It was directed by Charles B. Even to this day, even the thought of the “Texarkana Moonlight Murders” sends a chill down the spine of the residents. With no other witnesses police were at a loss. These tales survive today without any proof to back them up. Another problem came in the form of a letter Peggy Swinney wrote just after her first confession intended for her parents but intercepted by police. As she picked up the receiver and began to ring the intruder unloaded two gunshots from the same window he had executed her husband Virgil. And overall the film is beautifully shot, liked the camera works, the character development was fine for a slasher flick, but still as a slasher it's not above the clichés as well as it comes with a routine ending & weak motive for the killer which I couldn't find much point to it. The man’s identity was Earl Cliff McSpadden. Subscribe! This movie is also based on an urban legend that is based on a true story. Been from Texarkana wasn’t the sole reason that Virginia is considered by some to be a possible victim of the Texarkana Phantom. [*] The Texarkana Moonlight Murders were immortalized in the horror movie The Town That Dreaded Sundown in 1976 and a remake in 2014, though both are heavily fictionalized. With a white cloth hood covering his face, with rough holes cut out for his eyes and mouth, and a pistol in hand the figure made his first demand: Worried they would be shot dead if they failed to comply Jimmy and Mary did as they were ordered. Investigators wanted to believe they were being told the truth by Peggy Swinney. On June 1, 1948, Virginia Carpenter, 23, was making the trip from her Texarkana home to Texas State College For Women in Denton, Texas. A lonely high school girl, with dark secrets of her own, may be the key to catching him. Welcome to the Official Facebook page for Murder in the Moonlight a Documentary about the Moonlight Murders and the Phantom Killer of Texarkana. The killer was tall, thin, and he wore a white/light gray mask which appeared to be a bag over his face, with holes cut out around his eyes so that he could see. During questioning, Peggy made the shocking confession that her husband was the Texarkana Phantom Killer. When twenty-one-year-old Peggy Swinney returned to the vehicle from a nearby store she was arrested. Still inside its black case, the saxophone failed to lead to any help in identifying her killer. Desperate to repay his debt to his ex-wife, an ex-con plots a heist at his new employer's country home, unaware that a second criminal has also targeted the property, and rigged it with a series of deadly traps. Rumours swirled around Texarkana following the horrific acts that the Texas Rangers and other law enforcement officers knew exactly who the Texarkana Phantom was. Gonzaullas issued the following bulletin as one of his first acts: “Person or persons unknown, for the murder of Betty Jo Booker and Paul Martin, on or about April 13, 1946, in Bowie County, Texas. Other Possible Crimes Of The Texarkana Phantom. Subject or subjects may have in their possession or may try to dispose of a gold-plated Bundy E-flat Alto saxophone, serial #52535, which was missing from the car in which the victims were last seen…This saxophone had just been rebuilt, replated and repadded, and was in an almost new black leather case with blue plush lining. However, other than a file stating palm prints found couldn’t be compared to fingerprints no mention is made in the FBI files about the results of the fingerprint comparisons. A lonely high school girl may be the key to catching him. The question was whether the murder of Virgil Starks and attempted murder of Katy Starks was the work of the Texarkana Phantom or an isolated vicious attack. Murder in the Moonlight. The fact her stories were so inconsistent was the first major stumbling block. The attacks had grown in violence and in their eyes, this attack was the next natural progression. 27 of 35 people found this review helpful. It looks like the town hasn't really age after all this years!! There was also evidence Betty Jo Booker had been raped. Lawrence Hogan, 23, and Elaine Eldridge, 24, both died as the result of shots fired from a .32 calibre weapon, the same calibre used in the Martin/Booker and Griffin/Moore murders. View production, box office, & company info. Witnesses saw the two leave the party together at around 2 am but Betty Jo Booker hadn’t made it home. Tackett soon found the reason Youell Swinney was in Atlanta, Texas was because he was attempting to sell a stolen car. Was Youell Swinney The Texarkana Phantom? Both had been shot with .32 calibre revolver. 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