Harold Glenn Smith

Serial Killer

Harold Glenn Smith: Murder, Torture, and the Houston Teen Group

Background

Harold Glenn Smith was a Houston, Texas, murderer who became associated with a disturbing group of teenagers involved in extreme violence during the mid-1980s. Smith was born on November 26, 1967, and was still a teenager when investigators began examining his possible connection to several killings. Contemporary reports described him as an influential figure among young people who claimed an interest in Satanism and occult practices. Later accounts sometimes classified him as a suspected serial killer, although he was convicted of only one murder: the torture and killing of 19-year-old Dennis Keith Medler. The sensational descriptions of Smith as a cult leader became a major part of the case. However, Harris County investigators cautioned that the group did not appear to be a highly organized religious cult. Instead, authorities described it as a loose and unstable collection of teenagers who adopted Satanic imagery, discussed violence, and encouraged one another's increasingly dangerous behavior. The occult language surrounding the group attracted public attention, but the central facts of the case concerned deliberate cruelty, group participation, and the seemingly senseless selection of a victim.

The Murder of Dennis Keith Medler

Dennis Keith Medler was 19 years old when he was killed in Houston on August 6, 1985. Medler reportedly knew or associated with members of Smith's teenage circle. Investigators concluded that the group discussed killing him for approximately a week before persuading him to accompany them to an isolated area near Resthaven Memorial Gardens Cemetery. According to investigators, Smith and several other teenagers surrounded Medler and subjected him to a prolonged and brutal assault. He was beaten with fists and a metal pipe, stabbed, choked, and repeatedly cut across the throat. Reports also stated that his hair was burned down to his scalp, one of his eyes was severely injured or removed from its socket, and his teeth were broken with a hammer or another heavy object. His death was attributed to strangulation, blood loss, or a combination of the injuries inflicted during the attack. The attackers reportedly took turns participating. Authorities said the killing was not committed during a robbery, personal confrontation, or sudden argument. Investigators alleged that members of the group had discussed their desire to experience killing and wanted to watch someone die. Medler was apparently targeted because members of the group disliked him and believed he would be vulnerable to being lured away without immediately attracting suspicion. Medler's decomposed body was discovered on August 14, 1985, behind or near the cemetery grounds. The condition of the remains and the unusual location initially gave the murder the appearance of a ritualistic killing. As detectives began questioning teenagers known to associate with Medler, witnesses described Smith and other members of the group. Those interviews gradually revealed that multiple participants had allegedly been present during the assault. ...

Confirmed Victims: (3)

Dennis Medler Age: (19), Date of Death: 1985-08-06

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