Short Synopsis
Set in the rowdy, often lawless town of Texarkana shortly after World War II, The Phantom Killer is the history of one of the most puzzling unsolved cases in the United States.

Full Synopsis
The salacious and scandalous murders of a series of couples on Texarkana's "lovers' lanes" created a media maelstrom and cast a pall of fear over an entire region. What is even more surprising is that the case has remained cold for decades. Combining archival research and investigative journalism, Pulitzer Prize–nominated historian James Presley reveals evidence that provides crucial keys to unlocking this decades-old puzzle.

Although the case lives on today through television, the Internet, a revived fictional movie, and even an off-Broadway play, with so much of the investigation shrouded in mystery since 1946, rumors and fractured facts have distorted reality. Now, for the first time, a careful examination of the archival record, personal interviews, and stubborn fact checking come together to produce new insights and revelations on the old slayings.

"Diligently researched, this gripping, page-turning account would be a standout true-crime narrative even without the material Presley gathers to buttress his identification of the serial killer." ---Publishers Weekly

"Presley's book brings a forgotten crime to the forefront." --- Library Journal