May 3, 1946

The last of the so-called Texarkana Moonlight Murders in Texarkana (Miller County), which had started on February 23, took place during the night. The grisly murders in which five people were killed and several injured brought notoriety to the area. Four of the victims were couples parked on back roads and lovers’ lanes around town. The only description of the killer was that he wore a plain pillowcase over his head, with eyeholes cut out. The case was never solved, and the killing spree ended as suddenly as it began. Three decades after the crime, the murders inspired a movie, The Town that Dreaded Sundown (1977), directed by Charles B. Pierce of Hampton (Calhoun County).