Austin serial killer 1885 Jun 12, 2024 · The "Servant Girl Annihilator" is the gory nickname given by writer O. Jun 10, 2021 · "The Lake Elsinore Killer" is one of the most textbook cases of serial murder in American history. The victims were attacked in their beds as they slept; they were struck in the head with an axe and then carried into the yard where they were raped and mutilated. Testimony taken before Wm. A New York Times bestseller, The Midnight Assassin is a sweeping narrative history of a terrifying serial killer--America's first--who stalked Austin, Texas in 1885. He was just one of the 17,000 people living in Austin in 1885. From December of 1884 to December of 1885 a serial killer terrorized the city of Austin Texas. The 1980s horror film, made in Austin, finally gets a Blu-ray release of the original director's cut from Unearthed Films. For well over 30 years, Dallas resident Skip Hollandsworth has been Mar 14, 2024 · The "Servant Girl Annihilator" is the gory nickname given by writer O. And the jury of inquest over the body of Susan Hancock, deceased, taken this the 29 th day of Dec. The only plausible explanation that law enforcement could give to the wary public was that an influx of workers to the area, by train or wagon, had brought a sadistic maniac A sweeping narrative history of a terrifying serial killer--America's first--who stalked Austin, Texas in 1885 In the late 1800s, the city of Austin, Texas was on the cusp of emerging from an isolated western outpost into a truly cosmopolitan metropolis. 1885. That marked the tenth body found in the lake since July 2022, prompting suggestions from some that a serial killer The Servant Girl Murders: Austin, Texas 1885 A collection of over 100 newspaper articles from the 1880s that document the true story of one of the greatest unsolved murder mysteries of the late 19th century. Law enforcement agencies quickly established a task force, bringing together local police, state authorities, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). New York : Pocket Books. The Case: In 1884, a string of gruesome murders terrorized the people of Austin, Texas. On this guided evening walking tour, explore historic Austin including West 6th Street, Guy Town, and the Warehouse District, plus stop for a drink at the Driskill Hotel, as you learn about his crimes. The Servant Girl Murders were a series of crimes, including eight murders, carried out by an elusive killer who subjected the city of Austin, Texas to an unprecedented reign of terror during the course of the year 1885. . " -- Austin Daily Statesman May May 2, 2016 · The notion of a “serial killer” hadn’t been thought up yet in 1885. Feb 9, 2024 · On Feb. But that year in Austin, there was one on the loose. 24, 1885, meaning the annihilator could be the first serial killer in the United States, according to PBS. See the locations of the crimes and deep dive into the investigation, suspects, and victims of one of America's most fascinating unsolved mysteries. Austin, 1885. Arranged chronologically, they allow the reader to experience the story as it transpired, the gruesome details, the colorful characters, and the never-to-be explained. The Servant Girl Annihilator, also known as The Austin Axe Murderer, is a still-unidentified ephebophilic and hebephilic serial killer and serial rapist who was active in Austin, Texas from December 1884 to December 1885. Feb 17, 2025 · Join the search for Austin's 1885 serial killer who targeted vulnerable populations of women. He came to be known as the “Midnight Assassin,” but his identity remains a mystery. Apr 11, 2017 · In this, his first book, he uncovers the amazing untold story of America's first serial killer, a phantom who stalked the streets of Austin in 1885, three years before Jack the Ripper. Apr 26, 2016 · The Bone-Chilling Story Of The First Serial Killer In Austin, Texas Will Haunt Your Dreams. Travis County Archives. Due to information that was not kept properly, or crimes not solved, some killers were never discovered and will always remain hidden to us. On the 28 th at 9 o’clock p. Not only was Austin’s Annihilator one of the first serial killers in U. Only the first three were domestic workers, but the unknown perpetrator was dubbed the "Servant Girl Annihilator. Mar 27, 2010 · "The baying of bloodhounds frantically seeking the killer's scent broke into the usual chorus of Yuletide merriment, chilling holiday spirits. 1 Year 2018 Youtube-height 720 Youtube-id _hEZMUcxKLI Youtube-n-entries 1593 Youtube-playlist Uploads from AllenCityTV Youtube-playlist-index 1592 Youtube-uploader AllenCityTV Youtube-uploader-id AllenCityTV In 1885, the citizens of Austin, Texas were living in fear of a serial ax murderer. Between December, 1884 and December, 1885 about 3 years before Jack The Ripper did his thing in London 8 girls were attacked, raped and murdered in Austin, Texas. Later, the serial murderer attacked white women too. Apr 20, 2023 · Austin has had one other serial killer in the past, around the time of Jack the Ripper. were too. More than a century later questions about his identity and his motive remain From late 1884 to late 1885, a vicious serial killer haunted the streets of Austin. Oct 16, 2020 · Miles is a former high school history teacher and the owner of Walking Tours of Austin, which specializes in local history. Below is a list of his victims. In 1885, America’s first serial killer stalked the streets and alleyways of the city of Austin. The "Servant Girl Annihilator" is believed to have killed eight women between December 1884 and December Jun 25, 2014 · In Austin in late 1884-1885, 8 individuals were murdered by what was known as the "Servant Girl Killer. print. com A brief introduction to the mysterious events of 1885. The Servant Girl Annihilator, also known as the Midnight Assassin, was an unidentified American serial killer who preyed upon the city of Austin, Texas, in 1884 and 1885. Austin, Texas experienced a series of gruesome murders in 1885, believed to be the work of the first serial killer in the U. The vast majority were young, African American women employed as domestic help in the homes of Austin, Texas. Feb 11, 2023 · Join the search for Austin's 1885 serial killer who targeted vulnerable populations of women. Oct 24, 2023 · The year was 1885. Many of the Annihilators victims were women and murdered with an axe. But beginning in December 1884, Austin was terrorized by someone equally as vicious and, in Jun 7, 2016 · The Midnight Assassin: Panic, Scandal and the Hunt for America’s First Serial Killer by Skip Hollandsworth HENRY HOLT 321 pages; $30. The unknown killer would enter the… Mar 21, 2018 · But on Christmas Eve 1885, the killer sent Austin spiraling into chaos when, in the space of an hour, he murdered and mutilated two prominent white Austin socialites, driving a steel rod through Oct 29, 2015 · The midnight killing sprees took place from December 30th, 1884, to Christmas Eve, 1885. Of his eight victims, five were African American women employed as domestic servants. An unknown murderer took their lives in the mid-1880s in Austin in the most brutal chain of killings that the newly The list below is some of the recorded history and research of serial killers in that time period. The murders represent an early example of a serial killer operating in the United States, three years before the Jack the Ripper murders in London. Hancock, were all dragged out into the yard or back premises. 8. 5. Mar 21, 2018 · “The idea that these were crimes aimed at minority residents, in a weird way pacified people in Austin in 1885,” Skip Hollandsworth says. Only a few years removed from the threat of Comanche raids, Austinites were confronted with a strange new kind of murderer. The sobriquet originated with the writer O. A new collection of Joe Holley's Native Texan columns treats subjects ranging from an Austin serial killer to a prison known as "Burnin' Hell" to a battle of Oct 24, 2024 · Susan Hancock revives memories of a serial killer. In the late 1800s, the city of Austin, Texas was on the cusp of emerging from an isolated western outpost into a truly cosmopolitan metropolis. Jun 20, 2016 · But as Hollandsworth himself has noted, including in a haunting Texas Monthly feature called “ ‘If the Serial Killer Gets Us, He Gets Us,’ ” from 2011, the identities of the victims play Feb 17, 2023 · For an entire year, the city of Austin was plagued by a late-night killer who attacked unsuspecting members of the community as they slept. Apr 5, 2016 · Between December 1884 and December 1885, six women and a twelve year old girl were found murdered in the small city of Austin, Texas, their bodies mutilated by axes, knives, bricks and even iron Mar 29, 2022 · Austin Texas Axe MurdersThe Servant Girl Annihilator / The Midnight Assassin3 years before Jack the Ripper would stalk London's East End, During the course of 1885 a series of eight murders had occurred in Austin, Texas; all carried out in a similar manner. 5, police discovered the body of an unknown female in Lady Bird Lake. Austin TX in 1885 The years after the Civil War were painful ones for the United States, especially in the former Confederacy. ” The murderer was never actually found, but he claimed eight victims, mostly black servant Feb 19, 2025 · Join the search for Austin's 1885 serial killer who targeted vulnerable populations of women. Apr 26, 2017 · Between December 1884 and December 1885, Austin, Texas, had eight axe murders. Henry to the unknown Austin serial killer who murdered eight people from 1884-1885 with what common arboreal tool? Answer: Axe In a two-part story during the show "Seinfeld", Kramer is mistakenly arrested and accused of being the serial killer known by what monicker?. [4] Apr 5, 2016 · A sweeping narrative history of a terrifying serial killer--America's first--who stalked Austin, Texas in 1885 In the late 1800s, the city of Austin, Texas was on the cusp of emerging from an isolated western outpost into a truly cosmopolitan metropolis. Jeanine Plumer is walking through a forest of headstones Apr 5, 2016 · A sweeping narrative history of a terrifying serial killer--America's first--who stalked Austin, Texas in 1885 In the late 1800s, the city of Austin, Texas was on the cusp of emerging from an isolated western outpost into a truly cosmopolitan metropolis. in the city of Austin and about 2 ½ hours after death we held an autopsy on the body of Mrs. Visit the crime scenes at dusk, exploring the tragic events that left the city in turmoil and chaos. Jul 3, 2024 · The Servant Girl Annihilator (AKA the Austin Axe Murderer) was an unidentified serial killer who terrorized Austin,TX, throughout 1885. Three years before Jack the Ripper struck London, a killer—or possibly multiple killers—brutally Apr 5, 2016 · A New York Times bestseller, The Midnight Assassin is a sweeping narrative history of a terrifying serial killer--America's first--who stalked Austin, Texas in 1885. Henry to the unknown Austin serial killer who murdered eight people from 1884-1885 with what common arboreal tool? Oof, sorry for the dark question. Von Rosenberg Jr. [1] The December 26, 1885 issue of The New York Times reported Apr 11, 2017 · In this, his first book, he uncovers the amazing untold story of America's first serial killer, a phantom who stalked the streets of Austin in 1885, three years before Jack the Ripper. , known as the 'Servant Girl Annihilator'. It’s one of the greatest unsolved mass murders in Texas history – and except for enthusiasts of the bizarre – it's been all but forgotten. [5] During the course of 1885 a series of eight murders had occurred in Austin, Texas; all carried out in a similar manner. Mar 22, 2018 · Skip Hollandsworth wrote a book called the "The Midnight Assassin: The Hunt for America's First Serial Killer," published in 2015, about the long-ago Austin killer. The. write a letter. Texas Monthly writer and Dallas native Skip Hollandsworth pens a book about Austin's 1885 serial killer, the Midnight Assassin. Download the An exclusive excerpt from The Midnight Assassin: Panic, Scandal, and the Hunt for America's First Serial Killer reveals a forgotten time in Austin history, when a series of brutal, unsolved Nov 1, 2017 · Travis County Archivist Christy Costlow found unseen documents involving the "Servant Girl Murders" of 1884-1885 in the summer of 2014. 1997. Six women, an 11-year-old girl, and a man who was with another victim were all killed in horrific ways, and several were also raped. By now, in the raw light of 21st-century terrorism and mass murder, the stylish savagery of Hannibal Lecter seems somehow quaint. Porter, who was living in Austin at the time of the murders, wrote in a letter to his friend Dave Hall dated May 10, 1885, “Town is fearfully dull, except for the frequent raids of the Servant Girl Annihilators, who make things lively in the dull hours of the Apr 28, 2015 · The killings began on Sept. Austin, Texas, Dec 29 th 1885. S. “The Midnight Assassin” looks at the AUSTIN, TEX. Austin Daily Statesman, 29 September 1885. See full list on kxan. [1] [2] [3] The sobriquet originated with the writer O. Oct 2, 2024 · Join the search for Austin's 1885 serial killer on this guided true crime walking tour. The series of eight axe murders were referred to by contemporary sources as the Servant Girl Murders. In Austin, Texas, an individual who became known as the “Servant Girl Sep 29, 2019 · Austin Texas. Stories from Deep in the Heart. Three years before Jack the Ripper struck London, a killer—or possibly multiple killers—brutally Oct 1, 2019 · Murder Walk Austin is a walking tour through downtown that focuses on the brutal murders committed by Austin's 1885 serial killer. It happened in the mid-1800's and the killer was never caught. -- Austin Mayor John Robertson, in his State Oct 10, 2018 · And although these murders happened 75 years before the term serial killer was coined, it still sealed Austin's reputation as the first city in America to have a serial killer — and the person Feb 5, 2016 · As for the servant girl descriptor, it alluded to the occupation of many of the victims. A sweeping narrative history of a terrifying serial killer--America's first--who stalked Austin, Texas in 1885 In the late 1800s, the city of Austin, Texas was on the cusp of emerging from an isolated western outpost into a truly cosmopolitan metropolis. Miles launched his Murder Walk in April 2019, using his considerable storytelling abilities to relay the gruesome story of America’s first serial killer. “And you can see it in the same fashion in the last three weeks. Who was the Servant Girl Annihilator? In a year-long spree that began in late 1884, Texas’ first serial killer butchered seven women and one man in Austin. Most of the victims would have most likely lived their lives in historical anonymity had this tragedy not happened. Keppel, Robert D. More terrifying than any ghost story, this monster brutally and systematically hacked eight women to death using an axe. RELATED: 9 SERIAL KILLERS AND THE SPECIFIC WAY THEY SELECTED THEIR VICTIMS. To stream KVUE on your phone, you need the KVUE app. Apr 5, 2016 · A sweeping narrative history of a terrifying serial killer--America's first--who stalked Austin, Texas in 1885 In the late 1800s, the city of Austin, Texas was on the cusp of emerging from an isolated western outpost into a truly cosmopolitan metropolis. There was the ongoing concern of providing and maintaining the basic utilities the city needed, water, electricity, waste removal, telephones (there were probably about 300 telephones in Austin then), and having enough water pressure to put out fires was a great concern. &This&is&amurder&mystery&in&the&Deep&South,& Jun 9, 2016 · It was one of America's first serial killers. Texas Crime Stories explores Raul Meza’s string of killings from north of Austin to San Antonio Jan 28, 2015 · In 1885, Austin, Texas, was terrorized by a serial killer known as the “Servant Girl Annihilator. , Tx. Austin Daily Statesman, 26 December 1885. Skip Hollandsworth's "The Midnight Assassin" delves into this chilling true crime narrative, exploring America's first documented serial killer case. In the late 1800s, the city of Austin, Texas was on the cusp of emerging from an isolated western outpost into a truly cosmopolitan metropolis. He had multiple nicknames: the Midnight Assassin, the Intangible Nemesis and the Servant Girl Annihilator. Aug 23, 2024 · Bob Burns as the titular mass murderer in Confessions of a Serial Killer. A serial killer whose sole motives were rage and bloodlust. Look back at the serial killer that terrorized Austin in Apr 21, 2014 · The term itself was, perhaps unsurprisingly, coined by a writer: William Sydney Porter, more commonly known as noted author O. Serial Killers of the 1800’s Austin Axe Murderer. Skip Hollandsworth, author of "The Midnight Assassin," discusses this wav In 1885, America’s first serial killer stalked the streets and alleyways of the city of Austin. " The victims included Mollie Smith, Eliza Shelley, Irene Cross, Mary Ramey, Orange Washingon, Gracie Vance, Susan Hancock, and Eula Phillips. This tour explores the infamous historical murders that threw our city into a state of panic and turmoil. Travis Co. These were Mrs. Sue Hancock and Mrs. Whether you love true crime, history or Texana, The Midnight Assassin is bursting at the seams with everything you want in a great book; a spellbinding mix of People were moving to Austin in great numbers. Apr 6, 2016 · The setting is an on-the-move Austin, just as it was shedding its small-town provincialism and hurtling into the 20th century. Answer: Axe Apr 25, 2023 · The “Servant Girl Annihilator,” who is thought to have killed eight women between December 1884 and December 1885, was Austin’s only prior serial killer. It's a warm, fall afternoon in Oakwood Cemetery. , Oct. Jul 21, 2023 · The investigation into the Austin, Texas serial killer began with the discovery of the first victim. Nevertheless, the phrase failed to capture the scope of the killer’s Jun 5, 2023 · Austin, Texas, has its first serial killer since the "Servant Girl Annihilator" was believed to have killed eight women between December 1884 and December 1885. Tweet. He terrorized Austin for nearly a year — killing eight people and brutally Jun 20, 2016 · When a series of gruesome murders struck Austin, Tex. Eula Phillips, both of which cases alone, with the servant girl murders in Austin in the same year have gained national notoriety. [4] The series of eight axe murders were referred to by contemporary sources as the Servant Girl Murders. May 26, 2014 · Best known for his acclaimed mystery fiction set in ancient Rome, in A TWIST AT THE END Steven Saylor delivers a stunning historical novel about America’s first recorded serial murders—the Austin, Texas servant girl murders of 1885—artfully blending real characters and true crime into an engrossing work of fiction. However, the killer escaped capture Oct 29, 1999 · Austin Ghost Tours By Eli Kooris, Fri. The Midnight Assassin: Panic, Scandal, And The Hunt for America’s First Serial Killer by Skip Hollandsworth “ Servant Girl Annihilator. The series began with the lust murders and rapes of black servant girls who were bludgeoned and axed by an unknown serial killer. m. history, but he was also one of the most brutal. ” Hollandsworth is the author of a 2016 book called The Midnight Assassin about the Austin serial killer in the 1880s. In 1884, three and a half years before Jack the Ripper in London's Whitechapel area, a vicious serial killer terrorized the city of Austin, Texas. All these murders occurred about midnight, in a majority of instances on moonlight nights, and the same mysterious and utterly impenetrable silence, unbroken by sound or cry, reigned while the assassin was at his terrible work. This tour explores the infamous historical murders that threw our The premier source for events, concerts, nightlife, festivals, sports and more in your city! eventseeker brings you a personalized event calendar and let's you share events with friends. C. Sep 3, 2016 · Skip Hollandsworth has a terrific new book about how Austin was home to America’s first serial killer, and it’s a must-read for fans of local history. The setting is Join the search for Austin's 1885 serial killer on this guided walking tour. P. , in the late 1800s, the term "serial killer" didn't exist yet. sobriquet originated with the writer O. 29, 1999. 1854-1885 United States The Servant Girl Annihilator, also known as the Austin Axe Murderer, was an unidentified American serial killer who preyed upon the city of Austin, Texas, between 1884 and 1885. " - Austin Statesman, Christmas 1885 In the wake of a Aug 14, 2024 · Books. J. The Servant Girl Annihilator, also known as the Midnight Assassin, was an unidentified American serial killer who preyed upon the city of Austin, Texas, in 1884 and 1885. Whether you love true crime, history or Texana, The Midnight Assassin is bursting at the seams with everything you want in a great book; a spellbinding mix of Sep 29, 2024 · In 1885, a terrifying series of murders gripped Austin, Texas, as an unknown killer stalked the city's streets under cover of darkness. " The murders did not stop because the killer was caught; they just Jul 16, 2014 · HDSI:&Texas&Servant&Girl&Murders& Final&Transcript& & 2& & & & TUKUFU:&&Here’s&our&next&case:&&1885,&Servant&Girl&Murders. Henry. From December 1884 until December 1885, police investigated eight separate crime scenes, each one the perfect description of unrepentant brutality. The University of Texas was just closing its second year of classes, the Texas State Capitol was in the midst of construction, and a man who may have been the United States’ first serial killer was on the loose in Austin. It has been my intent since I started this website to provide some biographical information about the victims of the murders since there was scant information about them in the original newspaper articles. Visit the crime scenes at dusk, exploring the history of the deadly events that left the city in turmoil and chaos. Nov 7, 2014 · Four black servants, one 11-year-old girl, a black man and two white women. Jan 26, 2001 · Killer Reputation Austin's Polite History Is Marked by Spectacular Murders, Unanswered Questions The 1885 serial murders introduced the world to a new breed of criminal, who seemed The people of Austin became aware that a serial killer was roaming the streets of their city, and the police were powerless to catch the killer in a growing city of 23,000. Aug 15, 2024 · Meza’s arrest made him Austin’s first known serial killer since the "Servant Girl Annihilator," who was believed to have killed eight women in 1885, according to city authorities, though the The Case: In 1884, a string of gruesome murders terrorized the people of Austin, Texas. 28, 1884, and continued until Dec. All good crime reporters have stories that haunt them well Oct 31, 2014 · Despite the fact that Austin clearly had a serial killer on the loose, authorities in 1885 didn’t know about linking crimes together based on perpetrators’ modus operandis and they didn’t have the means to test abandoned murder weapons for fingerprints or semen found at the crime scenes for DNA. The victims were attacked in their beds as they slept; they were struck in the head with an axe and then carried into the yard where they Apr 5, 2016 · A New York Times bestseller, The Midnight Assassin is a sweeping narrative history of a terrifying serial killer--America's first--who stalked Austin, Texas in 1885. Austin's future as a big-state capital was symbolized by the capital building itself, which was still under construction, and designed to be larger than the one in Washington D. Nov 9, 2019 · AUSTIN, Texas — For a little over a year in Austin, Texas – from late 1884 to Christmas Eve 1885 – nighttime brought a sense of dread to the people who lived here. That was until two white women were killed on Christmas Eve, 1885 Oct 17, 2018 · coatx-The_Midnight_Assassin_-_The_1885_serial_murders_in_Austin_Texas Run time 01:05:05 Scanner Internet Archive Python library 1. A Case of Rage, Evidence, Questions. Thanks for experiencing our true crime walking tour “murder walk Austin”! It is fascinating learning what transpired on the streets of Austin back in 1885, arguably, America’s very first serial killer! Mar 5, 2025 · Texas can't claim the most serial killers, (looking at you Alaska), but it appears Texas did have the first one. As the killings stopped three years before the murders committed by Jack the Ripper, the police did not understand at the time that they were dealing with a serial killer "Mollie Smith, Eliza Shelly, Irene Cross, Mary Ramey, Grace Vance and Mrs. Signature Killers. The task of finding biographical information about the victims is Dec 31, 2022 · The Servant Girl Annihilator, aka the Austin Axe Murderer and the Midnight Assassin, was an unidentified serial killer who preyed upon the city of Austin between 1884 and 1885. Delve into the macabre on a serial killer and true crime tour of Austin, TX! In the year 1885 America’s first serial killer stalked the streets and alleyways of the young, emerging city of Austin. From 1974 to 1991, Suff raped, beat, strangled, and stabbed at least 13 - probably more than 20 - women in California and Texas. Apr 17, 2023 · A fourth person has been found dead in an Austin lake amid public fears over a potential serial killer, but police said they haven't seen evidence of foul play in any of the cases. The Servant Girl Annihilator, also known as the Austin Axe Murderer, was an unidentified American serial killer who preyed upon the city of Austin, Texas, between 1884 and 1885. Jul 11, 2014 · July Is Crime Month: 'Texas Servant Girl Murders' PBS's 'History Detectives' tackle Austin's biggest mystery: the unsolved string of killings in 1885 May 9, 2016 · Pop culture’s fascination with serial killers is waning. Susan Hancock. Apr 25, 2017 · Before Jack the Ripper stalked the streets of London, another midnight murderer was prowling halfway across the world. The lives, families and legacies of Mollie Smith, Eliza Shelley, Irene Cross, Mary Ramey, Gracie Vance, Orange Washington, Susan Hancock, Eula Phillips. 1884 -1885 1885 may have been 75 years before the term Serial Killer was ever used, but The Servant Girl Annihilator sealed Austins reputation as being the first American city to have a Serial Killer. , May 31 --- The readers of the Gazette will remember the two fearful assassinations of two married white women of Austin on Christmas Eve night of 1885. Mar 16, 2020 · Between 1884 and 1885, a perpetrator dubbed the Servant Girl Annihilator killed and mutilated seven young women and one man in Austin, Texas. mzung hug eugge rkabe ifvn hitekzj quzv qdqtl bekdcvb tbvoo wuol fmusyfkh hkfqzj qqwmcc kerwiq