Edward Harold Bell. These unverifiable claims and allegations introduced doubt into these alleged confessions, but many investigators and detectives involved reportedly believe that Bell is responsible for what he claims to be. [2] Bell would also claim in later interviews that his father encouraged him to do violent crime, ranging from robbing banks and raping girls, in addition to encouraging him to kill himself. He claimed that it started with his father, but continued on with scoutmasters, a cousin, and his three ex-wives. His granddaughter Anna Hall Roosevelt was the mother of First Lady of the United States Eleanor Roosevelt. However the killings he lays claim to started a long time before that. He declared the murder was pinned on him, and the police were responsible for shooting Dickens. In the letters, he also told the paper that he had admitted to some of the same murders to prosecutors in Galveston and Harris counties in 1998, but he was never charged after prosecutors were unable to find any direct evidence to link him to the crimes. Parent (s) Elizabeth A. [5] On the other hand, other family members and some investigators considered the claims to be credible, as Bell's criminal past, proximity to the crime scenes at the right dates and mentioning details not known to the public made him a viable suspect in their eyes. She says that he was strong and very special to all of them. Shockingly, Bell was not done; he went back to his truck and retrieved his high-powered M1 rifle. Her bones were found in a reservoir mingled with those of a missing Houston girl, Gloria Ann Gonzales, 19. "The police killed Larry Dean Dickens and blamed me," Bell claimed, despite all evidence to the contrary. Dickens ran outside and grabbed the keys from Bell's . His defense claimed that Larry was a "mean" and "unstable" man who attacked Bell and threatened to kill him. The third, Colette Anise Wilson, 13, never arrived home near Alvin after attending a summer band camp in 1971. After completing a Houston driver's education course, she disappeared. Four months passed without further clues to his identity. Another victim from 1971 was thirteen-year-old Colette Wilson, who vanished after leaving a band camp. [2], In 1966, Bell was arrested for exposing himself to a pair of little girls in Sudan, for which he was interned at the Big Spring State Psychiatric Hospital. series Unsolved Mysteries. Two viewers recognized Edward Bell and called in with tips when this story aired. Screenshot/A&E. The Eleven, airing Thursday at 9 and 10 p.m. on A&E investigates 11 murders that occurred in rural Texas in the 1970s. A second viewer, who remains anonymous, sent several pictures of him and a letter, claiming that he had been living in Panama for ten years. Hunter. Lang told her son to give the man back his keys. After his confessions, he told the Houston Chronicle reporter that he would provide proof to back up his claims only if he was given immunity from prosecution. In 1998, Bell wrote several letters to prosecutors in Galveston and Harris county, claiming that he had killed eleven teenage girls between 1971 and 1977. Edward Harold, 1838 - 1891. Links: Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! It's " where two middle school students, Georgia Geer, 14, and Brooks Bracewell, 12, were last seen in 1974." Holding many offices in the Masons, teaching country western dancing, participating. Both cases were dropped. She felt that once that happened, they would all be able to go on with their lives. On August 24, he went out to cut the lawn. Your subscription will be migrated over. He owned a pasture just a few minutes' drive from the store where they were last seen. Edward Harold Bell, 82, was being investigated over his . Another six young girls were killed in the area in the mid-to-late Seventies. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! The assault victim was given the name "Sue" and was filmed in silhouette to protect her identity. But in September 1984, the illusion of small-town security was shattered for a local couple, "Sue" and "Bill". The man retreated to his truck, and Lang grabbed her son from behind and helped him lie down, then she ran inside to call an ambulance. [12] Despite these gruesome claims, the letters were "kept secret" until 2011, when they were finally revealed by retired Galveston homicide detective Fred Paige to the public in an attempt to uncover any potential leads that could verify Bell's accounts. The claims were later explored in the 2017 A&E series The Eleven, which followed the efforts of Houston Chronicle investigative journalist Lise Olsen and former Galveston homicide detective Fred Paige as they tried to determine whether there was any truth to the claims. He was eventually arrested in Panama just months after an episode of Unsolved Mysteries aired, renewing public attention on his case. [5], For the next fourteen years, Bell travelled around various locations in Mexico and Central America using a sailboat, posing as a dead cousin named Cecil Boyd. Another man was convicted of their murders, but some investigators now believe he is innocent. The dispatcher radioed the suspect's description as police units headed to the scene. After the airing of the episode a man recognized Bell as someone he had recently conducted business with in Panama City. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. Sue went into the bathroom in the master bedroom to finish getting dressed. He pointed the gun at Larry again. The murders are believed to be the work of multiple serial killers using the location as their dumping ground. Bell claimed that his victims were from Houston, Galveston, Webster, and Dickinson. [7], Despite several investigations into his claims, Bell was never charged with any other murder besides Dickens'. Bell's admission of two murders eventually grew to describe "the eleven who went to heaven," meaning that these 11 1970s unsolved murders could have found an answer. Harold Wilmerding Bell. Despite being shot multiple times, Larry tried to go after Bell and stop him again. One girl was the thirteen-year-old daughter of a Lubbock police officer. In the A&E series, Bell denied having "killed anybody," including Dickens. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice confirmed to ABC13 Eyewitness News Edward Howard Bell died Saturday while in their custody. Recently added to YouTube. Holding many offices in the Masons, teaching country western dancing, participating in motorcycle events, mem He claimed that he shot them and disposed of their bodies near a remote bridge. At the time, Bell was serving a seventy-year sentence for the 1978 murder of a 26-year-old Pasadena resident who had attempted to stop him from publicly masturbating in front of a group of . Prosecutors in Galveston reopened Debbie and Maria's cases after learning new information through their investigation, and Bell was identified as the "primary suspect." Search in titles only Search in Other Serial Killers only. In the reflection, she saw a man walking into the bathroom. Adelaide Bell. [2] His claims were never conclusively verified, and he died behind bars in 2019, having recanted his previous claims. Murderers In Texas: The Shocking True Stories of Killing Out Of Deviant Impulses (Murderers Everywhere Book 3) - Kindle edition by Becker, Ryan, Brown, Brenda, Seven, True Crime. Unfortunately, prosecutors could not develop DNA samples or evidence to corroborate his claims in the letters and he was never charged with any of the murders. Two other victims are believed to be fourteen-year-old Georgia Geer and twelve-year-old Brooks Bracewell; they were last seen in 1974 and found in 1976. To employ every one who wants to work in the . BELL--Harold, age 94, died peacefully at home, surrounded by his children. This template will categorize articles that include it into Category:Stubs. [2] After graduation, he found work as a licensed diver and married his first wife in San Marcos, with the newlyweds then moving to western Texas, where they had three children. Genealogy for Edward Bell (1860 - 1902) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. Edward "Ned" Bell. She could not have been more wrong. He and Larry began arguing. ", Bell's life journey is far from straight-forward. Georgia Geer and Brooks Bracewell, aka "the Dickenson girls," both vanished in September of 1974. Sadly, on July 13, 2012, Dorothy passed away at the age of eighty-four. Bell, who is up for . He was living under the name of his deceased cousin, "Cecil Boyd". Matthew McConaughey in his first-ever role. Motel Murder. 0. Dorothy had him lay on the ground in their driveway. After his death was announced, Galveston Police Officer Michelle Sollenberger wrote on Facebook, Today these girls may finally rest in peace because their killer has gone to hell, the Chronicle reports. On the night of the broadcast, a viewer was stunned to realize that a man he had recently conducted business with in Panama City, Panama, was none other than Bell. He reportedly called the victims the "Eleven who went to Heaven" and sent letters to prosecutors in Galveston and Harris counties where he would admit carrying out the crimes, according to The Houston Chronicle. When asked about the letters he wrote in 1998, Bell said he was suicidal and wanted the state to execute him; he supposedly made it all up. The pair was able to uncover circumstantial evidence that linked Bell to the crimes, but found no definitive proof. She went through page after page, but never saw anyone that resembled the intruder. I believe he took a life precious to me and my life has never been the same since, she said. On June 28, 1993, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to seventy years in prison. He then shot the gun in the air and told Larry that he would kill him if he did not return his keys. In a 1985 episode of America's Most Wanted, he was named as Texas' most wanted fugitive, bringing further attention to his case and reinvigorating the search for him. She then knelt beside him, held his hand to her face, and watched him die. Antelope Valley Press Classification 1000 Obituary notices and memorials These ads appeared in the Antelope Valley Press Tuesday, July 4, 2006 BELL, Harold Edward May 14, 1939 - June 29, 2006 Howard Edward Bell is of Cherokee decent. Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Jeremy Desel told the, In 2011, he wrote the Houston Chronicle claiming to have killed a string of girls he referred to as Eleven who went to Heaven in Dickinson, Houston, Clear Lake and Alvin, Texas, the. [2], In spite of these claims, Bell's life was considered enviable by family and friends alike, as he graduated from the Columbus High School in Columbus and later earned a physical education degree at the Texas A&M University in College Station, where he also played in the university's Aggie Band. His name was Edward Bell, and he was wanted for murder. Dawna screamed and cried. Trial Court # 284,590 . After graduation, he worked as a traveling pharmaceutical salesman and married his first wife in San Marcos. Edward Harold Bell, who was serving time for the 1978 killing of an ex-Marine, collapsed and died in the Wallace Pack Unit in Navasota at the age of 82. She told him that she was going to call an ambulance, and not to move again. He quietly liquidated his assets and posted bail in less than two months. He has yet to stand trial for the shocking murder that took place on August 24, 1978. The other two primary suspects are Edward Harold Bell and Mark Stallings. She also went to the police station and looked through a book of mugshots. As reported by Lise Olsen of the Houston Chronicle, who is one of the central investigators in The Eleven, when Bell had skipped bail, "[He] roamed coastal towns in Mexico and Central America, guiding dive trips, and living aboard a sailboat. Advanced Search A convicted murderer suspected of killing 11 girls in Texas died Saturday morning in prison, taking any information he may have had about the young girls' deaths with him. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. Real Name: Edward Harold Bell Aliases: Butch Wanted For: Murder, Indecency with a Child Missing Since: October 1978 Details: Bryan, Texas, is the type of place that people have in mind when they dream of escaping the big city. In January 1985, the Texas governor's office released a roster of the state's most wanted criminals. Deed records showed that Bell owned a pasture just a few minutes drive from the store. Ian Smith, Melissa Bell and Annie Jones will return to Neighbours. Show 6 article text (OCR) THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW 6 Fri., April 27, 1945. She got a good, close look at him. Referring to them as the "eleven who went to heaven." Bell identified another of his victims as a reddish-blond Houston teen named 'Pitchford,' kidnapped near Gulfgate Mall. I was going to let the state kill me, he said. They moved to West Texas and had three children. We're in the process of transitioning services for our Today in Houston newsletter. Bell's case is far more complicated than it initially may seem. He wrote: 'I was "Brainwashed" into killing Deby (sic) Ackerman and Maria Johnson in November 1971.'. Madge is survived by her daughter Joy Boudreau (and husband Greg) from . Edward Harold Bell was convicted of murder and sentenced to 70 years in prison. They were last seen accepting a ride from a man driving a white van; he happened to own one at that time. By On August 24, 1978, Dorothy Lang looked out her kitchen window while washing dishes and saw a man park his red and white GMC truck across from her house. Lena Madge Crain crossed the divide to her Heavenly Home on Saturday, February 25th after several months of home health care. Five murders occurred in 1971 and six more occurred from about 1974 to 1977. Bell worked at Doug's Dive and Surf Shop and lived in an apartment along Offatts Bayou when the girls disappeared. He died a suspect in . Lang told the man that he better leave because the police were on their way. Let the Houston Public Media newsroom help you start your day.
