On November 25, 1990, Celestine Rogers was found deceased at a park at 2100 Redbud Trail. Report No: 95660124Victim: Jackie Myers, 32 years old Her vehicle was found after several days, just a few miles away. Around that time, NBC-5 reported that even though the fall semester had already begun, Fort Worth ISD [is] hiring 300 teachers and campus monitors. Also, the Star-Telegramsaid one month earlier that staffing shortages have left teachers scrambling to cover classes for absent colleagues.. So, a group of amateur sleuths wants to put their heads together to help find new leads. In their podcast still , they dive into seven cold cases that span from 1983 to 1985, all closely related and occurring in North Texas. On June 12, 1980, officers were dispatched to 1800 E. Lancaster Avenue. An employee had found the body of Jerry Goodgion next to the loading dock. Get email updates from the Fort Worth Police Department. He was quickly charged with murder. Those were the last words I heard from Carla.. Her purse was located in a pond in southwest Fort Worth, close to where Hellers body was discovered. Sandra Bush resided with her parents on Cutler St. in Fort Worth. At McCurleys trial in August, McCoy was the first witness to testify. All the police knew was that each of the missing women had been in their cars and were somehow taken. The trios research revealed that during the mid-1980s, six serial killers were operating in North Texas. Three journalists have teamed together to analyze the abduction and murder of seven young women in the mid-1980s. I reached out to both Needham and Jackson for comment but did not hear back. She had been shot in the chest. At first, he claimed he saved Carla from McCoy and the two had consensual sex. Location: 614 S Freeway After being dropped off by her date, intending to visit a friend in southwest Fort Worth, she was last seen walking across the street to a Dairy Queen. Palazzolo: The kids know when you have low expectations. It was later determined that she had been strangled. All rights reserved. Location: 3404 Park Ridge A witness reported that Michael Morgan had been talking to another male in the back yard. Satisfyingly, he provides them in depth. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. Location: 1829 S. Jennings Avenue Police believe the two were neighborhood friends, and Rodgers was found dead in the Knox's family home. Report No: 91528811Victim: Kevin Hood, 22 years old The male directed the manager to the office, where the safe was located. "We take terrible evidence that other labs don't want to mess with," he said. Carlas body was found three days later in a culvert near Benbrook Lake. A person had called the police after finding the body of Michael Myers lying inside the business. She did not return to the room. Report No: 94402964Victim: Curtis Roberson, 24 years old On April 3 of that year, according to an affidavit, he told detectives his Ruger had been stolen six weeks before, around the same time of Carlas murder. They entered the residence and found the bodies of Frederick Cremean, and his wife, Karen Cremean. Report No: 91688128Victim: Ladye Gallaher, 84 years old Location: 2306 E Berry St Police said Tuesday that McCurley is not Carla Walker was just 17 years old when she was abducted, held captive and eventually murdered. In the four previous school districts where Id worked, I had never heard classroom teachers bringing up the petty inside politics of the school district with other teachers. Report No: 94108501Victim: James McVey, 39 years old Location: 200 Clinton On January 4, 1986, officers were dispatched to the residence at 1109 S. Jennings Avenue. McCurley was on the other side of the door. They died as a result of blunt force injuries. The investigation revealed that she had left the club and was supposed to go visit a friend. He had to switch to working retail, which he likes but describes as just a job. Report No: 92456591Victim: Rose Fromer, 50 year-old white female It was terrifying. Fort Worth Police Department. On August 17, 1983, Mary Till went out on a date. Visible In discussing Needham, it was the first time I saw Palazzolo really get emotional. This case was investigated by the Homicide Unit, due to the nature of the crime and the severity of her injuries. As Palazzolo related it to me, as far as he knew, that school year of 2009-2010 at Arlington Heights was going well. Two hispanic males entered the bar, demanded money, and shot Mary Sorola and her husband. However, when detectives confronted him about the DNA evidence, he eventually confessed. She never showed up for work. Next month, the date for Palazzolos new trial will be set. She had been strangled. Patrol officers responded to the scene and found Mr. Myers in the apartment. They want her to be remembered for who she was.. Upon his release, he moved back to Fort Worth. The podcast holds more interest than a mere retelling of each gruesome murder. . He died as a result of a gunshot wound. "The word that came across my brain was 'finally,' after 46 years, five months and three days, we have a name, a face and are working toward a complete resolution," said Jim Walker. " Davis body was found less than seven miles from her apartment. DNA evidence recovered from clothing and a bra worn by Carla Walker the night she was abducted was sent to a private lab in The Woodlands. All of their ideas are related to criminal investigations. On September 30, 1984, Catherine Davis was reported missing by a friend. On June 17, 1991, Doyle Stanley and John Maddox were found deceased at their residence. After reaching out to him through the JPay systems email, there was no response. Five months later, her body was found in a field not far from her car. Coat hangers with human blood were found inside her car, and blood was smudged on the door handle. More than 35 years later, Gary said, the victims families and friends are still waiting for answers, still waiting for justice, still waiting for peace.. On Sept. 10, 2020, police said they returned to McCurley's home and were invited inside where they spoke to both him and his wife. There were no signs of forced entry; however, evidence of a struggle was apparent inside the residence. Location: 4300 Brentwood Stair Rd She was shot and killed as she was about to enter the house. Plus, during this time, he had to burn through his savings and cash in his state retirement. On June 27, 1983, Julie Fuller was staying with her parents at a motel in the city of Arlington. McCoy, blood running down his face, could not tell if Carla was pulled from the car, but knew she suddenly was not in the seat next to him. Carlas boyfriend at the time of her murder, Rodney McCoy, forensic genealogy and new DNA extraction technology. If somebody is hunting young, attractive women in this area, odds are pretty good that they may have been involved in modeling in some way or another in the mid-1980s, Karin said. A short time later, a male was shot during a robbery at a nearby apartment complex on Meadowbrook Drive. Report No: 92145495Victim: Trina Lane, 23 year-old black female Students were allowed to clean for credit. Thirty-one years after the unsolved slaying of Lecia McGee, a key figure emerged. She never returned home. Location: 1125 May St Photo by Ken Wheatcroft-Pardue. Donations can be made at the nonprofits website at fwpdcoldcasesupport.org. Her body was found a few days later in a creek in southwest Dallas, stabbed to death. Location: 700 NE 28th St Report No: 86087440Victim: Jane Doe Adult white female Location: 1205 S Henderson Wagner and Bennett worked tirelessly on Carlas case and utilized forensic genealogy and new DNA extraction technology to zero in on McCurley as Carlas killer. McCurley also told investigators that on the day of the murder he worked until 4:30 p.m. as a truck driver and had been off work the following day. Police said Tuesday that McCurley is not a suspect in any other crimes. Peaceful. First, the district told him he was being transferred to the International Newcomer Academy, a definite demotion, and, later, the district decided to instead transfer him to Western Hills High School. It was later determined that she had been strangled. The van and its occupants fled the scene. On January 21, 1991, officers were dispatched to a reported robbery at the Roslyn Shoes business, 5724 Locke Avenue. These two dozen murders prompted the formation of a task force in Fort Worth, Gary said, speaking to me recently along with Karin and Hughes from the Andersons home in Garland and Hughes home in Alabama. He and other individuals were outside the house. He added the Walker family wanted to see justice served in Carla's death and that "prayers and forgiveness do not come with a Get Out of Jail Free card.". Using public data to view his background, the team discovered that the man they believe to be the killer, Curtis Don Brown, was arrested on May 29, 1986. On October 29, 1983, Jesus Nanares was shot and killed while he sat in his car, which was parked in front of his residence: 1260 Park Place. I listened to Palazzolos woes while in the background played what passes for country music these days over the usual din of plates being set down and the steady clicking of cutlery. At the time, he and the teachers coming forward were assured by both the superintendent at the time, Melody Johnson, and the districts diversity representative, Sharon Herrera, that there would be no retaliation. Twenty-seven-year-old Mary Till left her apartment in Arlington around 9 a.m. and headed toward her workplace at a downtown Dallas law firm. Location: 3900 Hemphill Fort Worth Police detectives Jeff Bennett and Leah Wagner were the primary . He lived in the house that he and his siblings grew up in walking through the same front door McCoy pounded on the night Carla was taken. They believe he was leaving the scene of the crime with two of her purses when he was noticed by police, who were staking out the area on an unrelated matter. The team believes these murders to be the work of one serial killer. He survived his injuries. One of the things that the task force was initially looking at was the strange coincidence of how so many of these victims, including some that were not among the seven, were involved in one way or another to the fashion modeling industry. On June 13, 1994, Robert Freeman was at a pay telephone in front of Julies Food Mart at 4621 Miller Avenue when he was shot and killed during an apparent robbery. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Detectives have solved a nearly half-century old cold murder case. Instead of remedying the problems at Arlington Heights and other campuses, the district has spent years going after the messenger. Mary Glasscock owned the Emporium Antiques business located at 4709 Bryce. Here, Palazzolo paused and noted that over the past few years he had been trying to put all this out of his mind. Potentially, the district could end up paying him upwards of $4 million, which would include $1 million in back pay, plus interest, and $250,000 in damages. Location: 4700 Poppy Drive East It is really fascinating to me from a personal point of view, going, My gosh, we lived through this, and I had no idea, he said. We returned from Christmas break and were handed the key to our dorm room and a briefing from the college about the missing co-eds and the dismembered body found on campus. She died as a result of blunt force trauma. On July 11, 1998, Edna Rodriguez was reported missing from her family's residence at 3536 Travis Avenue. Learn more about your ad choices. On January 5, 1985, Cindy Heller was found deceased in a ravine behind the TCU Physical Maintenance Plant. The second murder took place in November of the same year. The Mayfair Street neighborhood in west Fort Worth was a blue-collar area in the 1980s. Since 2015, the department has had one investigator assigned to review . Sandra Bush did not return to her residence. During the trial, McCurley initially pleaded not guilty to the murder. A Texas man has been indicted in a cold case involving the torture and murder of a 17-year-old girl 46 years ago. Mary Tills case was one of the cases that the Homicide Task Force investigated. The district has gone to the Texas Supreme Court twice and lost both times. Fort Worth Cold Cases: Becky Martin, Angela Ewart, and Christy Towers Detectives Leah Wagner and Jeff Bennett of the Fort Worth Police Department share more information about three cold. The bodies of several females had been found in and around Fort Worth. We're just ecstatic that we could finally come to a head after all this time.". The Fort Worth Police Department will be . Glen McCurley, 77, is in the Tarrant County Jail charged with the murder of Carla Walker, 17 . Report No: 98283643Victim: Dorris Turner, 80 year old black male As Palazzolo told the Weeklyin 2014, the district has allegedly paid out millions in legal fees all with taxpayer money.. Her enemy was not the wrongdoing Palazzolo had uncovered but the man who had, in his capacity as the schools diversity representative, exposed its failings for them to be solved. In 1989, after being in the Army, running a small business, and working for the government, Palazzolo decided education was the career for him. A warrant for capital murder was then obtained and McCurley was taken into custody without incident. It was later determined that he had been stabbed. Though each of those murderers are now either dead or incarcerated, Karin added, police arent certain that all of the victims have been identified. North Texas' Black high school football coaches are making history. . Five months after her killer was sentenced in a Fort Worth courtroom, Carla Walkers story will be featured on an episode of NBCs Dateline on Friday night. They found Marilyn Hartmann deceased in the house. Location: 2416 NE 28th St Eduardo Lopez approached the male. It was later determined that she had been strangled. Priscilla lived alone at the residence. Location: 1029 E Powell Ave It appeared that he struggled with the suspect(s). I loved teaching. His face had been sprayed with paint, and gang graffiti had been sprayed on his truck. The lab, Othram near Houston, uses advanced technology that can test tiny samples of DNA and come up with a full genetic profile of the suspect, said Othram's founder David Mittleman. Fort Worth Cold Cases: Becky Martin, Angela Ewart, and Christy Towers, Ukrainian soldiers wounded on Bakhmut front line receive treatment, Angry scenes in Athens after at least 43 people killed in train collision, SpaceX launches international crew to space station, At least 2 dead after exposure to unknown substance at N.Y. senior facility, Clark Atlanta University students mourn loss of athlete fatally shot near campus, Iranian government to investigate series of poisonings. She lived alone at the house. Carla leaned against the passenger side door, her purse behind her head, and McCoy leaned over top of her. Its not like we solved the case of the century, and we dont know that its been solved at all, but we were just following up and exploring further what had been kind of left behind.. In the 1980s they owned a Rock and Roll club on the south side of Fort Worth. On February 24, 1986, patrol officers were dispatched to 1257 E. Magnolia Avenue, on a report that there was a deceased person at that location. Punch in their information and see where they are. Location: 6201 Dowdell Michael Morgan died as a result of gunshot wounds. Fort Worth homicide detectives hope a 45-year-old letter will help solve an equally old homicide. About ten minutes later, the witness heard some gunshots. Gary was merely a year and a half away from graduating from Grand Prairie High School and attending the University of Texas at Arlington, where one of the victims was attending when she was murdered. I did call the police and they never checked out what I told them. The Fort Worth Police Department's backlog tops more than 1,000 open cold cases, according to a department records officer. The city of Fort Worth has more than 900 cold cases and currently just one detective assigned to work them. Sitting at our table at a South Fort Worth eatery, our cups of coffee long cold, our conversation wrapping up, Joe Palazzolo recalled photos of him that the Weekly took more than a decade . Larry Shaw felt compelled to defend Palazzolo. He had been stabbed. Report No: 80327562Victim: Lorane Larkin, 50 years old Even if its not true closure, its a sense of closure., The most challenging aspect of their podcast was finding someone who knew the victim. Its then I interjected, telling Palazzolo that when I started in Fort Worth ISD in 1996, I was shocked how regular classroom teachers would go into detail about the latest shenanigans of board members and administrators, talking about who was up or down. Nearly two months after Walker's disappearance and murder, McCurley was picked up and interviewed by detectives about the case. On that years evaluation, he received Exceeds Expectations, and his principal, Neta Alexander, had recommended him for a promotion to be a principal at Metro Opportunity High School. She died as a result of a gunshot wound. In his moms 1969 LTV, they started to kiss. If you dont expect them to go to class, [and] youre not going to do anything to make sure they go to class some of those kids dont have that in their lives.Photo by Ken Wheatcroft-Pardue.At that same time, because he was named Arlington Heights diversity representative, teachers had been coming to him with complaints, ranging from inappropriate conduct, assault by an administrator on staff, sexual harassment, attendance alteration, theft, embezzlement, and discrimination against minority students.. He also credits living on his small ranch with helping him keep his sanity. When it was all laid out, said the then-head of the United Educators Association, a local group that represents educational employees, I thought this guy had gotten a really raw deal, so we agreed that the right thing to do was to work to get him his job back. That December, 21-year-old Angela Ewert stopped at a convenience store after leaving her fiancs house in southwest Fort Worth around 11 p.m. She headed east, but several miles down the road, she pulled over with a flat tire, which appeared to have been stabbed. Location: 2600 Quail Rd I recall hearing about it, she said, particularly the TCU homicide, and how girls that were going to college were being very careful, especially in parking lots at night, but it didnt stop me from going to nightclubs and hanging out with my friends.. On November 14, 1981, the driver of a two-tone Dodge Coronet car struck Mary Garcias car and fled the scene. Plus, he has rescued several horses and raised registered German Shepherds., Palazzolo also pointed to his strong religious beliefs and his military background with helping him stand up to the Fort Worth school district. There is a way where you can track prisoners online, Gary said. Over the last four decades, police said it appears McCurley had led a relatively normal life, was married and had two children. She was the subject of an extensive police search. Palazzolo was demoted, transferred, fired, reinstated, and then fired a second time, but that was not all the district did. Her vehicle had been seen leaving the residence on Park Ridge on the night of September 28, 1984. I took advantage of her, I guess, McCurley said during the interview. Its a heart-wrenching moment to make a cold call to somebody when you dont know how theyre going to react, Karin said, hearing you asking them about a murder that happened 35 years ago the murdered being someone that they love. Her death was ruled a homicide. It was later determined that he had been shot in the head. On May 3, 1999, Ezekiel Barraza, who was also known as Chico, was at the Cowboy Cats Club at Main Street and Exchange Avenue. Someone may have a clue that is needed to bring closure to one of these unsolved crimes. Next week, in fact. Over the last four decades, police said it appears McCurley had led a relatively normal life, was married and had two children. Location: 6509 Plaza Parkway By dusting windows, they perversely and illegally made up for their absences. A listener who grew up in North Texas called in after hearing the podcast and explained why a lot of the young women at that time were not familiar with or precautioned about the serial killings. It was a really big win for us and the Walker family. Nancy Bay worked at the Tempo Club. The officers entered the house and found the body of Priscilla Turner in the residence. 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