Local True Crime Stories

Death Without Dignity: The Story of the First Nursing Home Corporation Indicted for Murder /
by Steven Long
This is a detailed account of the infamous 'nursing home' scandal involving six executives implicated in the murder of an 87-year-old woman and wrongful deaths of numerous other elderly patients. All of the horrific accounts of abuse and injustice within a corporate chain of Texas nursing homes are described as documented from the original Galveston DA’s investigation.


Sacrifice: The Tragic Cult Murder of Mark Kilroy in Matamoros: A Father’s Determination to Turn Evil into Good / by Jim Kilroy
The Kilroys of Santa Fe, TX enjoyed a fruitful life with their two sons Mark and Keith until Mark’s sudden disappearance shattered their livelihood. Mark was a third year pre-med student in 1989 when he disappeared during a Spring Break trip to South Texas. Nearly a month of searching availed nothing until officials crossed the border into Mexico and unearthed Mark’s dismembered remains. It was later discovered that Mark had been abducted by a drug cult and made the victim of a blood sacrifice ritual along with over 15 other people.


Out of Control: the Clara Harris Murder Case / by Steven Long
In 2002, Clara Harris became so distraught amidst her husband David’s extramarital affair that she ran him over with her car (twice) in the parking lot of a Houston-area Hotel. The case became a focal point for numerous 24/7 news shows. Harris was convicted and sentenced to 20 years pending appeal. An embarassingly deplorable made-for-TV movie aired soon after the trial.



“Are You There Alone?”: The Unspeakable Crime of Andrea Yates / by Suzanne O’Malley
In 2001, the nation was shocked to hear of a Texas woman who drowned her five children in her home’s bathtub and then called the police to confess her crime. Andrea Yates was the wife of a NASA engineer and seemingly happy mother of five boys when the horrendous event occurred in 2001, prompting endless debates over her mental stability during the trial. She was eventually convicted and sentenced to life in prison.


Without a Trace: [Inside the Robert Durst Case] / by Marion Collins
Robert Durst was the son of a wealthy New York real estate mogul who, together with his brother, continued in the family business amassing a personal wealth into the billions. When Durst was seven, he reportedly witnessed his mother’s suicide; an event doctors later attributed to his bizarre and even schizophrenic behavior. It was his wife Kathleen who first disappeared in 1982 followed by the murder of his longtime friend Susan Berman in 2000 which first led authorities to suspect Durst of criminal behavior. Although questioned, he was acquitted in both cases only to be arrested for the murder of his Galveston neighbor Morris Black in 2001. Despite missing his court date and becoming a fugitive; he was let off again and given probation with a verdict of self-defense.


Mother Love, Deadly Love: The Texas Cheerleader Murder Plot / by Anne Maler
Another bizarre criminal case involving a Houston woman which spawned two TV movies, the Texas cheerleader murder plot made headlines across the country and brought the port town of Channelview into the spotlight. Wanda Holloway, the mother of a Texas high school student, wanted so much for her daughter to be head cheerleader that she hired an assassin to 'eliminate' the competition. The formulated plot almost succeeded until police caught and convicted Wanda for attempted murder, sentencing her to 10 years in prison (9.5 of which was served on probation).