Harry Andrew Lanham

Serial Killer

Harry Andrew Lanham: Texas Murderer and Suspected Serial Killer

Background and Criminal History

Harry Andrew Lanham was a Texas tow-truck driver, convicted rapist and violent offender who became a suspected serial killer during an investigation into the disappearances and murders of young women in southeastern Texas. Authorities believed Lanham and his associate, Anthony Michael "Tony" Knoppa Jr., were connected to as many as six killings committed between June and November 1971 in Harris, Montgomery and Brazoria counties. Some investigators reportedly suspected that Lanham's true number of victims could have been even higher. Lanham already had a documented history of violence before investigators began examining him as a possible multiple murderer. In one case, he was convicted of aggravated assault for repeatedly beating a five-year-old girl while staying with the child and her mother at a Houston motel. Witnesses noticed extensive bruising, and a physician described the child as severely battered. The girl testified that Lanham had struck her with his fists and a leather belt. In November 1971, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed his sentence of two years in jail and a $1,000 fine for that assault. Lanham also had a prior rape conviction. His record of sexual violence, physical brutality and attacks against vulnerable victims caused investigators to take particular interest in him when several young women disappeared or were found murdered in the Houston region during 1971.

The 1971 Murder Investigation

Lanham's suspected series of crimes unfolded during a period in which several women vanished or were killed across neighboring Texas counties. Lanham and Knoppa were accused of operating together, although the exact role each man played in every case was never fully established in court. Contemporary accounts described the investigation as involving six young women, but only one murder produced convictions before Lanham's death disrupted the remaining prosecutions. Lanham reportedly made statements implicating himself in multiple crimes. His credibility, however, became a continuing problem for investigators. He sometimes provided information about supposed burial sites and then admitted that he had lied when police searches failed to locate remains. As a result, portions of his confessions could not be independently confirmed, leaving uncertainty about the identities and total number of his victims. ...

Confirmed Victims: (1)

Linda Faye Sutherlin Age: (21), Date of Death: 1971-11-07

Suspected Victims:

Pamela Huebner Age: (22), Date of Death: 1971-06-09

Gloria Ann Gonzales Age: (19), Date of Death: 1971-10-28

Colette Anise Wilson Age: (13), Date of Death: 1971-06-17

Adele (Gypsy) Crabtree Age: (16), Date of Death: 1971-11-02

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