In this episode, we explore the terrifying true story behind The Texarkana Moonlight Murders and how it inspired the cult classic 1976 film The Town That Dreaded Sundown. In the spring of 1946, a masked assailant terrorized the town of Texarkana, attacking young couples at night in a series of brutal assaults that left five dead and a community paralyzed with fear. Dubbed the "Phantom Killer," the attacker was never caught, and the case remains one of America’s most haunting unsolved crimes.
Three decades later, the mystery was revived on the big screen with a horror movie that blurred the line between fact and fiction — and stirred controversy in the very town it portrayed. We take a closer look at the real crimes, the chilling survivor stories, and how the film shaped the town’s legacy, fear, and even tourism.
Was the movie a tribute to the victims — or an exploitation of their tragedy? And why does the case still captivate true crime fans today?
Join us as we revisit the murders, the movie, and the lingering question: who was the Phantom of Texarkana?
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