The Case:
In 1884, a string of gruesome murders terrorized the people of Austin, Texas. Three years before Jack the Ripper struck London, a killer—or possibly multiple killers—brutally attacked and murdered eight women in their beds. The heinous crimes stopped as abruptly as they began, and the slayings have remained unsolved for over a century.
Could this be one of the first known serial murders in the United States? Why were those responsible never brought to justice? Six of the eight victims were African American—were the crimes racially motivated?
Armed with modern forensics, the History Detectives interview descendants of the murdered women and enlist the help of modern-day experts in an effort to solve this historical whodunit. Can they finally crack the case?
Season 11, Episode 3
Detective:
Tukufu Zuberi

Wes Cowan

Kaiama Glover

Austin, TX 1885
Related Content
Explore
-
Also with Tukufu Zuberi Wartime Baseball Is this baseball evidence of an unusual ballgame that took place during segregation?
-
Also with Wes Cowan Valley Forge Map Did George Washington use this map during the American Revolution?
-
Also with Tukufu Zuberi Lubin Photos What do these photo albums reveal about the birth of the silver screen?
-
Also in Season 11 Civil War Sabotage? The steamship Sultana exploded one night in 1865, killing more than 1,800 people. Was the disaster a result of Civil War sabotage?
-
Related Investigation Civil War Letters What can these letters reveal about a racially-charged massacre on a Civil War battlefield?
-
Also in Industrialization: 1870-1900 Red Cloud's Peace Pipe Was this pipe given to an Indian agent by the famous Lakota warrior Chief Red Cloud?
Comments
This is a place for opinions, comments, questions and discussion; a place where viewers of History Detectives can express their points of view and connect with others who value history. We ask that posters be polite and respectful of all opinions. History Detectives reserves the right to delete comments that don’t conform to this conduct. We will not respond to every post, but will do our best to answer specific questions, or address an error.