Paper Ghosts: The Texas Teen Murders — Introducing Season 4: The Ozarks

Release Date: February 14, 2024
Host: M. William Phelps
Podcast: Paper Ghosts (iHeartPodcasts)
Episode: Introducing - Paper Ghosts Season 4: The Ozarks

Episode Overview

This episode serves as a tense and haunting introduction to the fourth season of Paper Ghosts, with acclaimed investigative journalist M. William Phelps guiding listeners into the chilling cold case of two young women murdered in the Ozarks over 30 years ago. The teaser promises a season filled with new leads, revealing interviews, and a dive into the darkness surrounding a legendary serial killer, connecting these murders to deeper secrets and a new suspect lurking in the shadows.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Setting and Initial Discovery

• The narrative opens with a shocking discovery in the Ozarks:
  • (00:01) “All of a sudden, he says, Linda, I see a skull.”
  • This sets the immediate tone of horror and disbelief.
• The victim’s family's initial denial and continued hope:
  • (00:12) “I'm thinking, they're lying like hell because my little girl wasn't dead.”

2. The Nature of the Crime

• The brutal nature of the murders is described in disturbing detail:
  • (00:17) “Two young women murdered.”
  • (00:20) The pain never fades for family members: “I have nightmares about this. I have nightmares that she's asking for help and I can't help her.”
  • (00:52) “The skull was detached from the body, and the rib cage was detached from the body... the only clothes that was on the body that we found was the pelvis, and legs were in tennis shoes. She had tennis shoes on.”

3. The Serial Killer Connection

• The case connects to a notorious figure:
  • (00:26) “With a connection to one of the most infamous serial killers of all time. And one very familiar name stepping out from the shadows of the past.”
  • (00:36) “Well, first, he chose his own moniker. Bind them, torture them, kill them, BTK.”

4. The Renewed Investigation

• M. William Phelps reopens the cold case:
  • (01:09) Introduction of Phelps and his mission: “I'm an investigative journalist, true crime, author of close to 50 books, and the host of the podcast Paper Ghosts... For the past several years, I've been reinvestigating the cases of two young women abducted from their small towns, their bodies dumped deep in the Ozark woods. Cold cases I'm breaking wide open, bringing families answers. After 30 long years of silence and waiting...”
• Families and authorities remain determined for closure:
  • (01:42) Heartbreaking perseverance: “I'm not apt to give up on it. And I have reason to believe that it will be solved as my investigation unfolds...”

5. Fear, Secrecy, and Breaking the Silence

• Even decades later, terror persists among witnesses:
  • (01:49) “Even three decades later, some sources are still terrified. Speaking out.”
  • (02:02) A chilling memory: “This guy is fixing to kill this girl. But he never moved. He just stood there with his arms folded, this smirky smile, and her just dancing. And I, oh my god, this is some kind of a murder.”
• The obstacles in investigating a serial killer:
  • (02:20) “Well, that's the problem with a serial killer, because with a serial killer, you gotta... you kind of gotta build the bodies.”

6. Climax: Confrontation with the Suspected Killer

• The tension peaks as Phelps confronts the alleged murderer:
  • (02:33) “[Phelps:] I'm asking you, did you kill those girls?”
  • (02:36) “[Suspect:] You got all this information, Then why did you ask me if you already knew? What do you think?”
  • (02:43) “[Phelps:] Well, look, lots of people, including me, think you did.”
• The urgency increases with authorities finally pursuing a suspect who has been hiding in plain sight for decades.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The skull was detached from the body, and the rib cage was detached from the body... the only clothes that was on the body that we found was the pelvis, and legs were in tennis shoes.”
  (Speaker A, 00:52)
• “Well, first, he chose his own moniker. Bind them, torture them, kill them, BTK.”
  (Speaker A, 00:36)
• “Even three decades later, some sources are still terrified. Speaking out.”
  (Phelps, 01:49)
• “Well, that's the problem with a serial killer, because with a serial killer, you gotta... you kind of gotta build the bodies.”
  (Speaker A, 02:20)
• “I'm asking you, did you kill those girls?”
  (Phelps, 02:33)
  “You got all this information, Then why did you ask me if you already knew? What do you think?”
  (Suspect, 02:36)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:01 — Discovery of the skull and initial reactions
• 00:17 — Description of the murders and family trauma
• 00:26 — The BTK connection
• 01:09 — Introduction by M. William Phelps
• 01:42 — Persistence from family members
• 01:49 — Witnesses’ ongoing fear and a chilling eyewitness account
• 02:20 — The complexity of investigating a serial killer
• 02:33 — Confrontation with the suspected killer

Tone & Delivery

The episode teases a gripping, atmospheric, and sometimes deeply unsettling journey. Phelps’s voice is steady, determined, and empathetic, providing compassion for victims while bringing a relentless drive for truth. The language is raw at times, faithful to the trauma experienced by families and the intensity of the investigation.

Conclusion

This introduction sets the stage for a riveting season, promising deep investigative work, newly revealed secrets, firsthand confrontations, and the hope of bringing long-awaited answers to two families and their community. The season launches February 21, 2024, and holds the promise of true crime storytelling at its most gripping.