Billy Battenfield

Serial Killer

Billy Dean Battenfield: A Detailed Account of His Crimes

Early Murders in Texas

In June 1977, Billy Dean Battenfield, accompanied by a 15-year-old accomplice, committed his first known murder. They abducted and fatally stabbed 51-year-old Thelma Ruth McCarty in McKinney, Texas. After the murder, they disposed of her body by dumping it into a water well. The following year, on May 3, 1978, Battenfield and his accomplice repeated this heinous act, this time targeting 75-year-old Jess Leroy Lovelady. Lovelady was stabbed to death, and his body was also discarded into a well after Battenfield stole his Social Security check, which Lovelady was attempting to cash for $1,500. Despite the suspicious nature of these disappearances, authorities at the time were unable to uncover information about the victims' fates.

Crime Spree Across States

After these initial murders, Battenfield and his accomplice traveled to Oregon before returning to Texas. During their journey, they encountered 83-year-old Edward Elkington, a resident of Los Gatos, California, who was passing through Tucumcari, New Mexico. Elkington was murdered in a manner similar to the previous victims. However, this time, Battenfield and his accomplice were apprehended, with the accomplice leading police to the burial site of Elkington's body. Battenfield was subsequently tried, convicted, and sentenced to 10 to 50 years in prison for this murder.

Revelation of Previous Murders

In early 1979, while incarcerated, Battenfield contacted authorities in McKinney, Texas, claiming to have information regarding the Lovelady case and two other missing persons in the area. He provided a map indicating the location of the well where he had disposed of the bodies. In February 1979, police located the well and discovered the skeletal remains of Thelma Ruth McCarty and Jess Leroy Lovelady. McCarty's remains were identified through her ID, which was found in a purse also discarded in the well. Despite facing a potential sentence of 110 years if extradited to Texas, Battenfield remained incarcerated in New Mexico. ...Read More

Confirmed Victims: (4)

Thelma Ruth McCarty Age: (51), Date of Death: 1977-06-26

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Profiler describes Norman murder suspect as 'serial killer'

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