The Masked Killer Who Terrorized Texas and Vanished Forever

Texarkana, 1946. A couple sits in their car under the moonlight when footsteps approach. A flashlight beam cuts through the darkness. But this isn't a police officer—it's someone wearing a white pillowcase with crude holes cut for eyes.

For four terrifying months, the "Phantom Killer" hunted couples in the dark, transforming a peaceful Texas border town into a fortress of fear. Five people died. Three survived to tell their horrifying stories. Despite one of the largest manhunts in Texas history involving the Texas Rangers and FBI, the killer vanished without a trace, leaving behind one of America's most haunting unsolved mysteries.

This documentary reveals the complete timeline of the Texarkana Moonlight Murders, the investigation that created one of the first criminal profiles in U.S. history, and the prime suspect who may have gotten away with it all. From lovers' lanes turned death traps to a town where movie theaters sat empty and parents stood guard with shotguns, discover how one masked figure forever changed an entire community.

Who was the Phantom Killer? Why did the attacks suddenly stop? Could an elderly man somewhere still be harboring these dark secrets?

Share your theory in the comments below. Subscribe and hit the notification bell for more true crime mysteries that remain unsolved to this day.

Timestamps:

**[00:00] The Night Terror Begins** - A couple's romantic evening turns into nightmare

**[00:36] The Phantom's Reign of Terror** - How one masked killer paralyzed an entire town

**[01:44] Act 1: A Town on the Border** - Texarkana's unique geography and culture in 1946

**[03:35] The First Attack: February 22** - Jimmy Hollis and Mary Jeanne Larey survive brutal assault

**[07:29] Act 2: The Phantom Emerges** - The killer returns with deadly intent

**[07:50] Palm Sunday Murders: March 24** - Richard Griffin and Polly Ann Moore found dead

**[13:22] The Saxophone Murder: April 14** - Paul Martin and Betty Jo Booker's tragic end

**[19:35] The Starks Farm Attack: May 3** - The Phantom breaks his pattern

**[26:54] Act 3: The Phantom Vanishes** - The investigation intensifies as attacks suddenly stop

**[27:48] Prime Suspect: Youell Swinney** - A career criminal's wife makes shocking claims

**[31:20] The Town That Dreaded Sundown** - How Hollywood immortalized the terror

**[33:12] Lasting Impact** - How the murders forever changed Texarkana

**[35:26] Unanswered Questions** - Why this case remains unsolved after 75+ years

**[36:30] What Do You Think?** - Share your theories about the Phantom Killer
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