July 2002

Table of Contents

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Features

A Bend in the River

In 1996 the body of a cheerleader from a small town in Oklahoma was found on the Texas side of the Red River. She had been raped and shot. The brutal crime destroyed several families and the illusions of an isolated slice of the world.

Maybe Darlie Didn't Do It

Darlie Routier has been on death row for five years now, always insisting that she didn't kill her sons Devon and Damon. And as her lawyers prepare to head into court yet again, new information about her case raises the possibility that she may have been telling the truth all along.

Dead Line

Indians slain by settlers and vice versa. Lynchings and shoot-outs. Poisonings and dismemberings. Assassinations and massacres. Our past three hundred years or so have been, uh, colorful. A fond look back at the murder and mayhem.

What They Saw

A killer's-eye view of three of the seven famous crime scenes today.

Two Barmaids, Five Alligators, and the Butcher of Elmendorf

He was a ladies' man who owned a tavern. He kept gators in a pool behind the place, into which he liked to toss small animals. He hired women to wait tables, and some of them disappeared. What happened? With Joe Ball, it was easy to believe the worst.

Columns

Crime

Doing Time

Spending 169 days in jail taught me how to use toothpaste as an acne cream, a toilet as a telephone, and a Maxi pad as a mop. Learning to keep my dignity wasn't as easy.

Behind the Lines

It's Crazy

It's the insanity defense that's insane.

Crime

Talking to Killers

What's the most unsettling thing about interviewing murderers? In many ways, they're just like you and me.

Crime

Getting Shot

In 1991 I was eating lunch with a friend when a maniac opened fire at the Luby's in Killeen. We were both hit. I lived. She didn't.

Crime

Dealing Out Death

During the 21 years I served as the district attorney for Harris County, people always attacked me for never hesitating to seek the death penalty. Here's my defense.

Crime

When a Loved One Is Murdered

In the mid-seventies my girlfriend was strangled by a serial killer. I eventually got on with my life, but I nver could have imagined the toll it would take.

Reporter

First Person

Hazardous Duty

The daughter of a corrections officer lets down her guard.

Reporter

Joaquin Jackson

What happened to former Texas Ranger Joaquin Jackson.

Reporter

Napoleon's Last Stand

Pamela Colloff counts down Napoleon Beazley's final hours.

The Filter

Pat's Pick

Primary Flavors

Pat's Pick

Word of Mouth

Pat's Pick

Pat's Pick

Miscellaneous

The Last Roundup

Psycho Paths

The truth—scouts honor—about Charles Whitman.

Web Extra

Usual Suspects

Senior editors Pamela Colloff and Michael Hall talk about this month's special crime issue.

Web Extra

The Power of the Ring

Texan Mark Oliver Gebel explains how his job as the animal trainer for the Ringling Brothers is, has, and always will be his life.

Web Extra

Best Bets

Senior editor Anne Dingus offers a list of Texas true-crime books to die for.

Web Extra

Image Builder

Gary Tanhauser, who illustrated "Two Barmaids, Five Alligators, and the Butcher of Elmendorf," talks about how he approaches his work.

Web Extra

Keystone Krooks

The robber who fled to a police station and other criminally stupid stories from our Bum Steer archives.

Web Extra

The Bad Old Days

The 1800's had its share of criminal activity.

Texas History 101

‘Twas two days before Christmas, when all through the town, not a creature expected St. Nick to come ‘round. To Cisco Santa strolled, more naughty than nice, and stirred quite a story, filled with robbery and vice.

Texas Tidbits

Step behind the walls and take a peek at the history of the Texas State penitentiary at Huntsville.

Happy Trails

There's more to Fredericksburg than antiques shopping—honest.

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