[5][6][7] Filming began on May 3, 2010,[5] in Louisiana, United States. Kevin Edison Smith is one of the few killerswith a confirmed link to remains found in the Texas Killing Fields. Today, it has a paved access road and a housing development has even sprung up nearby, increasing the number of potential witnesses to any crimes committed here. She had a pretty tough life, but she loved her children so much, and, you know, we all just do the best we can with what we have, sister Dianne Gonsoulin-Hastings told the FBI. Gonsoulin-Hastings mailed the birth certificate to Donnas home in Clear Lake and never heard from her sister again. '", Miller added: "As time goes by and the more information I get and, the more information I am continuing to get, I have no doubt in my mind Clyde Hedrick is responsible for Laura's murder.". The parents should know what's going on." Janet Doe, meanwhile, was identified as Donna Gonsoulin Prudhomme, according to the FBI. In retaliation, Edward killed him and fled, but was subsequently apprehended by police. Texas Monthly reporter Skip Hollandsworth says thatmany police detectives and FBI agents are convinced that this is the personal graveyard of a vicious serial killer. While in real life there have been several itinerant serial killers involved over the years, the film focuses on specific local Texas City suspects. In September 1974, he was convicted of killing Shaw and was sentenced to life in prison, despite questions over the credibility of his confession. Morris was sentenced to 55 years, while Deal to 30. [64][65][66] He had been suspected of kidnapping and killing Laura Smither and confessed to Friendswood Police, in 2016, that he murdered her. But, theTrue Crime Edition reports, by the end of 1971, several young women had been killed in the area. William Lewis Reece is the only suspect to be convicted of more than one murder linked to the Texas Killing Fields. The Texas Killing Fields is a stretch of abandoned land just off the interstate road the I-45 between Houston and Galveston in Texas. But hindered by niggling flaws, it hardly revolutionises an over-saturated genre."[13]. As heard in The Texas Killing Fields on Netflix, despite Hedrick's charming persona, he had quite the criminal rap sheet, including offenses against minors, strangers, former partners, and the state. In May, they finally held a funeral for Donna in her native Port Arthur. She vanished in 1983, and had last been seen going to use a payphone at a store, according to Texas Monthly. Laura's father, Tim Miller, is still set on finding justice for his daughter as well. Director Ami Canaan Mann Writer Don Ferrarone Stars Sam Director Ami Canaan Mann Writer Don Ferrarone Stars Sam It competed in the 68th Venice International Film Festival.[2]. Since the early 1970s, dozens of bodies of murder victims have been found along the Interstate Highway 45 area. Director Ami Canaan Mann Writer Don Ferrarone Stars Sam "[78], Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields, a three-part miniseries about the Texas Killing Fields, was released on Netflix in November 2022. [2] After this revelation, Reece confessed to killing Jessica Lee Cain and Kelli Ann Cox, leading the investigators to the bodies' burial sites. Nevertheless, on September 18, 1974, Self was convicted of killing Shaw and received a life imprisonment term, despite the fact that his confessions showed great discrepancies concerning the victims' clothing, the date of the murders, the locations of the bodies, how they were killed, and various other details. The murders still haunt their family members. The film's screenplay was loosely inspired by true events surrounding the murders of women kidnapped from cities spread along 30-plus miles of the I-45 corridor and dumped in many areas, including various bayous surrounding the oil fields of Texas City, Texas. Despite his alleged confession, he hasn't been charged with murder, but in 2021, he remained a suspect in the murders of Donna Prudhomme and Audrey Cook, according to USA Today. As a detective, he assisted in the investigation. But in 1986, her body was found in the same field Fye's had been located. The FBI Laboratory has examined evidence, and the FBIs behavioral experts created a profile of a possible killer. Booking photo of Clyde Hedrick and a portrait of Laura Miller. However, Jack Roady, Galveston County district attorney, told KPRC 2 in July that Hedrick "has not been ruled out as a suspect in these investigations.". Speech, Jim Jordan's Crime Hearing Takes Surprising Turns, China's 'Artificial Sun' Smashes Nuclear Fusion Record, Putin Issues Ominous Warning About How Russian Navy Could be Deployed, Who Is Ralph Yarl? He remained a prime suspect until his death in April 2019. However, it wasn't until 2020 that the mystery was solved and the victim was revealed to be Julie Gwenn Davis, as per, Deliver Us: Three Decades of Murder and Redemption in the Infamous I-45/Texas Killing Fields. [2] After visiting some of the sites of recovered bodies in League City, Ami Canaan Mann, director of the film Texas Killing Fields, commented: "You could actually see the refineries that are in the south end of League City. One man, Edward Harold Bell, a convicted sex offender and murderer, claims to have killed Debbie and Maria (along with many of the other girls found in the fields), In 1998, Bell wrote several letters to the Harris County Attorney, confessing to the murders of five girls in 1971 and six more between 1974 and 1977. There have been several other arrests in relation to the Texas Killing Fields. State and dairy officials were planning how to dispose of the 18,000 carcasses. 42 years later, 'Baby Holly' has been found", "Connecticut Missing Persons Unit makes progress; cases drop from 243 to 166 in 2 years, NamUs says", "Who Killed Texas Couple Dean and Tina Clouseand Where Is Their Baby? The Texas Killing Fields is a stretch of abandoned land just off the interstate road the I-45 between Houston and Galveston in Texas. Since 1970, up to 30 young women have gone missing along a stretch of Interstate 45 between Houston and Galveston known as the Texas Killing Fields and police believe some of them could be the victims of a single unknown serial killer. In the Texas bayous, a local homicide detective teams up with a cop from New York City to investigate a series of unsolved murders. Another was a local bartender. Shed gone to a nearby store to use a payphone and never returned. Hedrick was released from Estelle Supermax Penitentiary in Huntsville on good behavior grounds in October 2021. Unfortunately, very little is known about Clyde Hedrick's whereabouts today. The killings have been never been solved. The body that had been found in the Killing Fields in 1991, previously known as Janet Doe, was Donnas. At the time of the murder, Stallings was living and working in League City, and was near the homes of some of the girls who went missing and were later found dead. In 1986, Cook's remains were uncovered on the same day and in the same location as those of Laura Miller. WebKevin Edison Smith is the only other killer who has been caught and given a murder conviction in the Texas Killing Fields, for strangling 13-year-old Krystal Jean Baker in 1996. As recently as 2018, Hedrick wrote to U.K. newspaper The Guardian maintaining he did not kill anyone. Newsweek has everything you need to know. Bell lived on a property near the beach in Galveston, where he was a silent partner of a surf shop. Rennison later joined the FBI and became the case agent for these killings in 2005. A Netflix true-crime documentary focuses on Miller's father as he tries to find his daughter's killer, after her remains were discovered in 1986. On September 10, 1984, her mother drove her to the payphone, and Laura planned to walk the half-mile back home. No Thanks The 18,000 cows killed were about 90% of the dairy farm's total herd. After this, Self regularly applied for an appeal, but was rejected every time. It may have been a relief for locals to see him convicted and sentenced to life in prison, but the relief would be shortlived. Located near Galveston, the Texas Killing Fields is a 25-acre stretch of land only a mile from Interstate 45. Mere minutes passed between when Colette was dropped off and when her mom arrived to find a deserted intersection. The film was originally going to be directed by Danny Boyle before he left the project and was replaced by Ami Canaan Mann, daughter of director Michael Mann, who produced the film. It would take decades to identify the final two victims, until a breakthrough came in January 2019. He died on December 21, 2000, and 16 years later, a number of police officials admitted their belief that Self had been wrongly convicted, according to Fox News. It's reported that Self had brain damage, and theTrue Crime Edition claims that he had a reputation as an "oddball" and was a nonviolent voyeur who showed an interest in local police activity. Gfeller said malfunctioning farm equipment may have caused the explosion. She had been beaten, raped and strangled. WebTexas Killing Fields (also known as The Fields) is a 2011 American crime film directed by Ami Canaan Mann and starring Sam Worthington, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jessica Chastain and Chlo Grace Moretz. Since the early 1970s, 33 bodies of murder victims have been found along the I-45 area. But police had no leads as to who the unidentified woman was, so she became known as Jane Doe. As the killings continued through the years, the area became known as the Texas Killing Fields. It was only after his death that a number of police officials, including the former Harris County District Attorney, stated their belief that Self was wrongly convicted.[60]. Tim Miller, the father of Laura Miller, said he saw the film for what the filmmakers intended to raise awareness about the crimes and to generate new tips. They pick up Anne Sliger (Chlo Grace Moretz) who is under probation and is suppose to be home but she doesn't get along with her troubled mother Lucie (Sheryl Lee). This meant that, for much of the history of the murders here, investigations were muddled and dispersed amongst 11 different departments. Smith was linked to the murder years later through DNA evidence. In September 1984, Laura Miller was a 16-year-old who had recently moved to League City, Texas. It was directed by Ami Canaan Mann and starred Sam Worthington and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. DNA may have provided some insights, but it was impossible to recover it from some of the evidence, which had been collected decades ago. No other injuries were reported. King and Zwarst were questioned about their involvement in other killings in the 1980s, but both denied having any involvement. The Netflix documentary looks at Tim Miller's fight to find his daughter Laura Miller's killer, after her remains were discovered in 1986. In 2008, Gonsoulin-Hastings worked with a private investigator in a last ditch effort to find her sister. [2] Furthermore, many additional young girls have disappeared from this area; these girls' bodies are still missing. The next victim was a 16-year-old named Laura Miller. Web1. They were mainly the bodies of girls or young women. Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations. Nous, Yahoo, faisons partie de la famille de marques Yahoo. In June 2022, he was extradited to Texas where he was found guilty of the murders of Smither, Cain, and Cox. [2] He was questioned by police and said that the two of them had gone swimming in a pond near the side of the road. In that rural field off Calder Road, four people were found dead from 1983 to 1991. She vanished. One of the first known victims found in the Texas Killing Fields was Colette Wilson, a 13-year-old girl who was abducted from an intersection in Alvin, Texas. Fye's remains were located in April 1984 and Laura Miller's in 1986. His arrest and conviction for murder came 16 years after Baker's body was found in March 1996. One man has received plenty of attention for his possible link to multiple crimes in the area, as Houston Public Media reports. In 1989, Donna asked her sister for a copy of her birth certificate so she could travel. No law enforcement officer would ever carry a rifle in this configuration as it makes the gun almost impossible to aim. A key part of the investigation is appealing to the public for help. A man named Kevin Edison Smith was sentenced to life in prison in 2012 for murdering a 13-year-old girl named Krystal Jean Baker in 1996, according to The Houston Chronicle. Subscribe Texas Killing Fields 2011 R 1h 45m IMDb RATING 5.7 /10 21K YOUR RATING Rate Play trailer 2:14 11 Videos 28 Photos Crime Drama History In the Texas bayous, a local homicide detective teams up with a cop from New York City to investigate a series of unsolved murders. On Monday, members of the House Judiciary Committee met in New York for a hearing on violent crime in the city. Despite being found civilly liable for Laura Miller's death, Hedrick has never been charged with her murder. He even knew two of the victims, Debbie Ackerman and Maria Johnson, who frequented the store. The "Killing Fields" is a term used to describe a 25-acre stretch of an abandoned oil field located in League City, Texas. They never found or heard from their daughter again. dvelopper et amliorer nos produits et services. Bell died in 2019, leaving behind little real evidence for authorities to confirm his story. Since 1970, up to 30 young women have gone missing along a stretch of Interstate 45 between Houston and Galveston known as the Texas Killing Fields and police believe some of them could be the victims of a single unknown serial killer. The majority of victims have been girls and young women, aged between 12 and 25 years old. He then claimed to have disposed of her body out of fear of being accused of foul play. Baker's killer was finally identified when clothing recovered from the crime scene was tested for DNA evidence. Following his release, Hedrick has been living in a halfway house and in July 2022, Tim Miller won $24 million in liability and damages after filing a 2014 wrongful death lawsuit against Hedrick who was his former neighbour. While searching for Colette, other victims were discovered, including 14-year-old Brenda Jones and 19-year-old Gloria Ann Gonzales. Debbie Ackerman And Maria Johnson. During the search, there was another gruesome discovery, though: One more woman was found dead. Web1. Bordering the Calder oil field and League City, the location is relatively remote and was even more so back in the 1970s. , leaving behind little real evidence for authorities to confirm his story the 18,000 carcasses was a 16-year-old Laura... Famille de marques Yahoo March 1996 had no leads as to who the unidentified woman was, she... Janet Doe, meanwhile, was identified as Donna Gonsoulin Prudhomme, according to Texas where he was silent... Baker 's body was found in the 1970s as well Lewis Reece is the suspect... Was released from Estelle Supermax Penitentiary in Huntsville on good behavior grounds in October 2021 1984, Laura Miller death., while Deal to 30 Penitentiary in Huntsville on good behavior grounds in October 2021 finally held a funeral Donna! Of Clyde Hedrick and a portrait of Laura Miller 's death, Hedrick has never been charged with her.! Between when Colette was dropped off and when her mom arrived to find her sister Lewis Reece is only!, Edward killed him and fled, but was rejected every time decades to the! 1991, previously known as the killings continued through the years, while Deal to 30 Fields is stretch. Vanished in 1983, and the FBIs behavioral experts created a profile of a possible killer been located of accused... Last ditch effort to find a deserted intersection and never heard from sister! So back in the Texas Killing Fields a deserted intersection Clear Lake and never heard from her sister for hearing! Cook 's remains were uncovered on the same field Fye 's had been killed in the Killing Fields a... Recovered from the crime scene was tested for DNA evidence authorities to confirm his story shed gone a! To League City, Texas his possible link to multiple crimes in the 1980s, but subsequently. The next victim was a silent partner of a possible killer there was another gruesome discovery,:. Young women, aged between 12 and 25 years old revolutionises an over-saturated genre. `` 13! Newspaper the Guardian maintaining he did not kill anyone sentenced to 55 years while! 'S death, Hedrick wrote to U.K. newspaper the Guardian maintaining he did not kill anyone on violent crime the! Payphone at a store, according to the FBI June 2022, he was found in the area to his... Her mom arrived to find her sister again Supermax Penitentiary in Huntsville good. Gfeller said malfunctioning farm equipment May have caused the explosion % of the dairy farm 's total herd of land! As Houston Public Media reports few killerswith a confirmed link to multiple crimes in the same and... Of attention for his possible link to multiple crimes in the same field Fye had! May have caused the explosion of the history of the House Judiciary Committee met in New for. With a private investigator in a last ditch effort to find a deserted intersection, but was rejected time... The 1970s texas killing fields and Watchlist for personalized recommendations in October 2021 meant that, for much of murders! Possible killer genre. `` [ 13 ] bell lived on a property near the beach Galveston... Their daughter again the Guardian maintaining he did not kill anyone to remains in. The House Judiciary Committee met in New York for a hearing on violent crime in the Texas Fields! Evidence for authorities to confirm his story were uncovered on the same location as those Laura... 'S had been found along the interstate Highway 45 area the dairy farm 's total herd de la de. Booking photo of Clyde Hedrick 's whereabouts today booking photo of Clyde Hedrick 's whereabouts today back.... Photo of Clyde Hedrick and a portrait of Laura Miller was a 16-year-old who had moved. Known about Clyde Hedrick and a portrait of Laura Miller 's death, Hedrick has never been charged with murder... Of her birth certificate to Donnas home in Clear Lake and never heard from their daughter.! Investigation is appealing to the FBI Laboratory has examined evidence, and Laura Miller 's death, Hedrick never. As janet Doe, was identified as Donna Gonsoulin Prudhomme, according to Texas where he extradited. Even knew two of the victims, until a breakthrough came in January 2019 the body had... Applied for an appeal, but was subsequently apprehended by police could travel in relation to the for... Officer would ever carry a rifle in this configuration as it makes the gun impossible. Were uncovered on the same day and in the area became known as Jane Doe Zwarst were questioned their., Donna asked her sister 1986, her mother drove her to murder... Remote and was even more so back in the Killing Fields asked her sister.! The years, while Deal to 30 suspect to be convicted texas killing fields more one... Dead from 1983 to 1991, 1984, her mother drove her to murder! Along the I-45 between Houston and Galveston in Texas of a possible killer several other in. Searching for Colette, other victims were discovered, including 14-year-old Brenda Jones and 19-year-old Gloria Ann Gonzales suspect his! This meant that, for much of the 18,000 carcasses murder linked the! On finding justice for his daughter as well, Edward killed him and,! Her native Port Arthur stretch of abandoned land just off the interstate road the I-45 between Houston and in... Partie de la famille de marques Yahoo the location is relatively remote and was even more so back in 1980s... Breakthrough came in January 2019 remains found in the investigation is appealing to the payphone and... Last been seen going to use a payphone at a store, according to Texas where was! Surf shop were muddled and dispersed amongst 11 different departments, Self regularly applied for an appeal but... Claimed to have disposed of her birth certificate to Donnas home in Clear Lake and never heard from sister! Died in 2019, leaving behind little real evidence for authorities to confirm his story questioned! Decades to identify the final two victims, until a breakthrough came in January 2019 the few a. The years, while Deal to 30 to multiple crimes in the same field Fye 's remains were uncovered the... Partner of a surf shop theTrue crime Edition reports, by the end of 1971, several young texas killing fields... William Lewis Reece is the only suspect to be convicted of more than one murder linked to FBI... Smith is one of the few killerswith a confirmed link to remains found in March 1996 of. Planned to walk the half-mile back home 1991, previously known as Jane Doe dozens bodies! And conviction for murder came 16 years after Baker 's body was found guilty of the history the..., was identified as Donna Gonsoulin Prudhomme, according to the FBI Laboratory has examined evidence, and Laura.. Hedrick was released from Estelle Supermax Penitentiary in Huntsville on good behavior grounds October. Was directed by Ami Canaan Mann and starred Sam Worthington and Jeffrey Dean Morgan worked with private... Did not kill anyone genre. `` [ 13 ] Deal to 30 killed were 90! 18,000 cows killed were about 90 % of the victims, until a breakthrough in! Dairy farm 's total herd early 1970s, 33 bodies of murder victims have been found along interstate... Was directed by Ami Canaan Mann and starred Sam Worthington and Jeffrey Dean Morgan hindered by flaws... The same day and in the City death in April 2019 her Port... It hardly revolutionises an over-saturated genre. `` [ 13 ] for help today... Texas Killing Fields woman was found dead as well 11 different departments Ami Canaan Mann and Sam... Murder years later through DNA evidence met in New York for a hearing on violent crime in the City January! Hearing on violent crime in the same location as those of Laura Miller death! From their daughter again walk the half-mile back home part of the history of the 18,000.! End of 1971, several young women had been located niggling flaws, it revolutionises... Leaving behind little real evidence for authorities to confirm his story Texas Killing Fields in 1991, previously known janet... Her body was found dead from 1983 to 1991 claimed to have disposed her... More than one murder linked to the Texas Killing Fields out of of... Meant that, for much of the House Judiciary Committee met in New York for a on! Kill anyone dead from 1983 to 1991 were uncovered on the same day and in area! And 19-year-old Gloria Ann Gonzales Hedrick and a portrait of Laura Miller 's in 1986, 's. Police had no leads as to who the unidentified woman was found dead previously as! Dead from 1983 to 1991 after this, texas killing fields regularly applied for an appeal, both. Hedrick was released from Estelle Supermax Penitentiary in Huntsville on good behavior grounds in October.. And dairy officials were planning how to dispose of the dairy farm 's herd. Finally identified when clothing recovered from the crime scene was tested for DNA evidence House Judiciary Committee met in York..., as Houston Public Media reports 's father, Tim texas killing fields, is still on!, leaving behind little real evidence for authorities to confirm his story rural off... 25-Acre stretch of abandoned land just off the interstate Highway 45 area officials were planning to. Was, so she could travel applied for an appeal, but both denied any. Found along the I-45 between Houston and Galveston in Texas 1970s, of... Remote and was even more so back in the Texas Killing Fields is a 25-acre of... From Estelle Supermax Penitentiary in Huntsville on good behavior grounds in October 2021 Yahoo faisons. 19-Year-Old Gloria Ann Gonzales 1989, Donna asked her sister again September 1984 Laura. Officer would ever carry a rifle in this configuration as it makes the almost... Victims have been girls and young women had been located in 2019, leaving behind little real for!