True Crime Garage — The Phantom Killer /// Part 2 /// 888

Date: November 26, 2025
Hosts: Nic & The Captain

Episode Overview

In the second part of their deep dive into the infamous Texarkana “Phantom Killer” (aka the Moonlight Murders), Nic and the Captain revisit the chilling 1946 crime spree that terrorized the Texas-Arkansas border. They analyze the pivotal farmhouse attack, broaden the scope to later speculation and suspects, and reflect on the case’s enduring mysteries. With their signature mixture of sharp research, banter, and dark curiosity, the hosts aim to challenge assumptions and examine why the case still lingers in the collective imagination.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Farmhouse Attack: A Game-Changer

[04:00 – 07:20]

• Shift in Victim Profile & Location:

  • Unlike the previous attacks on young couples parked at lovers’ lanes, the fourth attack targeted Virgil and Katie Starks, a slightly older married couple in their secluded farmhouse on May 3, 1946.
  • Nic notes: “This crime shattered the illusion that safety could be found at home...the phantom was no longer confined to the shadows of parked cars.”

• Attack Details:

  • Virgil was shot twice through a window while reading in his living room.
  • Katie, in a separate room, heard the commotion, rushed in, and was shot twice herself while trying to call for help.
  • Bleeding and barefoot, Katie managed to flee across their vast property to a neighbor for aid.
  • The attack introduced the idea that nowhere—not even the home—was safe from the Phantom.

Quote:

"This crime shattered the illusion that safety could be found at home, that you were safe from the phantom if you were inside your house at night."
— Nic [06:13]

Timeline & Geography: Are All Attacks Linked?

[12:31 – 14:58]

• The hosts challenge the neatness of the “Texarkana” label: attacks occurred in multiple counties, sometimes on different sides of the state border.

• They observe a shift in modus operandi—not just in location but also in the weapon used (.32 caliber pistol in previous double homicides vs .22 caliber in the farmhouse attack).

• Nic challenges listeners to consider whether all four attacks are definitively connected: “I don't think we have four apples...I think we have an orange, two apples in the middle, and then a banana on the end.” [21:21]
  (Captain quips: "Or a pear." [22:00])

• The issue of evolving police jurisdictions adds to the confusion, as local, Texas Ranger, and even FBI involvement led to disjointed investigations.

Evidence at the Starks Farmhouse

[18:10 – 20:41]

• Physical Clues:
  • A flashlight, .22 caliber bullet, and bloody footprint were found at the scene.
  • Nic laments the lack of specifics in historical reports, especially about the footprint: “Why don't they bother to ever tell us the size of the footprint? That would be key here.”
  • Notably, the weapon caliber differed from earlier attacks—fueling debate about linkage.

Public Panic & Changing Theories

[10:13 – 12:31; 21:23 – 23:49]

• Texarkana was in a panic; “everything was the Phantom until it’s not.”
• Rumors circulated about possible personal motives, including a supposed love triangle, but reporters and police found no substantiated evidence of this.
• Nic underscores the power of local media to shape collective memory and fear:

  “Any crime that contained a heightened element of violence…it really was like everything was the Phantom until it's not.” [21:30]

• Despite differences in victims and details, both hosts believe the community’s terror linked all violent crime to the Phantom during this period.

Motive Theories

[14:58 – 16:28; 29:13 – 30:44]

• The hosts dissect possible motives:
  • Jealousy and resentment, particularly toward men who could attract women.
  • The “threat and the prize” theory: The perpetrator is motivated by overcoming the male (threat) to get to the female (prize), with sexual violence present in several attacks.
• Captain speculates, “This could be like the pinnacle...You got this guy that's popular with a beautiful wife. If I'm going to attack somebody not at Lovers Lane…”

Suspect Rundown

[32:45 – 46:44]

Charles A. Coleman — Atoka County Suspect

• Arrested in Oklahoma after making incriminating statements but had an alibi for the Starks attack. Not believed to be the Phantom.

Youell Swinney

[34:44 – 40:36]

• Career criminal, arrested after the killings stopped.
• Wife Peggy repeatedly accused him.
• Investigators divided: “...some of these investigators went to their grave believing that Sweeney was the Phantom Killer.”
• Nic is skeptical: “I don’t think he’s as good as the next suspect.”

H.B. “Doody” Tennyson

[40:36 – 48:58; 57:35 – 58:24]

• 18-year-old college student who died by suicide and left a series of cryptic notes confessing to the murders.
• Had personal ties to some victims, worked at the local movie theater, and may have been motivated by jealousy from witnessing couples together.
• Alibi provided by a close friend for at least one attack.
• Hosts remain divided: Nic sees problems with age and experience; Captain sees possible connections.
• Nic references a website, “Did Doody Do It?”, showing the ongoing debate over his guilt.

Other Named Suspects

• Other suspects have surfaced but are quickly dismissed as “going nowhere.”
• Discussed for completeness, but the hosts focus on Sweeney and Tennyson as the likeliest historic candidates.

Why Did the Killings Stop?

[44:44 – 51:23]

• Did the killer die, get caught for another crime elsewhere, or simply move or stop?
• Comparison to other serial killers who ceased activity after being arrested for unrelated crimes.
• Hosts believe the killer most likely stopped due to external factors—possibly jail time or leaving the area.

Community Response and Lasting Theories

[61:38 – 64:39]

• Nic’s theory: The attacks evolved due to community vigilance. After curfews and vigilante behavior, the killer shifted from cars to a house out of necessity.
• Suggests the Phantom may have had law enforcement experience, citing confidence, command of scenes, and knowledge of patrol patterns.
• Describes the killer as fundamentally a “violator,” deriving pleasure from power, terror, and controlling victims:

  “He wants to violate your space...the city, its people, its police.” [65:04]

• Captain notes possible suppression of footprint evidence if it suggested a connection to law enforcement.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Changing M.O.:

  “He needs no face for them to see—in those moments he’s more than a man. He’s something else entirely.”
  — Nic [66:31]

• On Local Involvement:

  “I think this guy might be law enforcement or have a law enforcement background... He seems confident...I think he’s absolutely local.”
  — Nic [63:41 and 66:39]

• Philosophy of Evil:

  “There's the kind that's just evil. And then there’s the kind that know they're evil and hate themselves for it.”
  — Captain [50:13]

Final Thoughts and Unanswered Questions

[69:55 – End]

• Hosts agree the killer is likely local, older than the initial surviving victims estimated, and highly confident.
• They debate whether note-based confessions from suspects like Tennyson can be trusted in the absence of confirming evidence.
• Conclude the true identity may never be known:

  “They're not going to solve the Phantom Killer. We're never going to learn who the Phantom Killer was.”
  — Nic [69:54]

Important Timestamps

• [04:00] — Introduction of the Starks/Farmhouse attack
• [10:13] — Public panic and changing nature of the crimes
• [18:10] — Evidence discovered at the crime scene
• [21:23] — Are all attacks connected? M.O. differences
• [29:13] — Motive theories (jealousy, threat/prize dynamic)
• [32:45] — Introduction of major suspects
• [40:36] — Doody Tennyson’s suicide and confessions
• [57:35] — Tennyson’s access and “perfect storm” theory
• [61:38] — Evolution in attack sites; law enforcement speculation
• [66:39] — Nic’s psychological profile & law enforcement theory
• [69:55] — On never knowing the killer’s true identity

Tone & Style

• Conversational with a blend of dark humor and thorough analysis
• The hosts intersperse research nuggets with banter, sometimes poking fun at their own theorizing and correcting each other on minor details.

For Listeners New to the Case

• Essential Context: The Phantom Killer, or “Texarkana Moonlight Murders,” refers to a 1946 series of unsolved violent attacks on couples in cars and, eventually, a farmhouse, straddling two states and sparking massive fear.
• The case is infamous for mystery, rumor, and decades of theory-spinning—no suspect was ever charged.
• Nic and the Captain focus on both the emotional impact (public panic, media influence) and the forensic uncertainties (changing weapons, victimology).
• Key suspects, inconsistencies in the crimes, and why investigators and the public return to the case are all examined.

Notable Quotes (with Time Stamps)

• “This crime shattered the illusion that safety could be found at home, that you were safe from the phantom if you were inside your house at night.” — Nic [06:13]
• “I don't think we have four apples...I think we have an orange, two apples in the middle, and then a banana on the end.” — Nic [21:21]
• "There's something with the gun and the flashlight, with the way that he commands everybody ... For some reason, I think this guy might be law enforcement or have a law enforcement background." — Nic [63:41]
• “He wants to violate your space, he wants to violate your vehicle, and then he'll go violate your house. He most certainly enjoyed the terror that it was causing.” — Nic [65:04]
• “They're not going to solve the phantom killer. We're never going to learn who the phantom killer was.” — Nic [69:54]

Summary Provided by True Crime Garage Podcast Summarizer

For more insights, case archives, and recommendations, visit truecrimegarage.com