By Investigative Reporter Tammy Rose
Two teenage friends left Webster for a summer day in Galveston on August 4, 1971. They never returned home.
Nearly 55 years later, the deaths of Rhonda Renee Johnson and Sharon Lynn Shaw remain surrounded by painful questions, a controversial confession and competing claims about who was responsible.
Rhonda was 14 years old. Sharon was 13 and just days away from her 14th birthday.
Their case became one of the earliest and most troubling mysteries associated with a series of young women and girls who disappeared across the Houston-Galveston region during the 1970s.
A Summer Trip to Galveston
According to federal court records, Sharon and Rhonda were last seen on August 4, 1971, after leaving Webster for a day trip to Galveston, about 25 miles away.
The two friends reportedly spent time near the beach and Galveston Seawall. However, they did not make it home that evening.
Their disappearance launched a search that continued for months.
Their Remains Were Found Months Later
On January 3, 1972, human remains were discovered in the Clear Lake area.
Additional remains were found several weeks later. Authorities identified the victims as Sharon Shaw and Rhonda Johnson.
The medical examiner could not determine the cause of their deaths because there was no identifiable damage to the bones or skulls, according to the federal appellate record.
The discovery confirmed the families’ worst fears. However, determining who killed the girls would become far more complicated.
Michael Lloyd Self Was Convicted
Investigators eventually focused on Michael Lloyd Self, a Galveston-area gas station attendant.
Self signed a confession after being questioned by police. He later withdrew it and claimed officers had threatened and physically abused him until he confessed.
Self was prosecuted for Sharon Shaw’s murder and received a life sentence. His conviction was upheld by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
Questions about the confession followed the case for decades.
In 1991, a federal district court granted Self’s request for habeas relief after finding that his confession had been obtained in violation of his constitutional rights. However, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals later reversed that decision and allowed the conviction to stand.
Self maintained his innocence and died in prison in 2000.
A Second Man Claimed Responsibility
Years later, convicted murderer Edward Harold Bell claimed he had killed several girls across Southeast Texas during the 1970s.
Bell referred to the victims as the “Eleven that went to Heaven.” His claims reportedly included two girls from Webster who disappeared after visiting Galveston in 1971.
Those details were believed to refer to Sharon and Rhonda.
Investigators familiar with Bell’s statements said portions of his accounts appeared to match information from several cases. However, Bell was never charged with killing Sharon or Rhonda.
Bell was serving a prison sentence for the 1978 murder of Larry Dickens when he died in 2019.
Families Were Left Without Definitive Answers
The conviction of Michael Self remained legally intact. Still, some investigators and members of the victims’ families came to believe Bell may have been responsible.
That leaves a difficult conflict at the center of the case.
One man was convicted based largely on a confession he said was forced. Another man later claimed responsibility but was never prosecuted in connection with the girls’ deaths.
No DNA evidence or weapon publicly connected Bell to the murders. His death ended any possibility that he-would face a trial or further questioning in court.
Remembering Rhonda and Sharon
The competing accusations can easily overshadow the two young victims.
Rhonda and Sharon were teenage friends enjoying the final weeks of summer. Their families expected them to return home after a day at the beach.
Instead, August 4 became an anniversary marked by loss and unanswered questions.
As the 55th anniversary approaches, the most important part of this story remains the lives that were taken.
Rhonda Renee Johnson and Sharon Lynn Shaw should be remembered by their names—not simply as entries on a list of Texas cold cases.
Their families deserved clear answers then. They still deserve them today.
Related Texas Killing Fields Coverage
The questions surrounding Sharon and Rhonda are part of a much larger history of disappearances and deaths along the Interstate 45 corridor between Houston and Galveston.
The upcoming trial of James Elmore Jr. is also expected to renew attention on the Calder Road area known as the Texas Killing Fields.
Elmore is charged in connection with the death of Laura Miller and allegations involving the movement of human remains. His jury trial is currently scheduled to begin August 31 in Galveston County’s 122nd District Court.
Read more: James Elmore Jr. Trial Scheduled in Texas Killing Fields Case
This story is based on available court records and previously published reporting. Some allegations were never proven in court. Edward Harold Bell was never charged with the deaths of Rhonda Johnson or Sharon Shaw.
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Recommended True-Crime Reading
Readers interested in researching historic cases may find a Texas road atlas helpful for understanding the distance between Webster, Galveston, Clear Lake and other locations connected to the investigation.
A portable document organizer can also help keep court records, timelines, printed articles and handwritten notes arranged while researching a complicated cold case.
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Related Coverage
The approaching 55th anniversary comes as another Galveston County case is preparing to return to court. Read more about the upcoming James Elmore Jr. trial and the Calder Road investigation.
You can also read my examination of prison confessions compared with public records in the Roy Alan Stuart investigation, another case involving decades of questions and disputed claims.