The Texarkana Phantom Killer — The Moonlight Murders — Paranormal History

Who Was the Texarkana Phantom Killer?

The Texarkana Phantom Killer — also known as the Phantom Slayer or the Moonlight Murders — was a serial attacker who terrorized the twin cities of Texarkana, straddling the border of Texas and Arkansas, during the spring of 1946. Wearing a distinctive white hood fashioned from a flour sack, the killer targeted couples parked in secluded areas at night, attacking them without warning or apparent motive. Over the course of three months, the Phantom struck five times, killing three people and critically wounding two others. Despite one of the largest manhunts in Southwestern history, the killer was never identified or apprehended. The Texarkana Phantom remains one of America’s most terrifying unidentified serial attackers, and the fear he instilled in a small Southern community has never fully subsided.

History

The Postwar Setting

Texarkana in early 1946 was a small, quiet city on the Texas-Arkansas border. The war had just ended, and thousands of soldiers were returning home to resume their civilian lives. The mood was one of cautious optimism — a community eager to move past the anxieties of World War II and embrace normalcy. But normalcy would be shattered in February 1946, when a figure in a white hood emerged from the darkness and began attacking couples in parked cars.

The community’s sense of safety was obliterated almost overnight. The attacks — which occurred on moonlit nights — earned the name “The Moonlight Murders.” Citizens armed themselves. Parents forbade their children from going out after dark. The Texarkana police force, supplemented by the Arkansas State Police, the Texas Rangers, and the FBI, launched one of the most extensive investigations the region had ever seen.

The Attacks

The attacks followed a terrifying pattern:

First Attack — February 22, 1946. Jimmy Hollis, 25, and Mary Jeanie Larey, 19, were parked in a lover’s lane area near Richmond Road, about a mile from the Texas-Arkansas state line. At approximately 11:45 PM, a figure approached the car. The figure wore a white hood with eye holes cut into it. Without warning, the figure struck Jimmy Hollis in the head with a metal pipe or blackjack, fracturing his skull. When Hollis fell to the ground, the attacker turned to Larey and sexually assaulted her. The attacker then fled into the darkness. Both victims survived. Hollis later described the attacker as approximately 6 feet tall, wearing dark pants and a white hood.

Second Attack — March 24, 1946. Richard Griffin, 29, and Polly Ann Moore, 17, were found dead in Griffin’s car on a road near Young’s Pike, on the Arkansas side of Texarkana. Both had been shot in the head at close range with a .32 caliber pistol. The car was parked in a lover’s lane area. Unlike the first attack, there was no evidence of a struggle — the couple had been shot suddenly, without warning.

Third Attack — March 28, 1946. Just four days after the Griffin-Moore murders, Paul Martin, 17, and Betty Jo Booker, 15, were found shot to death on a road near Merton, Arkansas, about 10 miles from Texarkana. Martin was found in the back seat of the car; Booker’s body was discovered about three miles away, suggesting she had been shot and then moved. Both were shot with a .32 caliber pistol. The proximity in time and method to the previous attack strongly suggested the same perpetrator.

Fourth Attack — April 14, 1946. Victor “Vic” Fawell, 27, and Opal Dawn Hubert were parked near Miller County, Arkansas, when a hooded figure approached the car and opened fire. Fawell was shot twice but survived. Hubert was shot in the chest but also survived. Both victims provided detailed descriptions of the attacker — a tall figure in a white hood, moving quickly and silently through the darkness.

Fifth Attack — May 3, 1946. Armie D. Fultz, 37, and his wife Virginia were awakened in their bed at a rural home near Texarkana when a figure shot through their bedroom window. Armie was shot in the head and killed. Virginia was shot in the face but survived. This attack — the only one that occurred inside a private home — marked a terrifying escalation. It demonstrated that the Phantom was willing and able to enter residences, not just attack people in isolated locations.

“He was standing there. In the road. In a white hood. He raised the gun. And he shot.” — Survivor, Texarkana, 1946

The Mystery

The Profile

Despite extensive investigation, the identity of the Texarkana Phantom was never established. Investigators developed a profile based on witness descriptions and crime scene analysis:

Height: Approximately 5'11" to 6'2" based on witness descriptions
Build: Medium to heavy
Clothing: Dark pants, white hood made from a flour sack
Weapon: .32 caliber semi-automatic pistol (later determined to be possibly a Colt Thunderer)
Knowledge: The Phantom appeared to know the area well, choosing secluded roads and timing attacks to coincide with moonlit nights
Method: Silent approach, sudden violence, rapid escape

The Phantom appeared to target couples — specifically young couples parked in isolated areas. The motive was never established. There was no pattern of robbery, and the only sexual assault occurred during the first attack. The subsequent attacks appeared to be motivated purely by violence.

The Manhunt

The manhunt for the Phantom was one of the largest in Southwestern history. At its peak, the investigation involved:

More than 100 law enforcement officers from multiple jurisdictions
The Texas Rangers — including legendary Ranger Captain M.T. “Lone Wolf” Gonzaullas
The Arkansas State Police
The FBI — which provided fingerprint analysis and profiling support
Civilian volunteers — hundreds of armed citizens patrolled the roads at night

Despite this massive effort, the investigation yielded no arrests. The Phantom was never seen by police during the manhunt. He simply stopped attacking — and vanished into the night.

The Suspects

Over the years, several suspects were identified — but none were ever charged:

H.B. “Sugar” Dooley — A Texarkana resident who was investigated in the 1970s. Dooley had a criminal record and was known to be in the Texarkana area during the attacks. However, no physical evidence linked him to the crimes, and he died in 1971 without being charged.

Louis M. Byrd — A Texarkana resident who was suspected by police during the original investigation. Byrd was known for wearing a flour-sack hood and had been involved in violent incidents. However, he was never charged.

Lee Roy Martin — A local man who was convicted of murder in 1952 for an unrelated killing. Some investigators believed Martin may have been the Phantom, but this theory was never substantiated.

The most recent investigation was conducted by Dr. James Preslar, a retired criminologist, who in 2008 concluded that the Phantom was likely Anson “Ed” Crowell — a Texarkana resident who died in 2002. Preslar’s conclusion was based on circumstantial evidence and was never officially accepted by law enforcement.

Evidence and Investigations

The Crime Scenes

The crime scenes yielded limited physical evidence by modern standards. The primary evidence included:

Ballistics: The .32 caliber bullets recovered from the victims were consistent with a Colt Thunderer or similar pistol. The bullets were compared across all five attacks and confirmed to have come from the same weapon.
Footprints: Footprints found near the crime scenes were consistent with a man wearing size 9 or 10 boots. No boot prints were matched to a suspect.
Hood fibers: Fibers recovered from the white hood were consistent with cotton flour-sack material — a common household item in the 1940s. No specific source was identified.
No fingerprints: The Phantom left no fingerprints at any of the crime scenes. This suggested either the use of gloves or an awareness of forensic techniques.

The Press and Public Fear

The Texarkana Phantom case was one of the first serial crimes to receive extensive media coverage. The Texarkana Gazette and the Texarkana Daily News published daily updates on the investigation. The press coverage amplified the public’s fear — and may have contributed to the killer’s sense of power.

The media coverage also created problems for the investigation. Tips poured in from across the country, overwhelming investigators with false leads. The fear created by the attacks led to vigilantism — citizens patrolled the roads with guns, and several innocent people were mistaken for the Phantom and nearly attacked.

The Film

In 1976, the Texarkana Phantom case was dramatized in the film The Town That Dreaded Sundown — a semi-fictionalized account of the attacks. The film, directed by Charles B. Pierce, became a cult classic and brought renewed attention to the case. A remake was released in 2014.

The original film included a disclaimer noting that the story was based on actual events but had been fictionalized for dramatic purposes. Despite this, the film is widely regarded as one of the most accurate dramatizations of a real-life serial crime. It is credited with keeping public awareness of the case alive for subsequent generations.

“Nobody in Texarkana slept with their windows open that spring. Nobody went out after dark. We were all terrified.” — Resident, Texarkana, 1946

What Do You Think?

The Texarkana Phantom remains unidentified after nearly 80 years. The attacks stopped abruptly in May 1946, and the Phantom was never seen again. Did he die? Move away? Simply stop? The silence that followed the attacks is as mysterious as the attacks themselves.

The case raises questions about the nature of serial violence, the limits of investigation, and the way communities process fear. The Texarkana Phantom was not a mastermind — he was a hooded figure with a pistol who attacked in the dark. But his anonymity made him unstoppable, and his silence made him immortal.

The town of Texarkana has never forgotten. The memory of the Moonlight Murders lingers — a reminder that some darkness cannot be dispelled.

Summary

The Texarkana Phantom Killer attacked 5 times in Texarkana during the spring of 1946
3 people killed — 2 critically wounded — in attacks targeting couples parked in isolated areas
The killer wore a white hood made from a flour sack and used a .32 caliber pistol
Despite one of the largest manhunts in Southwestern history, the killer was never caught
Bottom line: The Texarkana Phantom is one of America’s most terrifying unidentified serial killers