This Disturbing Town In Texas Is So Creepy It Inspired A Movie
Usually when horror movies say “based on a true story,” it’s just a gimmick to make it more believable. That couldn’t be further from the truth in the case of this iconic film. The Town That Dreaded Sundown tells the story of a masked murderer who terrorized Texarkana in 1946 – and it was so captivating that a sequel was made just a few years ago.
Although the murders are set in Arkansas in the movie, most actually occurred in Bowie County, which is located just outside of Texarkana. Eight people were attacked between February 22 and May 3 of 1946, and the film was released 30 years later.
While the names are different, the story of the Phantom Killer remains unchanged. He was never apprehended, so the victims' families were unfortunately never able to obtain closure.
Almost like a scene from a horror movie, the first attack happened late at night when a pair of teenage lovers were parked on a secluded road after seeing a movie together. A masked man approached the vehicle, ordered the lovers out, and assaulted them. Luckily, they both survived the ordeal.
The next two victims, however, were much less fortunate. Richard L. Griffin, age 29, and Polly Ann Morgan, age 17, were found dead about a month later in Griffin's car. They had both been shot with a .32 Colt, and the investigation turned up nothing but false leads.
This is an actual photo of police searching for clues after the murder of 15 year-old Betty Jo Booker and 16 year-old Paul Martin.
The two were slain on April 13 after Booker's weekly saxophone performance at a local club, which ended at approximately 1:30 a.m. She was shot twice while Martin was shot four times, and a $1700 reward was issued for any information about the person responsible. Obviously, no leads ever came to fruition, and the Phantom would go on to commit five more gruesome murders before fading into oblivion.
One of the only pieces of evidence recovered was this flashlight. It was found at the scene of one of the final murders and was the subject of the very first spot-colored photograph in the Texarkana Gazette.
Many suspects were questioned, but police never found probable cause to suggest any were the killer. Justice will likely never be served for the eight victims - five who were killed and three who had to live with the gruesome memories until they died as well.
1946 was a terrifying time to live in Texarkana. People were constantly watching their backs, taking care not to go out at night for fear of what lurked in the shadows. The legacy of the Phantom Killer lived on, causing the town's residents to dread sundown.
Have you ever seen this movie? Had you heard of the Phantom Killer before watching it? What other horror movies were based on events that happened in Texas?
Katie Lawrence is a Southeast Texas native who graduated 18th in her high school class with a GPA of 4.25. She attended college in the Houston area and changed her major twice (psychology, computer science, and finally criminal justice) before taking a leap of faith and dropping out to pursue a career in freelance writing.
Today, Katie writes for the Texas and Arizona pages of OnlyInYourState.com and has never been more passionate about a job before. Outside of work, you can likely find her curled up on the sofa with a hot cup of coffee, watching a crime TV show or scary movie.
