On the night of March 16, 1938, in Shelby County, Texas, a tragic event unfolded involving the Curtis family. Lillie Mae Curtis, a 38-year-old white woman, waited until her children were asleep in their rural home before carrying out a devastating act. She systematically shot six of her children, including her 7-year-old white daughter, Margie Ree Curtis, as they slept. The other victims were T.O., 13; Gloria Jean, 11; Billie Burke, 10; Robert, 9; and Marcie Jack, 5.
After ensuring they were asleep around 9 p.m., Lillie Mae began with T.O., shooting him through the heart. Despite some of the children reacting momentarily, the others remained asleep, allowing her to continue the tragic sequence. She expressed that she kissed each child before and after shooting them, stating, "I knew it was wrong to kill them, but I wasn’t able to take care of them."
Following the incident, Lillie Mae sent her 16-year-old son, James Travis, to alert Sheriff J.B. Sample. She was later found alone in the woods, approximately 400 yards from the family home, and was taken into custody without resistance. She confessed to the killings, citing financial hardship and an inability to provide for her children as the primary motives, remarking, "I have no money and they are better off dead."
This was not Lillie Mae's first encounter with lethal violence within her family. In June 1935, she had shot and killed her husband, Robert Curtis, alleging infidelity and his involvement of their children in illegal activities. She was tried and received a suspended sentence, largely due to her responsibilities toward her large family.
The six children were laid to rest in West Hamilton Cemetery in Shelby County. Lillie Mae Curtis lived until 1980 and was buried in the same cemetery.
