Who Did What Now – Ep. 175: The Texarkana Moonlight Murders, Part II

Host: Katie Charlwood
Date: January 4, 2026

Episode Overview

In this information-packed episode, Katie Charlwood continues her deep dive into the infamous Texarkana Moonlight Murders of 1946—a case marked by a string of double homicides and attacks that terrorized a small twin city spanning Texas and Arkansas. Building on Part I’s introduction, this installment reconstructs subsequent attacks and explores the community’s panic, the investigation’s twists, and theories surrounding the unidentified “Phantom Killer.” Through vivid storytelling, Katie gives equal weight to the sometimes-overlooked victims and the cultural and investigative chaos unfurling in postwar America.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Atmosphere in Postwar Texarkana

• Texarkana is described as optimistic and relaxed in spring 1946, still celebrating the end of WWII.
• Most locals and police had dismissed the initial attack as an isolated incident—until another double murder shocks the town.
  • [01:56] “[Texarkana] was still celebrating the end of the war as spring approached in 1946… Families in nice residential sections sit on the front porches with their supper, sipping iced teas.” — Katie

The Richard Griffin & Pollyanne Moore Murders (March 24, 1946)

• Discovery:
  • A motorist finds the couple dead in their car after a heavy rain.
  • Sheriff's investigation finds Griffin (29) and Moore (17) shot in the head, the crime scene staged (victims put back in the car).
  • Details about their final hours: a date, visits to cafes, possible movie, and conflicting details on the sequence of events.
• Investigation Details & Forensic Confusion:
  • Uncertainty about the number of shots each victim received; differing contemporary and later reports.
  • Disagreement over whether Pollyanne was sexually assaulted; some sources say no, others cite ranger files claiming rape.
  • Claims of possible staging of the scene to suggest robbery.
  • Crime scene compromised by rain and crowds—making forensic work difficult.
  • [18:27] “There were conflicting reports regarding the possible sexual assault of Pollyann Moore… FBI memo said her corpse was delivered to morticians for embalming without any tests.” — Katie
• Victim Focus:
  • Discussion of Griffin and Moore’s backgrounds, relationship, and how their stories are often reduced to crime “footnotes.”

The Panic Escalates: The Booker-Martin Case (April 14, 1946)

• Incident:
  • 16-year-old James Paul Martin and 15-year-old Betty Jo Booker are murdered; their final moments reconstructed through interviews and physical evidence.
  • Martin is found with defensive wounds; Betty Jo is found shot, fully dressed, suggestively posed.
  • Betty Jo’s saxophone is missing, prompting a region-wide search.
• Forensic Findings:
  • Sexual assault confirmed on Betty Jo (semen found not matching Martin); these details withheld from the public at the time.
  • The murders connect via ballistic evidence (.32 caliber pistol with matching marks), indicating the same killer as in the Griffin-Moore case.
• Impact:
  • This case shatters the town’s sense of safety—teens stay home, residents lock doors, demand for locks, alarms, and firearms surges.
  • [55:10] “Stores were sold out of deadbolts and locks and screen door braces… Every gun, every piece of ammunition was gone from the shelves.” — Katie
• Victim Portraits:
  • Katie spends time sharing more about the lives of Martin and Booker, highlighting their personalities, families, and tragic ends.
  • [01:00:54] “They become footnotes in their own murders. But these were real loving people, teenagers whose lives were cut short because some arsehole wanted to cause pain, to fuel his fantasies.” — Katie

Arrival of the "Phantom Killer" Moniker & Texas Rangers

• Public Fear Peaks:
  • Community introduces curfews and vigilantism becomes rampant.
  • Texas Rangers, including charismatic Captain Manuel “Lone Wolf” González, are brought in to help.
  • Lively characterization of González as both dashing and controversial—some think he’s more about media than solving crimes.
  • [01:13:53] “He had, and I’m gonna say it, big dick energy. He was take charge and his sheer force of personality did take charge of anyone who got too close.” — Katie

The Starks Attack: Shift in Modus Operandi (May 3, 1946)

• Incident:
  • Virgil and Katie Starks are attacked at home. Virgil is shot dead through a window; Katie survives two gunshot wounds to the face and manages a harrowing escape to neighbors.
  • Evidence (blood, fingerprints, shoe prints, a unique flashlight) is collected. A .22 caliber rifle is used—departing from the killer’s previous method.
• Analysis:
  • This attack—on a married couple in their home, with a new weapon—causes debate over whether it’s the same killer.
  • Dr. Anthony Lapala (penitentiary psychiatrist) claims it is, arguing the Phantom adapted his method to keep hunting.
  • [01:40:59] (On the Starks attack) “It didn’t match the previous sprees… The gun used was different. Like before, it was a .32 pistol, and this was a .22 caliber rifle.” — Katie
  • Katie also reviews contemporary racist theories and rebuffs their logic.

Community Paranoia, Rumors, and the Challenge of False Leads

• Media coverage turns international, fueling town hysteria and heavy-handed policing.
• Vigilantism: Teens with deer rifles patrol, which Katie calls “a damn stupid thing to do.”
• Police and Rangers attempt “teen lovers as bait” operations, at times using actual teenagers, at times mannequins—none successful.
  • [01:53:53] “Are they making teenagers make out in a car to catch a killer? Like, what are they doing?… The Twin City, it’s crawling with plain clothed detectives.” — Katie

The Pursuit of Suspects

• Pattern Recognition:
  • Detective Max Tackett recognizes a pattern of stolen and abandoned cars tied to the attacks.
• Yule Lee Swinney & Peggy Swinney:
  • Swinney, a petty criminal, becomes the top suspect. His wife Peggy gives—then recants—incriminating statements.
  • Links to victims via car theft and circumstantial evidence, but crucially no matching fingerprints and all material evidence is circumstantial.
  • Marital privilege blocks Peggy’s testimony against Yule; he is instead sentenced as a habitual car thief.
  • [02:09:42] “Her bread wasn’t baked, the elevator didn’t go to the top… The idea is that she was either telling the truth or was being fed the information.” — Katie
  • Swinney serves 26 years for car theft but is released after a technicality; never charged for murder.

Alternative Theories & Unsolved Status

• A series of false confessions, including a traumatized WWII veteran and a young man who killed himself and left cryptic notes.
  • None match the killer’s forensic or alibi profile.
• The case remains unsolved, with over 1,000 names on person-of-interest lists at its height—Swinney only one of many.
  • [02:19:49] “To this day, the Texarkana moonlight murders are still unsolved… now just another one of America’s cold cases.” — Katie

Memorable Quotes

• [01:00:54] (On honoring victims)
  “They become footnotes in their own murders. But these were real loving people, teenagers whose lives were cut short because some arsehole wanted to cause pain, to fuel his fantasies.”
• [01:55:10] (On the town’s panic)
  “People were terrified and ready to shoot at anyone who showed up unannounced. This was common.”
• [01:13:53] (On Lone Wolf González)
  “He had, and I’m gonna say it, big dick energy.”
• [01:53:53] (On police bait strategy)
  “Are they making teenagers make out in a car to catch a killer? Like, what are they doing?”
• [02:09:42] (On Peggy Swinney’s logic)
  “Her bread wasn’t baked, the elevator didn’t go to the top.”
• [02:19:49] (Finality)
  “To this day, the Texarkana moonlight murders are still unsolved… now just another one of America’s cold cases.”

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Time | Segment | |------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:19–05:40| Katie’s intro, content warning, setting the scene | | 05:41–26:49| The Griffin & Moore case (details, investigation, discrepancies) | | 26:50–01:00| The Booker & Martin case (crime scene, aftermath, victim portraits) | | 01:00–01:14| Town panic and resource run, public paranoia | | 01:14–01:29| Arrival & characterization of Lone Wolf González & influx of Rangers | | 01:29–01:41| The Starks attack—shift in M.O., survivor’s ordeal | | 01:41–01:55| Investigation of the farmhouse, use of bloodhounds and more forensics | | 01:55–02:05| Community paranoia, media involvement, police bait operations | | 02:05–02:20| Investigation breakthrough attempts—Det. Tackett, Swinney suspects | | 02:20–end | Alternative suspects, unresolved case, cultural impacts |

Concluding Thoughts

Katie closes with a reflection on the tragedy’s victims and the frustration of an unsolved case, highlighting the limitations of mid-century forensic work and the impact of community hysteria. She skewers the press’s role in fueling panic and the blended approaches (sometimes effective, sometimes buffoonish) of law enforcement, all while balancing grim reality with moments of levity and critical historical lens.

This episode provides an exhaustive, engaging, and compassionate retelling of Texarkana’s Moonlight Murders, rich with period detail, critical analysis, and a focus on the people at the heart of the tragedy.