The Unsolved Story of Texas’ First Suspected Serial Killer

Here in Texas there is something about crime stories that always seem to grab our attention. Things such as crazy crimes, unexplained disappearances, conspiracies, and even the first suspected serial killer in Texas.

The Austin Murders That Shocked Texas

This story begins in Austin, Texas, in the 1880s, where a brutal murder spree took place.

KXAN details the story of several women who were terrorized in Austin during the 1880s. The crimes that we are going to be learning about began in 1884 -- the killing spree lasted a year.

READ MORE: Here are the Most Horrendous Serial Killers in Texas History

Who Was Targeted by the Killer?

In total, seven women were murdered and one man. Other women and the men with them were also attacked, but it seems when men were involved, they weren't the target. It is reported that Austin police struggled to identify the killer and tried many ways to find and collect evidence at the scenes of the crimes.

KXAN reports that the first five women killed were Black, and this initially seemed like a commonality. However, two white women are believed to have been the last victims.

It was also wondered if the killer was picking women they deemed sinful for living with men out of wedlock. However, information from 10 Minute Murder notes that some of them were married.

While not all of the women worked as servants, multiple did. Though, those who didn't work as servants were in the same social class. Thus, the suspected serial killer became known as the Servant Girl Annihilator.

Known to be Texas’s first serial killer -- and maybe even the first reported in America -- the killer was never identified.

Of those interviewed, all were eventually released. However, some of those questioned were still thought to be possible suspects. Such as a 19-year-old cook Nathan Elgin; a Malaysian cook named Maurice; and some thought it was multiple unconnected killers.

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Did the Killer Escape to London?

The most interesting theory of all is that some believe this Texas serial killer could have run off to London where he continued his murderous spree, becoming known as Jack the Ripper.

But the unfortunate truth is that the killer was never caught, and the women who lost their lives and their families never saw justice.

Remembering the victims

While it's hard not to focus on the mystery of the first Texas serial killer, this person is not the most important aspect of the story. What is important is that we remember those whose lives were senselessly taken for no reason. So as you learn about this story, keep in mind the names of the seven women and one man whose lives were gruesomely cut short:

• Mollie Smith
• Eliza Shelley
• Irene Cross
• Mary Ramey
• Gracie Vance
• Orange Washington
• Susan Hancock
• Eula Phillips