A.R. Baumann's Blog, page 3
May 11, 2016
How to Get Away With Murder (Circa 1970 Texas)
Viewers of the two-time Golden Globe-nominated TV series How to Get Away with Murder–dubbed #HTGAWM by Twitter fans–might tell you getting away with murder is as easy as showing up to a law class, especially with a criminal defense professor’s guidance. But in Nick Noelle’s detective days, there was another way to get way with murder: being rich and famous.
But with no DNA testing to link someone to a crime scene and no cellphones to capture GPS data placing them near a crime scene, it was a lot easier to get away with murder in the 1970s, even if you weren’t wealthy.
One of the most notorious blue-collar criminals of the Noelle era, Dean Corll (called the the Candy Man), killed around thirty boys in and around Houston between 1970 and 1973. The crimes, which were only exposed after Corll was shot by his accomplice, became known as the Houston Mass Murders, earning the city the title of the murder capital of the country.
Simply being accused of murder in Texas during the ’70s was another story. The detectives I talked to who served on the Houston police force then said if someone (often a minority) did something as innocuous as crossing the street, they might just pick that person up and nail him or her with murder just to throw minorities in jail. Sadly, because of racism and discrimination, a lot of innocent people were put in jail during that time for crimes they didn’t commit.
It’s highly unlikely that 1970 Texas murderers were taking selfies to create alibis like the aspiring HTGAWM criminals, but this TV series is drenched in shifty police work, something I broach lightly in Under a Cloud of Rain. Noelle might be rebellious in his approach to finding the serial killer compared to his partner’s by-the-book Bible-thumping MO, but he knows all too well what discrimination feels like from his humble upbringing.
In the book, Houston society is defined by oil big wigs like the Brunswicks who have no qualms about using their money to play judge, jury, and executioner. And no one would even consider interrogating the well-bred aristocracy about a series of mass murders.
While I was developing characters for Under a Cloud of Rain, I needed an adversary who personified the cultural norm of the Lone Star State that brushed the behavior of the high-minded upper class under the rug. Someone who challenged the hardheaded do-gooder detective Noelle. When Chief Cullen says, “Obviously our good ol’ boy has forgotten how things are done here in Texas,” he embodies the culture of 1970s Houston that looked the other way when it came to the hoity-toity wealthy.
I can’t help but wonder if history would have played out the same if the Candy Man’s family had been oil titans rather the poor candy peddlers...
How to Get Away with Murder (Circa 1970 Texas)
I visited the Houston Police Department Museum while I was doing research for Under a Cloud of Rain.
Viewers of the two-time Golden Globe-nominated TV series How to Get Away with Murder–dubbed #HTGAWM by Twitter fans–might tell you getting away with murder is as easy as showing up to a law class, especially with a criminal defense professor’s guidance. But in Nick Noelle’s detective days, there was another way to get way with murder: being rich and famous.
But with no DNA testing to link someone to a crime scene and no cellphones to capture GPS data placing them near a crime scene, it was a lot easier to get away with murder in the 1970s, even if you weren’t wealthy.
One of the most notorious blue-collar criminals of the Noelle era, Dean Corll (called the the Candy Man), killed around thirty boys in and around Houston between 1970 and 1973. The crimes, which were only exposed after Corll was shot by his accomplice, became known as the Houston Mass Murders, earning the city the title of the murder capital of the country.
Simply being accused of murder in Texas during the ’70s was another story. The detectives I talked to who served on the Houston police force then said if someone (often a minority) did something as innocuous as crossing the street, they might just pick that person up and nail him or her with murder just to throw minorities in jail. Sadly, because of racism and discrimination, a lot of innocent people were put in jail during that time for crimes they didn’t commit.
It’s highly unlikely that 1970 Texas murderers were taking selfies to create alibis like the aspiring HTGAWM criminals, but this TV series is drenched in shifty police work, something I broach lightly in Under a Cloud of Rain. Noelle might be rebellious in his approach to finding the serial killer compared to his partner’s by-the-book Bible-thumping MO, but he knows all too well what discrimination feels like from his humble upbringing.
In the book, Houston society is defined by oil big wigs like the Brunswicks who have no qualms about using their money to play judge, jury, and executioner. And no one would even consider interrogating the well-bred aristocracy about a series of mass murders.
While I was developing characters for Under a Cloud of Rain, I needed an adversary who personified the cultural norm of the Lone Star State that brushed the behavior of the high-minded upper class under the rug. Someone who challenged the hardheaded do-gooder detective Noelle. When Chief Cullen says, “Obviously our good ol’ boy has forgotten how things are done here in Texas,” he embodies the culture of 1970s Houston that looked the other way when it came to the hoity-toity wealthy.
I can’t help but wonder if history would have played out the same if the Candy Man’s family had been oil titans rather the poor candy peddlers...
May 4, 2016
A Walk Down Memory Lane: Historic Houston 1970 to 1975
Even during my acting and film career and before I had my family, I knew I wanted to write a serial killer book. And I knew I wanted it to take place in my home state.
I love Texas because it’s my home. I come from a long line of Texans on my mother’s side, making me a fifth-generation Texan. (I get my street smarts from my dad who was born in Chicago.)
While I was preparing to write Under a Cloud of Rain, I spent a lot of time researching Houston crime, including conducting several detailed interviews with detectives and police officers who covered the most gruesome murder cases in the ‘70s. But as I really dug into my home state’s rich history, my research broadened.
Houston is a sultry and evocative locale for a mystery thriller with its steamy, humid summer weather. But its unique history is what made Houston the perfect setting for my debut crime novel.
Historic Houston Heights, where the affluent Brunswicks and Loves reside in Under a Cloud of Rain, was built up as wealthy investors came in to boost the community, and it remains one of the most upscale neighborhoods in Houston. Interestingly, even eighty years after Prohibition, this Houston suburb is “dry” (no beer, wine, or liquor sold) and has been for more than one hundred years. But have no fear, a beer or glass of wine is just a short drive, or walk, away.
What George Brunswick calls “the city beyond” is the prestigious River Oaks development, where the murders take place in the book. Located in the center of Houston, this community boasted tremendous wealth and prosperity during the era of protagonist detective Nick Noelle and adversary Brunswick in Under a Cloud of Rain. Just as the Heights remains a hub of historic affluence, the River Oaks community is still one of wealthiest and most expensive communities in Texas.
Post-World War II Houston brought money and, of course, shopping to the city. The world-famous shopping mall–The Galleria—sets the scene for a seductive “business” meeting between Pamela and Nick in Under a Cloud of Rain. The marriage of something as grandiose as an indoor ice-skating rink with the humid subtropical Houston is juxtaposed with the unlikely duo of salt-of-the-earth cop and wannabe debutante.
As oil prices rose in in the early ‘70s, Shell Oil relocated its corporate headquarters to Houston, and the city became a world energy capital, fueling its economic boom and pushing its population north of 1.2 million, buoyed significantly by immigration. Today, Houston is the nation’s fourth-largest city, with a population of 2.2 million.
The country might have been slowly putting discrimination to bed with Brown vs. Board of Education in 1954, but segregation and racism were still all too common in Houston sixteen years later when the book takes place. Racial tensions over school integration continued, and a lot of innocent people were put in jail during that time for crimes they didn’t commit.
My research helped me dig deeper into my Houston roots to envision the setting of my first serial killer novel, and now I’m excited to take it to another mysterious city with a rich history in the upcoming Thicker Than Blood, the next book in the Nick Noelle series. Stay tuned!
Reader Roundup: From well-to-do communities to Lone Star slums, which locale in Under a Cloud of Rain would you most want to go back to 1970 Houston to experience?
April 27, 2016
What Is a Bayou?
Peaceful. Tranquil. Undisturbed. These are all words I would normally use to describe a bayou. Unfortunately, the recent flooding in Houston got me thinking about some other words that could be used to describe these bayous and the surrounding areas of late: Deadly. Scary. Daunting. My hometown has been on my mind this week, and the bayous of this beautiful place are particularly close to my heart.
National Geographic describes a bayou as “a slow-moving creek or a swampy section of a river or a lake.” These twisty-turny waterways stretch across the southern Louisiana and Houston, Texas, areas. The stagnant and boggy waters create the ideal habitats for alligators, which you’ve probably seen prominently featured in bayou scenes in movies and TV shows. Generally located in the Southeast, these beautiful shallow pools of water, shielded by great expanses of heavy woods, including cypress trees, have so many rich stories to tell (not to mention secrets to hide!) about the history of the areas.
Bayous not only provide habitat for numerous species of birds and alligators, but also serve to protect inland areas, like Houston, that get hit with deadly flooding. The Lone Star State was actually founded near Buffalo Bayou, and it’s still a vital drainage basin for extra water during heavy rains.
Historically, Creole communities in Louisiana relied on the slow-moving waterways to travel back and forth to see their families, and they used bayous to transport food and other goods throughout the communities.
I had the pleasure of touring Bayou Bend (former home of Houston philanthropist Ima Hogg) in Texas while I was doing research on the setting of the murders that take place in Under a Cloud of Rain: A Nick Noelle Mystery. The mazelike marshland is breathtaking!
In 1973, Bayou Bend was designated a historical landmark. Today, the Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens is a fourteen-acre facility that is part of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH). The MFAH houses a collection of decorative arts, paintings, and furniture. Bayou Bend is the house museum for American decorative arts. Legend has it that Hogg—Houston’s most influential resident—custom built the home to represent the rich culture of the city for all Houstonians to enjoy.
Today, thousands of tourists visit Bayou Bend annually to take in the breathtaking scenery and history of the bayou.
Here are some other interesting bayou facts:
• Houston is often referred to as Bayou City.
• Louisiana has been nicknamed the Bayou State.
• Bayou is a French version of the word bayuk, which is a Choctaw word for “small stream.”
• The bayous are disappearing. Louisiana has lost almost 1,900 square miles of coastal wetlands since the 1930s from coastal erosion.
• Bayous can be saltwater, freshwater, or brackish, which means there’s a mixture of both.
• The longest bayou in the world is Bayou Bartholomew. The 359-mile waterway flows through Arkansas and Louisiana.
Whether you want to do some alligator watching or just enjoy the tranquility of the scenery, if you find yourself near Houston or Louisiana, I highly recommend scheduling some time to visit a local bayou to take in the sights and sounds of these historic waterways.
The Red Cross and the Salvation Army are accepting donations to provide food, shelter and clothing to the victims of the Houston flooding. You can also volunteer your time by visiting the Red Cross website.
Learn more about visiting the Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens.
Under a Cloud of Rain: A Nick Noelle Mystery
What Is a Bayou?
Peaceful. Tranquil. Undisturbed. These are all words I would normally use to describe a bayou. Unfortunately, the recent flooding in Houston got me thinking about some other words that could be used to describe these bayous and the surrounding areas of late: Deadly. Scary. Daunting. My hometown has been on my mind this week, and the bayous of this beautiful place are particularly close to my heart.
National Geographic describes a bayou as “a slow-moving creek or a swampy section of a river or a lake.” These twisty-turny waterways stretch across the southern Louisiana and Houston, Texas, areas. The stagnant and boggy waters create the ideal habitats for alligators, which you’ve probably seen prominently featured in bayou scenes in movies and TV shows. Generally located in the Southeast, these beautiful shallow pools of water, shielded by great expanses of heavy woods, including cypress trees, have so many rich stories to tell (not to mention secrets to hide!) about the history of the areas.
Bayous not only provide habitat for numerous species of birds and alligators, but also serve to protect inland areas, like Houston, that get hit with deadly flooding. The Lone Star State was actually founded near Buffalo Bayou, and it’s still a vital drainage basin for extra water during heavy rains.
Historically, Creole communities in Louisiana relied on the slow-moving waterways to travel back and forth to see their families, and they used bayous to transport food and other goods throughout the communities.
I had the pleasure of touring Bayou Bend (former home of Houston philanthropist Ima Hogg) in Texas while I was doing research on the setting of the murders that take place in Under a Cloud of Rain. The mazelike marshland is breathtaking!
A great view of the Ima Hogg estate in Houston I had the pleasure of touring during my research.
In 1973, Bayou Bend was designated a historical landmark. Today, the Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens is a fourteen-acre facility that is part of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH). The MFAH houses a collection of decorative arts, paintings, and furniture. Bayou Bend is the house museum for American decorative arts. Legend has it that Hogg—Houston’s most influential resident—custom built the home to represent the rich culture of the city for all Houstonians to enjoy.
Today, thousands of tourists visit Bayou Bend annually to take in the breathtaking scenery and history of the bayou.
Here are some other interesting bayou facts:
Houston is often referred to as Bayou City.Louisiana has been nicknamed the Bayou State.Bayou is a French version of the word bayuk, which is a Choctaw word for “small stream.”The bayous are disappearing. Louisiana has lost almost 1,900 square miles of coastal wetlands since the 1930s from coastal erosion.Bayous can be saltwater, freshwater, or brackish, which means there’s a mixture of both.The longest bayou in the world is Bayou Bartholomew. The 359-mile waterway flows through Arkansas and Louisiana.Whether you want to do some alligator watching or just enjoy the tranquility of the scenery, if you find yourself near Houston or Louisiana, I highly recommend scheduling some time to visit a local bayou to take in the sights and sounds of these historic waterways.
The Red Cross and the are accepting donations to provide food, shelter and clothing to the victims of the Houston flooding. You can also volunteer your time by visiting the Red Cross website.
Learn more about visiting the Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens.
April 20, 2016
The Four Most Famous Texas Serial Killers
Long before I started penning my Nick Noelle series, a number of serial killers made headlines in Texas. My home state has a dark history that provides more than enough material for a thriller writer. Killers have made their marks on history through heinous murders, including right in the Under a Cloud of Rain Texas scene of my debut mystery novel.
Let’s take a look at some of the most famous serial killers who have operated in and around the Bayou City in Texas in recent decades.
1. Out of Sight, Out of Mind
With an MO of shooting female prostitutes and cutting out their eyes, Charles Frederick Albright earned the murderous moniker: the Eyeball Killer. Albright goes down in history for his murdering spree in the early 1990s. He killed three women—all prostitutes—in the Dallas area, and the kicker? He surgically removed each victim’s eyeballs. Murderpedia.org credits the Eyeball Killer with an “abnormal obsession with eyes, going so far as to remove the eyes from dolls and photographs.” Albright is currently serving life in a psychiatric correctional facility.
2. Lady in Waiting
Genene Anne Jones is on a very short list, given the mere fact that female serial killers are exceedingly rare (estimates have them at fifteen percent of all those convicted). Jones worked as a pediatric nurse in Kerrville and San Antonio in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Under her care, it’s estimated that she killed upwards of forty-five infants. However, she was only tried and convicted of killing one, fifteen-month-old Chelsea McClellan. No chopped up body parts here, though. Jones’s MO was much subtler—poisoning. She alleged that she only intended to only temporarily harm the infants, and then bring them back to life to receive praise and attention for saving them.
Jones was sentenced to ninety-nine years, but an outmoded Texas law enacted to prevent prison overcrowding means she’s scheduled to be released in 2018 before serving her full sentence.
3. Season of the Witch
Kenneth McDuff, nicknamed the Broomstick Murderer for strangling his final victim with a broom handle, killed three teenagers in Everman, Texas, in 1966. It wasn’t his serial killings that earned McDuff a spot in the history books, however, but rather his serial death sentences. McDuff received the death penalty for the three murders, but it was later reduced to life. After spending two decades in prison, he was granted parole in 1989. Yes, set free. Investigators allege he murdered as many as nineteen more women after his release. He was arrested again, convicted of murder of a twenty-two-year-old convenience store worker, and received the death penalty—again. McDuff was executed by lethal injection in 1998. He’s still believed to be the only person in the United States who walked away from death row only to return for round two.
4. The Sweetest Feeling
Dubbed the Candy Man from his work at his mother’s candy factory when he was young, Dean Corll killed around thirty boys in and around Houston between 1970 and 1973. But unlike the others in this list of famous Texas serial killers, he didn’t act alone. And unfortunately for him, his accomplices were his demise. Both accomplices received life sentences, but Corll wasn’t so lucky—his coconspirator Elmer Wayne Henley Jr. shot and killed the Candy Man during one of their attempted murders in 1973. Interestingly, the term serial killer hadn’t been coined yet, but reports of the gruesome murders had reporters flocking to Houston from all over the world. The infamous Truman Capote even showed up to get some fodder for another best-seller.
McDuff, Corll, Albright, and Jones have either died or been caught, killed, or prosecuted, but according to the FBI, a startling twenty-six percent of murders go unsolved in Texas today. Sounds like Texas could use a real-life Nick Noelle!
