The Moonlight Murders: Texarkana's Phantom Killer<br /><br />In the spring of 1946, a masked killer terrorized the twin cities of Texarkana, attacking young couples in lover's lanes under the cover of darkness. Five brutal assaults. Three dead. Two survivors who would never be the same. And a community gripped by fear so intense that hardware stores sold out of locks and guns.<br /><br />This is the story of the Phantom Killer, one of America's most infamous unsolved cases. Across seven episodes, we'll walk through each attack in chilling detail, follow the desperate investigation that spanned multiple jurisdictions, examine the suspects who could never quite be ruled in or out, and explore how these murders shaped Texarkana forever.<br /><br />From the first attack on Jimmy Hollis and Mary Jeanne Larey to the murders of Virgil and Katie Starks, from the questionable confession of Youell Swinney to the theories that still swirl today, we're diving deep into a case that inspired The Town That Dreaded Sundown and continues to haunt true crime enthusiasts decades later. The Phantom was never caught.<br /><br />The case was never solved. But the story deserves to be told.
Moonlight Murders
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Podcast Overview
The Moonlight Murders: Texarkana's Phantom Killer<br /><br />In the spring of 1946, a masked killer terrorized the twin cities of Texarkana, attacking young couples in lover's lanes under the cover of darkness. Five brutal assaults. Three dead. Two survivors who would never be the same. And a community gripped by fear so intense that hardware stores sold out of locks and guns.<br /><br />This is the story of the Phantom Killer, one of America's most infamous unsolved cases. Across seven episodes, we'll walk through each attack in chilling detail, follow the desperate investigation that spanned multiple jurisdictions, examine the suspects who could never quite be ruled in or out, and explore how these murders shaped Texarkana forever.<br /><br />From the first attack on Jimmy Hollis and Mary Jeanne Larey to the murders of Virgil and Katie Starks, from the questionable confession of Youell Swinney to the theories that still swirl today, we're diving deep into a case that inspired The Town That Dreaded Sundown and continues to haunt true crime enthusiasts decades later. The Phantom was never caught.<br /><br />The case was never solved. But the story deserves to be told.
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Publishing Since
1/3/2026
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Recent Episodes
January 26, 2026
Episode 7: The Aftermath
Youell Swinney was sentenced to life in prison in 1947 for being a habitual car thief. For twenty-six years, he insisted he was innocent of murder. Then in 1973, his conviction was overturned on constitutional grounds. The man everyone believed was the Phantom Killer walked free. He went right back to stealing cars. He died in 1994, never charged with the murders. Two years after the killings, a University of Arkansas freshman named Henry Tennison left a suicide note confessing to murdering Betty Jo Booker and Paul Martin. Then he left another note saying to disregard all other messages. In 1976, filmmaker Charles B. Pierce turned the tragedy into a horror movie. The families were devastated. Today, Texarkana screens that film every Halloween at Spring Lake Park, the actual crime scene where Betty Jo's body was found. Seventy-eight years later, the case remains officially unsolved. Was Youell Swinney the Phantom? The evidence is compelling but never proven. Sometimes evil leaves nothing but questions.<br /><br />#TexarkanaPhantom #UnsolvedMysteries #TrueCrimeHistory #PhantomKiller<br /><br />If you're hooked on the Texarkana Phantom case and want more deep dives into fascinating true crime stories, check out my other podcast, 10 Minute Murder. Every episode delivers a complete true crime story in just ten minutes. Perfect for your commute, lunch break, or whenever you need a quick fix of compelling storytelling about history's most intriguing cases. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts.
January 26, 2026
Episode 6: Justice By Any Means
By late 1946, prosecutors faced an impossible choice. They believed Youell Swinney was the Phantom Killer. The stolen car pattern was too perfect. Peggy's knowledge of Paul Martin's secret datebook was damning. That question about the electric chair haunted everyone who heard it. But Peggy had recanted everything. The star witness was gone. If they charged Swinney with murder and lost at trial, double jeopardy would protect him forever. He could never be tried again. So they found another way. Texas had a habitual offender law. Three felony convictions meant mandatory life in prison. Swinney already had two. The current car theft charge would be his third strike. They would lock him up for life without ever charging him with murder. Was this justice or a perversion of it? The families got no trial for their murdered loved ones. The case would remain officially unsolved. But the man investigators believed was a serial killer would die behind bars. Or so everyone thought. Twenty-six years later, something happened that nobody saw coming.<br /><br />#TexarkanaPhantom #YouellSwinney #TrueCrimeJustice #HabitudinalOffender<br /><br />If you're hooked on the Texarkana Phantom case and want more deep dives into fascinating true crime stories, check out my other podcast, 10 Minute Murder. Every episode delivers a complete true crime story in just ten minutes. Perfect for your commute, lunch break, or whenever you need a quick fix of compelling storytelling about history's most intriguing cases. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts.
January 26, 2026
Episode 5: The Swinney Investigation
Arkansas State Trooper Max Tackett saw what everyone else had missed. Before each murder, a car was stolen. After each attack, that car was abandoned. The Phantom wasn't using his own vehicle. He was stealing them. If Tackett was right, the key to catching a serial killer was finding the right car thief. On June 28th, 1946, a routine stakeout of a stolen Plymouth led to the arrest of Peggy Stevens. Hours earlier, she'd married a career criminal named Youell Swinney. The timing seemed deliberate. Spousal privilege meant she couldn't be forced to testify against him. When investigators finally got her talking, Peggy revealed details only the killer would know. She knew about Paul Martin's datebook, evidence never released to the public. But her story kept changing. Dates didn't match. Then came the San Antonio alibi. If the Swinneys were sleeping under a bridge 400 miles away, Youell couldn't have murdered Paul Martin and Betty Jo Booker. The case was falling apart before it ever reached trial.<br /><br />#TexarkanaPhantom #YouellSwinney #TrueCrimeInvestigation #UnsolvedCases<br /><br />If you're hooked on the Texarkana Phantom case and want more deep dives into fascinating true crime stories, check out my other podcast, 10 Minute Murder. Every episode delivers a complete true crime story in just ten minutes. Perfect for your commute, lunch break, or whenever you need a quick fix of compelling storytelling about history's most intriguing cases. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts.
7 total episodes available
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