apr 14, 1946 - Paul Martin & Betty Jo Booker DOUBLE HOMICIDE

Description:

At about 1:30am on Sunday, April 14, 1946, Paul Martin, 17, picked up his friend Betty Jo Booker, 15, from a musical performance at West Fourth and Oak St in Texarkana, TX.

At about 6:30am, Paul's body was found lying on its left side by the northern edge of North Park Rd. Blood was found on the other side of the road by a fence. He had been shot four times: through the nose, the ribs from behind, and the back of the neck, as well as in the right hand.

At approx. 11:30am, Betty Jo's body found by a search party almost 2 mi from where Paul's was discovered. She was found behind a tree and lying on her back, fully clothed. She was posed with her right hand in the pocket of the buttoned overcoat. She had been shot twice, once through the chest and once in the face. The weapon used to kill both of them was a .32 automatic Colt pistol.

Paul's car was found 1.55 mi from his body and approx. 3 mi from Betty Jo's body. It was parked outside Spring Lake Park with the keys still in the ignition. Authorities were unsure who was shot first. Examinations of the bodies indicated that they had both put up a "terrific struggle." According to FBI files, it was determined that Booker had been raped.

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CONFIRMATION OF COMPLETION DATE: May 31, 2025
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LUNAR PHASE: waxing gibbous
ZODIAC SIGN: aries
DAY OF WEEK: Sunday
HOLIDAYS: Palm Sunday

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