Edward Harold Bell

Serial Killer

Edward Harold Bell: Convicted Murderer and Self-Confessed Serial Killer

Overview

Edward Harold Bell was a Texas murderer, sex offender, fugitive, and self-described serial killer who became one of the most troubling suspects in a series of unsolved murders involving girls and young women along the Houston-Galveston corridor during the 1970s. Bell was conclusively convicted of only one murder: the August 24, 1978 killing of 26-year-old Larry Dean Dickens in Pasadena, Texas. Years after his imprisonment, however, Bell began claiming that he had murdered numerous girls before Dickens' death. He eventually placed the number at eleven, referring to the victims with the disturbing phrase "Eleven that went to Heaven." Bell's claims attracted particular attention because several details appeared consistent with genuine unsolved cases from the period. He knew the Houston-Galveston region, owned property near locations associated with missing girls, drove vehicles resembling those described in some investigations, and had a documented history of exposing himself to girls and young women. Investigators nevertheless never obtained enough evidence to prosecute Bell for any of the eleven additional murders. Some of the victims associated with him were specifically named by Bell, while others were identified by investigators because their disappearances appeared to correspond with descriptions he supplied.

A Pattern of Sexual Offending

Long before Bell publicly claimed to be a serial killer, authorities knew him as a persistent sexual offender. He repeatedly exposed himself to girls and young women. In April 1974, Bell was arrested after allegedly exposing himself to two girls near Bacliff in Galveston County and pursuing them as they tried to get away. He was also arrested that year in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a woman associated with John Sealy Hospital. Those cases did not result in murder convictions, but they established a pattern of sexually aggressive and predatory conduct. By 1978, Bell was driving through the Pasadena area in a red-and-white GMC pickup and exposing himself to children. On June 26, 1978, he exposed himself to two girls, ages 11 and 12. Several weeks later, another incident involved a group of girls practicing cheerleading. Bell's behavior finally led directly to the confrontation that resulted in the one homicide for which his guilt was established in court. ...

Confirmed Victims: (1)

Larry Dickens Age: (26), Date of Death: 1978-08-24

Suspected Victims:

Colette Wilson Age: (13), Date of Death: June 17, 1971

Rhonda Johnson Age: (14), Date of Death: August 1971

Sharon Shaw Age: (14), Date of Death: August 1971

Debbie Ackerman Age: (15), Date of Death: November 15, 1971

Maria Johnson Age: (15), Date of Death: November 15, 1971

Kimberly Pitchford Age: (16), Date of Death: January 3, 1973

Georgia Geer Age: (14), Date of Death: September 6, 1974

Brooks Bracewell Age: (12), Date of Death: September 6, 1974

Edward Harold Bell - Wikipedia