On the evening of March 23, 1946, recently discharged Navy Seabee, Richard Griffin, 29 years of age and his girlfriend, seventeen year old Polly Moore met Griffin’s sister Eleanor at the West Seventh Street Café. They were there at about 10 p.m. enjoying a meal and a pleasant visit with Eleanor.

The next morning, March 24, a motorist saw a 1941 Oldsmobile parked in a grove about 100 yards from Robison Road. There appeared to be a man sleeping or resting against the car’s steering wheel. The motorist stopped, thinking that the man's car may be stuck in the mud or that he may not have been aware of nearby motels where he could get a room. He approached the car and was shocked to learn that the man was dead and in the back seat there was a dead girl! The motorist immediately went to get the authorities.

As the investigation of the crime scene unfolded, it was discovered that a few small puddles of blood, about twenty feet from the car, clearly showed that the crime commenced there. Drag marks showed that the bodies were dragged back to the car. Other evidence such as foot prints had been washed away by heavy rain the night before. The dead man was Richard Griffin and the girl was Polly Ann Moore. She had been violently sexually assaulted and tortured before being killed. They had been shot in the head with a .32 caliber revolver.

At this point other law enforcement agencies became involved in the investigation, including the police departments of both sides of Texarkana, the Texas side and the Arkansas side, the Miller County, Arkansas Sheriff’s Office and Texas Department of Public Safety. In a short time, the FBI became involved.

In Texarkana, people began to lock their doors and tried not to venture out at night. Firearms were loaded and kept within reach. Ammunition sales and firearms sales climbed. Someone, possibly someone among them, a neighbor, an acquaintance or even a member of their church, was a demented sadist, sex pervert and murderer, who preyed on young people. The people of Texarkana are often portrayed as afraid during this time, but they were angry also! Probably anyone of the adults would have eagerly shot and killed the beast if his identity had become known. The attitudes were that this animal was one best to be removed from society altogether, removed from life altogether! The unknown murderer was nicknamed by the press, the Phantom.

There had been two attacks up to that point and it appeared that the purpetrator had learned from his experience during the first attack. He had left two witnesses alive in that one. He was perfecting his skills! It was not over yet!

Following the second attack, Mary Jeanne Larey became worried that the Phantom may be looking for her, since she had provided at least a partial description of him following his first attack. During this time, she decided to relocate to Franklin, Oklahoma.

Law enforcement at all levels increased their efforts. Patrols were increased on the rural highways and on roads that had lover's lanes on or near them. At that point, all the officers had to go on were the descriptions of the two survivors of the first attack. Their suspect was about six feet tall and either a light-skinned black man or a dark-skinned white man.

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On the evening of Saturday, April 13, 1946, fifteen year old saxophonist, Betty Jo Booker appeared at the VFW Club on West 4th and Oak Street. She was a member of the band, the Rythmaires that had a regular weekly gig playing the VFW Club.

Betty’s friend since kindergarten, Paul Martin, was in town and offered to give her a ride home after the dance. Normally, Betty would have gotten a lift home by bandleader , Jerry Atkins or band member, Ernie Holcomb, who provided rides for the various members of the band to and from gigs. It would have been Ernie’s turn to provide Betty a ride home, but Betty explained that she would be riding with Paul.

The dance ended at 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, April 14, 1946. All appeared to be normal as Betty loaded her saxophone into Paul’s car and they departed the club shortly after the dance.