Kathleen Frances “Kathy” Whitman, a 23-year-old white female, was tragically murdered on August 1, 1966, in Austin, Texas. Born on July 12, 1943, in Velasco, Brazoria County, Texas, she was the only daughter of Raymond and Florence Leissner. Kathy was known for her intelligence, kindness, and dedication to education. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1965 with a Bachelor of Science in Science Education and went on to teach biology at Sidney Lanier High School in north
Austin. During the summer of 1966, she worked as a telephone operator for Southwestern Bell.
Kathy met Charles Joseph Whitman, a fellow student at the University of Texas, through mutual friends. Their relationship quickly blossomed, and they were married on August 17, 1964, at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Needville, Texas. Despite outward appearances of a stable marriage, Charles Whitman was struggling with severe psychological issues, which he documented in personal writings and sought help for prior to the tragedy.
On the morning of August 1, 1966, Charles Whitman murdered his wife, Kathleen Frances Whitman, by stabbing her in the chest while she slept in their home. She was 23 years old at the time of her death. Later that same day, Whitman went on to commit one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history from the observation deck of the University of Texas Tower, killing 14 people and wounding dozens more before being shot and killed by police.
Charles Whitman, age 25, was the sole suspect and perpetrator in the murder of Kathleen Frances Whitman and the subsequent mass shooting. No other arrests were made in connection with her death. The case remains one of the most infamous acts of domestic and public violence in American history, and Kathleen's murder marked the beginning of a day of profound tragedy for the city of Austin and the nation.
