Youell Swinney
Encyclopedia
Youell Lee Swinney was the only major suspect in the Phantom Killer case in Texarkana, Texas
and Texarkana, Arkansas
in 1946, although he was never officially charged with any of the murders.
Swinney was a known thief with a history of assault
and auto-theft. He was linked to the murders mostly by statements made by his wife, who refused to testify against him in court. Two of the lead investigators in the murders, Max Tackett and Tillman Johnson, believed for the remainder of their lives that Swinney had actually been the killer. However, a confession was never obtained due to Swinney being released earlier than investigators desired.
Swinney was convicted of auto-theft in 1947 and as a repeat offender (he had been convicted of felonies in Arkansas in 1941 and in Texas in 1944) he received life in prison. However, he was released from prison in 1973 following a habeas corpus
proceeding which found that a prior conviction in 1941 used for sentence enhancement purposes was void because Swinney had not been represented by counsel. Investigation into his involvement in the murders eventually faded away. The case remains unsolved as of 2011, and physical evidence is all but nonexistent today. There are no records available to confirm or deny whether Swinney's fingerprint
s matched those found at one of the crime scenes.
Swinney grew up in rural Cleveland County, Arkansas, the son of a Baptist
minister.
Texarkana, Texas
Texarkana is a city in Bowie County, Texas, United States. It effectively functions as one half of a city which crosses a state line — the other half, the city of Texarkana, Arkansas, lies on the other side of State Line Avenue...
and Texarkana, Arkansas
Texarkana, Arkansas
As of the census of 2000, there were 26,448 people, 10,384 households, and 7,040 families residing in the city. The population density was 830.5 people per square mile . There were 11,721 housing units at an average density of 368.1 per square mile...
in 1946, although he was never officially charged with any of the murders.
Swinney was a known thief with a history of assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
and auto-theft. He was linked to the murders mostly by statements made by his wife, who refused to testify against him in court. Two of the lead investigators in the murders, Max Tackett and Tillman Johnson, believed for the remainder of their lives that Swinney had actually been the killer. However, a confession was never obtained due to Swinney being released earlier than investigators desired.
Swinney was convicted of auto-theft in 1947 and as a repeat offender (he had been convicted of felonies in Arkansas in 1941 and in Texas in 1944) he received life in prison. However, he was released from prison in 1973 following a habeas corpus
Habeas corpus
is a writ, or legal action, through which a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention. The remedy can be sought by the prisoner or by another person coming to his aid. Habeas corpus originated in the English legal system, but it is now available in many nations...
proceeding which found that a prior conviction in 1941 used for sentence enhancement purposes was void because Swinney had not been represented by counsel. Investigation into his involvement in the murders eventually faded away. The case remains unsolved as of 2011, and physical evidence is all but nonexistent today. There are no records available to confirm or deny whether Swinney's fingerprint
Fingerprint
A fingerprint in its narrow sense is an impression left by the friction ridges of a human finger. In a wider use of the term, fingerprints are the traces of an impression from the friction ridges of any part of a human hand. A print from the foot can also leave an impression of friction ridges...
s matched those found at one of the crime scenes.
Swinney grew up in rural Cleveland County, Arkansas, the son of a Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
minister.