Texarkana Phantom/Moonlight Murderer 1946

[Tom_Wescott]

Yes I've read it. I don't think the evidence holds up as a "case solved" mainly because Peggy Swinney is all over the place and one would have to believe without a doubt that the Starks were killed by the same person as all of the others. Plus have no doubt as to what the work shirt label said, that the killer kept it all that time, and that it belonged to Stark. I tend to want to think that, just as the murderer left as little evidence as possible, he wouldn't hold onto any evidence tying him to a double murder.

So my review is that it's good, but not entirely convincing.

JM

Not 100% convincing, but I thought it was damn close. Peggy was all over the place, and I'm bothered by all the unsigned statements. However, if she did offer at least two points of crime scene evidence that only someone present would know, then that's pretty damn good evidence. If she had decided to give evidence in a trial, he would have been convicted, I have no doubt.

As for keeping the shirt, I see no probem accepting that he would have done so. Consider that the killer remained in possession of the other victim's musical instrument (I forget now what it was) for at least a short time before deciding to toss it out. And the pockets of some of the victims were gone through.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Stan Reid]

Hopefully I'll get around to reading it.

[Stan Reid]

Apparently Barnes and Noble doesn't think it's going to be a big seller because none that I've been to are carrying it.

[Stan Reid]

Still hoping for a book that presents all the options without the authors "solution".

[Stan Reid]

Still hoping for a book that presents all the options without the authors "solution".

Of late, there seems to be a spike in interest in the case although I don't know why.

[Stan Reid]

Of late, there seems to be a spike in interest in the case although I don't know why.

We have multiple books now while we had no books 5 years ago.

[Stan Reid]

Of late, there seems to be a spike in interest in the case although I don't know why.

A movie and at least a couple of books.

[Belinda]

There's a new movie?

[Stan Reid]

Just about a copycat killer so nothing to get too excited about.

[Belinda]

Oh Bother I could do with some excitement

[Stan Reid]

I bought the Blu-ray/DVD version of the old movie yesterday with one of my Father's Day gift cards. Last evening, I watched it with the audio comentary. Tonight, I plan to view it straight on iWear which should be a little creepy.

[Stan Reid]

I just learned that "Tex", as well as "B D", was written on Jeanne French's body (the woman who was stomped to death in LA) in 1947-wonder if the "Tex" could be an abbreviation for Texarkana. The "B D" was assumed to stand for Black Dahlia.

[Stan Reid]

Of the three survivors:

Mary Larey died in 1965
James Hollis died in 1975
Katherine Starks died in 1994

[Belinda]

That's really interesting. I wonder if the B D were the killers initials?

[Stan Reid]

Tomorrow is the 70th anniversary of the murders of Richard Griffin and Polly Ann Moore or at least the last evening they were seen alive.