On June 13, 1983, the bodies of Jerry Dean and Deborah Thornton were found horrifically beaten to death with a pickaxe. Seventeen days later, Danny Garret and Karla Faye Tucker were arrested for the double homicide. After Tucker becomes  a born-again Christian in prison, she launches a campaign for clemency that sets off an international debate about redemption and the death penalty. If you would like to donate to the fundraiser featured in this week's episode, here's the link:  https://www.facebook.com/donate/2404325539804033/10206041708917893/ Visit our Patreon page to support the show and earn some awesome rewards: https://patreon.com/allcrimenocattle. Check out our merch shop: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/all-crime-no-cattle-podcast-shop?ref_id=9435. Find us on Twitter: @ACNCpodcast and on Instagram: @allcrimenocattle. Tip Jar: https://paypal.me/allcrimenocattle.And always remember: crime is bigger in Texas, y'all!

Ep 55: The Houston Pickaxe Murders

A conversational true crime podcast all about Texas hosted by natives Shea and Erin. We cover cases from the Lone Star State, big and small. New episodes drop weekly for your listening pleasure. Because crime is bigger in Texas, y'all.

History

Society & Culture

True crime

In March of 1992, a vicious murder in one of Fort Worth’s richest neighborhoods shook the community. Businessman and former banker Jack Koslow, along with his wife, former banker and patron of the arts Caren Koslow, were viciously attacked in their home in the middle of the night. Caren died from her injuries, but thankfully Jack survived. However, strange details at the crime scene led detectives to become suspicious of the lone survivor.Sources:Cochran, M. (1992, April 19). Murder in ritzy neighborhood plays like classic mystery novel. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-04-19-mn-789-story.htmlCochran, M. (1993, June 3). Tale of blood, money unravels in Koslow case. The Associated Press.Cochran, M. (1993, August 9). Penalty debate is next. The Associated Press.Council, J. (1992, March 13). Socialite was beaten to death. Fort Worth Star-Telegram.Douglas, Jr, J. (1992, March 17). Caren Koslow buried; Husband visits grave, returns to hospital. Fort Worth Star-Telegram.Douglas Jr, J., & Sanders, K. (1992, March 27). Caren Koslow may have died earlier than reported. Fort Worth Star-Telegram.Douglas Jr, J. (1992, April 30). Koslow autopsy reveals slashes, 27 “wounds.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram.Family Plot (Season 7, Episode 6). (2007, February 28). In Power, Privilege & Justice. truTV.Fuquay, J., & Nuckols, C. (1992, March 13). Stunned friends remember times with Rivercrest couple. Fort Worth Star-Telegram.Korosec, T. (1993, August 3). Koslow testifies about attack, voices. Fort Worth Star-Telegram.Korosec, T. (1993, August 6). Attorneys focus on fatal Koslow injury. Fort Worth Star-Telegram.Korosec, T. (1994, June 22). Lawyer says fiance acted on Koslow’s idle threats. Fort Worth Star-Telegram.Korosec, T. (1994, June 26). Koslow’s boyfriend testifies. Fort Worth Star-Telegram.Korosec, T. (1994, June 28). Attorneys mum on strategy. Fort Worth Star-Telegram.Korosec, T. (1994, July 1). Jurors reject death sentence. Fort Worth Star-Telegram.“Kristi Koslow and Brian Salter.” (Season 15, Episode 8). (2021, June 11). In Snapped:Killer Couples. Oxygen Channel.KXAS-NBC 5 News Collection. (Television station : Fort Worth, Tex.). [Search results: Caren Koslow murder] University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.Nuckols, C. (1993, February 26). A tribute to Caren Koslow. Fort Worth Star-Telegram.Sanders, K., & Douglas Jr, J. (1992, March 26). Murder for hire. Fort Worth Star-Telegram.Shlachter, B. (1992, March 26). Kristi Koslow’s acquaintances recall her as troubled, unhappy at home. Fort Worth Star-Telegram.Stepdaughter accused in murder of socialite left nothing in will. (1992, August 19). AP News. https://apnews.com/article/3c54e68b4505485ea080e8073d864786Check out more All Crime No Cattle at our website allcrimenocattle.com.Visit our Patreon page to support the show and earn some awesome rewards: https://patreon.com/allcrimenocattle. Get some ACNC merch: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/all-crime-no-cattle-podcast-shop?ref_id=9435. Find us on Twitter: @ACNCpodcast and on Instagram: @allcrimenocattle. Tip Jar: https://paypal.me/allcrimenocattle.And always remember, crime is bigger in Texas, y'all!

Ep 101: A Home Invaded

Just two months after Kaufman County Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse was murdered in broad daylight, District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife Cynthia McLelland were killed in a home invasion. With three dead and a community held in fear, a helpful tip leads to a mountain of evidence against the killers.Sources:1.) Austin, B. (2013, April 18). Former Kaufman official’s wife says he killed DA, Assistant. KERA News. https://www.keranews.org/texas-news/2013-04-17/former-kaufman-officials-wife-says-he-killed-da-assistant2.) Casey, K. (2018). In Plain Sight: The Kaufman County Prosecutor Murders. William Morrow.3.) Emily, J. (2014, December 30). Wife of convicted Kaufman County killer sentenced to 40 years in prison. The Dallas Morning News. https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2018/07/29/wife-of-convicted-kaufman-county-killer-sentenced-to-40-years-in-prison/4.) Eric Lyle Williams v the State of Texas On Petition for a Writ of Certiorari to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, No. 17-7603 (The Supreme Court of the United States). 5.) Ford, D. (2013, March 27). Colorado governor: Shooting suspect Evan Ebel had “bad streak.” CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2013/03/26/us/evan-ebel-profile/index.html6.) Hargrove, B. (2013, May 2). The Killings in Kaufman. Dallas Observer. https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/the-killings-in-kaufman-64295837.) Heinz, F. (2013, April 2). Search warrant sheds light on McLelland investigation. NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/search-warrant-sheds-light-on-mclellan-investigation/2073056/8.) Hennessy-Fiske, M., & Pearce, M. (2013, April 1). Slayings of Texas prosecutors called unprecedented. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-xpm-2013-apr-01-la-na-nn-texas-prosecutor-kaufman-county-20130401-story.html9.) Hernandez, S. (2021, September 21). Kaufman County DA recalls 2013 murders. The Courier of Montgomery County. https://www.yourconroenews.com/neighborhood/moco/news/article/Kaufman-County-DA-recalls-2013-murders-16475313.php10.) Interim Kaufman district attorney gets 24-hour security as authorities scramble for leads in slayings. (2013, April 3). The Dallas Morning News. https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2013/04/03/interim-kaufman-district-attorney-gets-24-hour-security-as-authorities-scramble-for-leads-in-slayings/11.) Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland, wife found dead in home. (2013, March 31). The Dallas Morning News. https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2013/03/31/kaufman-county-district-attorney-mike-mclelland-wife-found-dead-in-home/  12.) Lindsley, G. E. (2014, December 17). Kim Williams provides gruesome...

Ep 100: Revenge in Kaufman County, Part II

In 2013, Kaufman County Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse was murdered in what appeared to be a retaliatory act related to his caseload. Local, state, and federal agencies joined together to find the people responsible. However, in his decades-long career, ADA Hasse had prosecuted hundreds of cases and locating the one connected to his murder would prove difficult.Sources:1.) Casey, K. (2018). In Plain Sight: The Kaufman County Prosecutor Murders. William Morrow.2.) Emily, J. (2014, December 30). Wife of convicted Kaufman County killer sentenced to 40 years in prison. The Dallas Morning News. https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2018/07/29/wife-of-convicted-kaufman-county-killer-sentenced-to-40-years-in-prison/3.) Eric Lyle Williams v the State of Texas On Petition for a Writ of Certiorari to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, No. 17-7603 (The Supreme Court of the United States).4.) Hargrove, B. (2013, May 2). The Killings in Kaufman. Dallas Observer. https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/the-killings-in-kaufman-64295835.) Heinz, F. (2013, April 2). Search warrant sheds light on McLelland investigation. NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/search-warrant-sheds-light-on-mclellan-investigation/2073056/6.) Hennessy-Fiske, M., & Pearce, M. (2013, April 1). Slayings of Texas prosecutors called unprecedented. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-xpm-2013-apr-01-la-na-nn-texas-prosecutor-kaufman-county-20130401-story.html7.) Hernandez, S. (2021, September 21). Kaufman County DA recalls 2013 murders. The Courier of Montgomery County. https://www.yourconroenews.com/neighborhood/moco/news/article/Kaufman-County-DA-recalls-2013-murders-16475313.php8.) Interim Kaufman district attorney gets 24-hour security as authorities scramble for leads in slayings. (2013, April 3). The Dallas Morning News. https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2013/04/03/interim-kaufman-district-attorney-gets-24-hour-security-as-authorities-scramble-for-leads-in-slayings/10.) Ford, D. (2013, March 27). Colorado governor: Shooting suspect Evan Ebel had “bad streak.” CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2013/03/26/us/evan-ebel-profile/index.html11.) Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland, wife found dead in home. (2013, March 31). The Dallas Morning News. https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2013/03/31/kaufman-county-district-attorney-mike-mclelland-wife-found-dead-in-home/ 12.) Mitchell, K. (2016, May 27). White supremacist gang conspired to kill Colorado prisons director, new documents allege. The Denver Post. <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2016/05/27/white-supremacist-gang-conspired-to-kill-colorado-prisons-director-new-documents-allege/"...

Ep 99: Revenge in Kaufman County, Part I

In July of 1982, engaged couple Billy Staton and Leticia Castro, both 26, went missing in La Feria, Texas. It took a Texas Ranger, a private detective, and 23 minutes of audio to solve the case.Sources:1) “23 minutes of murder” depicted on Brownsville tape. (1982, October 31). Associated Press.2) A man accused of killing two people in a... (1983, April 14). UPI. https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/04/14/A-man-accused-of-killing-two-people-in-a/5034419144400/3) Clinton Jay High, Jr. (Director). (1998, December 9). The Texas Rangers (Season 4, Episode 11). In The New Detectives. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5QGJHgdpno4) Doctor backs insanity plea by defendant. (1983, April 15). Associated Press.5) Ex-wife found guilty in taped murder case. (1983, July 30). Associated Press.6) Hidden recorder caught sounds of owner’s murder. (1982, November 10). Associated Press.7) Insane “act” of defendant is criticized. (1983, April 19). Associated Press.8) Jurors hear tape at murder trial. (1983, April 14). Associated Press. https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/14/us/jurors-hear-tape-at-murder-trial.html9) Jury convicts farmer in “death tape” case. (1983, April 21). Associated Press.10) Sherry Wolf faces up to life in prison for... (1983, July 30). UPI. https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/07/30/Sherry-Wolf-faces-up-to-life-in-prison-for/9713428385600/11) Smith, S. (Director). (2019, November 3). Evil in East Texas (Season 2, Episode 1). In The Devil Speaks. Investigation Discovery.12) Witness describes killings of man, fiancee. (1983, April 13). Associated Press.13) Wolf v. State, No. 13-83-429-CR, (Court of Appeals of Texas, Corpus Christi June 14, 1984). https://casetext.com/case/wolf-v-state-8Check out more All Crime No Cattle at our website allcrimenocattle.com.Visit our Patreon page to support the show and earn some awesome rewards: https://patreon.com/allcrimenocattle. Get some ACNC merch: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/all-crime-no-cattle-podcast-shop?ref_id=9435. Find us on Twitter: @ACNCpodcast and on Instagram: @allcrimenocattle. Tip Jar: https://paypal.me/allcrimenocattle.And always remember, crime is bigger in Texas, y'all!

Ep 98: 23 Minutes of Murder

Welcome to the second part of this series about the Murray-O’Hair family. After Madalyn, Jon Garth, and Robin mysteriously vanished in September 1995, a year went by without any further investigation. It wasn’t until a reporter began asking questions that the story finally got the attention it deserved. In this episode we’ll discuss how the case was unraveled, and the clues involve a hundred pounds of gold coins, a perfect diamond, unlikely heroes, and finally, the discovery of the truth after a 5-year hunt for answers.Sources:Bryce, R. (1998, November 20). Abducted by aliens? Credit card clue. The Austin Chronicle. https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/1998-11-20/520646/Bryce, R. (1999, June 4). Preying on atheists. Austin Chronicle. https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/1999-06-04/522124/Bryce, R. (2000, June 9). Picking up the pieces. Austin Chronicle. https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2000-06-09/77537/Dracos, T. (2003). Ungodly: The Passions, Torments, and Murder of Atheist Madalyn Murray O’Hair. Free Press.Duggan, P. (1999, August 16). The atheists’ cold case gets warmer. The Washington Post.Fairbank, K. (1997, March 9). Oh god, O’Hair is still missing. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-03-09-mn-36392-story.htmlHall, M. (1999, May). Has Madalyn Murray O’Hair met her maker? Texas Monthly. https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/has-madalyn-murray-ohair-met-her-maker/MacCormack, J. (1996, August 11). Atheist Madalyn Murray O’Hair’s disappearance a mystery one year later. San Antonio Express-News. https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Archive-Atheist-Madalyn-Murray-O-Hair-s-11017379.phpMacCormack, J. (1996, December 8). Funds missing along with atheist O’Hair. San Antonio Express-News. https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Archive-Funds-missing-along-with-atheist-O-Hair-11017393.phpMacCormack, J. (1998, February 1). IRS probes O’Hair trio; atheists left nearly $100,000 in gold coins in S.A. before vanishing. San Antonio Express-News. https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Archive-IRS-probes-O-Hair-trio-atheists-left-11017369.phpMacCormack, J. (1999, January 31). ID of headless body may revive O’Hair case. San Antonio Express-News. https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Archive-ID-of-headless-body-may-revive-O-Hair-11017421.phpMacCormack, J. (1999, February 18). The case of the headless, handless corpse. Dallas Observer. https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/the-case-of-the-headless-handless-corpse-6401233MacCormack, J. (1999, November 6). An investigative reporter’s inside story untangling the O’Hair vanishing. 22nd annual convention of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, San Antonio. <a...

Ep 55: The Houston Pickaxe Murders

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