Why I Continue Investigating the Texas Killing Fields: Every Victim Deserves to Be Remembered
By Investigative Reporter Tammy Rose
People often ask why I continue investigating murders that happened more than 50 years ago.
They wonder why I file public records requests. They ask why I travel hundreds of miles to interview witnesses. They also question why I keep digging into cases that many people have forgotten.
My answer is simple.
Every victim deserves to be remembered.
The Victims Were More Than Headlines
When I began researching the Texas Killing Fields, one issue quickly bothered me.
Old news reports often focused on how the victims died. Police records also placed heavy attention on their circumstances. Those accounts did not always show who the women were or how they lived.
Authorities described some victims as runaways. Others struggled with addiction or lived through difficult times. Reports also linked some women to prostitution.
Those labels often overshadowed their identities.
Investigators first viewed Laura Miller as a possible runaway. Reports also associated Carolyn Sosa and Teri McDaniel with prostitution.
Those descriptions may have been accurate, incomplete or unfair. Either way, they often became the focus of the story.
The victims deserved better.
No one should disappear from history because of a label.
Why I Keep Digging
My investigation has taken me across Texas and beyond.
I have tracked down key witnesses. I have interviewed retired investigators. I have reviewed thousands of pages of public records.
I have also examined evidence that many people have never seen.
Each interview raises another question. Every record leads to another document. One conversation can reveal a missing piece of history.
Some discoveries involve unidentified remains. Others involve witnesses who were overlooked years ago. Records may also expose decisions that still raise questions today.
That is why I keep digging.
The Public Still Cares
One thing has surprised me more than anything else.
People still care.
Readers continue to send tips. Families continue to reach out. Former investigators and witnesses still contact me with information.
Some believe their information should remain part of the public record. Others simply want someone to listen.
Their messages show that these stories still matter.
The victims have not been forgotten.
Why These Stories Matter
I do not investigate these cases to sensationalize tragedy.
I investigate because every victim mattered.
A person’s past should never decide how much effort investigators make. It should not affect whether authorities search for them or work to solve their murder.
A straight-A student had value. A runaway had value. A woman struggling with addiction had value. A person living on the streets had value.
Their circumstances did not make their lives less important.
Justice should never depend on someone’s background.
The Families Deserve Answers
The victims left behind parents, children, siblings and friends.
Many families waited decades for answers. Some died without learning what happened to their loved one.
Time does not erase that pain.
Families still deserve honest answers. They deserve access to records. They deserve to know whether investigators followed every lead.
They also deserve respect.
I’ll Keep Looking for Answers
Many questions remain in the Texas Killing Fields cases.
I will continue searching through records. I will keep interviewing witnesses. I will also share what I find.
Some mysteries may never be solved. Others may only need one person to speak up.
That is what investigative journalism means to me.
It means giving victims a voice. It means preserving history. Most of all, it means making sure they are never forgotten.
Helpful Travel and Investigation Resources
My investigations sometimes require travel across Texas and beyond. When I need a place to stay near an interview, courthouse or records office, I compare available hotels through Hotels.com.
I also rely on practical tools while reviewing old case files. A portable document scanner helps me preserve records, photographs and handwritten notes.
This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission from qualifying bookings or purchases at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.