The Texas Eyeball Killer

Another prostitute, identified in Matthews' book as Brenda, said that a few evenings before Williams had been murdered, a white man had tried to kill her. She offered a description of an older man with salt-and-pepper hair who drove a green or brown station wagon. She thought she recalled a mustache and slight beard stubble. His skin had been brownish, but he was not African American. He'd invited her into his car and wanted to take her somewhere to have sex.  She'd resisted because she had her own idea of where to go and was careful never to leave familiar territory. That had made him angry. He'd shouted about whores doing him wrong and had acted in such a way that she'd felt forced to spray him with Mace. But he kept driving, so she'd jumped from the car while it was still moving. The experience had shaken her.

The police believed that Williams had been murdered in the area, probably outside somewhere, and that meant her clothing ought to turn up. A yellow slicker would not be difficult to spot, so they set about scouring likely spots to have sex in private, kill, and perform this mutilation. They searched a field about a mile away, but came up with nothing.

In any event, whether or not she was even his actual target for that night, Shirley Williams was the victim of a serial killer — and one who did not stick with a specific victim type. That would make the investigation more complicated. The Dallas police force now had to face this fact, and the FBI got more fully involved.