An arrest has been made in a Fort Worth cold case that went unsolved for nearly half a century. One of the victims was African American, but the others were all Caucasian women. We tracked where he was living at the time in relation to where the victims were taken, and he had ties to every single one of their locations in one way or another, Karin said. Send tips via email or Twitter. They refer to themselves collectively as The Reporter's Notebook. On March 12, 1982, Angela Jones was found deceased in a creek at 2100 E. Richmond Ave. A fire was discovered in Catherines apartment after her vehicle was seen leaving her residence. He has learned such new skills as how to grow hay and weld. On September 19, 1983, officers were dispatched to the residence at 4825 Mayfair. Four cases were concentrated not only in space, but they were concentrated between September and December of 84, all within a two-mile radius, Gary said. I took advantage of her, I guess, McCurley said during the interview. Location: 4708 Bryce Ave On July 7, 2020, investigators collected trash from a bin in front of McCurley's residence and items from that bin were sent for analysis. Carla wore a powder blue dress and the flowered corsage McCoy had pinned to the fabric. The trios research revealed that during the mid-1980s, six serial killers were operating in North Texas. There were no apparent signs of forced entry. The male directed the manager to the office, where the safe was located. Palazzolo then realized this was the key to understanding what had happened in his past. Punch in their information and see where they are. News. In the hearings following Palazzolos firing, those charges were proven to be baseless. Around 10:30 p.m., an intruder broke in, raped her, and beat her to death. On November 14, 1981, the driver of a two-tone Dodge Coronet car struck Mary Garcias car and fled the scene. Her body was discovered months later in a field near her car. This shows just how awful and wrongheaded this overly long vengeance crusade has been. 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.. It's been a long time since Joe Palazzolo's hair was dark. The officers entered the residence and observed the bodies of John and Mary Mitchell inside the house. Location: 2001 Aden Rd 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.. Heller left a note on the door of the drivers friends apartment, trying to help them get in contact with each other. Our law enforcers see death and evil everyday and sometimes that numbs them to actual or possible facts. An advantage that these reporters have over the police is being able to step back and observe all of the evidence and information through an objective lens. Glen McCurley, 77, of Fort Worth, was . On June 3rd, 1984, Manuel Soto was inside the bar located at 1416 N. Main Street. Location: 1000 North Freeway An arrest has been made in a Fort Worth cold case that went unsolved for nearly half a century.. Police said 77-year-old Glen Samuel McCurley was in custody Tuesday in connection with the 1974 . Some of those kids dont have that in their lives, and I loved that about teaching. She lived at the residence with a relative. She had been raped, beaten and strangled. Sort All Cases By: Company Area | Male | Female | County | Year | Last Name Results: 13 Record (s) Found. On May 29, 1994, a hispanic male entered the store, armed with a handgun. On January 4, 1986, officers were dispatched to the residence at 1109 S. Jennings Avenue. Report No: 91316552Victim: Doyle Stanley (53 year old white male) & John Maddox (29 year old white male) What a great service yall provided for young (and even older) women in the TX community. Plus, during this time, he had to burn through his savings and cash in his state retirement. Report No: 86338629Victim: Francisco Puentes, 18 years old She had been strangled. Report No: 84211918 Victim: Manuel Vargas Soto, 22 years old Location: 1416 N Main St On June 3rd, 1984, Manuel Soto was inside the bar located at 1416 N. Main Street. In the 1980s they owned a Rock and Roll club on the south side of Fort Worth. His is the 113th cold case cleared since the department began increasing efforts in 2002 to reinvestigate unsolved . On February 17, 1980, Maria Sorola and her husband were working at Joe and Lupes Bar at 465 S. Main Street. He had apparently been robbed, and his vehicle had been stolen. During a news conference Tuesday afternoon, detectives with the Fort Worth Police Department said they believe the assault and murder were random and that Walker and McCurley didn't know each other. Suddenly, the passenger door yanked open. There was no social media, so news wasnt immediately distributed. Her car was in the parking lot. Sometimes it takes eyes and interests other than the law enforcement to make connections. The investigation showed that Lester Cole worked at the Snack Bar, which was near where his body was found. Coat hangers with human blood were found inside her car, and blood was smudged on the door handle. The property at 1600 Ballinger used to be owned by the Marble Product Company. Report No: 84211918Victim: Manuel Vargas Soto, 22 years old We saw newspaper reports where police had identified him as the primary suspect. 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.. It had to be in person, which wasnt an option because of COVID. He also credits living on his small ranch with helping him keep his sanity. All rights reserved. Report No: 90635142Victim: Celestine Broadus, 27 year old black female Less than a month after Davis murder, 23-year-old Cindy Heller disappeared after assisting a stranded female driver in southwest Fort Worth. Location: 1125 May St She had been strangled. We watched over four or five months, and he was transferred no fewer than two times, probably because of COVID or because he was dying.. Report No: 86005510Victim: Clyde Bond, 28 year-old black male I think that this man felt power by stealing the lives of beautiful women, Karin said. She left her residence on May 14, 1980, to go to a friends house in Fort Worth. After the dance, Carla and McCoy parked in the Ridglea Bowl parking lot so she could use the bathroom. During a news conference Tuesday afternoon, detectives with the Fort Worth Police Department said they believe the assault and murder were random and that Walker and McCurley didnt know each other. Kathryn Jackson was a school teacher. He grappled with finding just the right words to describe her, then shook his head and said, Especially in regards to my case, I question her ethics, character, and morals.. Julie Fuller and her parents had recently arrived in the United States from England. After reaching out to him through the JPay systems email, there was no response. Jail records showed McCurley was being held in the Tarrant County Jail on a charge of capital murder with bond set at $100,000. Here, Palazzolo paused and noted that over the past few years he had been trying to put all this out of his mind. When they tried to stop him to question him, he ran but was apprehended and arrested after a fierce struggle. 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. Copyright 2020 Fort Worth Weekly, All Rights Reserved. FORT WORTH, Texas - After nearly 40 years, a cold case has been solved.. Fort Worth police identified the man they believed killed an 11-year-old girl in June 1983. Location: Rural area in south Tarrant County Some friends went to her apartment. It was later determined that the same firearm was used in both crimes. Then she explained that the district is short on administrators and teachers. His ordeal, he said, has "taken a toll.". On August 16, 1986, Francisco Puentes and a male friend were in the parking lot at 2416 N.E. "We take terrible evidence that other labs don't want to mess with," he said. In 2017, they discussed the possibility of working on a project together that would bring them back to their journalism roots. Cold Case: Who Tortured, Raped and Killed Carla Walker? Report No: 84419922Victim: Marilyn Hartman, 29 years old On February 18, 1992, Ginger Ross was found deceased in the living room of her residence. About ten minutes later, the witness heard some gunshots. She resided on Sanders Drive in Fort Worth. I feel sadness for the McCurleys that are survivors of this. It will bev30 years this year, on December 6, and it is still unsolved. He told the Fort Worth detectives that he just got carried away when he strangled and killed Carla. On November 25, 1990, Celestine Rogers was found deceased at a park at 2100 Redbud Trail. 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. On May 3, 1999, Ezekiel Barraza, who was also known as Chico, was at the Cowboy Cats Club at Main Street and Exchange Avenue. Her death was ruled a homicide. Since 2015, the department has had one investigator assigned to review . The officers found the body of Lester Cole lying in the parking lot, in front of his 1978 Chevrolet El Camino. If teachers and administrators know the district will fire you and also try to ruin your reputation, then the powers-that-be can be sure their employees will not show the public whats really going on. Location: 3900 Freshfield Road We want to note that African American serial killers are not rare, Karin said. 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. Location: 4344 E Lancaster It was later determined that she had been strangled. The podcast focuses on finding peace of mind for those affected by the violent crimes. They could not go any further because media arent allowed to interview prisoners via video or telephone. Location: 2204 Hurley Ave Location: 1109 S Jennings Ave In September 1984, 23-year-old Catherine Davis returned to her apartment in southwest Fort Worth around midnight. Report No: 85006264Victim: Cindy Heller, 23 years old 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. Nobody paid attention to the fact that it didnt matter what race you were. Report No: 91631068Victim: Richard Garcia, 17 year-old hispanic male When they checked in on him again on February 5, the journalists were shocked to discover that he had died the previous week. On November 22, 1991, Richard Garcia was at a party that was being held at the residence at 1826 May Street. Get email updates from the Fort Worth Police Department. It was later detemined that he had been stabbed in the chest. Location: 2700 E Vickery Blvd Man accused of murder in Fort Worth cold case confesses in video interview August 23, 2021 7:45 PM Crime Here's how Fort Worth police solved the Carla Walker cold case October 22, 2020 6:00 AM . For three years after he was fired, he had tried to land a position at other area school districts. She stood by the elevators after the trial, clutching a gold-framed photo of Carla. Satisfyingly, he provides them in depth. McCurley pleaded guilty to the capital murder. Location: 2306 E Berry St Fort Worth Star-Telegram App Subscriptions Start a Subscription Customer Service eEdition . They were trying to get funding from Congress. 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. Julie left the room to take some trash to a dumpster. As McCoy and Carla fell from the car, McCurley beat McCoy over the head with a .22 Ruger pistol. We believe throughout the course of our podcasts and our investigation that its very likely that one man committed at least seven of the murders, Gary said. Location: 4800 Decature RD Hughes was around the same age of the victims and remembers living in Dallas during the murder spree. 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. On October 19, 1984, some of Marilyn Hartmanns friends went to her house to visit her. Location: 1260 Park Place March 1, 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. This female has not been identified. A witness reported that Michael Morgan had been talking to another male in the back yard. The gun did not go off. The Carla Walker murder case spurred a new foundation to help tackle Fort Worth's nearly 1,000 cold case killings. Months later, Hellers body was found nude in a pond on the TCU campus. The Mayfair Street neighborhood in west Fort Worth was a blue-collar area in the 1980s. It was determined that she died as a result of a gunshot wound to the chest. Fort Worth Police Cold Case Detective K. Adcock and Texas Ranger Lt. T. Gooding were able to link the two Fort Worth cases to another cold case that happened in McAllen in 2002.. An employee had found the body of Jerry Goodgion next to the loading dock. Location: 1416 N Main St She lived on Bellaire Dr in Fort Worth. We pray that his death doesnt mean an end to hope for the victims families or prevent police investigators from seeking DNA proof that could either clear him in these cases or confirm our suspicions. In this new podcast, three journalists dig into seven cold cases and come up with one solution. 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