The Phantom Killer

The Texarkana Moonlight Murders, a term coined by the news media, references the unsolved murders committed in and around Texarkana in the spring of 1946 by an unidentified serial killer known as the "Phantom Killer", or "Phantom Slayer". The killer is credited with attacking eight people within ten weeks, five of whom were killed. The attacks happened on weekends between February 22, 1946 and May 3, 1946. The first two victims, Jimmy Hollis and Mary Larey, survived. Some police officers are not sure if their attack was connected with the murders. The first double murder, which involved Richard Griffin and Polly Ann Moore, happened four weeks later. The second double-homicide, involving Paul Martin and Betty Jo Booker, occurred exactly three weeks from the first murders. The Texas Rangers came in to investigate, including the famous M. T. "Lone Wolf" Gonzaullas. Finally, almost exactly three weeks later, Virgil Starks was killed and his wife, Katie, was severely wounded. Most officials no longer connect that attack to the other murders. Contrary to popular belief, the killer did not attack during a full moon, but did strike late at night.

The murders sent the town of Texarkana into a state of panic throughout the summer. At dusk, city inhabitants heavily armed themselves and locked themselves indoors while police patrolled streets and neighborhoods. Although many businesses lost customers at night, stores sold out of guns, ammunition, locks, and many other protective devices. Several rumors began to spread, including that the killer was caught, or that a third and even fourth double-homicide had been committed. Most of the town hid in fear inside their houses or hotels, sometimes even leaving town. Some youths took matters in their own hands by trying to bait the Phantom so they could kill him. After three months of no more Phantom attacks, the Texas Rangers slowly and quietly left town to keep the Phantom from believing he was safe to strike again. The murders were reported nationally and internationally by several publications.

The 1976 film The Town That Dreaded Sundown was released internationally and is loosely based on the events, despite its claim that "only the names have been changed". Since the movie claimed that the "story you are about to see is true, where it happened and how it happened," the fabricated parts created much of the myth and folklore around the murders for several decades. A cold case in Texarkana in 1948 of the disappearance of Virginia Carpenter has been speculated to be the work of The Phantom. The 2014 book The Phantom Killer: Unlocking the Mystery of the Texarkana Serial Murders, by James Presley, pointed to Youell Swinney as the culprit of all five attacks. Presley believes that there is enough evidence to close the case.