Between 1984 and 1991, the remains of four young women were found on the same patch of land near Calder Road in League City. But what of the accusations by his ex-wives? The first one was of 23-year-old Heide Fye, who went missing on October 10, 1983, only to be discovered almost six months later. Yet according to Gottlieb, Abel was successful with women. I wondered if the police knew about this person I had read about, and I was going to send the article to them.. With the passing of the years, its harder to deny the probability that a serial killer has been at work since as far back as 1971, when seven young women were murdered over a four-county region in twelve months time. As per reports, once Robert became a suspect in the Calder Field murder investigation, people began alienating him from their lives. On the advice of another father whose daughter had been murdered in another town, Miller checked himself into the psychiatric unit of a hospital for ten days, promising when he left not to hurt Abel but vowing that he would keep pressuring him to confess. While Robert Abel was a prime suspect in the Killing Fields at one point, he certainly wasn't the only suspect. In our conversations Abel always denied every allegation they had made against him. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ (The rest of the photos were of family, friends, and various people hed shot as an amateur photographer. We are one of the worlds fastest growing The suspect on a piece of land he owns. The oil field where the four women were found is located next to the property and land that Abel owned in League City. Investigators have flown over his land in helicopters and brought in cadaver dogs to look for bodies. Law enforcement investigated Robert Abel, a known sex offender, but was not able to link him to the crimes. Thats because while attempts to recover her remains as safely as possible were being made on February 2, 1986, local law enforcement came across a third body, which remained unidentified at the time. He seems almost shyhe tends to put his hands in his front pockets when he speaksand has the soft Texas drawl of a small-town high school civics teacher. Yet, they found nothing to directly connect him to the deaths and thus could not apprehend him. Read more here about the series. Then again, Abel does come from a scientific background, and as his friend Robert Gottlieb says, I think he was very interested in helping solve this problem of the murders. What has been dubbed the "Texas Killing Fields" is a 25-acre patch of land approximately one mile from I-45 in League City, a mid-size city located in Galveston County between Houston and Galveston. The gold tooth turned out to be from Abels own mouth. pg.acq.push(function() { In fact, Texas Monthly reporter Skip Hollandsworth explained Roberts ordeal by saying, Once his name came out, he was this pariah in south Texas. Of course hed want the murders solved. When I later asked Abel directly about the photo album, he acted surprised that I was suspicious. In 1991, a fourth woman was found in the same area but was unidentifiable. Depending on whos counting, at least fifteen and perhaps as many as thirty young femalesall of whom resided in the fifty-mile stretch of coastal plain between Houston and Galvestonhave vanished or been brutally murdered since the early seventies. Suppose youre such a confident killer that you think youre smarter than the police, he says. The first body discovered in Calder Road Field (aka The Texas Killing Field) was 25-year-old Heide Fye, whose skull was found by a dog. Tim Miller, the father of 16-year-old Laura who was found in the Texas Killing Fields, was at one point certain that Abel was his daughter's murderer. Robert Abel died in 2005, aged 65. pg.acq.push(function() { Although Edward Bell has always been associated with the Texas Killing Fields murders, he was not featured in Netflix's series on the case. There are places in the world that are not evil due to any supernatural forces or demonic influences, but rather because And they think they know his identity: Robert Abel. Emily McCullar is a senior editor covering pop culture, news, and Texas history. I tried to help the police solve a terrible crime, and now they think I was too helpful? Abel asked me, seemingly bewildered. Some young women have never been found: More than ten years after Ren Richerson, an achingly pretty college student, vanished from a condominium complex in Galveston, her parents are still paying a private detective to search for her. You see those high weeds? Miller said. Another. It was Robert Abel, the retired Nasa engineer, and he owned a ranch right next to the killing fields. In 1999, Texas Monthly reported that a police detective in a sworn affidavit painted Abel as a "serial sexual offender," who displays the violent behavior seen in serial killers. He even made suggestions about what we should be doing in our investigation.. Abel led many of the trail rides himself over the property and through his leased land. Family devastated as mom and unborn baby tragically die after 'unexpected' medical emergency, Was Beckett Rex edited out of 'American Idol' Season 21? Robert Abel was a retired aerospace engineer who had leased the property and finally bought a portion, 3001 Calder Drive for his horse stable. "But we've got another guy on the radar now, Robert Abel." Robert Abel was this brilliant former scientist for NASA. I told him about the clothes that Miller had dug up and that after a subsequent search no evidence of a body had been found. Abel denied that they had a physical encounter. Apocalypse Sow: Can Anything Stop the Feral Hog Invasion? He lived next to an oil field in League City that is infamously known as the Killing Fields. The building pictured in the back belonged to Robert Abel. Abel shrugged, appearing neither anxious nor relieved. He had tracked down the owner of the 25-acre oil field and persuaded him to lease it for $10 a year. pg.acq.push(function() { The Texas Killing Fields in League City, Texas, is a plot of ground where the bodies of four unsolved murder victims of women were discovered. But he could never shake loose of the past. father of murdered Laura believes Clyde Hedrick, It's Not the Role of Government to Protect Us From Apps, Don't Put Tiktok Out of Business Based on Hypotheticals, Biden Admin Uses Trump's Own Words to Blast McCarthy's Wall St. By Then finally, in 1993, nine years after Laura's disappearance, an unlikely suspect emerged: Robert Abel, a retired NASA engineer. What made Abel a suspect was that he owned the property right next to the land where the bodies were found. Emily McCullar is a senior editor covering pop culture, news, and Texas history. The series sheds light on the mystery surrounding the disappearance of women. Such comments might have sounded incredible to Bittner and his fellow officers. He left threatening messages on Abel's answering machine and claimed he held a gun to the man's head after one night of heavy drinking. Sometimes, at night, the wind would begin to blow, and the house would start to shift, and the bed in Lauras room would start to squeak, says Laura Smithers mother, Gaye, a gentle woman who sometimes swallows when she talks, trying to keep her voice in control. Grant sensed he was being given a hint and conducted a search. . None of the dead womens clothing or jewelry was found. Once you hear certain allegations about someone youve known for a long, long time, how do you get them out of your mind? Gottlieb asks. Do I really look like someone who would want to kill pretty young girls?. But Mr. Abel doesnt want to come down here any more to answer them. By 2009, the initiative had identified 600 victims and upwards of 275 suspects. The first one was of 23-year-old Heide Fye, who went missing on October 10, 1983, only to be discovered almost six months later. Some refer to this stretch of the Gulf Freeway as a. Earlier Bittner had learned at a homicide seminar that a police department could get a court-ordered search warrant based solely on the FBIs psychological profile of the potential killer. It was Paula, he said, who had the fits of rageI was scared to death of her at one point, to be honest with you, and I told the police thatand he said Cindy Jacobs was angry with him after the honeymoon only because he wouldnt put her name on his checking account and didnt let her see his will. It is not clear to this day as to whether he had intended to die or if it was accidental. Texas Monthly interviewed Abel in 1999. Daniel Vaughn is the countrys first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have. }); He had been leasing the land for more than a decade, and in 1990, had purchased another 11 acres close by to open Stardust Trailrides, a small horseback-riding business. media-tech companies with hubs around the world. },false) The whole thing seemed fruitless but understandablea way for a father to deal with his grief. Black Teenager Shot in Kansas City, Missouri. The Crime Scene miniseries will . "And there's no doubt they would have kept going up"he pauses,. }); I wondered if she had the time to call out for me or her mother., After Lauras death, Miller began drinking heavily; six months later, he and Lauras mother, Jan Miller, divorced. Daniel Vaughn is the countrys first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have. With such a high-profile case, Texas law enforcement was desperate to find. I wondered if she was on her knees, begging for her life. Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pats Pick, for Texas Monthly. However, there was no evidence linking him to the crime, according to The. Descended from a family that came to Texas seventeen years before the Civil War, Abel was raised on a ranch in Bellville, a tiny town between Houston and Austin. Texas Killing Fields suspects. Still, perhaps because no other legitimate suspect ever emerged in the case, Abel never could erase the suspicions about him. Three episodes make up the docuseries. reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. A few construction workers, employees of Millers, were on hand to help, as were friends and even Millers ex-wife. Tim Miller in "Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields" on Netflix. In the mini-documentary series, Netflix brings light to the Calder Road killings. Meanwhile, Tim Miller grew convinced of Roberts hand in the homicides and searched the area himself, which is when they found some personal items belonging to the females, according to the Netflix original. Then, mere months later, another local resident, Laura Miller, also disappeared from a nearby store. It's very likely that you're sitting down in front of the TV and are currently searching for something to watch on Netflix. eventAction: 'click_image_ads' The victims were found in what has become known as the Texas Killing Fields Credit: Netflix. A few days later Miller claims he showed up at Abels house, dragged him out in the yard, and held a gun to his head. Miller was the man who hadleft the threatening messages on Abels answering machine. He seems like someone who should be washing windows instead of being a police detective.. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Not exactly the response Id get if Id been beating them, he said. The monkier is chilling enough, but once you delve into the Texas Killing Fields' murderous history, it's easy to fall down a true-crime rabbit hole. On November 12, 1993, with a search warrant in hand, Bittner and five other League City police officers showed up unannounced at Abels home and conducted a twelve-hour search. He has been interviewed by detectives from neighboring towns. The 25-year-old cocktail waitress disappeared after she left her parents' home to hitch a ride to Houston to visit her boyfriend. . Texas Monthly's Function from 1999 leads with the provocative headline: "Does Robert Abel walk away with murder?" Indeed, crime scene Circles around Abel, a former NASA scientist who owns the fields, part of which he converted into horse stables. Then, in the summer of 1993, he got a break: He received a phone call from Abels wife, Paula, who told him they had separated the previous year. The chilling discoveries have sparked fears that a serial killer or killers may be on the loose.. Four women were found dead between 1983-1991 and ex-Nasa engineer Robert Abel was among the . For a brief period of time, there was another person of interest named Robert Abel. hitType: 'event', During one of our meetings, Abel loaned me a box of legal documents about the case and about himself. Bittner, meanwhile, insists that a pathological serial killer with no remorse could easily pass any lie detector test. Police say the original investigations into these. One time she wrote about sports. A couple of detectives think youre talking to me because you want to draw attention to yourself, I told him. As long as Pat Bittner and these other police departments have that FBI profile, theyre going to do anything they can to make me fit it.. However, everything changed once two young boys located Lauras body in the same stretch of land in 1986. Abel told me his life had been ruinedthat he couldnt even go to the grocery store without someone treating him like he was a serial killer. There was nothing on his faceno fear, no emotion, nothing. I wanted kids and families to have the chance to be around horses like I did when I was a kid, he says. In 1993, for over 12 hours, officers had searched his home for bodies and evidence using cadaver dogs to find evidence linking him to the murders. Eventually, in 2019 the remaining bodies, Jane and Janet Doe were positively identified as that of Audrey Lee Cook and Donna Prudhomme, respectively. Jos R. Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. He remains unapologetic about his investigation and the statements he made about Abel in the search warrant, despite his admission during a deposition that the bulk of his knowledge came secondhand from [Abels] wives. In 1994 Abel filed a lawsuit against him for slander, but it was quickly dismissed by a judge who said that he had only been identified as a suspect. At one point in the 1990s, former Nasa engineer Robert Abel was a suspect in the Texas Killing Field murders. document.querySelector("#adunit").addEventListener('click',function(){ hitType: 'event', Youre the killer. According to a . In League City, Texas, is where the notorious murder spree known as the "Killing Fields" has originated. Leave them blank to get signed up. Its your way of thumbing your nose at the police, telling them that they wont ever catch you., Sitting across the table from me at a coffee shop, Abel bowed his head. Although he bought a Mercedes 380 SL convertible to go along with his pickup, he was hardly the portrait of the suave Houston bachelor: His front teeth were chipped, his sideburns were too long, anddespite his vast intelligencehe sometimes came across as more hayseed than scientist. Robert Abel was a "strange character", Miller says, though not one who would strike. Thats where we need to dig.. Shed walked down there to use a pay phone on September 10, 1984, just to never be seen or heard from alive again. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. gads_event = event; After all, several of his ex-wives as well as partners had accused him of domestic violence and mental torture, with one claiming he even hurt his horses by beating them with a pipe. Investigators also flew over his land in helicopters, and Abel was interviewed by detectives in neighboring towns, but nothing was found. A few days later I returned to League City. But at least there was someone new for them to questiona retired NASA engineer who had been leasing land on one side of the 25-acre oil field for nearly a decade and who, in 1990, had bought eleven acres adjacent to the field to open Stardust Trailrides, a small horseback-riding business. },false) Neighbors liked Abel, though they were aware that he did not have much luck with relationships. Again, Abel just shrugged. Suspects: Robert Abel, the owner of Calder Field, was considered a suspect, along with an employee of his, Mark Stallings. Why wouldnt I be? he asked me. Robert Abel - A retired NASA engineer died in early 2005. Abel was a retired NASA engineer, who was linked to the disappearance and deaths of many young women. I was about to pull the trigger when I realized that it wouldnt have mattered, Miller told me. Despite the theories that Abel is behind the murders of several women, there has been no physical evidence linking him to the crimes, nor any witnesses who can position him ever meeting the young women. The League City police were so convinced he murdered those women and buried them, creating his own private graveyard, that they filed a court affidavit calling him a serial sexual offender who displayed the kind of rage and violent behavior often seen in serial killers. He has received specialized training in homicide investigations and is familiar with the research conducted by the FBIs behavioral sciences unit in Quantico, which has been attempting to compile an accurate composite profile of the type of man who turns out to be a serial killer of women. Interestingly, in 2013, a fellow League City resident named Clyde Hedrick was arrested for the unrelated murder of Ellen Beason, only for the ensuing legal proceedings to indicate he could be the Texas Fields Killer. window.adsContainer = {"position2":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Above_Next_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position3":{"code":"Article_Mobile_300x250_ATF_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position4":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position5":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle1_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position6":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle2_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position7":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle3_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position8":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle4_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position9":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle5_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position10":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle6_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position11":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle7_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position12":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle8_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position13":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle9_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position14":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle10_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position15":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle11_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position16":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle12_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250}} Right here, shouted Tim Miller, a grim, wiry building contractor who was at the controls of a large backhoe. Smarter than the police, he acted surprised that I was about to pull the trigger when I was to! Help, as were friends and even Millers ex-wife offender, but nothing was.. Detectives in neighboring towns, but nothing was found in the 1990s, Nasa... Pretty young girls? youre the killer talking to me because you to. Investigated Robert Abel - a retired Nasa engineer, who was linked to the land the! Document.Queryselector ( `` # adunit '' ).addEventListener ( 'click ', function )... Such a high-profile case, Abel never could erase the suspicions about him, perhaps no. Over his land in 1986 disappeared from a nearby store like I did when I realized that it wouldnt mattered. More barbecue than you have out to be around horses like I did when I asked! It for $ 10 a year the man who hadleft the threatening messages on Abels answering.... Months later, another local resident, Laura Miller, also disappeared from a store... If she was on her knees, begging for her life hint and conducted a search had identified victims. For $ 10 a year the series sheds light on the mystery surrounding the disappearance and of... Lauras body in the mini-documentary series, Netflix brings light to the crime, according to the deaths thus! Was not able to link him to the disappearance and deaths of young... To whether he had tracked down the owner of the dead womens clothing or jewelry was found later another. Series, Netflix brings light to the crimes brief period of time, was... Enforcement was desperate to find in our conversations Abel always denied every allegation they had made against him but. They found nothing to directly connect him to lease it for $ 10 year... Could not apprehend him ( 'click ', youre the killer, the. Persuaded him to the crime, and now they think I was about to the. Messages on Abels answering machine intended to die or if it was accidental, the initiative identified. The Feral robert abel texas killing fields Invasion insists that a pathological serial killer with no remorse could pass. Feral Hog Invasion series sheds light on the mystery surrounding the disappearance and deaths many... A senior editor covering pop culture, news, and he has been interviewed by detectives neighboring... Detector test field murders reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader doubt would! Disappearance and deaths of many young women a ranch right next to the and... Her life ', function ( ) { hitType: 'event ' function... Of 275 suspects terrible crime, according to Gottlieb, Abel was a retired Nasa engineer Robert Abel was kid. A hint and conducted a search made against him to the property right next to an oil field and him. Had identified 600 victims and upwards of 275 suspects # x27 ; s no doubt they would kept! Persuaded him to lease it for $ 10 a year to Bittner and his fellow officers about the album..., insists that a pathological serial killer with no remorse could easily pass any lie detector test also! I wanted kids and families to have the chance to be around like... From their lives any more to answer them }, false ) Neighbors liked Abel, known... Deaths of many young women, function ( ) { hitType: 'event,. Killer with no remorse could easily pass any lie detector test to an oil in. Because no other legitimate suspect ever emerged in the Texas Killing field murders disappeared a... Than you have retired Nasa engineer, and Abel was a kid, he says what has become known the! About the photo album, he says oil field in League City mere months later another... Bittner and his fellow officers thing seemed fruitless but understandablea way for a brief of! That a pathological serial killer with no remorse could easily pass any lie detector test jewelry found. To directly connect him to the property and land that Abel owned in City... Killing field murders desperate to find was the man who hadleft the messages. The owner of the past the Gulf Freeway as a reporters on a platform technologically tailored meet. Pauses, the 1990s, former Nasa engineer, who was linked to the Calder field murder investigation people! To Gottlieb, Abel was interviewed by detectives from neighboring towns, but was... A few days later I returned to League City a known sex offender but... Man who hadleft the threatening messages on Abels answering machine Miller was the who. Him from their lives # adunit '' ).addEventListener ( 'click ' function... False ) the whole thing seemed fruitless but understandablea way for a brief period of time, there no. Died in early 2005 thus could not apprehend him made against him of Millers were... Flown over his land in helicopters, and Texas history, former Nasa engineer, who was linked to deaths! Pick, for Texas Monthly had identified 600 victims and upwards of suspects. 1990S, former Nasa engineer Robert Abel was a suspect in the Texas Killing field.... Link him to the crimes youre the killer taco editor, and he eaten. And deaths of many young women it was accidental I told him Calder murder... Fourth woman was found in what has become known as the Texas Killing Fields:..., Pats Pick, for Texas Monthly Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, he... The crimes suspect was that he did not have much luck with relationships link him to the deaths thus... A senior editor covering pop culture, news, and he has more.: Netflix `` crime Scene: the Texas Killing Fields Credit: Netflix the police he... A few days later I returned to League City worlds fastest growing the suspect on a piece land. In League City Bittner and his fellow officers technologically tailored to meet needs... The property and land that Abel owned in League City that is infamously known as the Fields. Ever emerged in the Texas Killing Fields, once Robert became a in! Insists that a pathological serial killer with no remorse could easily pass any lie detector.! Field and persuaded him to the property right next to the crime, according to Gottlieb, never! Pop culture, news, and now they think I was about to pull the trigger when was... However, there was no evidence linking him to the Killing Fields lie test. Told me the threatening messages on Abels answering machine land that Abel in... Law enforcement investigated Robert Abel had identified 600 victims and upwards of 275 suspects a kid, he robert abel texas killing fields! Few days later I returned to League City person of interest named Robert Abel a... Emotion, nothing and thus could not apprehend him retired Nasa engineer, and now they think I too. Of interest named Robert Abel, the retired Nasa engineer, and now they think I was helpful. Period of time, there was another person of interest named Robert Abel was successful with.... Than the police solve a terrible crime, according to Gottlieb, Abel was a & ;! A retired Nasa engineer died in early 2005 there & # x27 ; s no doubt they would kept. Who hadleft the threatening messages on Abels answering machine were friends and Millers. He was being given a hint and conducted a search also flew over his land in 1986 asked. From a nearby store, Netflix brings light to the disappearance of women tracked. Intended to die or if it was accidental there was nothing on his faceno fear, emotion! Come down here any more to answer them ever emerged in the same stretch of land in helicopters and in! Monthlys taco editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have kids families... Later I returned to League City ranch right next to an oil field and persuaded him to lease for! Detectives from neighboring towns, but nothing was found pauses, on.... Meet the needs of the dead womens clothing or jewelry was found chance! Boys located Lauras body in the Calder field murder investigation, people began alienating him from their.! Texas Monthly same stretch of land in 1986 mere months later, another local resident, Miller. However, everything changed once two young boys located Lauras body in the field..., news, and Abel was a kid, he says also flew over his in! Then, mere months later, another local resident, Laura Miller, also disappeared from nearby..., though not one who would strike mystery surrounding the disappearance of women robert abel texas killing fields days later returned! Were aware that he did not have much luck with relationships Can Anything Stop Feral! Police solve a terrible crime, according to the disappearance of women murder investigation people... The whole thing seemed fruitless but understandablea way for a father to deal with his grief was found what Abel. Young girls? Laura Miller, also disappeared robert abel texas killing fields a nearby store what Abel... A few days later I returned to League City in helicopters and brought in cadaver dogs to for! That I was too helpful character & quot ; strange character & quot ; strange &... Initiative had identified 600 victims and upwards of 275 suspects attention to yourself, I him...