The Real Terror Behind ‘The Town That Dreaded Sundown’ – Texarkana’s Moonlight Murders

The movie The Town That Dreaded Sundown will celebrate its 50th anniversary on December 16. It premiered in Texarkana on that date back in 1976.

Most of us know the story, but for those who don't, this was a very dark time in our town's history.

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Over the next couple of months, leading up to the anniversary, I'll be writing about the filming of the movie, talking to some of the people from Texarkana who appeared in it, and taking a look at some of the local locations where it was filmed.

But before we get into the movie itself, let's look back at the real crimes known as the Moonlight Murders and also the Phantom Killer that inspired it.

The story behind The Town That Dreaded Sundown began less than a year after World War II ended. People were returning to their normal lives, but in the spring of 1946, that sense of normalcy was shattered. A killer was on the loose, and people had good reason to be afraid.

The Phantom Killer's First Attack – February 22, 1946

As we've learned from crime shows and podcasts, crimes committed by serial killers sometimes escalate over time. That was certainly the case with the attacks attributed to the Phantom Killer.

According to a retelling of the story published by the Dallas Observer in 2017, the first known attack happened on February 22, 1946.

Jimmy Hollis, 25, and his girlfriend, Mary Jeanne Larey, 19, had just been to the movies when they drove to a secluded area near what is now Central Mall. That's where they were attacked.

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Hollis suffered head injuries, while Larey was physically and sexually assaulted. Both survived, but the attack undoubtedly left them with lasting physical and emotional scars.

They told investigators that their attacker wore a white hood resembling a pillowcase, with holes cut out for his eyes.

Despite their accounts, no one was arrested.

The Phantom Killer's First Double Murder – March 24, 1946

Just a month later, the violence took a deadly turn.

On the morning of March 24, a car was found in the local Lovers Lane area, just off Highway 67. Inside were the bodies of Richard Griffin, 29, and his girlfriend, Polly Anne Moore, 17.

According to FBI files released in 2020, both had been shot once in the head. Investigators believed they had been shot inside the car.

The FBI records also noted that no latent fingerprints or other evidence were recovered, as rain had fallen the night before.

The killings added to the growing fear surrounding the attacks, but the killer still remained unidentified.

The Phantom Killer's Second Double Murder – April 14, 1946

By the time the next murders occurred, investigators were facing a much larger case. Authorities began connecting the killings, and the investigation grew to include the Texarkana Police Department, Texas Rangers, Arkansas State Police, and the FBI.

The case was also attracting national attention.

According to newspaper accounts from the Washington Times-Herald, included in FBI files, Paul Martin, 16, picked up Betty Jo Booker, 15, on the evening of April 14. The two attended a dance at the VFW hall at West Fourth and Oak streets. Booker was a member of the orchestra that played there that night.

In the early morning hours, witnesses reportedly saw Martin call for Booker to come to his car for a ride home.

They never made it home.

Martin's body was discovered along North Park Road, about a mile from his car.

Booker's body wasn't found until several hours later. She was located behind a tree, about a mile from where Martin's body was discovered and two miles from their car.

According to the FBI files, Sheriff W.H. Pressley described the evidence of Martin's struggle, saying he had put up a terrific fight before succumbing to four gunshot wounds.

Evidence also indicated that Booker had fought back before being shot twice.

The murders of Martin and Booker intensified the investigation, and the fear grew even more in the Texarkana area.

The Phantom Killer's Final Murder and Attack – May 3, 1946

The final known attack attributed to the Phantom Killer happened on the night of May 3, 1946.

Virgil Starks, 37, and his wife, Katie, 36, lived on a farm along Highway 67 East about 10 miles northeast of Texarkana.

That night, Virgil was sitting in a chair reading the newspaper when he was shot twice through a nearby window. His wife Katie said he stood up and then collapsed. He was dead.

Katie ran to the telephone to call for help, but she, too, was shot, suffering two gunshot wounds to the face.

Despite her injuries, Katie managed to escape to a neighbor's house. The neighbors contacted authorities and helped get her to the hospital.

Katie survived the attack, becoming another victim who could provide investigators with information about the killer.

But the case remained unsolved.

Who Was the Phantom Killer?

Despite an extensive investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies, no one was ever arrested or convicted for the murders attributed to the Phantom Killer.

Over the years, there have been plenty of rumors and theories about who he might have been. Some people have even claimed to know his identity.

But the truth is that the Phantom Killer's identity has never been conclusively established.

Now, 80 years later, the crimes remain one of the darkest chapters in Texarkana's history.

And those real-life events became the basis for a movie that would introduce the story to generations of people who may never have known what happened here in the spring of 1946.