INFAMOUS: The Lake Waco Murders Part 2
This is Part 2 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?
Make sure to listen to INFAMOUS: The Lake Waco Murders Part 1 before diving into this one… you’re going to want to know the first part of this wild and twisty case.
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Timeline:
David Spence’s mother, Juanita White, is found murdered in her home.
Muneer Deeb’s conviction is overturned, and he is granted a new trial.
Muneer Deeb is acquitted in his second trial.
David Spence is executed.
Gilbert Melendez dies in prison.
Muneer Deeb dies, a free man, from cancer.
Tony Melendez dies in prison.
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.
- Northwestern Journal of Law & Social Policy, Volume 13, Issue 4: Death in America under Color of Law: Our Long, Inglorious Experience with Capital Punishment, by Rob Warden and Daniel Lennard. Published Spring 2018. Accessed October 31, 2024.
- New York Times (New York, NY): The Wrong Man, by Bob Herbert. Published July 25, 1997. Accessed June 21, 2024.
- New York Times (Huntsville, Tex.): In the Busiest Death Chamber, Duty Carries Its Own Burdens, by Sara Rimer. Published December 17, 2000. Accessed October 31, 2024.
- New York Times: A System Gone Mad, by Bob Herbert. Published July 31, 1997. Accessed August 21, 2024.
- Dreams Deferred: Capital Punishment and Injustice in Texas, by Janet Jay. Published May 2007. Accessed August 1, 2024.
- Texas Forensic Science Commission: Bite Mark Case Review Report. Published November 3, 2017. Accessed October 28, 2024.
- Petition for Reprieve, Commutation, or Pardon, filed on behalf of Petitioner Anthony Melendez. Filing date unknown. Accessed October 28, 2024.
- El Paso Times (El Paso, TX): 1982 convictions in doubt after DNA freed 2 in ’86 case, by Associated Press. Published December 18, 2001. Accessed June 21, 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. State, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Decided June 13, 1990. Accessed November 1, 2024.
- New York Times (Huntsville, Tex.): In the Busiest Death Chamber, Duty Carries Its Own Burdens, by Sara Rimer. Published December 17, 2000. Accessed October 31, 2024.
- People v. Bishop, California Court of Appeals. Decided July 5, 1984. Accessed October 28, 2024.
- Spence v. Johnson, United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit. Decided March 29, 1996. Accessed October 28, 2024.
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