July 2002
Table of Contents
Features
A Bend in the RiverIn 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 ItDarlie 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 LineIndians 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 SawA killer's-eye view of three of the seven famous crime scenes today. Two Barmaids, Five Alligators, and the Butcher of ElmendorfHe 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
CrimeDoing TimeSpending 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. CrimeTalking to KillersWhat's the most unsettling thing about interviewing murderers? In many ways, they're just like you and me. |
CrimeGetting ShotIn 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. CrimeDealing Out DeathDuring 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. CrimeWhen a Loved One Is MurderedIn 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
The Filter
Pat’s PickPrimary Flavors |
Pat’s PickWord of MouthPat’s PickPat's Pick |
Miscellany
Web Exclusives
Usual SuspectsSenior editors Pamela Colloff and Michael Hall talk about this month's special crime issue. The Power of the RingTexan Mark Oliver Gebel explains how his job as the animal trainer for the Ringling Brothers is, has, and always will be his life. Best BetsSenior editor Anne Dingus offers a list of Texas true-crime books to die for. Image BuilderGary Tanhauser, who illustrated "Two Barmaids, Five Alligators, and the Butcher of Elmendorf," talks about how he approaches his work. Keystone KrooksThe robber who fled to a police station and other criminally stupid stories from our Bum Steer archives. |
The Bad Old DaysThe 1800's had its share of criminal activity. Texas TidbitsStep behind the walls and take a peek at the history of the Texas State penitentiary at Huntsville. Happy TrailsThere's more to Fredericksburg than antiques shopping—honest. 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. |
