Y'all Wanna Hear About Some Real Texas Hold 'Em Killers? (Not the Card Game Kind)
Texas: Bigger than life, home of the best BBQ, and apparently, a breeding ground for some real knee-slappin', head-scratchin' serial killers. Now, before you start checkin' your doors and windows, let's delve into the twisted underbelly of the Lone Star State's criminal history, with a healthy dose of Texan charm, of course.
The OG Ax-Wieldin' Maniacs: The Servant Girl Annihilator and the Phantom Killer
We gotta start with the classics, folks. Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Austin was havin' a real hootenanny with two unidentified varmints. The Servant Girl Annihilator, also known as the Austin Axe Murderer, went on a rampage, leaving a trail of eight dead domestic workers. This fella wasn't messin' around – think axe attacks, sexual assaults, and some truly bizarre post-mortem posing. Spoiler alert: we still ain't got a clue who this guy was, and some folks even think he might be Jack the Ripper's long-lost cousin.
Then we got the Phantom Killer, who terrorized Galveston in the 1940s. This phantom phanatic stalked and murdered five people, leavin' the fine folks of Galveston wonderin' whodunnit for decades. These two spooky so-and-sos sure put the "wild" in the Wild West.
Hold Your Horses, Here Comes the Candy Man!
Now we mosey on over to the 1970s, where things get a little less mysterious and a whole lot more disturbing. Enter Dean Corll, also known as the Candy Man. This seemingly harmless dude lured teenage boys with, you guessed it, candy, then tortured and murdered them with his teenage accomplices. Word to the wise: Never take candy from strangers, especially not candy men in Texas.
Notorious Neighbor Next Door? Texas Has Those Too!
Texas has also produced some truly chilling "serial killer next door" types. Angel Maturino Resendiz, better known as the Railroad Killer, hopped freight trains and murdered at least 16 people across the country, including Texas. Then there's Joseph James Ball, the Butcher of Elmendorf, who terrorized a retirement community in the 1970s. Let's just say, bingo night took on a whole new meaning in Elmendorf.
So, That's the Roundup on Texas Serial Killers (for Now)
This ain't even close to all the whacky serial killers Texas has to offer, but hey, you gotta start somewhere, right? Just remember, folks, while Texas might be a land of opportunity, it also has a dark side. So, keep your wits about you, don't take candy from strangers, and maybe invest in a good security system.
