Houston is a big city, home to a number of popular attractions. We have popular restaurants like Ninfa’s and House of Pies. We have NASA, the Livestock Show and Rodeo and the Galleria — all kinds of things that are old standbys that most people probably know about.

But what about the more obscure stuff? What about the things you maybe just stumbled upon by accident? What hidden gems does Houston have to offer that aren’t as well known? On this edition of Houston Matters, we talk with some locals about their experiences and invite you to write or call in with your discoveries.

Joining us for this conversation are two longtime Houstonians: Allyn West, editor for the Gray Matters column from the Houston Chronicle, and Paul Pendergraft, our longtime (and now former) colleague from Houston Public Media.

Also this hour…

Unsolved Murders in Galveston

In the 1970s, in and around Galveston, teenage girls started going missing – sometimes in pairs. Many of their bodies would turn up in swamps, marshes and bodies of water in places like Clear Lake and Texas City. Those murders — along with a cluster of others over the years along Interstate 45 between Houston and Galveston – have led to the area being dubbed “The Texas Killing Fields.”

Now, more than 45 years later, two local investigators are focusing on nearly a dozen of those cases, most of which happened in the 1970s. Of those eleven murders, there’s only been a conviction in one case, but a federal court ruling cast serious doubt on whether the right man went to jail. Lise Olsen and Fred Paige agree. Olsen is an investigative reporter for the Houston Chronicle, and Paige is a former homicide detective from Galveston. Working together, they think one man is responsible for those crimes, and they’re asking for the public’s help in solving the case.

Michael Hagerty walks us through their investigation, who they suspect, and why. Their work will be featured in an upcoming documentary series from the A&E network called The Eleven.

Classical Music in Unusual Places

Prima Volta is a local non-profit classical performance organization that is dedicated to performing both new music and old music in new contexts. Case in point: Brindisi!, a performance of drinking songs at St. Arnold Brewery. We learn more about the performance and the organization.

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