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New Book Phantom Killer by James Presley (some movie spoilers)

posted 10 years ago by Jimmy_the_Gent4
8 replies | jump to latest

It was written by the nephew of the sheriff on the original case in 1946.

I like this 1976 movie but it was interesting to hear about the actual case. It sticks fairly close to real facts with some differences:

The first couple are attacked by a man in a sack-mask with cut out eyes. In the actual case, the woman says he might have been wearing a mask,and the man says he was not sure.

The most famous scene in the movie is a trombone/knife killing. In the actual case the girl murdered is a saxophone player,but she is not killed with the instrument or stabbed, she was shot.

The woman shot in her home survived in both the movie and in real life.However the real woman does not mention a mask,she says she never actually saw the killer's face.

The killer is not shot by the Texas Ranger on the case as in the movie. There was a man arrested for several crimes and incarcerated for a long period due to a "habitual offender" law at the time. He was believed to be the Phantom but the lawmen could get any hard evidence on him. He was not the sex crazed masked man from the movie but just a low life petty thief with a bad temper.

Did anyone else get this book?

[–] cerano_99 10 years ago

What is the name of the book and or who is the writer? I may be interested in reading it.

[–] Jimmy_the_Gent4 10 years ago

Phantom Killer by James Presley,I had it in the subject line but didn't put it in the body of the post.

[–] JeremeK 10 years ago

I own it. It is a great book with nice photos, but, disappointingly, it has its share of errors.

[–] recklesscow 9 years ago

Do you mind if I ask what the errors are? You can be brief, if you want. It's the only book I've read on the case so, as such, it's the only source of information I can claim about my knowledge surrounding it. I'd be interested to know what's erroneous in it so I can understand the case better.

[–] JeremeK 9 years ago

Sorry, just now seeing this.

In the book Presley explains that the term "Moonlight murders" was not associated with the crimes until several years later. I read a news article from that same year (1946) that said that a suspect was being questioned in the "moonlight murders".

Presley also states things in the book that he (nor anybody) could possibly know. This includes what happened when the killer confronted the first coupled killed, Richard Griffin and Polly Ann Moore, and the second couple killed, Paul Martin and Betty Jo Booker. How can anyone possibly know that he ordered Griffin to drop his pants before killing him? What if his pants was already down when he approached him? What if his pants were pulled down after he was killed? How does he know that Paul wanted to take Betty to Spring Lake Park? No one knows this. His car was found abandoned there, yes, but what if he was forced to drive out there by the killer? What if the killer stole his car and left it there? It's amazing some of the claims Presley makes throughout the narratives.

[–] recklesscow 9 years ago

Actually the author of the book is the sheriff's nephew. He mentions that the sheriff was his uncle, not his father.

[–] Jimmy_the_Gent4 9 years ago

I went back to the book and checked, yes, you're right. I fixed the OP

[–] dmode112378 8 years ago

I'm definitely putting it on my must read list.