Fort Worth is just one stop for Adventures with Purpose, as they travel across the country to work 27 different cold cases, looking for 36 people in total. Location: 3301 Bellaire Dr N The district desperately needs experienced administrators like Palazzolo, who is willing and has been waiting years to go back to work. Star-Telegram photo illustration of Melvin Knox. DNA evidence recovered from clothing and a bra worn by Carla Walker the night she was abducted was sent to a private lab in The Woodlands. Mary and John Mitchell died as a result of blunt force trauma. Sitting at our table at a South Fort Worth eatery, our cups of coffee long cold, our conversation wrapping up, Joe Palazzolo recalled photos of him that the Weeklytook more than a decade ago, when his case was just beginning to be talked about. The next morning, her 1984 Mercury Topaz car was found in the 300 block of Southeast Loop 820 in Fort Worth. Interestingly, the amount of notice this case garnered in Fort Worths paper of record is minuscule by comparison. He also explained his wife was out of town and that he was not working the night of Feb. 16 or at any time on Feb. 17. She arrived at her fiancs apartment in Arlington around 6:30 p.m. on the eve of Valentines Day in 1985 and was expected to pick him up from the airport the following day. A witness reported that Michael Morgan had been talking to another male in the back yard. On January 4, 1986, officers were dispatched to the residence at 1109 S. Jennings Avenue. Lorane Larkin was reported missing on August 25, 1980. Location: 1109 S Jennings Ave McCurley lived near the Walkers house his sons went to the same school Carla attended, and Jim Walker attended Western Hills High School at the same time one of McCurleys sons did. For three years after he was fired, he had tried to land a position at other area school districts. Plus, he has rescued several horses and raised registered German Shepherds., Palazzolo also pointed to his strong religious beliefs and his military background with helping him stand up to the Fort Worth school district. Peaceful. The process cost tens of thousands of dollars, and Wagner and Bennett coordinated funds for the testing themselves through donations from the producers of The DNA of Murder, who ran an episode about Carla on the Oxygen show. During this three-and-a-half-year time period, approximately two dozen cases occurred in the Fort Worth area, consisting mostly of the abduction, rape, and murder of women. Police believe the two were neighborhood friends, and Rodgers was found dead in the Knox's family home. During a news conference Tuesday afternoon, detectives with the Fort Worth Police Department said they believe the assault and murder were random and that Walker and McCurley didnt know each other. She left her residence on May 14, 1980, to go to a friends house in Fort Worth. One way to do that was to do a media tour and talk about figuring out the mind of a serial killer. Nobody paid attention to the fact that it didnt matter what race you were. Sandra Bush resided with her parents on Cutler St. in Fort Worth. Location: 3900 Hemphill Even if its not true closure, its a sense of closure., The most challenging aspect of their podcast was finding someone who knew the victim. Suddenly, the passenger door yanked open. On February 24, 1986, patrol officers were dispatched to 1257 E. Magnolia Avenue, on a report that there was a deceased person at that location. He had been stabbed several times. Get email updates from the Fort Worth Police Department. Joe Palazzolo did his job, and Fort Worth ISD fired him for that. On June 27, 1983, Julie Fuller was staying with her parents at a motel in the city of Arlington. We pray that his death doesnt mean an end to hope for the victims families or prevent police investigators from seeking DNA proof that could either clear him in these cases or confirm our suspicions. If you dont expect them to go to class, [and] youre not going to do anything to make sure they go to class some of those kids dont have that in their lives.Photo by Ken Wheatcroft-Pardue.At that same time, because he was named Arlington Heights diversity representative, teachers had been coming to him with complaints, ranging from inappropriate conduct, assault by an administrator on staff, sexual harassment, attendance alteration, theft, embezzlement, and discrimination against minority students.. At first, he claimed he saved Carla from McCoy and the two had consensual sex. Visible The investigation revealed that Jackie Myers had met the suspect at an adult video store on the west side of Tarrant County. Leah Wagner. One of the victims was African American, but the others were all Caucasian women. Location: 2100 E. Richmond Ave The officers found the body of a female lying near a curb at 1300 Kuroki. Sandra Bush, 21, left her southeast Fort Worth home at 6:45 p.m. without telling her family where she was going. She died as a result of a gunshot wound. An employee from a local company reported the following: an older model, blue-in-color van was traveling westbound at 1700 E. Lancaster Avenue. Using a new process, detectives said the company was able to develop, for the first time, in this case, a full DNA profile of a potential suspect. It was later determined that she had been strangled. His face had been sprayed with paint, and gang graffiti had been sprayed on his truck. Carla was 17 years old when Glen McCurley kidnapped, raped and strangled her in 1974. I was just incredulous. Report No: 72-A-1 All rights reserved. On December 7, 1980, officers were dispatched to the King Candy Company, 813 E. 9th Street. If somebody saw something or heard something, or remembers something, it could be a lot more significant than they realize, and so the more people that engage with us, the better off everyones going to be and the better off the odds will be that police will be able to finally close these cases.. An arrest has been made in a Fort Worth cold case that went unsolved for nearly half a century.. Police said 77-year-old Glen Samuel McCurley was in custody Tuesday in connection with the 1974 . On December 28, 1984, two persons delivering newspapers found Mr. Hatchell lying on the sidewalk, a few houses away from his residence. The podcast focuses on finding peace of mind for those affected by the violent crimes. The team believed Brown went unnoticed in 1985 because of his race. Eduardo Lopez approached the male. What brings the podcasts to life is the commentary by family and friends of the victims, as well as police officers who worked their case. He said he didn't kill anyone and did not know Carla Walker. There were no signs of robbery as a motive. Then, surprisingly, he received a call back right away. The team believes these murders to be the work of one serial killer. Location: 1260 Park Place A Marlboro cigarette butt. Police said Tuesday that McCurley is not a suspect in any other crimes. Report No: 83436783Victim: Jesus Nanares 32 year-old hispanic male Report No: 86542769Victim: Noel Trevino, 25 years old We try not to let that happen. Gary was merely a year and a half away from graduating from Grand Prairie High School and attending the University of Texas at Arlington, where one of the victims was attending when she was murdered. He died as a result of a gunshot wound. This location is east of Hillside Park. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. It seems they tried to destroy his reputation. A very intriguing article. She had been strangled. . She died as a result of blunt force trauma. Plus, during this time, he had to burn through his savings and cash in his state retirement. On August 16, 1986, Francisco Puentes and a male friend were in the parking lot at 2416 N.E. She lived on Bellaire Dr in Fort Worth. All of their ideas are related to criminal investigations. Send tips via email or Twitter. In this new podcast, three journalists dig into seven cold cases and come up with one solution. On October 23, 1984, Cindy Heller left a dance studio and went to a restaurant. Here was a man who had lost his dream job and afterward could not land another job in education. His vehicle was found about one block away. What is Curtis Don Browns date of death and cause of death? They essentially created a profile of what makes a serial killer, and they said its going to be a white man. Not only was the principal determined to hide the problems at Arlington Heights, but also Judy Needham, the school board member representing the Arlington Heights area, reportedly felt just as strongly that Palazzolo had damaged the school. Palazzolo was surprised. Sylvia Hynes died at the hospital, due to trauma to the head. When it was all laid out, said the then-head of the United Educators Association, a local group that represents educational employees, I thought this guy had gotten a really raw deal, so we agreed that the right thing to do was to work to get him his job back. A car pulled up to the house. She couldnt believe that after 35 years, somebody still cares about her sisters death.. Location: 3345 St Louis It was later determined that she had been strangled. She never returned home. Sort All Cases By: Company Area | Male | Female | County | Year | Last Name Results: 13 Record (s) Found. Patrol officers responded to the scene and found Mr. Myers in the apartment. A listener who grew up in North Texas called in after hearing the podcast and explained why a lot of the young women at that time were not familiar with or precautioned about the serial killings. Over the last four decades, police said it appears McCurley had led a relatively normal life, was married and had two children. Fort Worth's cold case police detective Jeff Bennett . But what I do feel is relief, she said. The three are all former journalists who changed career paths and are thrilled to be back in the industry, practicing their passion. On December 24, 1986, Jaime Trevizo and his friends were at a bar on North Main Street in Fort Worth. Instead of remedying the problems at Arlington Heights and other campuses, the district has spent years going after the messenger. Report No: 86609341Victim: Jaime Trevizo, 25 years old They believe he was leaving the scene of the crime with two of her purses when he was noticed by police, who were staking out the area on an unrelated matter. On October 6, 1989, patrol officers were dispatched to the residence at 2900 Rosen. He was a whistleblower who was letting the district know of real wrongdoing. After being dropped off by her date, intending to visit a friend in southwest Fort Worth, she was last seen walking across the street to a Dairy Queen. You are also in the ultimate diversity of the human experience. She majored in investigative reporting at the University of Missouri-Columbia and has a passion for bringing readers in-depth, complex stories on injustices. In the first episode of still that aired in late January, the hosts discuss the murders out of chronological order. The district has already spent millions of dollars fighting him. On September 30, 1984, Catherine Davis was reported missing by a friend. Police said 77-year-old Glen Samuel McCurley was in custody Tuesday in connection with the 1974 murder of Carla Jan Walker, who was 17-years-old when she was abducted, held captive and sexually assaulted before being murdered and left in a ditch after a Valentine's Day dance. It was terrifying. They entered the residence and found Zita Rogers deceased in the residence. Despite learning Campiglia's identity in 1992, her case remained cold, the sheriff's office said. The trios research revealed that during the mid-1980s, six serial killers were operating in North Texas. Carlas brother, Jim Walker, was also interviewed on the Dateline episode, titled After The Dance. Jim spent the 47 years after his sisters murder seeking answers. Fred, 29, and Karen, 27, rented a small white home on Mayfair and lived there for three years. She was shot and killed as she was about to enter the house. Her 1985 Ford Mustang was missing. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. His is the 113th cold case cleared since the department began increasing efforts in 2002 to reinvestigate unsolved . She never showed up for work. Since 1994, Fort Worth Weekly has provided a vibrant alternative to North Texas often-timid mainstream media outlets by offering incisive, irreverent reportage that keeps readers well informed and the powers-that-be worried. Copyright 2020 Fort Worth Weekly, All Rights Reserved. I didnt beat her up and all that kind of crap., He told detectives he got scared that she would tell on me., Im guilty, he says in the interview. Report No: 86338629Victim: Francisco Puentes, 18 years old I did call the police and they never checked out what I told them. Texas Rangers Top 12 Cold Case Investigations Generally, cases are solved when the offender has been arrested and turned over to the court for prosecution. Potentially, the district could end up paying him upwards of $4 million, which would include $1 million in back pay, plus interest, and $250,000 in damages. Homicide detectives said Tuesday they were thankful that after 46 years they were able to identify and arrest a suspect in the young woman's murder. He was quickly charged with murder. Her car was found outside a bar on the North Side, wiped clean of fingerprints, with a bloody pillowcase in the backseat. In September 2022, at the advice of his counsel at the time, Palazzolo applied for five different positions with Fort Worth ISD after more than a decade of being shut out of education. He lived very close, within a mile to where these women were being taken from or where they were being dumped or where their car was found. About ten minutes later, the witness heard some gunshots. If you dont expect them to go to class, [and] youre not going to do anything to make sure they go to class, his voice then trailed off. They entered the business and found Roslyn Ruben on the floor. One of the males in the car began arguing with one of the males outside the house. Sitting at our table at a South Fort Worth eatery, our cups of coffee long cold, our conversation wrapping up, Joe Palazzolo recalled photos of him that the Weekly took more than a decade . Roslyn Ruben was transported to the hospital. Three days later Walker's body was found dumped in a culvert near Benbrook Lake. This female has not been identified. Kaley Johnson is the Star-Telegrams Seeking Justice reporter. Location: 4708 Bryce Ave He described the way Carla always made him smile, and how the two started dating in high school. She lived at the residence with a relative. When he entered the residence he found the victim deceased on the living room floor. As he believes, he was nave. Private Only members can see who's in the group and what they post. No, she allegedly said, right away. 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