The Texarkana Moonlight Murders

Between February and May 1946, an unidentified killer attacked eight people near Texarkana on the Texas-Arkansas border, killing five and wounding three. Attacks occurred on weekends near a full moon, targeting couples at lovers' lanes, causing widespread panic that forced residents to stay inside after dark. A suspect, Youell Swinney, was identified by the FBI and Texas Rangers but could not be prosecuted because his wife's testimony was inadmissible under marital privilege. Swinney died in prison in 1994 on unrelated charges. The Phantom Killer, as the media dubbed the attacker, was never officially identified.