Edward was born in Corinth, WV on July 17, 1941, a son of the late Edward Harold and Mary Virginia "Ginny" (Martin) Koontz. However, no charges were ever filed against him in theirs or any other cases. They asserted that they could not confirm his confessions. [6] After spending time in Costa Rica in 1988 and 1989, Bell moved for a few months in Boquete, Panama, before finally settling in Panama City, where he married for the third time to a young girl from Chepo. His marriage finally ended, as did contact with his children. At that same moment, Larry came inside and asked what was going on. Colette's bones were found in a reservoir along with those of a missing Houston girl, Gloria Ann Gonzales, 19. Five murders occurred in 1971 and six more occurred from about 1974 to 1977. A graduate of Texas A&M University and once a successful businessman, he has eluded capture of almost sixteen years. All eleven potential victims linked to Edward Bell were found at the Killing Fields. Ian Smith, Melissa Bell and Annie Jones will return to Neighbours. At Bell's trial, the prosecution's chief witnesses were Dorothy and Dawna. This template will categorize articles that include it into Category:Stubs. 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. Status; Detected Status Living Status; Identified: Deceased . Robert Edwin "Bay" Tomlinson, 97, of Victoria, Va. went to be with the Lord on February 26, 2023. Bell is considered a suspect in the murders of several young women near Galveston in the 1970s. He died a suspect in . Bell identified another of his victims as a reddish-blond Houston teen named 'Pitchford,' kidnapped near Gulfgate Mall. 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. Edward "Ned" Bell. As Dawna crossed the street, she saw the man lean over and shoot the gun at something on the ground. 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. They placed him under arrest, and the FBI, along with the Panama City Police Department, brought Bell back to the United States. In Bell's truck, police found the murder weapons and pornography. Referring to them as the "eleven who went to heaven." [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. The Help. He was living under the name of his deceased cousin, "Cecil Boyd". Edward Harold Bell . She then knelt beside him, held his hand to her face, and watched him die. He identified another of his victims as a reddish-blonde girl named "Pitchford," kidnapped near Glufgate Mall in Houston. It was there that Bell met Doug Pruns through a mutual friend. Bell, 72, is serving 70 years for the 1978 murder of Larry Dickens, a Marine who confronted Bell after he exposed himself and began masturbating in front of a group of girls in Pasadena. He agreed to report to another in-patient treatment program at the University of Texas Medical Branch to avoid prosecution. By Harris County prosecutors reportedly never investigated the claims and lost the letters from him. She got a good, close look at him. He is an actor and writer, known for Gymkata (1985), The Greatest American Hero (1981) and Vindication. He also invested in a surf shop that they were known to visit. Wanted For: Murder, Indecency with a Child In fact, he said, there . With Edward Harold Bell as their number one suspect, investigators Lise Olsen and Fred Paige are determined to find . She was shocked to see that he was nude from the waist down and masturbating. Colette Anise Wilson, 13, never arrived home near Alvin after attending a summer band camp. Sue had always considered herself strong and self-reliant. He might have claimed a second victim that afternoon, but the rifle suddenly jammed. Edward Harold Bell was convicted of murder and sentenced to 70 years in prison for the death of Larry Dickens. EDWARD HAROLD BELL, Appellant. Edward Harold Bell was convicted of murder and sentenced to 70 years in prison for the death of Larry Dickens. Bell Is Going to Have a Parole Meeting There is a sense of tension in The Eleven because Bell will be having his parole meeting soon, which will determine whether he can serve out the rest of his . Jeremy Desel, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, said that inmate Edward Harold Bell, 79, collapsed Saturday at the Wallace Pack Unit in Navasota. 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. Despite these claims, Bell was not investigated until 2011. That's what Edward Harold Bell wants us to believe. He declared the murder was pinned on him, and the police were responsible for shooting Dickens. She continued firing at him as he ran down the driveway and toward his truck. While his wife Allison . She told him that she was going to call an ambulance, and not to move again. 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. Gallery. The other two primary suspects are Edward Harold Bell and Mark Stallings. The Killing Fields is a 25-acre patch of land a mile from Interstate Highway 45 in League City. He came back and put his pants back on. However, two are believed to be Rhonda Johnson and Sharon Shaw, who vanished from Galveston a few months before Debbie and Maria. The cases of all eleven girls remain open and unsolved. However, one is speculated to be Brenda Jones, who vanished from Galveston in 1971. Despite being shot multiple times, Larry tried to go after Bell and stop him again. After the airing of the episode a man recognized Bell as someone he had recently conducted business with in Panama City. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Bell referred to another victim as "Pitchford," who was later revealed to be Kimberly Rae Pitchford, 16. Edward was born in 1805, in Thrandeston Suffolk England. Bell provided the names of four of those girls; Colette Wilson, Debbie Ackerman, Maria Johnson, and Kimberly Pitchford. He also refused to cooperate with the police. He was 79 years old. By [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. However, Dawna agreed to do so. 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. He gave the remaining victims their initials, hair color, and the year they were murdered. Several investigators reviewed their evidence in those cases after they learned of the confessions. By Adam Carlson. She immediately called the police and reported him. Bell further asserted that a "brainwashing programme" had pushed him to kill, rape, and expose himself to young girls. 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. Results: Unresolved. Bell is an eccentric and violent convict who remains in a Texas prison today for another murder. Get highlights, trending news, and behind-the-scenes insights from Houston Public Media delivered to your inbox each week. Following his capture in Panama City, Panama in 1993, he was extradited, convicted and sentenced to a 70-year term for the murder of a Marine in 1978, and later confessed to killing eleven girls during the 1970s. That summer, twenty-six-year-old Larry Dickens was visiting his mother and sister in Pasadena, a suburb of Houston. When they opened up the back door of the police car, she immediately knew that he was Larry's killer. He was stopped for exposing himself to a pair of young girls in Sudan; as a result, he was admitted to Big Spring State Psychiatric Hospital. She forced the intruder from the bathroom and then drove him out of the house at gunpoint with a gun from her nightstand. 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. Both cases were dropped. 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. Matthew McConaughey in his first-ever role. Self-described serial killer Edward Harold Bell died in the Texas prison Saturday, leaving unanswered questions about the unsolved murders of 11 girls he claimed to have killed . ", Bell's letters suggest that he believes that he was "programmed" into becoming a murderer. Another six young girls were killed in the area in the mid-to-late Seventies. At this time, Bell was eighty-years-old, frail, and pasty. Desel added that there was no foul . **Please note** If you are already signed up for the newsletter, you do not need to sign up again. In 1998, Edward Harold Bell wrote multiple letters to prosecutors in Galveston and Harris counties, confessing to the murders of numerous young women. Rita Brestrup, a sister of victim Maria Johnson,also believes he was responsible for taking the life of her sibling in 1971. Lang was still watching from the window and witnessed the man shoot her son five times; Larry staggered back towards the garage. [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. The dispatcher radioed the suspect's description as police units headed to the scene. Sue had always considered herself strong and self-reliant . "I was going to let the state kill me," he said. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. He then turned and ran out of the garage. mother. "My father thought if he beat you real bad, it would send chemicals into your bloodstream," Bell said. Bell says he murdered 11 young girls in Houston and the counties of Galveston, Webster and Dickinson - five in 1971 and six more from 1974 to 1977. He also claims his three ex-wives were part of this 'programme'. 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. Self was denied parole in 1994 and eventually exhausted his appeals. In The Eleven, when the former D.A. He claimed that he was unaware of the other victims' names. He also listed former scoutmasters, a cousin, and three of his ex-wives as part of "the program." Adelaide Bell. Suzie Bowers went missing from Galveston in 1977. Credit: Texas Monthly The Eleven: On the trail of a serial killer. Some investigators claimed they long believed he was a serial killer and found evidence to corroborate his claims. The show featured fellow Texan Matthew McConaughey as Larry Dickens in his first acting role. He had been living there with a teenage girl. His confession matched details of the crime scene. Edward Michael Bell. Dorothy noticed that he was fooling with something in his seat. However, she did not hit him. However, Galveston prosecutors refused to present his written confessions to a grand jury. Bell v. State. His arrest happened eleven days after the episode aired. Holding many offices in the Masons, teaching country western dancing, participating in motorcycle events, mem He quietly liquidated his assets and posted bail in less than two months. Additionally, he resisted cooperating with the authorities. Next, according to Bell, he seduced a seventeen-year-old patient in Room 417. 0. The injury to the left cheek was from close range, nine to twelve inches away. As he walked toward Larry, Larry backed up toward the house. His name was Edward Bell, and he was wanted for murder. Shockingly, Bell was not done; he went back to his truck and retrieved his high-powered M1 rifle. In the interview he stated the girls wanted him to have sex with them because they were tired of the younger boys. The Eleven, airing Thursday at 9 and 10 p.m. on A&E investigates 11 murders that occurred in rural Texas in the 1970s. Possible serial killer Edward Harold Bell is due to be released from parole in the fall of 2017. When she returned to the phone, the dispatcher was still on the line. Maria was born on March 29 1805, in Eye, Suffolk, England. In the A&E series, Bell denied having "killed anybody," including Dickens. Texas is fortunate that Larry Dickens stepped in that afternoon and stopped Edward Bell. Their bones were recovered in a bayou in 1976 and weren't identified until 1981. Edward Harold Bell was married with three children and secretly following young girls, exposing himself to them for many years before he murdered 26-year-old Larry Dickens on 24 August 1978 in Pasadena, Texas. Nothing can take her memory away.. Fearing for the safety of her child, she instinctively attacked. series Unsolved Mysteries. Two viewers recognized Edward Bell and called in with tips when this story aired. Their abductor tied them up, stripped them from the waist down and left their bodies in a river. Missing Since: October 1978. Galveston surfer girls Debbie Ackerman, 15, and Maria Johnson, 15, went missing after hitch-hiking on November 15, 1971. Finally, Dorothy got them from Larry and gave them to him. The State of Texas, Relatives unsure of killer's claim in Texas deaths. He was only convicted of one murder from 1978. All four girls were known to hang out at a water ski school near Bell's apartment in Offatts Bayou. Enter Edward Howard Bell, a convicted killer serving a 70-year prison term for a murder of a Marine who tried to stop him when he exposed himself to a group of young girls. But in September 1984, the illusion of small-town security was shattered for a local couple, "Sue" and "Bill". This case first aired on the December 2, 1992 episode; it was updated on the April 21, 1993 episode. It was submitted to the show by Investigator Boucher. The show reopened the case to the public and closely followed Paige and Olsen's investigation. 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. Harold, or Hank, as his friends called him, was the husband for over 68 years of his beloved wife . Journalist Lise Olsen and retired police . 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. After the incident, the police came out and took a report from Sue. His defense claimed that Larry was a "mean" and "unstable" man who attacked Bell and threatened to kill him. Bell worked at Doug's Dive and Surf Shop and lived in an apartment along Offatts Bayou when the girls disappeared. His numerous accomplishments include the founding of Modular . 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. And there were some people who would never talk to me because they were afraid of him they were afraid that he might get out.. 3. Dawna says that everywhere she goes, she sees Bell. Edward Harold Bell calls his victims, who all disappeared from Texas, the 'Eleven that went to Heaven'. He turned around and began to pursue the vehicle. In January 1985, the Texas governor's office released a roster of the state's most wanted criminals. The Australian soap is set to make a comeback on Amazon Freevee, with . [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. In an interview, Pruns said he once visited a property where Bell kept horses, raccoons, various critters, and a travel trailer painted to look like a red caboose. Paradise Lost. However the killings he lays claim to started a long time before that. He remained the key suspect in the murders. A large-caliber lead bullet was recovered from the scalp, and four .22 caliber bullets were recovered. He assumed the identity of a dead cousin named Cecil Boyd and told people to call him 'Wally.'". 2-min read. Harris County medical examiner's records reveal Kimberly Pitchford, a sixteen-year-old, didn't return home after a driver's ed course. He is likely to respond violently to any confrontation. Along with Panama, he also had lived in Mexico and other parts of Central America. Bell, a convicted killer serving 70 years for a 1978 slaying near Houston and who was . Adams ordered him to stop, and he did. In 1972, two middle school students, Georgia Greer and Brooks Bracewell were last seen at the Dickinson store. 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. 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. 02:29 GMT 27 Sep 2011 New York, NY, United States. The victims were all teenage girls, and each .