His father was an oil field worker who frequently moved his family to various towns surrounding the Houston area. Death of Edward . In Bell's truck, police found the murder weapons and pornography. Pictured is the Dickinson pasture owned by Edward Harold Bell in the mid 1970s. He is likely to respond violently to any confrontation. Bell claims not to know the names of other girls. Officer Curtis Adams was responding to the scene when he saw a suspect in a red truck matching the description he was given over his radio. However, Galveston prosecutors refused to present his written confessions to a grand jury. The assault victim was given the name "Sue" and was filmed in silhouette to protect her identity. Birth of Harold Wilmerding Bell. Michael Hagerty is the senior producer for Houston Matters. Ariel Ackerman, the wife of Debbie's brother, Daniel, told The Police News, "In the wake of this . Dawna screamed and cried. She believes he expected her to plead with him not to do anything. Dawna feels that Larry's murder has broken up their whole family. Crime Stoppers: Texas Most Wanted Fugitive #1, Police nab slaying suspect after 14 years, Flasher Convicted of Killing Man Who Tried to Stop Him, Edward Harold Bell vs. [7], On December 2, 1992, the television show Unsolved Mysteries aired an episode about the murder of Dickens. His confession matched details of the crime scene. According to Investigator Larry Boucher, Bell is not leaving a paper trail. However, in neither theirs nor any other case were any charges ever brought against him. Their bodies were found in a river in 1976. No physical evidence was found to link him to the other crimes. Edward Harold Bell, 79, a serial sex offender and self-described serial killer, was serving time for the murder of ex-Marine Larry Dickens, whom he shot to death on Aug. 24, 1978 in Pasadena, Tex. The Good, Bad, and Ugly of the week, Rumors abound about HISD takeover (March 2, 2023), The Full Menu: Houston's best places for chicken. Motel Murder. The killer says he murdered Debbie and Maria in the letters. Harold, or Hank, as his friends called him, was the husband for over 68 years of his beloved wife . Edward Harold Bell. The Help. Suzie Bowers, who disappeared from Galveston in 1977, is thought to be a further victim. She lives in fear that he is going to come back for her or hurt someone else. Her bones were found in a reservoir mingled with those of a missing Houston girl, Gloria Ann Gonzales, 19. HAROLD EDWARD BELL MAY 14, 1939 - JUNE 29, 2006 Howard Edward Bell was of Cherokee decent. If you'd like to sign up now, fill out the form below and we will add you as soon as we finish the transition. After making his confessions, he informed a reporter for the Houston Chronicle that he would only offer evidence to support his accusations if he was granted immunity from prosecution. Although another man was found guilty of their killings, several investigators now believe that he was innocent. Nothing can take her memory away.. 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. Dawna looked at their driveway and saw Larry laying there. Bell also said he killed a red-haired teen named 'Pitchford', after kidnapping her near a mall. Debbie Ackerman and Maria Johnson disappeared from Galveston on November 15, 1971. The other three victims' identities have not been confirmed. The Eleven: With Michael W. Bunch, Sonya Van Sickle, Kristina McCormick, Natalia Villegas. After living on a ranch in Terlingua for some time, Bell, who worked as an itinerant pharmaceutical salesman, sold the ranch for an office in downtown Houston. Harold Wilmerding Bell. Texas is fortunate that Larry Dickens stepped in that afternoon and stopped Edward Bell. Just three months before Ackerman and Johnson disappeared from Galveston Island, so did two Webster 14-year-olds named Sharon Shaw and Rhonda Renee Johnson. One said he had recently met Bell during a business trip to Panama City, Panama. Yet another is speculated to be Suzie Bowers, who vanished from Galveston in 1977. I didn't want statutory rape on top of the flasher charge." In some cases he remembers the colour of their hair. In the A&E series, Bell denied having "killed anybody," including Dickens. Another is believed to be Gloria Gonzales, who vanished in October 1971; her remains were found in close proximity to Colette's. The Great Gatsby. On June 26, 1978, he exposed himself to two girls riding bikes, aged 11 and 12. 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. At this time, Bell was eighty-years-old, frail, and pasty. 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. Bell further asserted that a "brainwashing programme" had pushed him to kill, rape, and expose himself to young girls. Nearly 20 years ago, in letters he wrote to local prosecutors, Texas murderer Edward Harold Bell claimed the Marine he'd shot and killed in 1978 was not his only victim. However, the events of September 6 would test her character in ways she never imagined. She felt that once that happened, they would all be able to go on with their lives. [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. He has given a chilling confession from his prison cell where he is serving a 70-year sentence for the murder of a former Marine in 1978. The Killing Fields is a 25-acre patch of land a mile from Interstate Highway 45 in League City. He remained the key suspect in the murders. Finally, a decade-and-a-half after Larry had been gunned down before Dorothy's eyes, his accused killer shuffled past her at the airport, shackled in hand and leg cuffs. Lang saw that he was naked from the waist down as he stepped out masturbating and approached a group of children playing in the street. In April 1974, Bell exposed himself to two girls on the road near Bacliff and pursued them in a Volkswagen rental as they ran. Suzie Bowers went missing from Galveston in 1977. Credit: Texas Monthly The Eleven: On the trail of a serial killer. Genealogy for Edward Harold Stibbs (1876 - 1944) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. Bell, a convicted killer serving 70 years for a 1978 slaying near Houston and who was under investigation in the unsolved deaths of several missing girls has died after collapsing at a Texas prison. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. Later, he claimed to journalist Lise Olsen that he killed 11 girls. Edward Harold Bell, in a Texas prison cell for the cold blooded killing of 28-year old Larry Dickens in 1978, denied a request by The Police News for an interview in connection with the murders of Debbie Ackerman and Maria Johnson in 1971. . Her body was found in a thicket in Brazoria County in January 1973. She went through page after page, but never saw anyone that resembled the intruder. The Eleven, airing Thursday at 9 and 10 p.m. on A&E investigates 11 murders that occurred in rural Texas in the 1970s. Ian Smith, Melissa Bell and Annie Jones will return to Neighbours. His confession matched details of the crime scene. . The show reopened the case to the public and closely followed Paige and Olsen's investigation. He has since been named as a "person of interest" in the murders of six young girls in the Galveston area. 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. [9] At his June trial, Bell's attorneys attempted to argue that the killing was done in self-defense, claiming that Dickens was an "unstable" who had threatened to kill him in the name of Jesus. Larry Dickens, Lang's twenty-six-year-old son, ran over to the man's truck and took the keys from the ignition while his mother called the police. He said he was "brainwashed" into killing Debbie Ackerman and Maria Johnson in the letters. Edward Howard Bell collapsed at the Wallace Pack Unit in Navasota on April 20, 2019. Now that Bell has died, some are hopeful additional witnesses may come forward with information about the cases. [8] On February 14, 1993, a joint operation conducted by the FBI and the Panamanian National Police led to Bell's arrest at a yacht club in Panama City. She pleaded with him to not shoot Larry, but he did so anyway. Edward Harold Bell says he has killed as many as 11 girls. The officers held her back, and she and Dorothy then tried to console each other. Matthew later discussed his Unsolved Mysteries . The pair was able to uncover circumstantial evidence that linked Bell to the crimes, but found no definitive proof. Reports revealed that Ackerman and Johnson's abductor tied them up, stripped them from the waist down, and left their bodies in the bayou exactly as Bell had claimed. 1. In fact, he said, there . At Bell's trial, the prosecution's chief witnesses were Dorothy and Dawna. In fact, he said, there . She felt that when he got off the plane, he seemed arrogant, which infuriated her. Bell contends in three points that the evidence was legally insufficient to support the verdict, that he was denied effective assistance of counsel, and that the court erred by failing to instruct the jury on voluntary conduct. Lang threw the phone down and ran towards the garage to let Larry inside. By The outlet reported: Bell reportedly responded by shooting Dickens five times, per witnesses. Their abductor tied them up, stripped them from the waist down and left their bodies in a river. ", Bell believed the "program" to be far-reaching, having allegedly included family members and people he's dated. In 2017, A&E produced a docuseries called "The Eleven." [12] In addition to this, Panamanian authorities announced that they considered him a suspect in four rape-murders committed in their country: two while he was residing in Boquete, and another two in Panama City. Watch this case now on Amazon Prime in season five with Robert Stack and in season one with Dennis Farina. He claimed that it started with his father, but continued on with scoutmasters, a cousin, and his three ex-wives. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. 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. 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. 1902 July 7, 1902. Colette's bones were found in a reservoir along with those of a missing Houston girl, Gloria Ann Gonzales, 19. The pair was able to uncover circumstantial evidence that linked Bell to the crimes, but found no definitive proof. Bell continued to demand his keys. Mary Livingston Ludlow. 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. 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. Sue had always considered herself strong and self-reliant. He is a formidable fugitive. Nearly 20 years ago, in letters he wrote to local prosecutors, Texas murderer Edward Harold Bell claimed the Marine he'd shot and killed in 1978 was not his only victim. He was eighty-two years old at the time of his death. People Projects . She noticed that there were several children playing in the intersection of Moore and Apple, next to their house. The man grabbed his jeans from the truck, put them on, and then reached back into the vehicle to produce a gun. While she was trying to calm Dickens down, Bell grabbed a rifle from his truck, went up to the wounded man and shot him in the forehead before fleeing. Details: Bryan, Texas, is the type of place that people have in mind when they dream of escaping the big city. He also invested in a surf shop that they were known to visit. 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 . Bell admitted that Debbie Ackerman and Maria Johnson got into his van outside the Baskin-Robbins the day they went missing, but said he didnt kill them. Adams took Bell back to the scene where Dawna and Dorothy identified him. She pointed Bell out to him. When the trial date came about, Bell did not appear. In 1994, he appealed his conviction, but it was upheld. However, some of the investigators involved in the case now believe that his confession was coerced and that he was wrongly convicted. Gloria Gonzales, whose bones were discovered near to Colette's in October 1971, is thought to be another. Bell worked at Doug's Dive and Surf Shop and lived in an apartment along Offatts Bayou when the girls disappeared. He owned a pasture just a few minutes' drive from the store where they were last seen. Some investigators claimed they long believed he was a serial killer and found evidence to corroborate his claims. He quietly liquidated his assets, and with more than $140,000 in his pocket, disappeared. How many people did convicted murderer Edward Bell really kill? I have not killed anyone.". He then turned and ran out of the garage. 1 of 11. He described how he murdered them and the deserted bridge where the bodies were recovered. Search in titles only Search in Other Serial Killers only. Status; Detected Status Living Status; Identified: Deceased . Bill left for work and her three-year-old was in the living room watching Sesame Street. If you have any information, please get in touch with the tip line of the Galveston County District Attorney's Office at 1(800) 566-2209. https://law.justia.com/cases/texas/tenth-court-of-appeals/1994/1036.html, https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Confessions-of-a-cold-blooded-killer-2187501.php, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Harold_Bell, https://unsolved.com/gallery/edward-harold-bell/, https://www.khou.com/article/news/crime/convicted-killer-edward-bell-dies-in-navasota-prison/285-a63d52bf-60a7-4b5d-a5b2-cb15f4ab7132, https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/the-eleven-on-the-trail-of-a-serial-killer/, https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/shows/houston-matters/2019/04/22/330217/possible-serial-killer-dies-in-texas-prison/. Edward had 6 siblings: William Harold, John Harold and 4 other siblings. Bell identified another of his victims as a reddish-blond Houston teen named 'Pitchford,' kidnapped near Gulfgate Mall. They turned around and began to follow him. Four of Larry's siblings have also since passed away. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Betty A. Tomlinson; his daughter, Darlene S. Richardson (Steve) and grandson, Chris Richardson (Kathleen) all of Victoria. June 10, 2021. Edward Harold Bell confessed to murdering 11 Texas girls. Galveston prosecutors reopened the murder cases of two of the girls, Debbie Ackerman and Maria Johnson, in recent years, but never filed any charges against Bell before his death. The victims were young girls from the Texas counties of Houston, Galveston, Webster and Dickinson. Along with Panama, he also had lived in Mexico and other parts of Central America. She was shocked to see that he was nude from the waist down and masturbating. The Panama police located Bell in 1992 at a yacht club. He was 79 years old. He was living under the name of his deceased cousin, "Cecil Boyd". He owned a meadow not far from the shop where they had been last seen. A self-professed serial killer who claimed to have killed 11 young girls died in a Texas prison on Saturday, leaving many mysteries unsolved, according to the Houston Chronicle. 1,890,000 TO SEEK NORTHWEST JOBS Legion Confers on Post-War Employment Plans. But in September 1984, the illusion of small-town security was shattered for a local couple, "Sue" and "Bill". All four girls were known to hang out at a water ski school near Bell's apartment in Offatts Bayou. Edward Harold Bell, in prison for murder, responds to a theory from two investigators that he might be a serial killer responsible for numerous murders of young women in and around Galveston in . He crashed his truck into a fence. Dickens ran outside and grabbed the keys from Bell's . He gave the remaining victims their initials, hair color, and the year they were murdered. Paradise Lost. Mr. Bell an admitted sex offender, convicted murderer and self-described serial killer, has given multiple chilling confessions from his locked prison cell of abducting and slaying teenage and adolescent girls in the 1970s, describing crimes . The victims were all teenage girls, and each . The other two primary suspects are Edward Harold Bell and Mark Stallings. As Dorothy continued talking to the police, Larry went out and took the keys out of Bell's truck in an attempt to keep him there until the police arrived. Senior investigators in Galveston have believed for a long time that Bell was behind more crimes but prosecutors have not pressed charges because they do not believe they have enough evidence. Lang told the man that he better leave because the police were on their way. Age 42. According to reports, Harris County prosecutors never looked into the allegations and misplaced the letters from him. He's spent more than 20 years in public radio and television and dabbled in minor league baseball, spending four seasons as the public address announcer for the Reno Aces, the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. NAVASOTA, Texas (AP) A man serving 70 years for a 1978 slaying near Houston who was also under investigation in the unsolved killings of several missing girls has collapsed and died in a Texas prison. 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. Hunter. Shockingly, Bell was not done; he went back to his truck and retrieved his high-powered M1 rifle. Edward Harold Bell, a convicted killer who in 2011 admitted to killing two Galveston teenagers in the 1970s, died Saturday. They commanded him to pull over, but he kept driving. In interviews with Lise Olsen, Edward Bell denies killing anyone, even Larry Dickens. Edward Harold, 1838 - 1891. Dorothy finally felt that she would be able to face him in court and say, "We finally got you in custody, and I hope they throw the book at you, because you deserve it." A jury found Edward Harold Bell guilty of murder and assessed punishment at seventy years confinement. During interviews, Bell blamed his heinous actions on a systematic program of abuse, lies, and brainwashing begun by his father. Because of the trauma of the situation, Dorothy felt unable to identify him. Scream. I was going to let the state kill me, he said. He agreed to report to another in-patient treatment program at the University of Texas Medical Branch to avoid prosecution. Deed records showed that Bell owned a pasture just a few minutes drive from the store. Five weeks later, he shot Larry Dickens while masturbating in front of five Pasadena girls. There are conflicting reports on Edward Bell's birth date; from what I've been able to gather, I presume the year he was born to be 1937. Six of them were murdered in pairs. Pruns considered Bell a creepy weirdo but knew little of his life. Four months passed without further clues to his identity. Photo: The victims were all teenage girls, and each of their murders have remained unsolved for decades. He claims to be responsible for the killing of young girls including 15-year-olds Debbie Ackerman and Maria Johnson who disappeared while hitch-hiking in Texas in 1971. Desel added that there was no foul . Bell is considered a suspect in the murders of several young women near Galveston in the 1970s. From hair trends to relationship advice, our daily newsletter has everything you need to sound like a person whos on TikTok, even if you arent. He was released on bail less than two months after the murder. Possible serial killer Edward Harold Bell is due to be released from parole in the fall of 2017. Self was denied parole in 1994 and eventually exhausted his appeals. [2] There, he became acquainted with Doug Pruns, a surfer who made custom boards out of his shop based in the area, who allowed him to become a silent partner in the business, despite his reservations about his friend's behavior. She says that there will always be an emptiness, a part that is missing and will never be returned. When she returned to the phone, the dispatcher was still on the line. After learning of his admissions, some detectives went back and looked at their evidence in those cases. Dorothy came out and Dawna asked her if he was dead. Links: Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! The investigators finally decided to release the letters to the public in an attempt to uncover any leads that could verify his accounts. [5] Suddenly, Bell pulled out a pistol and shot Dickens, who staggered into his mother's garage and collapsed onto the floor in front of his horrified mother, who had watched the whole ordeal go by from inside the house. She continued firing at him as he ran down the driveway and toward his truck. A convicted murderer serving a 70-year prison sentence died leaving unanswered questions about the unsolved killings of 11 missing girls. He had been living there with a teenage girl. Sue had always considered herself strong and self-reliant . However, two victims are believed to be Rhonda Johnson and Sharon Shaw, who vanished from Galveston a few months before Debbie and Maria. However, two are believed to be Rhonda Johnson and Sharon Shaw, who vanished from Galveston a few months before Debbie and Maria. Through the mid-to-late 1970s, Bell was repeatedly arrested for flashing and masturbating in front of young girls in Lubbock, Pasadena, Plainview, Bacliff, Houston and Gretna, Louisiana, but was either never charged or the cases were dropped altogether. Furthermore, he had a trailer near the bayou where their bodies were found. After completing a Houston driver's education course, she disappeared. Bell claims he was turned into a sex offender and killer by his father in a systematic programme of abuse and brainwashing. For the next twelve years or more before he was arrested for the murder of Larry Dickens, Bell trolled for girls and exposed himself across Texas and Louisiana in vehicles he often altered and swapped. His numerous accomplishments include the founding of Modular . Daily Mail Reporter, Father who survived Connecticut home invasion walks out of court as coroner describes 'significant pain' suffered by his young daughter, Mom who lost both sons to fentanyl blasts laughing Biden, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Isabel Oakeshott receives 'menacing' message from Matt Hancock, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' He was fifty-two. The new nonfiction limited series, The Eleven, follows investigators as they reexamine the murders of eleven teenage girls after discovering a confession letter from current inmate and convicted murderer Edward Harold Bell.Throughout the 1970s, the cities in and around Galveston County, Texas were haunted by the brutal murders of eleven teenage girls. By Adam Carlson. According to Special Agent Rolando Moss of the Houston FBI, Bell was prospecting for gold on land he owned near Panama City. Edward Harold Bell, now 72, called his victims the "Eleven that went to Heaven." Show More Show Less 2 of 11 Glenda Willis walks through the Forest Park East Cemetery looking for the . Per the A&E series, in his first letter, sent to the Galveston County District Attorney in 1998, Bell claimed that he had been brainwashed into becoming a killer. Additionally, he made a purchase at a surf shop they frequently frequented. [4] In order to avoid prosecution, he was interned at the University of Texas Medical Branch for further treatment, where he continued to romance underage patients. 02:29 GMT 27 Sep 2011 After a brief chase, they ended up on a dead-end street. Wanted For: Murder, Indecency with a Child His confession letter written to prosecutors in the 1990s also had names and details of the killings that suggested he could have been the killer, but Bell would later go on to deny his involvement in the murders. He was only convicted of one murder from 1978. In anger, she tried to attack him, yelling, "I hate you! Despite the fact that some thought he was a publicity-seeking "kook," others were certain he was the murderer. Twenty years after the murder of Larry Dickens, Bell began writing letters allegedly taking credit for multiple other murders 11 in total between 1971 and 1977, according to The Houston Chronicle. She told him to stay still because they did not know where the bullets were in him. By the time of his release, now divorced and forbidden contact with his children, Bell married a 17-year-old female patient and the pair moved a beach house in Galveston. That guy was Larry Dickens, who was attempting to stop Edward Harold Bell from exposing himself to children. When Bell made the claim that he was allegedly responsible for some of the unsolved murders covered in The Eleven, he was already serving a 70-year prison sentence for another murder. Paige interviewed two witnesses who saw Ackerman and Johnson accepting a ride near a Baskin-Robbins from a man driving a white van. Bell, a convicted killer serving 70 years for a 1978 slaying near Houston and who was under investigation in the unsolved deaths of several missing girls has died after collapsing at a Texas prison. Recently added to YouTube. Fortunately, she reversed the situation on him. She then saw a red-and-white GMC pickup truck driving up near it Although some believed that he was a publicity-seeking "kook", others are convinced that he was responsible for the murders. Three years later, Bell, still married to his first wife and working as a traveling salesman, got arrested twice for exposing himself to girls in two different West Texas towns. is asked why Bell's letter didn't spur on a more intense investigation, the former D.A. **Please note** If you are already signed up for the newsletter, you do not need to sign up again. He told the reporter that he was actually responsible for eleven murders, calling them the "eleven that went to Heaven". This photo provided Sept. 28, 2011, by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shows Edward Harold Bell. Unsolved Mysteries Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. Instead, for the next 14 years, Bell roamed coastal towns in Mexico and Central America, guiding dive trips and living aboard a sailboat. Two 14-year-olds, Sharon Shaw and Rhonda Renee Johnson, also disappeared from the area at the same time. His long criminal record stretched back to 1969 and included aggravated rapes and numerous counts of indecent exposure to children (mainly girls) throughout Texas and Louisiana. On August 24, he went out to cut the lawn. m. Jan. 1927 Rock Island IL - Harold E. Fues and Lillian Vant, both of Rock Island. Search. As Dawna crossed the street, she saw the man lean over and shoot the gun at something on the ground. Prosecutors in Galveston, though, declined to show a grand jury his written admissions. He loved . However, no charges were ever filed against him in theirs or any other cases. Referring to them as the "eleven who went to heaven." As she finished her hair in front of the bathroom mirror, she picked up her makeup one. Lang told her son to give the man back his keys. 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.