INFAMOUS: The Lake Waco Murders Part 1
This is Part 1 of 2.
A community demands answers when three teenagers are found brutally slain in a scenic lakeside park, and it breathes a collective sigh of relief as righteous local lawmen quickly zero in on the perpetrators. But when the dust finally settles, many are forced to ask: who pays the price when ego eclipses justice?
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Timeline:
The bodies of Kenneth Franks, Jill Montgomery, and Raylene Rice are discovered in Speegleville Park.
The case is classified as “officially inactive” by the Waco Police Department.
Muneer Deeb, David Spence, and Gilbert and Tony Melendez are all indicted on capital murder charges.
David Spence is sentenced to death for the murder of Jill Montgomery.
The Melendez brothers receive life sentences in connection to the murder of Jill Montgomery.
Muneer Deeb is sentenced to death for the murder of Jill Montgomery.
Koehne Park
Where Kenneth, Jill, and Raylene said they were going, and were last seen.
Speegleville Park
Where Kenneth’s, Jill’s, and Rayelene’s bodies were found.
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Episode Source Material
- Careless Whispers by Carlton Stowers. Published 1987. Accessed November 1, 2024.
- Texas Monthly (Austin, TX): The Murders at the Lake, by Michael Hall. Published April 2014. Accessed June 12, 2024 via Internet Archive.
- Waco Tribune-Herald (Waco, TX): Man, 2 teen-age girls found stabbed to death at lake park. Published July 15, 1982. Accessed June 13, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
- Austin American-Statesman (Austin, TX): 3 found slain in Waco park, by Cox News Service. Published July 15, 1982. Accessed June 13, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
- Waco Tribune-Herald (Waco, TX): Police find no leads in triple slayings, by Bill Moore. Published July 16, 1982. Accessed June 13, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
- Waco Tribune-Herald (Waco, TX): Autopsy results released on teens, by Bill Moore. Published July 17, 1982. Accessed June 13, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
- Waco Tribune-Herald (Waco, TX): Forensic study completed on triple slaying, by Bill Moore. Published August 5, 1982. Accessed June 14, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
- Texasbar.com: Lake Waco murders to return to court after decades, by Cindy v. Culp. Published September 18, 2011. Accessed June 21, 2024.
- KWTX (Waco, TX): Lake Waco Murders: 40 years later, attorneys believe wrongfully convicted man executed, by Tommy Witherspoon. Published July 13, 2022. Accessed June 21, 2024.
- Spence v. Johnson, United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit. Decided March 29, 1996. Accessed October 28, 2024.
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INFAMOUS: The Westside Park Murders
In September of 1985, two teenagers drove into Westside Park but, tragically, never left the park alive. The police have spent decades trying to hunt down their killer.
INFAMOUS: John O’Keefe & The Trial of Karen Read
John O’Keefe, a 16-year veteran of the Boston Police Department, died of blunt force trauma and hypothermia on January 29, 2022, after being found on a fellow Boston Police Officer’s front lawn during a blizzard.
INFAMOUS: The Indiana Dunes Disappearances
In the summer of 1966, three young women head to the beaches of Lake Michigan and are never seen again, setting off a mystery that remains unsolved to this day.
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