1984 The Ellebracht Slave Ranch in Mountain Home, Texas
Warning: This story contains disturbing content and may be triggering for some readers. Proceed with care. Thanks to Elizabeth for suggesting this bizarre case. It’s a long one, so settle in. Today, we’re headed to Mountain Home, Texas — a small blink-and-you’ll-miss-it spot near Ingram and Kerrville — to revisit the…
1995 The Murder and Kidnapping of 12-year-old McKay Everett (Conroe)
Nancy Guthrie’s missing status since January 31, 2026 from her home in Tucson, Arizona reminded me of this horrible story about the 1995 Kidnapping, Torture, and Murder of McKay Everett in Conroe, Texas. His tormentor and murderer? A family friend named Hilton Crawford. Hi, it’s Brenda from Vintage Texas Crimes. I…
1985 | Bryan, Texas | Sandra Black’s Murder by a Soldier of Fortune Hitman
Warning: If you are triggered by acts of domestic violence, skip this one. PART I The Crime On the quiet evening of February 21, 1985, Robert Vannoy (Bob) Black Jr., and his 15-year-old son, Gary, pulled up to their home on Steep Hollow Circle, east of Bryan, Texas. Gary wasn’t feeling…
2002 Susan McFarland’s Murder in Terrell Hills / San Antonio
Introduction On January 14, 2003, Texas Ranger Shawn Palmer and Detective Boyd Wedding from the Terrell Hills Police Department made a horrible discovery at an abandoned farm. An old Datsun truck bed that had been made into a utility trailer sat with half-burned refuse in it. Ranger Palmer walked up to…
Brad Simpson Update 1/21/2026 – Trial Delayed
Brad Simpson was charged with his wife’s murder at their Olmos Park home (in San Antonio) in the fall of 2024. At a hearing yesterday, Simpson’s February trial date was been pushed back another 60 days. We are probably looking at April now for a trial date. The San Antonio Express…
Update: Brad Simpson Murder Trial Delayed as Prosecutors Review New Evidence (01/20/2026)
The murder trial of Brad Simpson, originally scheduled for next month, has been delayed as prosecutors continue reviewing newly submitted evidence. During a court hearing on Tuesday, lead prosecutor Casey Sandoval told the court that law enforcement was required to submit all evidence by September 1, 2025—but additional materials have continued…
1987 – Katy – The Murder of Ester Collins, a Cold Case Going Back to November 6, 1987
Link to Vlog on YouTube It has been almost 40 years since the murder of Ester Darlene Collins. It happened on a Friday afternoon in Katy, Texas. Ester was working in a model home. It was a pretty house in the $80,000 range in 1987 (which would be about $300,000…
1991 – The Murder of Edwina Prosen (Sweeny)
The little town wasn’t stirring yet. It was a Sunday morning, the last one of September 1991, and a man was sitting on a bench. The bench was in Sweeny, Texas, a town with a population of 3,921 in 1991. If the term “bedroom community” needed a model, Sweeny could be…
1997 Beaumont – Meet the Winner of the Dumb Criminal and Dumber Attorney Award ’97
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In October 1993, Beaumont attorney Michael Mooney behaved badly … like the word meaning “donkey,” but it starts with an “a.” Mooney represented 30-year-old Troy Lincoln in a parole revocation hearing, and they lost. His client had been on parole for a drug trafficking conviction, and he was on his…
Free Texas History Websites Every Researcher Should Know About
I was scurrying around the Internet today trying to make a list of history websites I use regularly for finding and researching old Texas crimes when I thought “Hey, my followers love Texas history sites, too!” So I decided to make a blog post and share them with you. If you…