in total. People pass away. Dianne last spoke with Donna in 1989, when she requested her birth certificate for travel plans. For multiple decades on a desolate stretch of road in Texas, a nightmare unfolded. Debbie Ackerman And Maria Johnson. It matched a sample taken from Smith at an earlier arrest. He was sentenced to life in prison. In the Texas bayous, a local homicide detective teams up with a cop from New York City to investigate a series of unsolved murders. WebThe Texas Killing Fields is a 25-acre patch of land in League City, Texas [1] situated a mile from Interstate Highway 45 and approximately 26 miles southeast of Houston. Dianne Gonsoulin-Hastings, sister of murder victim Donna Gonsoulin Prudhomme. Baker's killer was finally identified when clothing recovered from the crime scene was tested for DNA evidence. 2. 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. In the Texas bayous, a local homicide detective teams up with a cop from New York City to investigate a series of unsolved murders.In the Texas bayous, a local homicide detective teams up with a cop from New York City to investigate a series of unsolved murders.In the Texas bayous, a local homicide detective teams up with a cop from New York City to investigate a series of unsolved murders. 18,000 cows enough to cover 26 football fields killed in devastating Texas dairy farm fire. There have been several other arrests in relation to the Texas Killing Fields. Galvestone County Sheriff's Office/texasequusearch. "[4] A task force composed of local law enforcement officials and FBI agents, called Operation HALT (Homicide/Abduction Liaison Team), has been formed to investigate the incidents. 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. WebThe Texas Killing Fields is a 25-acre patch of land in League City, Texas [1] situated a mile from Interstate Highway 45 and approximately 26 miles southeast of Houston. 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. Beason's body was found in July 1984 on a dirt road in Galveston County, Texas. The 18,000 cows killed were about 90% of the dairy farm's total herd. Some shared similar physical features, such as similar hairstyles.[3]. However, Jack Roady, Galveston County district attorney, told KPRC 2 in July that Hedrick "has not been ruled out as a suspect in these investigations.". However, analysis of the remains indicate that she was unlikely to have graduated that year. At the time of the murder, Stallings was living and working in League City, and was near the homes of some of the girls who went missing and were later found dead. Laura's remains were eventually found more than two years after her disappearance, in the same oil field on Calder Road where another woman had been found. She grew up and lived most of her life in the Port Arthur area of Texas. In September 1984, Laura Miller was a 16-year-old who had recently moved to League City, Texas. In 1971, these two reportedly outdoorsy gals disappeared while hitchhiking, only to have their bodies discovered in the killing fields. In 1996, Hedrick was convicted of abusing a corpse and sentenced to a year in jail as there was not enough evidence to prove that Beason had been killed. Suspected serial killer Clyde Edwin Hendrick was brought in for questioning in 1985 in relation to Beason's suspicious death; he admitted that both of them had gone swimming in a nearby lake upon leaving a local bar but he further stated that she had accidentally drowned while in the water. He is a free man, believed to be living in a local halfway house in Houston after being released from prison, just eight years into his 20-year sentence. They were convicted of aggravated kidnap and were sentenced to life imprisonment in 1998. Gfeller said malfunctioning farm equipment may have caused the explosion. Did The Colonial Parkway Victims Know The Killer? Today, it's flanked by businesses and housing developments, and busy Interstate 45 is only a mile east. Detectives Mike Souder (Sam Worthington) and Brian Heigh (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) are investigating mutilated bodies dumped in a marsh known as the Killing Fields. Cook was a 30-year-old mechanic who had moved to Houston for work and, according to ABC13, last contacted her family in 1985. One of the first known victims found in the Texas Killing Fields was Colette Wilson, a 13-year-old girl who was abducted from an intersection in Alvin, Texas. [62][63], In May 1997, William Lewis Reece was arrested for the kidnapping and attempted murder of 19-year-old Sandra Sapaugh from Webster. The Texas Killing Fields is a 25-acre patch of land in League City, Texas[1] situated a mile from Interstate Highway 45 and approximately 26 miles southeast of Houston. 18,000 cows enough to cover 26 football fields killed in devastating Texas dairy farm fire. In 2008, Gonsoulin-Hastings worked with a private investigator in a last ditch effort to find her sister. DNA may have provided some insights, but it was impossible to recover it from some of the evidence, which had been collected decades ago. What Are The Texas Killing Fields? Updated: 12:03 PM CST February 16, 2016. As recently as 2018, Hedrick wrote to U.K. newspaper The Guardian maintaining he did not kill anyone. All four deaths had one thing in common, they were discovered alongside the interstate corridor connecting Houston and the beach town of Galveston, known as The Texas Killing Fields. In May, they finally held a funeral for Donna in her native Port Arthur. At the time, since her cause of death could not be ascertained, in 1996, Hedrick was convicted of abusing her corpse and was sentenced to a year in jail. [79], A film adaptation of the deadly events that occurred along the Interstate Highway 45 highway was released on September 9, 2011, with the title Texas Killing Fields. It was a desolate space, dotted by little more than oil rigs and dirt roads. Unfortunately, very little is known about Clyde Hedrick's whereabouts today. Far south in Texas, near the bay city of Galveston and with the Gulf of Mexico just beyond, is a stretch of land that's gained a fearsome reputation. Another was a local bartender. But police had no leads as to who the unidentified woman was, so she became known as Jane Doe. Its hard to remember significant details from that long ago.. Nevertheless, he remained a prime suspect in their murders until his death in April 2019. She struggled with depression and started doing poorly in school, the FBI wrote in a 2019 article on the case. Chief of Police Don Morris reportedly threatened Self during the interrogation process, going so far as to force Self to play Russian roulette with a loaded revolver. Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields is the latest true-crime documentary to land on Netflix, joining a host of content such as Unsolved Mysteries, Killer Sally and I Am Vanessa Guillen. Then, on Sept. 10, 1984, she asked her mother to drive her to a payphone to call her boyfriend. Based on the size of an average adult cow, 18,000 cattle standing 3 to 4 feet apart could cover 26 football fields. 2. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! It was linked to Robert E. Lee High School in nearby Houston, with the year 1975 inscribed on the ring. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. [3] Boyle said that the film was "so dark it would never get made". Smith was identified as the killer when an officer submitted Baker's dress for DNA analysis. WebCrime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields TV Mini Series 2022 TV-MA 2h 29m IMDb RATING 6.6 /10 3.4K YOUR RATING Rate POPULARITY 4,250 852 Play trailer 1:41 2 Videos 26 Photos Documentary Crime History An overgrown field and a stretch of highway connect a series of grisly murders spanning several decades as grieving families search for 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. Since the early 1970s, 33 bodies of murder victims have been found along the I-45 area. Directed by Jessica Dimmock and executively produced by Emmy-winning filmmaker Joe Berlinger, the third installment in the Crime Scene series explores the unsolved murders of four young women and a father's fight to find his daughter's killer. After a long search, they were able to find the rest of Fye's body in the field. Culture of Suspicion 51m The case of a missing 12-year-old gets media attention, while more bodies turn up. Detective Mike Souder's AR-15 does not have a rear sight. Thanks to advances in technology, and the investigation of another similar cold case, a DNA match was found in what happened to be Princess Blue's brother, Danny Davis. In 2012,he was convicted of capital murder for the death of Krystal Jean Baker, a 13-year-old girl who was abducted from a Texas City convenience store in 1996. [67] In 2021, Reece was convicted of Johnston's murder and sentenced to death. 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. All four deaths had one thing in common, they were discovered alongside the interstate corridor connecting Houston and the beach town of Galveston, known as The Texas Killing Fields. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. More remains, of women both known and unidentified, would be discovered in the same fields. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more!