1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:04,279 Speaker 1: This story contains adult content and language. Listener discretion is advised. 2 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 1: In April nineteen thirty five, Judge William Pearson and his 3 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 1: wife Lena were lying on tables just above the cold 4 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 1: marble floor. They were once an esteemed couple in Austin, Texas, 5 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 1: the guests of politicians, entertainers, and kingmakers, but now they 6 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:29,640 Speaker 1: were widely known as murder victims. 7 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:32,240 Speaker 2: Lena and will. 8 00:00:32,040 --> 00:00:34,600 Speaker 1: Had gained more attention in just a few days than 9 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:39,879 Speaker 1: either of them had experienced in their entire lives. The 10 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:42,920 Speaker 1: Pearsons were lying in state at the Texas Supreme Court 11 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:47,239 Speaker 1: building inside the Capitol. It's an honor specifically reserved for 12 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 1: the state's most important figures, including State Supreme Court judges 13 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:57,320 Speaker 1: and their spouses. Thousands of people filed past them, staring 14 00:00:57,320 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: at the caskets. It took a full day and a 15 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 1: half for each of the mourners to get their turn. 16 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 1: For decades, the government had held the event that allowed 17 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:10,959 Speaker 1: Texans to pay their respects to revered and powerful figures, 18 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:15,560 Speaker 1: but this seemed pretty extraordinary. Defense attorney David Shepherd is 19 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:18,319 Speaker 1: not surprised about the incredible amount of attention in this 20 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 1: case because it's such an unusual story. 21 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 3: I can't imagine the amount of public interest in kind 22 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:27,480 Speaker 3: of the psychological impact that would have on the people 23 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 3: of the state. It would be huge, And you know, 24 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:33,399 Speaker 3: and for judges to be murdered by in any situation 25 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:35,880 Speaker 3: is so extraordinarily rare in this state. 26 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:39,680 Speaker 1: Author Gary Laverne agrees, but he also says that all 27 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 1: of this media attention attracted a more unpleasant crowd, thousands 28 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 1: of gawkers who just wanted to stare at the caskets 29 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:51,360 Speaker 1: of two murder victims. They had responded to the huge 30 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 1: amount of media attention that the case had attracted. 31 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 4: Well, remember that Austin is still a rather small town, 32 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 4: but the Pearson's story made national news. 33 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:09,360 Speaker 1: Newspaper reporters from around the country covered the event at 34 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:12,639 Speaker 1: the Supreme Court, and then they covered the funeral. An 35 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:16,359 Speaker 1: interesting side note, the lurid story also attracted the attention 36 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 1: of a cup writer for the university student newspaper. 37 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 4: One of the first stories covered by the Daily Texan 38 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:28,000 Speaker 4: on the University of Texas campus was this story back 39 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 4: in nineteen thirty five, and the correspondent for the Daily 40 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 4: Texan was a student named Walter Cronkite. 41 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:38,960 Speaker 1: The headline read Judge Pearson and wife shot to death. 42 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:43,520 Speaker 1: Cronkite wrote, their son Howard, an eyewitness to the shooting, 43 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:46,799 Speaker 1: suffered a flush wound inflicted by a bullet which penetrated 44 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:52,680 Speaker 1: his left arm. At the funeral, former Texas Governor Pat 45 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:55,799 Speaker 1: Neff paid tribute to the judge. The guest list featured 46 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 1: some of the state's most powerful politicians. The reverend said 47 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:03,919 Speaker 1: this about William Pearson. For a generation, Judge Pearson walked 48 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 1: in the light of publicity, but that white light did 49 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 1: not reveal one tarnished jewel in the resplendent crown of 50 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 1: his judicial career, nor one fallen leaf in the laurel 51 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:19,040 Speaker 1: of his private life. That was high praise. So the 52 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 1: judge's life seemed exemplary. But no one at the service 53 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:30,920 Speaker 1: mentioned the reason behind the deaths. Their youngest son, Howard, 54 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:34,000 Speaker 1: wasn't at the Capitol building or at the funeral, with 55 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 1: good reason. Austin police suspected him in the murder of 56 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 1: his parents, and besides, investigator said Howard had never requested 57 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:44,240 Speaker 1: to attend. They would have allowed it. He could have 58 00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:47,040 Speaker 1: been shackled, but he preferred to stay in his jail 59 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 1: cell when Howard's siblings did arrive at Austin for the services. 60 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 1: Alison Bill sat down with investigators. 61 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 2: They could not. 62 00:03:56,320 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 1: Believe that he was a suspect. They cried and consulted 63 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 1: each other. Investigators asked about Howard, what was life like 64 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 1: with him, and as they sat near each other, Bill 65 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 1: and Alice offered details about their brother's troubled relationship with 66 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 1: their parents. The siblings both agreed that after they left 67 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 1: home to start their lives, Howard had a tough time. 68 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:23,599 Speaker 1: Bill said that Howard had always been painfully shy, even 69 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 1: as a boy. He was socially awkward. He seemed to 70 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:29,600 Speaker 1: have no social graces at all, which has always been 71 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:33,679 Speaker 1: particularly important in a state like Texas. Many people described 72 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:36,799 Speaker 1: Howard as a sad, lonely little boy who had few friends, 73 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:39,040 Speaker 1: and that's still the impression of. 74 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:42,280 Speaker 2: So many people in his family today. Gray Peer. 75 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:45,840 Speaker 1: Since father met Howard when both were young, his interactions 76 00:04:45,839 --> 00:04:48,159 Speaker 1: had been fleeting but memorable. 77 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:52,680 Speaker 5: My father mentioned that when he had met Howard at 78 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:55,920 Speaker 5: one or more family events or family reunions, that Howard 79 00:04:56,040 --> 00:04:59,760 Speaker 5: was just strange. He was just weird in what way, 80 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:07,560 Speaker 5: apparently stand offish and just non social, non sociable. You'd 81 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 5: have to have known my father to appreciate just how 82 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 5: much it means, because my father could be friends with anybody. 83 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 1: What was your dad saying, I mean about all of this? 84 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:18,520 Speaker 2: What did he say about Howard? 85 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 5: I mean, he just thought Howard had had a mental problem. 86 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 5: He never condemned Howard as being an evil person. He 87 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 5: just said Howard wasn't right. 88 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:33,240 Speaker 1: Howard never really seemed to fit in anywhere. Unfortunately, when 89 00:05:33,279 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 1: the Pearson spent that year in Europe, it turned out 90 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:38,719 Speaker 1: to be the trip of a lifetime for everyone but Howard. 91 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:42,440 Speaker 1: The judge enrolled a six year old in a private 92 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:43,760 Speaker 1: school for French children. 93 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:45,839 Speaker 2: It did not go well. 94 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:48,880 Speaker 1: Howard didn't speak one bit of French and he didn't 95 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 1: want to learn. He had absolutely no social skills. Howard 96 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:57,799 Speaker 1: was small, meek and timid, pale and thin, almost sickly, 97 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:01,599 Speaker 1: and that was true for much of his life. Howard 98 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:04,680 Speaker 1: was taunted relentlessly by the other children in France for 99 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:09,080 Speaker 1: the entire year, almost daily. Howard was miserable in Europe, 100 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:13,359 Speaker 1: when his siblings and his parents seemed so content. What 101 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:18,919 Speaker 1: was wrong with him? His family wondered. Alice explained to 102 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:22,720 Speaker 1: police that Howard as a boy was somber faced, unhappy, 103 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:26,640 Speaker 1: and extremely overly sensitive, and as a young adult he 104 00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:31,360 Speaker 1: seemed almost unreasonable At times. His reactions were unpredictable. He 105 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 1: suspected that he was adopted, that his parents never loved him, 106 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:37,520 Speaker 1: and this was confusing to people outside of the family 107 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:40,719 Speaker 1: because Will and Lena Pearson were so kind to their children, 108 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:43,159 Speaker 1: there didn't seem to be a reason for Howard to 109 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:48,120 Speaker 1: be so miserable. The problem seemed deeper than adolescent insecurity. 110 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:51,159 Speaker 1: He was so serious about everything. 111 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:55,920 Speaker 4: Howard was convinced that he not only could become a 112 00:06:55,960 --> 00:07:00,920 Speaker 4: great scientist, but that he was the son of a 113 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:04,280 Speaker 4: great scientist that he never named. But he was convinced 114 00:07:04,279 --> 00:07:06,800 Speaker 4: that he was the son of a great scientist and 115 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:10,840 Speaker 4: not the son of this distinguished judge, and that the 116 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 4: judge didn't want him to excel in college. 117 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:19,200 Speaker 1: Howard began to express some serious delusions, which appeared to 118 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:23,560 Speaker 1: manifest within months, but severe psychological issues might have been 119 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:27,520 Speaker 1: developing since childhood, and his parents didn't seem to recognize them. 120 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:28,880 Speaker 2: They suspected that. 121 00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:33,040 Speaker 1: He was just having problems fitting in. Bill told police 122 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:35,320 Speaker 1: that Howard had refused to make friends growing up. And 123 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 1: he had few Even now, He stayed locked up in 124 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:44,040 Speaker 1: his bedroom for days, only emerging to eat. As a student, 125 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:47,560 Speaker 1: he struggled with difficult engineering classes at the University of Texas. 126 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:50,560 Speaker 1: He had done moderately well in high school, but college 127 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 1: was a bigger challenge, one with obstacles that seemed too 128 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:54,320 Speaker 1: large for. 129 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:55,120 Speaker 2: Him to overcome. 130 00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 1: He couldn't keep up, and his classes were not cheap, 131 00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:03,960 Speaker 1: and that was a big problem. In nineteen thirty four, 132 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:07,280 Speaker 1: after two and a half years at ut Will Pearson 133 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:10,680 Speaker 1: had finally had enough of Howard's inadequacies in the classroom. 134 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:13,800 Speaker 1: The judge was already struggling to pay off debt from 135 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 1: his successful reelection campaign. He was frustrated as he wrote 136 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:25,080 Speaker 1: a check each year for his youngest child's tuition. Judge 137 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:28,440 Speaker 1: Pearson wrote to his son Bill, this morning, I took 138 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:31,600 Speaker 1: over your note at the Austin National Bank. I would 139 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:34,120 Speaker 1: have paid it off about three weeks ago, but overlooked it, 140 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:36,800 Speaker 1: so I had to renew it. I'm beginning now to 141 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:40,040 Speaker 1: pay off my debts, and of course am hoping to 142 00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:43,200 Speaker 1: pay them rapidly, but it will take some time to 143 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:47,600 Speaker 1: get out of debt. Howard's tuition was a drain on 144 00:08:47,640 --> 00:08:51,480 Speaker 1: the family finances. The country was still not quite through 145 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:55,160 Speaker 1: the end of the Great Depression. America's economy was recovering, 146 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:59,520 Speaker 1: but its collapse still felt fresh. So Will Pearson made 147 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 1: a decision that would forever change his son's life. 148 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:06,720 Speaker 4: The judge decided that he wasn't going to finance that 149 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:13,320 Speaker 4: education anymore, and so basically he forced Howard to drop 150 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:17,920 Speaker 4: out of the University of Texas. And that could have 151 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:23,560 Speaker 4: been the beginning of Howard's belief that his father was 152 00:09:23,679 --> 00:09:24,720 Speaker 4: keeping him down. 153 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:27,960 Speaker 2: Maybe. 154 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:30,960 Speaker 1: But one thing I've learned from researching how crimes affect 155 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:34,040 Speaker 1: families is that you never get a clear picture at 156 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:37,240 Speaker 1: the beginning of any investigation. And there's a lot more 157 00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:41,840 Speaker 1: to this family's history. It's really tangled and sometimes confusing. 158 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:45,280 Speaker 1: But one thing I am certain of is that Howard 159 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:48,319 Speaker 1: was furious about being pulled out of his science classes. 160 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:55,040 Speaker 1: Gray Pearson says that Howard was frustrated because the young 161 00:09:55,080 --> 00:09:58,640 Speaker 1: man believed that he had shown real ambition and passion 162 00:09:59,240 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 1: despite what. 163 00:09:59,720 --> 00:09:59,959 Speaker 3: His f. 164 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:07,439 Speaker 5: Howard had this apparently I've learned this from another family member. 165 00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:12,240 Speaker 5: Really wanted to be the world's greatest physicist and was 166 00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:14,720 Speaker 5: furious with his father for taking him at a school. 167 00:10:17,040 --> 00:10:20,560 Speaker 5: The judge felt that Howard needed to actually get out 168 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:23,640 Speaker 5: and learn about the real world. It would sound somewhat 169 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:27,240 Speaker 5: logical that the father would think, well, Howard's just getting 170 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:29,959 Speaker 5: to be where he's all focused on things of school 171 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:32,880 Speaker 5: but doesn't get it about the street in the real world, 172 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:36,360 Speaker 5: and this will help Howard adjust better. I can see 173 00:10:36,360 --> 00:10:38,439 Speaker 5: that being a response in that era. 174 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:39,800 Speaker 2: That makes sense. 175 00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:42,439 Speaker 1: If things weren't working out at ut, then perhaps a 176 00:10:42,520 --> 00:10:44,719 Speaker 1: change of focus might have helped the twenty one year 177 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:47,960 Speaker 1: old who was struggling to find his way. But Howard 178 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:51,319 Speaker 1: wasn't a typical twenty one year old, and the judge's 179 00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:57,920 Speaker 1: decision was a turning point for all of them. Howard 180 00:10:57,960 --> 00:10:59,480 Speaker 1: would make a go of it for a while. He 181 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:03,160 Speaker 1: wanted to play demanding parents. He wanted to fit into 182 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:07,080 Speaker 1: a family of overachievers. All of this happened in nineteen 183 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:10,400 Speaker 1: thirty four, about a year and a half before the murders. 184 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:14,040 Speaker 1: Don't forget that, because it becomes more important Later on. 185 00:11:16,920 --> 00:11:19,360 Speaker 1: Howard told the police that his removal from the University 186 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:22,120 Speaker 1: of Texas had really confused him. The judge had sent 187 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:24,800 Speaker 1: both Bill and Alice to college and had paid their 188 00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:26,600 Speaker 1: tuition and all their expenses. 189 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:27,680 Speaker 2: Why not him? 190 00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:30,720 Speaker 1: Was he not worthy of the same kind of treatment. 191 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:34,920 Speaker 1: Howard was certain that his parents favored his older siblings, 192 00:11:35,240 --> 00:11:39,800 Speaker 1: especially Bill, and that really upset him and it caused 193 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:43,679 Speaker 1: a lot of tension inside the home. The Pearsons had 194 00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:46,840 Speaker 1: experienced a deep history of various types of conflicts, just 195 00:11:46,880 --> 00:11:48,920 Speaker 1: like my family, and just like your family might have. 196 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:52,640 Speaker 1: This didn't just start with Howard, though his story was 197 00:11:52,679 --> 00:11:56,080 Speaker 1: the most dramatic. There was a conflict between the Pearsons 198 00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:59,880 Speaker 1: that was much older, from more than twenty five years. 199 00:11:59,679 --> 00:12:04,720 Speaker 5: Early appaarily was a pretty bitter rift. 200 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:10,000 Speaker 1: This particular rift and its consequences reverberated through the family 201 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:13,440 Speaker 1: for generations. It was a fight that involved will Pearson 202 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:15,920 Speaker 1: and his ten siblings when they were all much younger, 203 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:18,600 Speaker 1: a tug of war over the family business that began 204 00:12:18,640 --> 00:12:24,040 Speaker 1: in nineteen oh nine when the Judge's father died. Marshall 205 00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:26,920 Speaker 1: Pearson had owned a very successful national bank in Haskell, 206 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:30,200 Speaker 1: Texas for almost twenty years. Haskell is in North Texas, 207 00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:33,760 Speaker 1: a few hundred miles from Fort Worth in Dallas. Marshall 208 00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:37,640 Speaker 1: Pearson was on his third marriage. Gray Pearson says that 209 00:12:37,679 --> 00:12:39,920 Speaker 1: he had hired several of his sons from his first 210 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:41,240 Speaker 1: marriage to work at his bank. 211 00:12:42,200 --> 00:12:45,000 Speaker 5: When he died, they assumed that they would be taking 212 00:12:45,120 --> 00:12:48,240 Speaker 5: over the bank and running it. To their shock, their 213 00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:52,760 Speaker 5: stepmother Margaret said, well, no, I'm going to run the bank. 214 00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:56,000 Speaker 5: They said, pardon me, you're a woman, what are you 215 00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:59,640 Speaker 5: talking about, And she said, nope, I'm going to run it. 216 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:03,920 Speaker 5: And it caused a huge rift. 217 00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:07,200 Speaker 1: There seemed to be no negotiating with her stepsons, no 218 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:11,800 Speaker 1: way to heal their fractured relationship. So Maggie Pearson fired 219 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:13,319 Speaker 1: them and she took over the bank. 220 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:18,120 Speaker 5: There was just an absolute assumption that a woman would 221 00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:21,720 Speaker 5: not be running a bank. She was parently plenty strong. 222 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:24,640 Speaker 5: She ran the bank apparently did so very successfully. 223 00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:28,960 Speaker 1: The children were furious, and rather than stay in high school, 224 00:13:29,240 --> 00:13:32,280 Speaker 1: they left the state and broke up the family. Most 225 00:13:32,280 --> 00:13:35,200 Speaker 1: of Will's siblings moved to California, but he stayed in 226 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:39,320 Speaker 1: Texas and began his legal career in Austin. So those 227 00:13:39,360 --> 00:13:42,520 Speaker 1: two sections of the family, the California Pearsons and the 228 00:13:42,559 --> 00:13:46,440 Speaker 1: Texas Pearsons, which included Gray's family, have never quite come 229 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:51,480 Speaker 1: together even today. Family history really seems to play a 230 00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:54,000 Speaker 1: big part in their lack of connection. Now there are 231 00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:57,040 Speaker 1: reunions that are hosted in either state, But if that 232 00:13:57,160 --> 00:14:00,240 Speaker 1: rift had not happened, who knows how close the family 233 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:05,080 Speaker 1: might have been. So there were tensions in the Pearson 234 00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:08,800 Speaker 1: family for decades. The feud of the previous generation from 235 00:14:08,840 --> 00:14:11,200 Speaker 1: back in nineteen oh nine didn't seem to affect Howard, 236 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:14,720 Speaker 1: but by nineteen thirty four, at age nineteen, he had 237 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:18,480 Speaker 1: started his own feud with his father. He was upset 238 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:22,000 Speaker 1: because Howard thought that Will Pearson was somehow keeping him down. 239 00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:25,200 Speaker 4: And when asked, well, how's your father keeping you down, Well, 240 00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:28,560 Speaker 4: he won't pay for me to go to the University 241 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:34,119 Speaker 4: of Texas like he did the older siblings, Bill and Alice. 242 00:14:34,640 --> 00:14:37,440 Speaker 1: And investigators found more evidence that the judge was ready 243 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:40,560 Speaker 1: to make a permanent decision, whether Howard liked it or not. 244 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:44,320 Speaker 1: Remember the letters that were found inside the judge's jacket 245 00:14:44,360 --> 00:14:47,920 Speaker 1: pocket after the bodies were discovered. Gary Laverne says that 246 00:14:47,960 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 1: those letters were very significant to police in nineteen thirty five, 247 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:53,240 Speaker 1: and they were significant to Howard. 248 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:57,880 Speaker 4: They were letters of recommendation for jobs, more jobs for Howard. 249 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:04,000 Speaker 4: Howard had a number of jobs, and he had trouble 250 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:08,600 Speaker 4: keeping those jobs, and some of the letters that the 251 00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:14,840 Speaker 4: judge wrote were to friends of his, pleading with his 252 00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:17,560 Speaker 4: friends to see if they could find a job for Howard. 253 00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:21,520 Speaker 1: The judge was actually about to mail a couple of 254 00:15:21,560 --> 00:15:25,280 Speaker 1: these letters the night he was murdered. Police carefully opened 255 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:28,160 Speaker 1: them at the station. They were soaked with blood from 256 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:32,360 Speaker 1: the judge's body. They scanned through the type text. One 257 00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:35,320 Speaker 1: of the letters began, Dear Claude, I am taking the 258 00:15:35,320 --> 00:15:37,800 Speaker 1: liberty of writing you about a matter that is quite 259 00:15:37,840 --> 00:15:41,920 Speaker 1: personal to me. It started the year before, in nineteen 260 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:44,560 Speaker 1: thirty four, after he had taken Howard out of ut 261 00:15:45,240 --> 00:15:47,720 Speaker 1: The judge had promised him that he might be able 262 00:15:47,760 --> 00:15:50,480 Speaker 1: to return if he proved himself at a real job. 263 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:54,360 Speaker 1: But now Howard needed to actually find a job. He 264 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:58,000 Speaker 1: had no practical skills, no obvious acumen for anything. Really, 265 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:02,760 Speaker 1: he wasn't fast, or nimble or clever. Howard needed help 266 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:06,360 Speaker 1: finding a career. In nineteen thirty four was a terrible 267 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:09,800 Speaker 1: time for an underqualified young man to find work. So 268 00:16:09,880 --> 00:16:12,280 Speaker 1: will Pearson wrote to a friend who worked in the 269 00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:13,960 Speaker 1: legal department at Gulf. 270 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:14,840 Speaker 2: Petroleum in Houston. 271 00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:18,760 Speaker 1: He said, my son Howard is very desirous of getting 272 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:21,760 Speaker 1: out and working a year or two or longer. He 273 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:25,840 Speaker 1: is of excellent character, strictly honest, very sincere, and has 274 00:16:25,880 --> 00:16:29,160 Speaker 1: good habits. He is five foot eight inches in height, 275 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:32,240 Speaker 1: weighs one hundred and forty five pounds, is stockily built, 276 00:16:32,480 --> 00:16:37,720 Speaker 1: and is reasonably strong. Howard was not stockily built, and 277 00:16:37,760 --> 00:16:40,600 Speaker 1: he didn't seem physically strong at all. But the judge 278 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:41,400 Speaker 1: was desperate. 279 00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:46,520 Speaker 4: Some of those letters are really rather pathetic. You have 280 00:16:46,600 --> 00:16:50,840 Speaker 4: a father who's desperately trying to fix his son up 281 00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:54,840 Speaker 4: with a job so that he could lead something of 282 00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:59,160 Speaker 4: a normal life, And in those letters, he's clearly someone 283 00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:02,760 Speaker 4: who was trying desperately to figure out what to do 284 00:17:02,880 --> 00:17:03,520 Speaker 4: with Howard. 285 00:17:04,080 --> 00:17:06,960 Speaker 1: Pearson begged for friends to secure Howard a job as 286 00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:11,200 Speaker 1: an oil field worker in East Texas. I've visited oilfields there. 287 00:17:11,359 --> 00:17:14,080 Speaker 1: The technology they have today might make the job easier 288 00:17:14,080 --> 00:17:16,240 Speaker 1: than it was in nineteen thirty four, but it's still 289 00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:19,280 Speaker 1: a lot of hard work, and it was even harder 290 00:17:19,320 --> 00:17:22,560 Speaker 1: back then. Most people reared in a large city would 291 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:26,240 Speaker 1: not choose that job. And let me be clear, Howard 292 00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:28,800 Speaker 1: did not want to do this. He did not want 293 00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:31,200 Speaker 1: to leave his comfortable life in Austin. He did not 294 00:17:31,359 --> 00:17:34,320 Speaker 1: want to leave his classes at ut. He wanted to 295 00:17:34,359 --> 00:17:37,000 Speaker 1: stay in control of his life, but the judge made 296 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:40,520 Speaker 1: that nearly impossible. And the more letters the judge mailed, 297 00:17:40,920 --> 00:17:44,760 Speaker 1: the more his son panicked. But the judge wasn't easy 298 00:17:44,760 --> 00:17:46,720 Speaker 1: to argue with when he had made a firm decision, 299 00:17:47,680 --> 00:17:53,960 Speaker 1: and Howard didn't seem to handle stress well. The judge 300 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:56,960 Speaker 1: wrote his eldest son Bill in January of nineteen thirty 301 00:17:56,960 --> 00:17:59,720 Speaker 1: four about a trip to the doctor. Will said that 302 00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:04,480 Speaker 1: Howard forward seemed distant, even more than usual. Howard was 303 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:10,159 Speaker 1: complaining of poor health. The judge was unsympathetic. The clinic 304 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:13,199 Speaker 1: found Howard in good condition. He said there is very 305 00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:15,680 Speaker 1: little cause for him to feel tired, and doctor Moon 306 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:18,439 Speaker 1: says he will soon be over it. I'm afraid that 307 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:22,119 Speaker 1: he's been eating irregularly and perhaps too many sweets. I 308 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:24,120 Speaker 1: hope that we can turn over a new leaf this year, 309 00:18:24,200 --> 00:18:27,160 Speaker 1: and that all of us can eat together, especially at 310 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:31,200 Speaker 1: noon and night. We ought to, and besides, we enjoy 311 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:36,040 Speaker 1: the fellowship. Three months later, Howard was still miserable, and 312 00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:48,760 Speaker 1: so he did something drastic. As Howard sat in his 313 00:18:48,800 --> 00:18:51,840 Speaker 1: car in the garage, he thought about his life about 314 00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:55,800 Speaker 1: his lack of control. The garage filled with gas, and 315 00:18:55,880 --> 00:19:00,880 Speaker 1: Howard felt sleepy. This was about a year before the murders. 316 00:19:01,520 --> 00:19:04,520 Speaker 1: In a March nineteen thirty four letter to his daughter Alice, 317 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:09,120 Speaker 1: will Pearson described what happened next. Howard had an accident 318 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:12,879 Speaker 1: Friday afternoon which could have been serious or fatal. He 319 00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:15,679 Speaker 1: was overcome by monoxide gas from the car in the 320 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:19,520 Speaker 1: garage at home about four o'clock last Friday afternoon. He 321 00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:23,000 Speaker 1: was unconscious for about three hours. If the motor had 322 00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:27,440 Speaker 1: not stopped, he would have been killed. Doctor Joe Wooten 323 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:29,960 Speaker 1: says there will be no after effects, that he will 324 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:32,479 Speaker 1: be perfectly all right, though for two or three weeks 325 00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:37,200 Speaker 1: he will be stupid and tired. This incident is one 326 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:39,960 Speaker 1: of the first things that Gray Pearson and I talked about. 327 00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:43,240 Speaker 1: Did you get to see that letter, the very last 328 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:45,160 Speaker 1: one of the print out I sent you, the one 329 00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:47,400 Speaker 1: that describes the fatal incident or. 330 00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:48,520 Speaker 2: The near fatal incident. 331 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:52,199 Speaker 1: Yes, yes, right, So he leaves his car on inside 332 00:19:52,240 --> 00:19:52,840 Speaker 1: the garage. 333 00:19:52,960 --> 00:19:56,560 Speaker 5: What it sounds like is a fatled suicide attempt. That 334 00:19:56,680 --> 00:20:00,000 Speaker 5: just doesn't sound like something that would happen as an accident, 335 00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:04,000 Speaker 5: you know, being in a closed garage with a car 336 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:08,320 Speaker 5: running and being overcome by carbon monoxide because I work 337 00:20:08,359 --> 00:20:12,720 Speaker 5: on all cars and they tend to smoke, and having 338 00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:15,440 Speaker 5: that kind of an odor, you'd want to get out 339 00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:16,160 Speaker 5: in any event. 340 00:20:16,480 --> 00:20:17,800 Speaker 1: So Howard would have known better. 341 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:21,679 Speaker 5: Well, I think definitely there would be no question that 342 00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:24,840 Speaker 5: carbon dioxide would kill you in a closed garage. There's 343 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:28,120 Speaker 5: a tendency to assume that we're a lot smarter than 344 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:32,199 Speaker 5: they were, but we aren't. They were just in their times. 345 00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:35,760 Speaker 1: And in nineteen thirty four, the family physician, doctor Wuton, 346 00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:41,000 Speaker 1: agreed it was definitely a suicide attempt. The following year, 347 00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:44,439 Speaker 1: Howard's parents were dead, and the doctor told police that 348 00:20:44,520 --> 00:20:47,920 Speaker 1: he had seen troubling behavior from Howard for several years. 349 00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:53,560 Speaker 1: Doctor Wooton labeled Howard's condition as dementia precox, a chronic 350 00:20:53,720 --> 00:20:55,800 Speaker 1: deteriorating psychotic disorder. 351 00:20:56,800 --> 00:21:01,399 Speaker 4: What's the gist of this, It's a premature dementia that 352 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:07,560 Speaker 4: is very rare. Dementia is usually, of course associated with 353 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:12,159 Speaker 4: the elderly. Doctor Wooten, who was a friend of the 354 00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:15,920 Speaker 4: family and who knew Howard, diagnosed him with that particular 355 00:21:16,200 --> 00:21:20,879 Speaker 4: malady and said that Howard should be immediately released from 356 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:24,240 Speaker 4: jail and sent to the state mental hospital. 357 00:21:24,840 --> 00:21:28,520 Speaker 1: The condition is no longer referred to as dementia precox, 358 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:34,160 Speaker 1: It's now called schizophrenia, and that diagnosis seemed to fit 359 00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:39,760 Speaker 1: Howard's symptoms. He had been experiencing hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech, 360 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:43,280 Speaker 1: and emotional flatness. They seemed to start while he was 361 00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:46,360 Speaker 1: a teenager, and that's when experts say that people can 362 00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:50,880 Speaker 1: begin to experience symptoms. Doctor Wooten insisted to Judge Pearson 363 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:55,560 Speaker 1: that he commit Howard to an institution immediately. He argued 364 00:21:55,560 --> 00:21:58,720 Speaker 1: that the boy would never recover without proper care and guidance, 365 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:03,280 Speaker 1: and said that Howard could still have a productive, healthy 366 00:22:03,359 --> 00:22:08,880 Speaker 1: life if he got help, and the judge replied, he'll 367 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:12,520 Speaker 1: grow out of it. Why would they not have gotten 368 00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:13,480 Speaker 1: him professional help. 369 00:22:13,840 --> 00:22:16,480 Speaker 4: There was a much larger stigma for that back then 370 00:22:16,640 --> 00:22:20,679 Speaker 4: than there is today. You know, today we encourage people 371 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:26,120 Speaker 4: to go to institutions and to get psychiatric treatment, and 372 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:30,199 Speaker 4: back then, the mere mention of that brought about a 373 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:33,400 Speaker 4: stigma that we don't have today. I don't think they 374 00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:37,760 Speaker 4: wanted the Pearson name to be associated with that kind 375 00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:40,320 Speaker 4: of psychological malady. 376 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:43,080 Speaker 2: If they had, maybe they both would have still been alive. 377 00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:49,399 Speaker 1: Absolutely, I wanted to visit more family members. Over the 378 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:52,680 Speaker 1: past two seasons, I've discovered that families often don't talk 379 00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:55,520 Speaker 1: about dark spots in their history, and when they do, 380 00:22:55,720 --> 00:23:00,720 Speaker 1: the information they have is sometimes unreliable or conflicting. Oliver 381 00:23:00,760 --> 00:23:03,879 Speaker 1: Perkins is the Pearson families keeper of phone numbers and 382 00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:07,600 Speaker 1: email addresses. He's gathered them from reunions over the years. 383 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:12,199 Speaker 1: Gray recommended that he and I meet because Oliver really 384 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:16,359 Speaker 1: understands the family tree. Oliver has collected all sorts. 385 00:23:16,080 --> 00:23:17,399 Speaker 2: Of information about this case. 386 00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:20,600 Speaker 1: Some of it's right and some of it is misinformation 387 00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:22,479 Speaker 1: that has been passed around for years. 388 00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:27,600 Speaker 6: What I recall is that Howard said that they were 389 00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:32,640 Speaker 6: attacked by Indians, not that they were attacked by robbers 390 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:36,480 Speaker 6: or bandits or something like this. Looking at all the 391 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:39,960 Speaker 6: other published reports, there's no mention of that. 392 00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:43,800 Speaker 1: Oliver and his wife Janet talk about the judge's decision 393 00:23:43,840 --> 00:23:47,679 Speaker 1: to force Howard into a difficult, backbreaking job on an 394 00:23:47,720 --> 00:23:51,040 Speaker 1: oil field. Oliver says that the judge probably did make 395 00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:53,919 Speaker 1: a pretty poor decision, even if it seemed practical at 396 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:57,639 Speaker 1: the time. Howard was not suited for that type of work. 397 00:23:58,560 --> 00:24:01,440 Speaker 6: I wondered if he could have been teased a lot, 398 00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:04,760 Speaker 6: particularly if he's out there working in the oil fields. 399 00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:06,560 Speaker 6: I mean, I don't know what the oil fields were 400 00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:11,520 Speaker 6: like back then, but these days, looking at Roughnecks, you know, 401 00:24:11,600 --> 00:24:16,520 Speaker 6: they might not be real sympathetic to a young person 402 00:24:16,720 --> 00:24:18,880 Speaker 6: who was small and meek. 403 00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:22,399 Speaker 1: But Judge Pearson felt Howard needed to develop a strong 404 00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:25,200 Speaker 1: work ethic. He needed to be woken up from his 405 00:24:25,320 --> 00:24:29,040 Speaker 1: dream life at the University of Texas. The college seemed 406 00:24:29,040 --> 00:24:32,840 Speaker 1: to be sheltering Howard. Pearson's decision might have seemed like 407 00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:36,800 Speaker 1: tough love, but Gray Pearson says that it certainly was love. 408 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:39,760 Speaker 5: No, he was definitely trying to get Howard a job. 409 00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:45,080 Speaker 1: In June of nineteen thirty four, all of the judge's 410 00:24:45,119 --> 00:24:49,400 Speaker 1: efforts finally paid off. He received a positive response from 411 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:57,480 Speaker 1: an acquaintance. Howard had a new career. He began working 412 00:24:57,600 --> 00:25:00,760 Speaker 1: at an oil field in Longview, Texas, less than fifty 413 00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:04,600 Speaker 1: miles from the Louisiana border that was Roughneck Territory. In 414 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:08,560 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty four, Howard was hired as a gager. His 415 00:25:08,680 --> 00:25:11,679 Speaker 1: job was to confirm oil and gas field production levels. 416 00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:15,240 Speaker 1: He also maintained the equipment and read and recorded daily 417 00:25:15,320 --> 00:25:19,680 Speaker 1: numbers from least oil and gas measurement equipment, and Howard 418 00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:22,680 Speaker 1: had a lot of responsibility. He wasn't usually moving around 419 00:25:22,760 --> 00:25:26,200 Speaker 1: heavy equipment or slinging a shovel, but it was still 420 00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:28,360 Speaker 1: a nasty, hard job. 421 00:25:28,080 --> 00:25:30,320 Speaker 2: For anyone, especially Howard. 422 00:25:31,280 --> 00:25:32,960 Speaker 1: He was one of the few people in the field 423 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:37,760 Speaker 1: who had taken college classes. This was definitely a different 424 00:25:37,760 --> 00:25:45,240 Speaker 1: crowd than Howard Pearson was used to being around. Howard 425 00:25:45,280 --> 00:25:48,640 Speaker 1: didn't write home often to his parents, but when he did, 426 00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:52,600 Speaker 1: he frequently seemed unhappy and customarily stoic. 427 00:25:53,400 --> 00:25:56,240 Speaker 2: This was about three months after his suicide attempt. 428 00:25:57,000 --> 00:25:59,960 Speaker 1: Judge Pearson would sign his letters to Howard with phrases 429 00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:04,160 Speaker 1: like with very much love to my young son your father, 430 00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:08,000 Speaker 1: Howard would write letters that read, dear Dad and mother, 431 00:26:08,359 --> 00:26:11,200 Speaker 1: I received the letter from you today. I am enclosing 432 00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:14,159 Speaker 1: a letter to Judge ingel King in San Antonio for 433 00:26:14,280 --> 00:26:17,320 Speaker 1: Dad to address. There isn't any news, so I will 434 00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:22,000 Speaker 1: close your son, Howard. There was a certain lack of 435 00:26:22,040 --> 00:26:25,600 Speaker 1: emotion in all of Howard's communications. That was nothing new, 436 00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:30,160 Speaker 1: but he was making new strides. Despite his small stature, 437 00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:33,840 Speaker 1: Howard Pearson managed to not get seriously hurt in an 438 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:37,879 Speaker 1: oil field filled with physical dangers for ten months, and 439 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:40,119 Speaker 1: it seemed like he did a pretty good job, even 440 00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:44,639 Speaker 1: if he didn't like it. He lived with his cousin, 441 00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:48,959 Speaker 1: Marshall Pearson. A quick side note, there are numerous William 442 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:53,040 Speaker 1: Pearson's and several Marshall Pearson's in this family, so their 443 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:56,639 Speaker 1: lineage began to confuse me a little bit. This particular 444 00:26:56,720 --> 00:27:00,159 Speaker 1: Marshall Pearson had three daughters in Corpus Christy Wight on 445 00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:07,680 Speaker 1: the coast, and I'm trying to find them. 446 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:11,080 Speaker 4: We're sorry you have reached a number that has been 447 00:27:11,119 --> 00:27:12,000 Speaker 4: disconnected or. 448 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:13,159 Speaker 2: Is no longer in service. 449 00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:19,000 Speaker 1: It hasn't been going very well. Back in April nineteen 450 00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:22,160 Speaker 1: thirty five, there was a much bigger problem. The oil 451 00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:25,720 Speaker 1: company in Longview fired Howard after less than a year. 452 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:30,240 Speaker 5: Apparently he wasn't fired for incompetence because it said they 453 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:32,520 Speaker 5: fired twenty nine other people at the same time let 454 00:27:32,600 --> 00:27:35,520 Speaker 5: him go. He may have viewed that as well, I'm 455 00:27:35,560 --> 00:27:38,040 Speaker 5: now out of a job, so I'm sure Dad's going 456 00:27:38,119 --> 00:27:39,359 Speaker 5: to let me go back to school. 457 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:47,680 Speaker 1: But that wasn't the judges plan. Instead, will Pearson penned 458 00:27:47,880 --> 00:27:52,080 Speaker 1: more pleading letters to different colleagues. He was desperate to 459 00:27:52,119 --> 00:27:56,439 Speaker 1: find Howard a new job immediately. All of these frantic 460 00:27:56,520 --> 00:27:59,760 Speaker 1: letters were a bad idea. Of course, Howard hated the work, 461 00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:03,800 Speaker 1: but the judge was also walking a very fine line here. 462 00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:05,760 Speaker 2: It was dangerous. 463 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:11,960 Speaker 6: That does strike me as a little bit manipulative, possibly 464 00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:16,160 Speaker 6: unethical for him to be pushing those people who might 465 00:28:16,200 --> 00:28:20,919 Speaker 6: have business before the court. He's using his power and 466 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:26,000 Speaker 6: authority to try to control a situation. 467 00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:29,280 Speaker 1: So it seems like the judge could be a bit 468 00:28:29,400 --> 00:28:34,320 Speaker 1: underhanded if needed. Will Pearson was determined to force Howard 469 00:28:34,359 --> 00:28:39,560 Speaker 1: into supporting himself for good. During the first week of 470 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:42,600 Speaker 1: April in nineteen thirty five, Will typed notes to several 471 00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:46,959 Speaker 1: acquaintances at oil companies in Houston. The judge wrote, Howard 472 00:28:47,040 --> 00:28:50,200 Speaker 1: is very anxious for another job and needs it very bad, 473 00:28:50,720 --> 00:28:52,160 Speaker 1: and I am anxious. 474 00:28:51,760 --> 00:28:52,680 Speaker 2: To find him one. 475 00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:55,240 Speaker 1: He likes the oil business and thinks he would like 476 00:28:55,280 --> 00:28:58,320 Speaker 1: to follow it as a life work. Of course, will 477 00:28:58,320 --> 00:29:02,040 Speaker 1: Pearson was lying didn't want to toil in a hot 478 00:29:02,080 --> 00:29:04,720 Speaker 1: oil field for the rest of his life. He wanted 479 00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:07,560 Speaker 1: to be back at the University of Texas studying science, 480 00:29:08,640 --> 00:29:10,480 Speaker 1: but the judge made it clear that a return to 481 00:29:10,520 --> 00:29:15,080 Speaker 1: college wasn't in Howard's future, and his unstable son began 482 00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:20,160 Speaker 1: to resent him. Howard had always been interested in being 483 00:29:20,200 --> 00:29:25,720 Speaker 1: a physicist, but now he was saying something really strange. First, 484 00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:29,000 Speaker 1: he insisted that his father was a famous scientist, not 485 00:29:29,160 --> 00:29:32,960 Speaker 1: the judge. But this new claim was even more startling. 486 00:29:33,560 --> 00:29:37,600 Speaker 1: Not only was Will not his father, he was actively 487 00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:40,720 Speaker 1: getting in Howard's way of becoming a huge success. 488 00:29:41,840 --> 00:29:47,000 Speaker 4: He was preventing Howard from becoming a great scientist who 489 00:29:47,080 --> 00:29:53,120 Speaker 4: could cure diseases and fix things for mankind. His delusions 490 00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:54,320 Speaker 4: were that profound. 491 00:29:55,440 --> 00:29:57,960 Speaker 1: The word delusion is something else that comes up a 492 00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:02,959 Speaker 1: lot in this story, and his delusions. He could barely 493 00:30:02,960 --> 00:30:05,800 Speaker 1: make it through a physics class at UT. He had 494 00:30:05,840 --> 00:30:08,920 Speaker 1: to have realized that being a famous scientist wasn't realistic, 495 00:30:09,760 --> 00:30:11,600 Speaker 1: but he really didn't seem to know that. 496 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:16,840 Speaker 4: Here's the dad, still frustrated, still trying to help Howard, 497 00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:18,640 Speaker 4: and none of it worked out. 498 00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:21,400 Speaker 1: And you got the feeling that this was just a 499 00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:24,280 Speaker 1: lifetime of pain for both the Pearsons. 500 00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:29,760 Speaker 4: I think in nineteen thirty five, having a son like 501 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:33,200 Speaker 4: Howard would have been even more frustrating then than it 502 00:30:33,240 --> 00:30:34,160 Speaker 4: would be to date. 503 00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:40,040 Speaker 1: On April sixth, nineteen thirty five, the judge received some 504 00:30:40,160 --> 00:30:43,680 Speaker 1: good news from a friend. He had been sending Howard 505 00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:47,800 Speaker 1: to Houston for meetings with oil executives. Dear Judge Pearson, 506 00:30:48,440 --> 00:30:50,520 Speaker 1: Howard was in to see me yesterday and I was 507 00:30:50,560 --> 00:30:52,920 Speaker 1: able to get him a place with the yont Lee 508 00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:56,640 Speaker 1: in the Barber's Hill field. So Will Pearson had forced 509 00:30:56,680 --> 00:31:00,760 Speaker 1: Howard into another oil field job, this one even further 510 00:31:00,800 --> 00:31:04,360 Speaker 1: away from Austin in his comfortable life. He was supposed 511 00:31:04,360 --> 00:31:09,120 Speaker 1: to report to the site in Beaumont immediately. Howard reluctantly 512 00:31:09,160 --> 00:31:14,600 Speaker 1: packed his suitcase and left, which was odd timing because 513 00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:19,040 Speaker 1: all of this happened just two weeks before the death 514 00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:31,880 Speaker 1: of his parents. For nine hours, Howard Pearson sat in 515 00:31:31,960 --> 00:31:34,840 Speaker 1: the police station and insisted that he loved his parents. 516 00:31:35,560 --> 00:31:39,680 Speaker 1: How can you suspect me, he screamed, You must be crazy. 517 00:31:40,640 --> 00:31:45,680 Speaker 1: But investigators had picked up on something strange. Howard often 518 00:31:45,720 --> 00:31:51,160 Speaker 1: referred to Pearson as the Judge, not Dad. That didn't 519 00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:53,560 Speaker 1: seem to be a very warm title for a loving son, 520 00:31:54,280 --> 00:31:58,400 Speaker 1: and they wondered about an even bigger motive. Police discovered 521 00:31:58,440 --> 00:32:02,560 Speaker 1: that Will Pearson had a sizeable life insurance policy. Seventeen 522 00:32:02,720 --> 00:32:08,120 Speaker 1: thousand dollars that would be more than three hundred thousand 523 00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:12,280 Speaker 1: dollars today. Howard and his two siblings would split the money. 524 00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:16,800 Speaker 1: Howard's brother Bill was certain the youngest Pearson didn't know 525 00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:21,440 Speaker 1: about the money, but the police weren't so sure. Remember 526 00:32:21,600 --> 00:32:25,320 Speaker 1: that Howard had carefully described the alleged robbers, the ones 527 00:32:25,360 --> 00:32:29,440 Speaker 1: he claimed killed his parents, and investigators were still suspicious 528 00:32:29,480 --> 00:32:31,600 Speaker 1: of the incredible details he had provided. 529 00:32:33,480 --> 00:32:37,600 Speaker 4: The detectives looked at this young man and said, well, 530 00:32:37,680 --> 00:32:42,920 Speaker 4: number one, he has an extraordinary recall of the people 531 00:32:42,960 --> 00:32:45,440 Speaker 4: who did this. I mean down to the clothes they 532 00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:49,000 Speaker 4: were wearing, the hair color, the eye collar, the build 533 00:32:49,080 --> 00:32:49,880 Speaker 4: and so forth. 534 00:32:51,040 --> 00:32:54,240 Speaker 1: But what seemed to bother police the most was Howard's 535 00:32:54,240 --> 00:33:00,400 Speaker 1: reaction to losing his parents. It was just off. He 536 00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:06,440 Speaker 1: seemed almost disinterested and distracted. When he first arrived at 537 00:33:06,440 --> 00:33:08,920 Speaker 1: the police station, he told officers that he had a 538 00:33:09,040 --> 00:33:11,360 Speaker 1: date that night with a co ed and he needed 539 00:33:11,360 --> 00:33:12,400 Speaker 1: to call her to cancel. 540 00:33:14,600 --> 00:33:18,640 Speaker 4: They thought most people who are being asked for the 541 00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:23,240 Speaker 4: first time to repeat and describe the murder of their 542 00:33:23,360 --> 00:33:28,400 Speaker 4: parents to have no emotion like that was just brought 543 00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:34,360 Speaker 4: about suspicion. He was very stoic. Their reaction was he's 544 00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:35,200 Speaker 4: making this up. 545 00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:38,040 Speaker 1: But I don't think that's very fair of the police, 546 00:33:38,360 --> 00:33:41,400 Speaker 1: especially if Howard had a mental condition that might suppress 547 00:33:41,440 --> 00:33:44,880 Speaker 1: his emotions. And how could anyone judge the way that 548 00:33:44,920 --> 00:33:49,480 Speaker 1: someone else might react to a tragedy that happened. Sometimes 549 00:33:49,520 --> 00:33:53,320 Speaker 1: in sexual assault cases, male investigators might assume that a 550 00:33:53,360 --> 00:33:57,160 Speaker 1: survivor should act in a particular way, and when she doesn't, 551 00:33:57,880 --> 00:34:02,800 Speaker 1: they might suspect that her story is true. But detectives 552 00:34:02,800 --> 00:34:05,760 Speaker 1: in this case were determined to break Howard, and they 553 00:34:05,800 --> 00:34:09,400 Speaker 1: had real evidence. They curtly informed him that there was 554 00:34:09,440 --> 00:34:13,560 Speaker 1: a witness who wanted to testify against him, a friend. 555 00:34:14,520 --> 00:34:18,120 Speaker 1: Investigators also had proof that Howard owned an old thirty 556 00:34:18,160 --> 00:34:21,480 Speaker 1: eight caliber pistol which used the same cartridges found at 557 00:34:21,480 --> 00:34:25,520 Speaker 1: the scene. They knew where he bought it, and they 558 00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:27,719 Speaker 1: could prove that it was used to shoot will and 559 00:34:27,800 --> 00:34:39,560 Speaker 1: Linam Pearson. While researching my last book, I found that 560 00:34:39,640 --> 00:34:43,040 Speaker 1: some forensic techniques in the nineteen thirties weren't as rudimentary 561 00:34:43,080 --> 00:34:49,760 Speaker 1: as you might think. They were actually pretty accurate. Eighty 562 00:34:49,840 --> 00:34:53,120 Speaker 1: years ago, forensic analysts were able to match the markings 563 00:34:53,160 --> 00:34:57,160 Speaker 1: on bullets to a murder weapon and bullet striations are 564 00:34:57,239 --> 00:35:01,640 Speaker 1: still considered solid evidence in court. In nineteen thirty five, 565 00:35:01,800 --> 00:35:04,840 Speaker 1: detectives threatened Howard with their own forensic evidence. 566 00:35:05,880 --> 00:35:08,680 Speaker 4: We're going to find out what you did, and if 567 00:35:08,719 --> 00:35:11,400 Speaker 4: you think you're going to get away with this, you're wrong. 568 00:35:12,239 --> 00:35:15,040 Speaker 1: When police explained how the gun could be traced back 569 00:35:15,080 --> 00:35:18,719 Speaker 1: to him, Howard knew he was trapped. He looked at 570 00:35:18,719 --> 00:35:21,319 Speaker 1: the sheriff and said, what do you suppose my friends 571 00:35:21,360 --> 00:35:24,680 Speaker 1: would think if I confess to this thing. The sheriff 572 00:35:24,719 --> 00:35:27,759 Speaker 1: thought about it and replied, they probably would think more 573 00:35:27,800 --> 00:35:30,560 Speaker 1: of you than if you waited to be trapped. Howard 574 00:35:30,600 --> 00:35:33,840 Speaker 1: smiled and said, all right, then I'll tell you the truth. 575 00:35:35,320 --> 00:35:41,400 Speaker 4: I did it, And he finally admitted that he shot 576 00:35:41,480 --> 00:35:45,560 Speaker 4: himself and that he had killed his parents, and it. 577 00:35:45,520 --> 00:35:47,720 Speaker 1: Didn't take long for his cover story to get blown. 578 00:35:48,200 --> 00:35:51,520 Speaker 4: I think they knew they had their murderer almost from 579 00:35:51,560 --> 00:35:54,040 Speaker 4: the time they started talking to It was just too 580 00:35:54,080 --> 00:35:55,680 Speaker 4: many things that didn't add up. 581 00:35:57,400 --> 00:35:59,960 Speaker 1: And so the wheels of criminal justice began to grind 582 00:36:00,320 --> 00:36:02,719 Speaker 1: In the investigation of Howard Pearson and the murder of 583 00:36:02,719 --> 00:36:07,360 Speaker 1: his parents. Alison Bill hired several high powered defense attorneys. 584 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:10,640 Speaker 1: The press looked to Howard's brother and sister for answers. 585 00:36:11,120 --> 00:36:14,400 Speaker 1: How could they defend a man who gunned down their parents. 586 00:36:15,520 --> 00:36:19,520 Speaker 1: When Howard hugged Alison Bill in jail, he was stunned 587 00:36:19,560 --> 00:36:22,840 Speaker 1: by their grief. He actually thought that they would have 588 00:36:22,880 --> 00:36:24,680 Speaker 1: been pleased with what he did. 589 00:36:25,400 --> 00:36:26,880 Speaker 2: It was such an odd assumption. 590 00:36:29,280 --> 00:36:32,480 Speaker 1: He prepared to tell police the entire story, which was 591 00:36:32,520 --> 00:36:36,920 Speaker 1: even more callous and calculating than investigators had suspected. The 592 00:36:36,960 --> 00:36:40,840 Speaker 1: district attorney prepared a case against Howard. The crime was 593 00:36:40,920 --> 00:36:46,480 Speaker 1: clearly premeditated. His motives were money and revenge. He knew 594 00:36:46,520 --> 00:36:49,080 Speaker 1: what he was doing was wrong. He even tried to 595 00:36:49,120 --> 00:36:52,120 Speaker 1: cover it up by shooting himself in the arm, and 596 00:36:52,200 --> 00:36:56,799 Speaker 1: Austin police believed that these well planned murders warranted life 597 00:36:56,840 --> 00:37:01,359 Speaker 1: in prison or even the death penalty. The state had 598 00:37:01,400 --> 00:37:05,000 Speaker 1: already executed six men by April of nineteen thirty five, 599 00:37:05,520 --> 00:37:06,600 Speaker 1: with fourteen more to go. 600 00:37:06,719 --> 00:37:07,520 Speaker 2: By the end of the year. 601 00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:10,880 Speaker 1: They were all sent to the electric chair for murder, 602 00:37:11,800 --> 00:37:14,359 Speaker 1: and Howard Pearson could be next. 603 00:37:15,040 --> 00:37:18,719 Speaker 4: So you have motive, you have premeditation, you have cover up, 604 00:37:18,800 --> 00:37:23,160 Speaker 4: and so all of the elements for capital punishment are there. 605 00:37:23,719 --> 00:37:26,880 Speaker 4: And I think Bill and Alice thought that was just 606 00:37:27,120 --> 00:37:31,480 Speaker 4: utterly inconceivable that their brother would be executed for this. 607 00:37:32,239 --> 00:37:33,640 Speaker 2: It was so hard to believe. 608 00:37:34,440 --> 00:37:37,760 Speaker 1: How could such a meek and quiet man do something 609 00:37:37,840 --> 00:37:42,239 Speaker 1: like this. Howard Pearson's attorneys challenged the court to explain it. 610 00:37:43,080 --> 00:37:48,319 Speaker 1: His defense team recruited Bill, Alice, and several alienists all 611 00:37:48,360 --> 00:37:56,520 Speaker 1: to save Howard's life. The Pearsons are a very big 612 00:37:56,520 --> 00:37:58,839 Speaker 1: family and many of them don't speak to each other, 613 00:37:59,600 --> 00:38:02,640 Speaker 1: and when they do speak, it's rarely about Howard Pearson 614 00:38:02,719 --> 00:38:06,360 Speaker 1: and the family murders. But Gray Pearson has kindly given 615 00:38:06,360 --> 00:38:08,319 Speaker 1: me a list of people who might know more about 616 00:38:08,360 --> 00:38:12,439 Speaker 1: this story. Oliver Perkins was incredibly helpful with that too. 617 00:38:13,120 --> 00:38:15,840 Speaker 1: So there are these bits and pieces of information floating 618 00:38:15,840 --> 00:38:18,880 Speaker 1: around from different family members, and not all of it's accurate, 619 00:38:19,719 --> 00:38:22,279 Speaker 1: but there are some key people who were close to 620 00:38:22,400 --> 00:38:27,759 Speaker 1: Howard and Alice and Bill. So my job now over 621 00:38:27,800 --> 00:38:30,480 Speaker 1: the next four episodes is to pull it all together 622 00:38:30,880 --> 00:38:34,720 Speaker 1: and figure out what happened here. Why did Howard Pearson 623 00:38:34,840 --> 00:38:38,720 Speaker 1: kill his parents? Where did this violent behavior even come from? 624 00:38:39,000 --> 00:38:41,359 Speaker 1: Was he a person with mental illness? Would the court 625 00:38:41,440 --> 00:38:46,719 Speaker 1: consider him legally insane or just devious and greedy, or 626 00:38:46,800 --> 00:38:48,960 Speaker 1: might there be a different motive altogether? 627 00:38:53,719 --> 00:38:54,960 Speaker 2: Anything else you can think of. 628 00:38:55,560 --> 00:38:59,000 Speaker 5: I think you pretty well covered the latter front. You've 629 00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:01,600 Speaker 5: certainly educated you. You ca've me more than I've offered 630 00:39:01,600 --> 00:39:02,160 Speaker 5: anything to you. 631 00:39:02,640 --> 00:39:04,360 Speaker 1: Well, I think that must mean I'm heading in the 632 00:39:04,400 --> 00:39:11,680 Speaker 1: right direction. On the next episode of tenfold More Wicked. 633 00:39:13,400 --> 00:39:17,000 Speaker 7: So we have a hard time understanding somebody who acts 634 00:39:17,040 --> 00:39:21,560 Speaker 7: out of extreme anger or extreme fear and commits homicide. 635 00:39:22,160 --> 00:39:25,320 Speaker 7: But it's I think even harder to understand somebody who's 636 00:39:25,360 --> 00:39:27,640 Speaker 7: psychotic and does that, and what would that be like? 637 00:39:28,360 --> 00:39:30,920 Speaker 4: He had to murder his mother too, because if he 638 00:39:31,600 --> 00:39:35,000 Speaker 4: murdered only his father, the mother would get the money 639 00:39:35,000 --> 00:39:35,960 Speaker 4: and not him. 640 00:39:36,160 --> 00:39:38,359 Speaker 2: So delusional and calculating at the same time. 641 00:39:38,719 --> 00:39:41,880 Speaker 4: It's one of the most baffling things in all of 642 00:39:42,680 --> 00:39:44,000 Speaker 4: criminal justice. 643 00:39:44,320 --> 00:39:49,640 Speaker 6: It was planned and deliberate, and it's not like a 644 00:39:49,640 --> 00:39:51,560 Speaker 6: momentary psychotic break. 645 00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:00,560 Speaker 1: If you love true crime, please check out my books, 646 00:40:00,600 --> 00:40:03,960 Speaker 1: American Sherlock and Death in the Air. They're available anywhere 647 00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:08,480 Speaker 1: you buy books. This has been an exactly right and 648 00:40:08,680 --> 00:40:13,280 Speaker 1: tenfold more. Media production producers Jason Whaling and Laura Soble, 649 00:40:14,120 --> 00:40:19,680 Speaker 1: sound designer Eric Friend, composer Curtis Heath artwork Nick Toga. 650 00:40:20,200 --> 00:40:25,680 Speaker 1: Executive producers Georgia Hardstark, Karen Kilgarriff, and Danielle Kramer. Letters 651 00:40:25,680 --> 00:40:28,960 Speaker 1: in this episode come from William Pearson's collection at the 652 00:40:28,960 --> 00:40:33,080 Speaker 1: Texas Supreme Court Archives. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook 653 00:40:33,120 --> 00:40:36,800 Speaker 1: at tenfold more Wicked, and on Twitter at tenfold more. 654 00:40:37,520 --> 00:40:40,280 Speaker 1: If you're an advertiser interested in advertising on our show, 655 00:40:40,400 --> 00:40:44,319 Speaker 1: go to midroll dot com slash ads, and if you 656 00:40:44,360 --> 00:40:46,680 Speaker 1: know of a historical crime that could use some attention, 657 00:40:47,120 --> 00:40:54,040 Speaker 1: email us at info at tenfoldmorewicked dot com. So please listen, subscribe, 658 00:40:54,200 --> 00:40:57,600 Speaker 1: leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever 659 00:40:57,640 --> 00:41:02,239 Speaker 1: you get your podcasts,