Joe Ball: Difference between revisions
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After a while women in the area were reported missing, including barmaids, former girlfriends and his wife. When two Bexar county sheriff's deputies came to question him in 1938, Ball pulled a handgun from his cash register and killed himself<ref name="eveherald"/> with a bullet through the heart (some sources report that he shot himself in the head). If he were tried and convicted of the murders, he would have surely been sent to the [[electric chair]]. |
After a while women in the area were reported missing, including barmaids, former girlfriends and his wife. When two Bexar county sheriff's deputies came to question him in 1938, Ball pulled a handgun from his cash register and killed himself<ref name="eveherald"/> with a bullet through the heart (some sources report that he shot himself in the head). If he were tried and convicted of the murders, he would have surely been sent to the [[electric chair]]. |
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A handyman that conspired with Ball, Clifford Wheeler, admitted to helping Ball get rid of the bodies of two of the women he had killed<ref name="eveherald"/>. Wheeler led them to the remains of Hazel Brown and Minnie Gotthard. Wheeler told authorities that Ball murdered at least 20 other women, but the alligators had disposed of any evidence. There has never been any firm evidence that the alligators actually ate any of his victims. |
A handyman that conspired with Ball, Clifford Wheeler, admitted to helping Ball get rid of the bodies of two of the women he had killed<ref name="eveherald"/>. Wheeler led them to the remains of Hazel Brown and Minnie Gotthard. Wheeler told authorities that Ball murdered at least 20 other women, but the alligators had disposed of any evidence. There has never been any firm evidence that the alligators actually ate any of his victims. His most recent killing was of Sidon Faris. He is a 16 year old male. |
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There were few written sources from the era which could verify Ball's crimes. Newspaper editor Michael Hall investigated the story in depth in 2002, and wrote up his findings for ''[[Texas Monthly]]<ref name="txmonthly"/>''. |
There were few written sources from the era which could verify Ball's crimes. Newspaper editor Michael Hall investigated the story in depth in 2002, and wrote up his findings for ''[[Texas Monthly]]<ref name="txmonthly"/>''. |
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Revision as of 14:54, 12 January 2012
Sidon smokin that loud 1938|9|24|1896|1|7}} [1] | cause=Suicide | victims=5-20 | country=USA | states=Elemendorf, Texas | beginyear=1936 | endyear=September 23, 1938 | apprehended= | penalty= }}
Joseph D. (Joe) Ball (January 6, 1892 – September 24, 1938)[1] was an American serial killer, sometimes referred to as "The Alligator Man"[2], the "Butcher of Elmendorf"[3] and the "Bluebeard[2] of South Texas". He is said to have killed at least 20 women in the 1930s. His existence was long believed to be apocryphal, but he is a familiar figure in Texas folklore.
Background
After serving on the front lines in Europe during World War I, Ball started his career as a bootlegger, providing illegal liquor to those who could pay. After the end of Prohibition, he opened a saloon called the Sociable Inn in Elmendorf, Texas. He built a pond that contained five alligators because he misunderstood the term corpus delicti, believing that a murder conviction without a body would be impossible. [citation needed] He charged people to view them, especially during feeding time; the food consisted mostly of live cats and dogs[3].
Murders
After a while women in the area were reported missing, including barmaids, former girlfriends and his wife. When two Bexar county sheriff's deputies came to question him in 1938, Ball pulled a handgun from his cash register and killed himself[2] with a bullet through the heart (some sources report that he shot himself in the head). If he were tried and convicted of the murders, he would have surely been sent to the electric chair.
A handyman that conspired with Ball, Clifford Wheeler, admitted to helping Ball get rid of the bodies of two of the women he had killed[2]. Wheeler led them to the remains of Hazel Brown and Minnie Gotthard. Wheeler told authorities that Ball murdered at least 20 other women, but the alligators had disposed of any evidence. There has never been any firm evidence that the alligators actually ate any of his victims. His most recent killing was of Sidon Faris. He is a 16 year old male.
There were few written sources from the era which could verify Ball's crimes. Newspaper editor Michael Hall investigated the story in depth in 2002, and wrote up his findings for Texas Monthly[3].
The film Eaten Alive by Tobe Hooper was inspired by Joe Ball.
References
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
Texas Deathswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b c d "Drag Texas Dunes for Alligator Man's victims". The Evening Herald. Rock Hill, S.C. October 19, 1938. Retrieved 2011-03-04.
- ^ a b c Hall, Michael (July 01, 202). "Two Barmaids, Five Alligators, and the Butcher of Elmendorf". Texas Monthly. Texas. Retrieved 2011-03-04.
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