On March 16, 1938, in Shelby County, Texas, 11-year-old Gloria Jean Curtis, a Caucasian female, was tragically shot and killed by her mother, 38-year-old Lillie Mae Curtis. This incident occurred at their home in the West Hamilton Community during the night while the children were asleep. Lillie Mae Curtis systematically shot six of her children: T.O., 13; Gloria Jean, 11; Billie Burke, 10; Robert, 9; Margie Ree, 7; and Marcie Jack, 5. Each child was shot through the heart as they slept, with powder burns indicating close-range shootings. Remarkably, the other children did not awaken during the shootings. After the killings, Lillie Mae sent her 16-year-old son, James Travis, to call Sheriff J.B. Sample, sparing his life because she believed he could take care of himself. Two older children had previously married and moved away.
Lillie Mae Curtis had a prior history of violence; in June 1935, she shot and killed her husband, Robert Curtis, citing his infidelity and involvement of their children in illegal activities such as selling whiskey. She was tried in Center, Texas, and received a suspended sentence, largely due to her responsibility for the remaining children.
Following the 1938 incident, Lillie Mae Curtis was arrested and charged with multiple counts of murder. She pleaded guilty to one of the charges, and the court sentenced her to 99 years in prison for each of the five charges, totaling 495 years. The state did not pursue the death penalty. She was transferred to the state penitentiary to serve her sentence.
In her statements to authorities, Lillie Mae expressed that she believed she was unable to provide for her children and thought they were better off dead. She admitted to kissing each child before and after shooting them. The children were buried in West Hamilton Cemetery. Lillie Mae Curtis died in 1980 and was buried alongside her husband and children.
