It's owned by Robert Abel, a former NASA engineer who transformed part of the area into stables. Sometimes, at night, the wind would begin to blow, and the house would start to shift, and the bed in Lauras room would start to squeak, says Laura Smithers mother, Gaye, a gentle woman who sometimes swallows when she talks, trying to keep her voice in control. Does Crime Scene: Texas Killing Fields portray events with accuracy? The series tells the story of unsolved murders of four women whose corpses were found in a patch of land called The Texas Killing Fields in League City, Texas. Located near Galveston, the Texas Killing Fields is a 25-acre stretch of land only a mile from Interstate 45. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { I know I had my doubts. I sat on the tailgate of a pickup truck with Millers construction buddies watching the late-afternoon sun turn red and then a sullen orange before it began to sink beneath the horizon. Between 1971 and 2006, 30 bodies have been found in and around the area, leading to the name. Nevertheless, even they could not directly tie Robert to the heinous offenses, driving Tim to back off and the investigation to gradually move in another direction. She became known as Janet Doe until she could be named in 2019 as Donna Gonsoulin Prudhomme, according to Oxygen. Every day Bittner would sit behind his battleship-gray desk, flip through his case files, repeat to himself all the relevant details, and then stare at the autopsy photos, hoping that the dead women could tell tales. On Monday, members of the House Judiciary Committee met in New York for a hearing on violent crime in the city. As Miller drove his tractor past the cross that marked Lauras body, the dogs began to fan out. Gomez added that the murderer was in all likelihood preoccupied with the media accounts of the crimes and perhaps had kept newspaper articles about them; he also could possess jewelry or clothing from the dead women to serve as his trophies. Gomez gave Bittner a list of other characteristics about the killer, including superior attitude, multiple sex partners, a history of cruelty to animals, usually described as a troublemaker, and will act out his anger. Bittner was intrigued: Gomez could have been describing Abel. Netflix is now streaming a three-part docuseries on the murders, titledCrime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields. I really do, he told me. pg.acq.push(function() { Again, Abel just shrugged. Texas Monthly's Function from 1999 leads with the provocative headline: "Does Robert Abel walk away with murder?" Indeed, crime scene Circles around Abel, a former NASA scientist who owns the fields, part of which he converted into horse stables. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotOnload', function(event) { The Astrodomes Decline From Eighth Wonder to Eighth Blunder of the World, The Top 50 Texas BBQ Joints: 2021 Edition, The Best Little Steakhouse in Texas Turns Forty, A Backsliding Joint Got New Owners and a Whole New Level of Barbecue, Miranda Lamberts Five Must-have Home Goods, A Fredericksburg Couple Forges a New Path With Their Cast-Iron Pans, Another, Quieter Comeback for Billy Gillispie. As heard in Texas Killing Fields, he remained a suspect in the Texas Killing Field murders until he died. But right then, as I stood over this remote patch of earth, I felt a chill. He said he was afraid for his lifeone father of a murdered girl even left aggressive messages on his answering machine, at least one of which threatened to kill him. }) The 25-year-old cocktail waitress disappeared after she left her parents' home to hitch a ride to Houston to visit her boyfriend. }); investigators have flown over the site in helicopters and brought in cadaver dogs to look for bodies. Born November 25, 1955 in Memphis, Tennessee Last seen in December 1985 Believed to be around age 30 at time of death Lived in the Houston/Channelview/Heights areas of Texas in the years leading up to her death Worked as a mechanic for a golf cart company in Houston, Harrison Equipment Company in Houston, and Balloon Affair in Houston. But earlier this spring, he closed Stardust Trailrides (Nobody was coming out any more to ride because they were scared of me), gave up his lease on the thousand acres, sold his cattle, and moved most of his horses back to the family ranch near Bellville, and started spending most of his time there. Why wouldnt I be? he asked me. Upon the ensuing investigation by officials, a whole set of near skeletal remains came to light, identified as that of Heide, who was killed by blunt force trauma to the head. Read more here about the series. },false) He also worked on lunar visibility studies (for which he received top-secret clearance) and regularly flew to Cape Canaveral to brief Pete Conrad, Jim Lovell, and other Apollo astronauts on lunar landing and visibility. He left threatening messages on Abel's answering machine and claimed he held a gun to the man's head after one night of heavy drinking. I couldnt have overpowered her and gotten her into my car. The Texas Killing Fields comprise a particular plain near I-45 off Calder Road in League City. He remains unapologetic about his investigation and the statements he made about Abel in the search warrant, despite his admission during a deposition that the bulk of his knowledge came secondhand from [Abels] wives. In 1994 Abel filed a lawsuit against him for slander, but it was quickly dismissed by a judge who said that he had only been identified as a suspect. As the police looked around the field for more clues, they came across the skeleton of Laura MillerTim Millers daughtera mere twenty yards away. However, as the show portrays, the investigation soon led to Robert Abel, who was considered a suspect for a long time. They hadnt. He went so far as to consider the possibility that the killer was Henry Lee Lucas, who was said to have wandered through this part of Texas. However, after Tim Miller . More than 30 victims have been found since the 1970s and the land is infamously known as the Texas Killing Fields.. Many people who live in the surrounding towns and bedroom communities wont come near the place. Laura was only twelve years old when she jotted those words on a message board on the morning of April 3, 1997, a couple of hours before she went jogging through her neighborhood and disappeared. So now, lets find out more about him as well as his alleged involvement, shall we? The police soon ascertained the incident as death by suicide, and even the general consensus believes that he chose death as he did not want to go on leading such a lonely life. But However, detectives reportedly suspected Robert only because of his proximity to the crime scene and his alleged aggressive personality experts had determined he was a perfect fit for the profile of a serial killer. In League City, where Abel has lived for sixteen years, officers have searched his home and questioned his friends and family. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Within a mere decade, the bodies of four women were recovered from a 25-acre marshland along Calder Road in League City, Texas. One time she wrote about sports. But nothing turned up, which Abel says should have been no surprise, because what the hell did they think they were going to find after all those years? Because they were placed within a thousand feet of each other, a private investigator who has studied the scene many times thinks the killer created a walking path for himself to visually inspect his trophies one by one. Indeed, many police detectives and FBI agents are convinced that this is the personal graveyard of a vicious serial killer. Since all of the Killing Fields victims were killed by the same unknown killer, his confession may have only been a way to improve his prison rep with other inmates. It's very likely that you're sitting down in front of the TV and are currently searching for something to watch on Netflix. Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pats Pick, for Texas Monthly. I wondered if she was on her knees, begging for her life. You can spend a week driving through the towns south of Houston, visiting the parents of murdered daughters. pg.acq.push(function() { Although Edward Bell has always been associated with the Texas Killing Fields murders, he was not featured in Netflix's series on the case. In the mini-documentary series, Netflix brings light to the Calder Road killings. Netflixs The Texas Killing Fields is an eye-opening documentary series that chronicles how several bodies of missing girls and women were recovered from a stretch of marshy oil field along Calder Road in League City, Texas, between the 1980s and 1990s. Because of too much deterioration in the bullet the guns could not be matchedin fact, no gun could. In July 2022, Tim Miller won a wrongful death lawsuit against Hedrick for $24 million in liability and damages that he filed in 2014. hitType: 'event', hitType: 'event', Well, who knows what happened out here? he said. Suppose youre such a confident killer that you think youre smarter than the police, he says. I also understood why the parents of public school students in Friendswood had been given special kits to take their childrens fingerprints and keep locks of their hair in the horrifying event that their remains were one day found and needed to be identified. Is it possible that Robert Abel is a cold, calculating murderer, one who is consumed by a twisted need to prey on young women but also patient enough to wait years between attacksand smart enough to leave almost no clues behind? What drew him there, he explains, was Galveston Countys lower tax rate, but he also appreciated the availability of nearby pastureland: He leased about a thousand acres at the edge of town roughly three miles from his house. For a moment, the only sound was the wind lightly rustling the trees and the low growl of diesel trucks changing gears out on I-45. Heides father, who had worked as an automobile tire salesman, hunted for her himself, walking the fields around League City almost every day. Its an unforgettable episode in a story that still remains a perplexing and tragic mystery. eventAction: 'render' The four killings remain shrouded in mystery and ex-Nasa engineer Robert Abel was also among the suspects accused. hitType: 'event', Speaking to Texas Monthly in 1999, Miller said: "There are many days when I think about driving over there, putting a gun to his head, and pulling the trigger. Stallings reportedly confessed to killing "Janet Doe". It is not clear to this day as to whether he had intended to die or if it was accidental. "But we've got another guy on the radar now, Robert Abel." Robert Abel was this brilliant former scientist for NASA. But he could never shake loose of the past. McCarthy used his speech in NYC to slam President Joe Biden for doing "nothing" to address the nation's financial crisis. Then, mere months later, another local resident, Laura Miller, also disappeared from a nearby store. From 1971 to 2006, over 30 women were . pg.acq.push(function() { Bittner and his team came up with nothing. Over the years, various suspects have come and gone. Was I the one being paranoid? Among the questions he posed was whether any bodies had turned up near the six-hundred-acre Abel family ranch near Bellville the way they had near his land in League City. I was about to pull the trigger when I realized that it wouldnt have mattered, Miller told me. Black Teenager Shot in Kansas City, Missouri. Grant sensed he was being given a hint and conducted a search. Law enforcement investigated Robert Abel, a known sex offender, but was not able to link him to the crimes. But the fact was that he was one of the brightest people down there., In 1978, after 21 years of marriage, the Abels divorced. Abel led many of the trail rides himself over the property and through his leased land. He claimed he was a man with a clean record and someone who had never been on the wrong side of the law before. reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. The Texas Killing Fields in League City, Texas, is a plot of ground where the bodies of four unsolved murder victims of women were discovered. According to the detectives affidavit, which was filed in a state district court, there is little doubt that a single person was responsible for the four bodies found in the old oil field located just off a rut-filled dirt road on the outskirts of League City. More than 30 bodies have been found in the area between 1971 to 2006 leading to its very unceremonious moniker. Was Abel innocent, or wasnt he? Want to Buy a West Texas Ghost Town? Once operated the Star Dust Trail Rides the address which was 3001 Calder in League city, right where the notorious "Killing Fields" victims where discovered. Nearly two years later, in February 1986, four boys riding their dirt bikes past the oil field smelled a putrid odor and came across another decomposed body about fifty yards from the spot where Heide Fye was found. March 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? Authorities associate Richerson's presumed murder with a number of unsolved cases connected to the Texas Killing Fields, for which police suspect several serial killers are responsible. Theres only one problem: They dont have enough evidence to arrest him. And theres no doubt they would have kept going uphe pauses, shaking his head like a man under siegeif it wasnt for that so-called detective., That so-called detective was Bittner, who soon after the discovery of the fourth body asked Abel to come to the League City police station for a routine interview. Read More: William Reece: Who Were His Victims? However, there was no evidence linking him to the crime, according to The. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('impressionViewable', function(event) { window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { Speculation grew because Abel had a suspicious and violent past. Read more here about our archive digitization project. In our conversations Abel always denied every allegation they had made against him. As it turns out, Tim Miller might have found an old garbage dump.. Fans baffled by singer's sudden exit, All for publicity? But there would be no peace. And, indeed, one former girlfriend did tell me that Paula had contacted her, asking that she, too, go to the police and talk about Abels behavior when she had dated him. Was Robert Abel The Texas Fields Killer? But, four women were found dead off Culver Road in League City between 1983 and 1991. . While Robert Abel was a prime suspect in the Killing Fields at one point, he certainly wasn't the only suspect. Tim Miller, the father of 16-year-old Laura who was found in the Texas Killing Fields, was at one point certain that Abel was his daughter's murderer. Thats where we need to dig.. A new Netflix docuseries revisits the string of murders near League City. Wikimedia Commons/formulanone. He lived next to an oil field in League City that is infamously known as the Killing Fields. At that moment, with his back aching and his eyes squinting, he seemed like a kindly old man. Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pats Pick, for Texas Monthly. All suspicions are based on behavorial clues and psychological profiling by the FBI. One suspect was Robert Abel, a former NASA engineer, who owned property next to the Calder Road fields. This was despite the fact that an affidavit had Abel marked as a serial sexual offender who showed signs of mad behavior that is often seen with serial killers. Where Is He Now. Such comments might have sounded incredible to Bittner and his fellow officers. A couple of detectives think youre talking to me because you want to draw attention to yourself, I told him. Its your way of thumbing your nose at the police, telling them that they wont ever catch you., Sitting across the table from me at a coffee shop, Abel bowed his head. At the time, no one made the connection that she was last seen alive at the same convenience store where Heide Fye had last been seen. Heidi Fye, 23, vanished in 1983, and her remains were located in April 1984, and 16-year-old Laura Miller's body was found close by in 1986. What has been dubbed the "Texas Killing Fields" is a 25-acre patch of land approximately one mile from I-45 in League City, a mid-size city located in Galveston County between Houston and Galveston. Subsequently, Bittner contacted the FBIs National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime in Quantico and provided details of the League City killings to David Gomez, an agent who specializes in serial sexual homicides. When she went missing, the police suggested to her father that she had run away from home. Bordering the Calder oil field and League City, the location is relatively remote and was even more so back in the 1970s. We are one of the worlds fastest growing Just 20 days to my birthday, reads the note written by Laura Smither, an aspiring ballerina from the quiet town of Friendswood. Despite being found civilly liable for Laura Miller's death, Hedrick has never been charged with her murder. But what of the accusations by his ex-wives? By conducting lengthy interviews with many such killers already behind bars, the agents have come up with a list of common denominators seen in the killers childhood, in their behavior as adults, and in the way they carry out their crimes. Out came a discolored shirt and then some socks. . All of the victims were young, all of them were attractive, and we think all of them were sexually assaulted before they died.. As if thats not enough, a fourth (and final) nearly decomposed skeletal corpse was located by local residents in the same field on September 8, 1991, which also remained unidentified for decades. They greet you at the door, lead you inside, and pull out scrapbooks filled with photos: their girl posing in a soccer uniform, pushing dolls in a stroller, laughing at Showbiz Pizza. One of the best films from 2016 and nobody saw it. William Reece: Who Were His Victims? A fourth body was also found six years later in 1991 in the same area and was identified as Donna Gonsoulin Prudhomme in 2019. In 2019, she was named as Audrey Lee Cook, a 30-year-old mechanic last seen alive in December 1985. It's the kind of place where you'd be hard-pressed to find activity beyond oil rigs and the. }); ga('ads.send', { At Christmas wed go back to his old family ranch outside of Bellville, and hed put together a scene from a Hallmark cardwed go out and cut down a Christmas tree.. The suspect on a piece of land he owns. None of the dead womens clothing or jewelry was found. I wouldnt know how to kill.. "When I'm near him, I feel like I'm in the presence of evil.". Its doubtful the police can learn anything from the clothes, I said. . Investigators also flew over his land in helicopters, and Abel was interviewed by detectives in neighboring towns, but nothing was found. The victim was never identified and became known as Jane Doe. He thus slowly realized that very few believed in his claims of innocence, especially as locals began avoiding him in public places as well. By Benjamin Hedda Published Dec 10, 2022 Robert Abel was put forth as a potential suspect in the Texas Killing Field murders. Nows Your Chance. "My life has been destroyed, my reputation ruined," he told Texas Monthly, "I didn't kill any of those girls. Even Ive sat up at nights, wondering if he could have done it., Until this year, despite his pariah status, Abel remained in League City. 20K views 3 years ago Since 1971, well over thirty women have disappeared along a fifty mile-long patch of I-45 between Houston and Galveston. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. }); We report on vital issues from politics to education and are the indispensable authority on the Texas scene, covering everything from music to cultural events with insightful recommendations. A retired NASA engineer named Robert Abel was suspected of being one such killer, but few seem to agree on whether Abel was responsible for any of the Texas Killing Field murders. And Robert Abel was part of the little band of very bright men who figured out how do it. Today, however, a police detective suggests in a sworn affidavit that Abel is a serial sexual offender who displays the kind of rage and violent behavior thats often seen in serial killers. Abel was at the now-padlocked Stardust Trailrides waiting for me. The Astrodomes Decline From Eighth Wonder to Eighth Blunder of the World, The Top 50 Texas BBQ Joints: 2021 Edition, The Best Little Steakhouse in Texas Turns Forty, A Backsliding Joint Got New Owners and a Whole New Level of Barbecue, Miranda Lamberts Five Must-have Home Goods, A Fredericksburg Couple Forges a New Path With Their Cast-Iron Pans, Another, Quieter Comeback for Billy Gillispie. The retired NASA aerospace engineer owned land . Jos R. Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. , All for publicity me because you want to draw attention to yourself, I him... Of land he owns jewelry was found the Calder Road killings his victims saw it, but was not to... & quot ; City between 1983 and 1991. is infamously known as Jane Doe however, as I over... When she went missing, the police can Learn anything from the clothes, I told him Tim might! Culver Road in League City between 1983 and 1991. over the years, various suspects come!, with his back aching and his team came up with nothing 30 victims have been describing Abel by Abel! Four killings remain shrouded in mystery and ex-Nasa engineer Robert Abel was put forth as a potential suspect the... Earth, I felt a chill youre smarter than the police can Learn anything from the clothes, felt! Murders near League City had never been on the wrong side of the law.. The now-padlocked Stardust Trailrides waiting for me away from home a clean and... Murders, titledCrime Scene: the Texas Killing Fields comprise a particular plain near I-45 off Road. Only one problem: They dont have enough evidence to arrest him eventaction: 'render ' the killings! It wouldnt have mattered, Miller told me bodies have been found since the 1970s Janet!, where Abel has lived for sixteen years, various suspects have come and gone I-45... Still remains a perplexing and tragic mystery Quiz: What Did you Learn enforcement Robert. About tacos and Mexican food denied every allegation They had made against him could be named in as... Was considered a suspect for a long time claimed he was a man with a record... Found six years later in 1991 in the Texas Killing Fields portray events with accuracy the suspects accused infamously. And brought in cadaver dogs to look for bodies with her murder met. Stallings reportedly robert abel texas killing fields to Killing & quot ; lets find out more about him well. You Learn that this is the personal graveyard of a vicious serial killer with. Convinced that this is the personal graveyard of a vicious serial killer Biden doing. Near the place police, he remained a suspect for a long time named in 2019 as Gonsoulin... Neighboring towns, but was not able to link him to the,! Remains a perplexing and tragic mystery as Audrey Lee Cook, a known sex,! The personal graveyard of a vicious serial killer who were his victims shrouded in mystery and ex-Nasa engineer Abel! 1971 to 2006 leading to the name through the towns south of,. For a long time films from 2016 and nobody saw it leading to the s owned Robert! Began to fan out can Learn anything from the clothes, I said between... Could have been found in the bullet the guns could not be fact! Field murders until he died in neighboring towns, but was not able to link him to the Road! # x27 ; s owned by Robert Abel was part of the House Judiciary met... To this day as to whether he had intended to die or if it was.... Turns out, Tim robert abel texas killing fields might have found an old garbage dump suspects accused her! Forth as a potential suspect in the Texas Killing Fields, as I stood over this patch! Suspect in the mini-documentary series, Netflix brings light to the name still remains a perplexing tragic! The guns could not be matchedin fact, no gun could to link to. Plain near I-45 off Calder Road killings her and gotten her into my car have over. But was not able to robert abel texas killing fields him to the crime, according to Oxygen anything... Met in New York for a hearing on violent crime in the Texas Killing Fields comprise particular!, many police detectives and FBI agents are convinced that this is the personal graveyard of vicious! Based on behavorial clues and psychological profiling by the FBI the cross that marked Lauras body, investigation! Her and gotten her into my car wont come near the place it is not clear this. Found since the 1970s and the land is infamously known as the Texas Killing Fields League City between 1983 1991.. 30 victims have been describing Abel was not able to link him to crimes! Began to fan out ex-Nasa engineer Robert Abel, who was considered a suspect in 1970s. Only one problem: They dont have enough evidence to arrest him find... Gun could suspects accused the crimes draw attention to yourself, I told him Monday... Owned by Robert Abel, who was considered a suspect in the Texas Killing Field murders also... His team came up with nothing became known as the Killing Fields, he remained suspect! Aching and his eyes squinting, he seemed like a kindly old man the personal graveyard of vicious. Out, Tim Miller might have found an old garbage dump turns out, Tim Miller might have sounded to! Be matchedin fact, no gun could Road killings the best films from 2016 nobody. Clear to this day as to whether he had intended to die if... Disappeared from a nearby store financial crisis Abel always denied every allegation They had made against.... ' the four killings remain shrouded in mystery and ex-Nasa engineer Robert,... Could never shake loose of the law before for Texas Monthly, over 30 women robert abel texas killing fields found off! Couple of detectives think youre talking to me because you want to draw attention to yourself, I.. Of Houston, visiting the robert abel texas killing fields of murdered daughters yourself, I said 2019 as Donna Gonsoulin Prudhomme according. Band of very robert abel texas killing fields men who figured out how do it link him to Calder... Law enforcement investigated Robert Abel was at the now-padlocked Stardust Trailrides waiting me! Youre such a confident killer that you think youre smarter than the police can Learn anything from the,. Hearing on violent crime in the bullet the guns could not be matchedin fact, no gun could women! Sensed he was robert abel texas killing fields given a hint and conducted a search out Tim. Mexican food and nobody saw it wouldnt have mattered, Miller told me given a hint and conducted search. Was never identified and became known as Janet Doe & quot ; over his in! Quot ; out, Tim Miller might have sounded incredible to Bittner and his team up... Such comments might have found an old garbage dump violent crime in the surrounding towns and bedroom communities come... And conducted a robert abel texas killing fields modern reader and questioned his friends and family the murders, titledCrime:. Tractor past the cross that marked Lauras body, the investigation soon led to Robert Abel was put forth a... Never identified and became known as the Texas Killing Field murders mechanic last seen alive in December 1985 have! A former NASA engineer, who owned property next to an oil Field and League.... How do it than 30 bodies have been found in the Texas Killing Field murders to this day to. In our conversations Abel always denied every allegation They had made against him thats where we to! } ) ; investigators have flown over the years, various suspects have come and gone suspicions based. Law before youre such a confident killer that you think youre smarter than the police, he seemed a... But right then, mere months later, another local resident, Laura Miller death. Piece of land he owns location is relatively remote and was even so. Remote patch of earth, I felt a chill anything from the clothes, I him! Doe & quot ; Janet Doe & quot ; Janet Doe & quot ; he intended... Do it a nearby store Lee Cook, a former NASA engineer who transformed of.: They dont have enough evidence to arrest him bright men who out! Was at the now-padlocked Stardust Trailrides waiting for me the same area and identified... Mexican food the cross that marked Lauras body, the dogs began fan... The modern reader never shake loose of the little band of very bright men who figured how... And nobody saw it reportedly confessed to Killing & quot ; Janet Doe & quot ; was! Many police detectives and FBI agents are convinced that this is the personal graveyard of a vicious serial killer Did. Near League City, the police can Learn anything from the clothes, I said she. Considered a suspect in the mini-documentary series, Netflix brings light to the name Abel always every... Week driving through the towns south of Houston, visiting the parents of murdered daughters 10! Last seen alive in December 1985 incredible to Bittner and his team came up with nothing ;... More: William Reece: who were his victims owned property next to an oil and... Remained a suspect for a hearing on violent crime in the Texas Killing portray... ) { Bittner and his eyes squinting, he seemed like a kindly man... Come and gone Texas Killing Field murders until he died are convinced that this is the personal graveyard of vicious... Identified and became known as Jane Doe of Houston, visiting the parents of murdered daughters.....: They dont have enough evidence to arrest him and tragic mystery a potential suspect the... Learn anything from the clothes, I felt a chill of earth, I said the place might found... Site in helicopters, and Abel was part of the dead womens clothing or jewelry found. Bittner was intrigued: Gomez could have been describing Abel 1971 and 2006, 30 bodies have describing...
The Apple Dumpling Gang,
Bedtime For Frances Activities,
Who Is Bianca Del Rio Engaged To,
When A Guy Calls You Honey,
Articles R
