Murder In America - EP. 194: TEXAS - The BROOMSTICK MURDERS: Serial Killer Kenneth McDuff’s Dark Beginning

Episode Date: March 21, 2025

In 1966, a brutal, disturbing crime rocked the state of Texas and sent shockwaves through the nation. Three local teenagers had been slaughtered in a small Texan town, in an unfathomably brutal manner. But what would end up happening AFTER the killer was caught, and the revelations that came with his capture, would captivate and shock the globe. - Listen to our new show, "THE CONSPIRACY FILES"!: -Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5IY9nWD2MYDzlSYP48nRPl -Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-conspiracy-files/id1752719844 -Amazon/Audible - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ab1ade99-740c-46ae-8028-b2cf41eabf58/the-conspiracy-files -Pandora - https://www.pandora.com/podcast/the-conspiracy-files/PC:1001089101 -iHeart - https://iheart.com/podcast/186907423/ -PocketCast - https://pca.st/dpdyrcca -CastBox - https://castbox.fm/channel/id6193084?country=us - Stay Connected: Join the Murder in America fam in our free Facebook Community for a behind-the-scenes look, more insights and current events in the true crime world: https://www.facebook.com/groups/4365229996855701 If you want even more Murder in America bonus content, including ad-free episodes, come join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/murderinamerica Instagram: http://instagram.com/murderinamerica/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/people/Murder-in-America-Podcast/100086268848682/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MurderInAmerica TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theparanormalfiles and https://www.tiktok.com/@courtneybrowen Feeling spooky? Follow Colin as he travels state to state (and even country to country!) investigating claims of extreme paranormal activity and visiting famous haunted locations on The Paranormal Files Official Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheParanormalFilesOfficialChannel - (c) BLOOD IN THE SINK PRODUCTIONS 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Bad advice? You talking to me? Kayak, got that right. The following podcast is not suitable for all audiences. We go into great detail with every case that we cover and do our best to bring viewers even deeper into the stories by utilizing disturbing audio and sound effects. Trigger warnings from the stories we cover

may include violence, rape, murder, and offenses against children. This podcast is not for everyone. You have been warned. In the world of true crime, there is a lot of talk of serial killers, especially the infamous ones, like gasey, dog, Dahmer and Bundy.

But throughout my time researching true crime, I've learned that America is full of serial killers. And if you look close enough, you'll find them in every state. Killers who wreak havoc on small towns, killing as many victims as they can until they get caught. The truth is, there are a number of serial killers that you've never even heard about, ones that don't get the same coverage as Gacy, Dahmer, and Bundy,

But in the end, they're sometimes just as evil. Today's story is about a man named Kenneth Allen McDuff, who terrorized the state of Texas for decades. He also managed to slip through the cracks of law enforcement more times than you'd ever imagine. And because of that, at least nine people would lose their lives. So this is the story of serial killer Kenneth Allen McDuff. I'm Courtney Browne.

And I'm Colin Brown. And you're listening to Murder. in America. Red Bud, Texas is a small, rural farming town located in Falls County. It's in between the big cities of Austin and Waco. At the start of the 20th century, many people started moving to Rosebud, Texas to seek better opportunities. Known for its rich black land soil, families came here and bought land so that they could farm

cotton and grain, which was a successful business around the 1920s. Back then, the town was filled with cotton gins, cotton seed mills, and the Iranians. Kansas Pass Railway. But then the Great Depression hit and the town suffered. Many people had to up and leave and find a home elsewhere. But for the people who stayed, they felt a deep connection to Rosebud, Texas. This was home. Many have had their families there for generations. Nestled in Central Texas, Rosebud was the type of community where everyone seemed to know each other. With the population that never exceeded 2,000 residents, life in Rosebud moved at a slower pace. People gathered together at the local church every Sunday, and Main Street was lined with family-owned businesses.

Anyone who entered the town was greeted with a large sign that read, Rosebud, we call it home. And if you were to have driven through the town, you'd see that almost everyone had a rosebush in their front yard. It almost served as a sign that we are one here. We stick together. We look out for one another. But unfortunately, Rosebud's reputation would be forever stained by a former resident who had grown up in the area. and his name was Kenneth Allen McDuff. If you were to say the name Kenneth Allen McDuff,

many residents of Rosebud will know exactly who you're talking about. For some, it may even send a shiver up their spine, because unlike most of the residents who have lived there over the years, who want to live in harmony and keep the peace, Kenneth was wreaking havoc as soon as he arrived. He was known around Rosebud as a troublemaker with a bad attitude. He would start fights with people wherever he went, and he was the town bully, always picking on people who were smaller than him. He was the antithesis of what the people of Rosebud stood for,

and his very existence would stain their reputation. Kenneth was born on March 21, 1949, in the town of Paris, Texas. But his family would move to Rosebud shortly after his birth. Now his parents, John Allen McDuff, who went by J.A., and his wife, Addie, had a lot of children, six to be exact. And that's likely because JA started his life as a farmer. Having a lot of kids when you own a farm is very helpful in running the business. But eventually, J.A. would change his career path. After moving his family to Rosebud, Texas, he opened a concrete business, which proved to be

very successful. Now, his wife, Addy, who was described as a domineering woman, also ran a business in town. The Rosebud Laundromat. This was apparently the only one in town, so it was also successful, which was nice because they had a lot of mouths to feed. People in town would later say that it was obvious that McDuff family was very well off. They always had plenty of money to buy new things, and they were always wearing fresh new clothing. On paper, they appeared to be the perfect all-American family.

They worked hard for their money, they had no criminal records, and they regularly attended the Assembly of God Church. But anyone who really got to know the family immediately noticed that something was off about them. Some described them as odd and standoffish. According to an article in Texas Monthly, Gary Cartwright stated, The MacDuffs weren't the friendliest family in Rosebud when Kenneth was growing up. In fact, they were downright weird, but they weren't white trash either. According to neighbors of the McDuff family, Addy, the matriarch, ran the show.

They said that she was quite volatile and unstable. she ruled her household with an iron fist. Addy controlled the finances, the children, and every decision made had to go through her. It was also said that she was extremely overprotective of her kids. Newspaper editor John Kilmore remembered, quote, the McDuffs were very dedicated to their children, attentive, protective, making sure they grew up knowing how to work and work hard, end quote. But perhaps Addy McDuff was too protective, especially when it came to her son Kenneth.

Like we mentioned, J.A. and Addy had six children, four girls and two boys. But Kenneth was by far Addy's favorite. He wasn't the youngest of her kids, but he was sure treated like it. Now Kenneth started getting into trouble at a very young age. Neighbors, parents, and school officials were constantly calling home, reporting his bad behavior. But Addie refused to believe that her son was ever the problem. And her eyes, Kenneth could do no wrong. In fact, one year, Kenneth and his older brother Lonnie had caused a disturbance on their school bus.

But instead of punishing her children, Addie marched up to the school bus that afternoon with a pistol in her hand. And she threatened the bus driver. From that moment on, people in town called her the nickname, The Pistol Packing Mama. Rosebud resident fan Hargrove spoke with true crime reporter Robert Riggs. And here's what she had to say of that experience. Her reputation really came about early on with that pistol. She was called Pistol Packin' Mama. Kenneth got kicked off the bus.

They lived out in the country at that time. At that time, the bus drivers, they could kick them off anywhere. I mean, they may be walking miles away, but they had that authority to do it. So the next day when the bus came by, they weren't going to pick Kenneth up. and she was standing in the road with a gun and stopped him. And she was demanding that he'd get on the bus. Well, the bus driver just took off. People in Rosebud, Texas made sure to stay far away from the McDuff family.

They were definitely not a family you wanted to mess with. Fran recalled another story where Addy McDuff walked into a bank and sitting on the teller's desk was the stapler. Addie apparently told the teller, I've always wanted this. She then picked the stapler up, and placed it right in her purse. The teller would later say that she didn't even want to confront Addie about stealing it

because everyone knew that she was the pistol-packing mama. And it seemed as if the apples didn't fall far from the tree because some of her children were just as feared. Kenneth and his older brother Lonnie were big troublemakers in Rosebud. In the late 1950s, Lonnie referred to himself as Rough Tough Lonnie McDuff. However, he had a known speech impediment, and when he referred to himself by his nickname, it came out as Wuff, Tough, Wani McDuff.

While at Rosebud High School, Lonnie reportedly pulled a knife on school principal D.L. Mayo, and in return, the principal pushed him down the staircase. Now, D.L. Mayo was a very strict principal. He was a World War II veteran who didn't put up with anything. In fact, he was often called the Iron Man. Now, when Lonnie pulled the knife on him that day, D.L. Mayo had to call home and report what happened. But of course, Addy blamed the principal despite her son being the one to pull the weapon.

No matter what anyone said, Lonnie and Kenneth were innocent. If anyone at school attempted to punish or hold the boys accountable, Addie was quick to show up and give everyone an earful. And soon, Kenneth would begin to follow in the footsteps of his troublemaker brother. Kenneth was not the brightest student at school. It was reported that his IQ was 92. Because of this, he would often have to go to the office. of Ellen Roberts, who was the special education teacher.

She would later recall that as she asked him questions, Kenneth refused to interact with her. She admitted, quote, he just sat there in stony silence and refused to make eye contact. That was the most unusual young boy, end quote. Now, his lack of intelligence was definitely an insecurity of his, but he tried his best to make it seem like it wasn't. When Kenneth would fail a test, he would tell his classmates that, that he meant to fail it, and he just didn't care about school. One classmate said, quote,

Kenneth would make sure everyone in class knew about it, make some kind of joke just to let everyone know he did it on purpose, and didn't give a damn, end quote. Kenneth also enjoyed bullying, his classmates, and even his teachers. One of his favorite things to do was force kids to play a game of flipping quarters, which is essentially a type of gambling, and he would make the kids play, until he had taken all of their lunch money.

Rosebud High School principal D.L. Mayo would later say that Kenneth did not get along with students, teachers, or anyone. He would lie, steal, and destroy property of others. Was in some form of trouble every few days. He had trouble in the community for reckless driving and stealing. His family would seldom believe he did anything wrong and were always angry with school officials and local police for punishing him. This young man had been angry with the world ever since he was in fourth or fifth grade. His mother was neurotic and unreasonable. However, the father and mother did work to provide Kenneth with all the necessities. Kenneth had the ordinary comforts as much as the average boy in this community.

Which was true. Kenneth and his siblings had everything they needed to live a good life, productive lives. They lived in a nice two-story house on Linden Street. They had money. They went to church on Sundays. And they were privileged. But something was amiss. Some people would claim that maybe Kenneth's father, JA, didn't have as much of a presence in his children's lives.

Like we mentioned, he ran a very successful concrete business, so he wasn't around much. In fact, neighbors hardly ever saw J.A., as he spent most of his time in the office. But behind closed doors, when J.A. was around, he was known to be quite brutal towards his children. It was reported that he would fly into violent rages. And at one point, he even punished his daughter by hanging her by her wrist from a barn rafter and beating her with a horse whip. According to the story, J.A. made the entire family watch. And after he was done with the beating, he got his wife Addy to clean her wounds with rubbing alcohol.

But once again, J.A. and Addy never punished Kenneth like this. For whatever reason, he was let off easy, but he did watch his siblings' abuse, which may have contributed to who he would later become. Kenneth was their golden child who got away with everything. According to one family member, Kenneth even got away with molesting his youngest sister for years. Both J.A. and Addy simply turned a blind eye to whatever Kenneth was doing. In fact, they were really proud of him. One summer, Kenneth started mowing lawns for their elderly neighbors, and Addy acted. as if he had hung the moon. She boasted that Kenneth was loved by everyone and that he was such a hard

worker. But of course, no one believed her. To the people who crossed paths with Kenneth, they knew that there was something dark within him, and that darkness only seemed to get worse as he got older. When Kenneth reached puberty, he grew to be very tall, and the taller he got, the more he tried to intimidate those around him. According to his classmates, he was loud and obnoxious, and he would often pick on boys who were much smaller than him. People said that when he found a target, he would say everything he could think of to torment them. And he would get this sick look of excitement on his face, the more fearful that person became. Because of this, everyone in school was afraid of him. While everyone but a boy named Tommy Sammons. Now Tommy was a popular athlete

at Rosebud High School, and for years he had watched as Kenneth McDuff terrorized his class But then one day, while in the hallway, Kenneth bumped into Tommy and started berating him in front of everyone. He apparently called Tommy a chicken shit. And finally, Tommy had had enough. The boys agreed to meet after school by the drainage ditch so they could fight it out. Now Tommy was much smaller than Kenneth, but he was muscular and athletic. He was described as a good kid who didn't really get into fights with people, but for Kenneth, he was up for the challenge. former classmate Ellen Roberts said, quote, Kenneth was so hated that when word got around that he was going to fight Tommy Salmons after school down by the drainage ditch, my whole class talked to nothing else, end quote. So that day when the final bell rang, the two made their way outside, along with the entire school, everyone was ready to watch the fight between Tommy Salmons and the school bully Kenneth McDuff. Now many people assumed Tommy was going to lose,

since he was so much smaller. But shortly after the fight began, he was able to put Kenneth in a headlock. Immediately, the entire school started cheering. Kenneth was clearly losing the fight. Now, to get out of the headlock, instead of tapping out, Kenneth bit down on Tommy's arm.

But as soon as he let go, Tommy delivered several hard punches right to Kenneth's face, and the crowd went absolutely wild. One of the classmates would later say, old Tommy just whipped the snot out of him." And as you can imagine, getting beat up in front of the entire school by someone so much smaller than him was humiliating. The fight was all anyone could talk about.

And this was such a huge event in Kenneth's life. He even dropped out a school a few weeks later. After dropping out, Kenneth started working full-time at his dad's concrete business. He didn't like the job, but he did like the money that it brought in. Now, it's also around this time when his mother Addy gifted him a brand new motorcycle, and classmates of his said that they would see him riding around the backcountry roads of the Blackland Prairie. And now that he wasn't in school and he was making money on his own, he had a bit more freedom. Kenneth started drinking alcohol and spending more time with his brother Lonnie,

which would end up being a recipe for disaster. For Kenneth's entire life, he looked up to his older brother, and some have even said that Lonnie's juvenile delinquency inspired him. Now, there's no telling whether this next part is true, or if Kenneth was just wanting to impress Lonnie. But in the fall of 1964, when Kenneth was 18 years old, he bragged to his brother that he had once raped a classmate of his, which doesn't sound very far-fetched, given the crimes he would later commit. Kenneth also started committing other crimes around Rosebud, but his favorite hobby of all was robberies. On a night in March of 1964, most of the residents in Rosebud.

were fast asleep. But Kenneth and an unnamed accomplice decided that they were going to rob the lot's store in Fall County. So that night, as darkness fell upon Rosebud, Texas, Kenneth and his friends snuck over to the property with a bolt cutter in hand. Once they gained access to the store, they burglarized it, leaving with about $500 in cash from the safe, which is a little over $5 grand today with inflation. Now this experience left Kempeliorized Kenneth feeling exhilarated. And within the next month, he and his accomplice would burglarize

three more stores in Millam County. During those break-ins, Kenneth wasn't even leaving with many valuables. In fact, during one, he and his friend just took ammunition and ice cream bars. In another, he got some tools

in about $20 in cash. And keep in mind, he wasn't stealing because he needed the money. Kenneth was well off. It seemed as if the break-ins were more about the feeling it gave him over the loot. Once Kenneth dropped out of school, he would spend nearly the entire year of 1964 robbing businesses around their area. But it would finally catch up to him. Now, we weren't able to figure out how the police linked him to these robberies,

but in late January of 1965, they finally had enough evidence to place him under arrest, and he was wanted in three different counties. On January 22nd, Kenneth was convicted of eight counts of burglary in Bell County. Then on January 29th, he was convicted of two counts of burglary in Falls County. And on February 3rd, he was convicted of four counts of burglary in Milam County. In total, Kenneth was convicted on 14 counts of burglary in theft and was ultimately sentenced to 52 years in prison. On March 10, 1965, Kenneth was transferred to the Ferguson unit of the Texas Department

of Criminal Justice. But clearly, Kenneth wouldn't serve out that full sentence. In fact, later that same year, on December 29, 1965, after only serving nine months in prison, he was paroled due to overcrowding. And he didn't feel any remorse about his crimes. In fact, years later, when Kenneth was asked why he believed he could get away with so many break-ins,

he laughed and responded, quote, all they was just pranks, end quote. And during his time, prison he definitely wasn't reformed. In fact, if anything, prison taught him how to be a better criminal. During his time there, he learned how to prey on weaker individuals, how to manipulate and control people. Now once he got out, 19-year-old Kenneth immediately started working at his dad's concrete business again, and while there, he would meet a fellow employee, 18-year-old Roy Dale Green, his future accomplice.

Roy was an impressionable young man. He had a low IQ. He lived with his mother in Marlin, and he was known to be a quiet kid who never got into trouble. Kenneth, who was straight out of prison, knew that he would be an easy target. And he was. For Roy's whole life, he had been kind of an underdog, someone that people didn't pay attention to. So when Kenneth took an interest in becoming friends, Roy thought it would be cool to be hanging out with someone who took risks and got into trouble. According to Texas Monthly, Roy was absolutely, mesmerized by Kenneth's wild stories of sadistic sex, something he referred to as sex capades. In one instance, while the two were at Roy's mother's house, Kenneth started acting out this

story of how he assaulted this girl. He told Roy that he pinned the girl to the floor and squirted a large tube of deep heat into her vagina. Now, deep heat is essentially a topical cream that you put on your skin to relieve muscle pains. It's definitely not supposed to go on someone's private parts or in someone's vagina. If that story was true, then that girl clearly would have been in an incredible amount of pain. But as Kenneth was telling the story, he was thrilled. He clearly loved assaulting women. He also told Roy about many other rapes he committed. But at this point, he hadn't been convicted of any rapes, so there's no actual record of them, but he loved to brag about it. Kenneth also told Roy that he had killed women before. He apparently told him that, quote,

Killing a woman is like killing a chicken. They both squawk, end quote. And when Roy heard this, he was shocked. Have you really killed someone before? He asked. To which Kenneth said, he did. He also told Roy that he buried his victims in shallow graves. Now, Roy would later admit that he didn't believe Kenneth was telling the truth.

But that would all change on the night of Saturday, August 6, 1966. Hey everybody, Courtney and I have a favor to ask of you. If you love murder in America, you love our show. Please leave us a five-star review wherever you listen to your podcasts, whether that's Apple Podcasts, Spotify. If you love our show and you want to help us grow, definitely consider leaving us a five-star review. Also, it helps the show so much when people share out links to our program.

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Seriously, thank y'all. But let's get back to the story. That day started out like any other. Both Kenneth and Roy woke up early to report to a job site in Temple, Texas. But after pouring concrete for a few hours, Kenneth was in the mood to do something else. He wanted to find some girls,

and he specifically wanted to go to the town of Fort Worth, which was two hours away. So later that day, the two went back home, got cleaned up, and then hopped into Kenneth's brand-new Dodge, which was a gift from his mother when he got paroled from prison. Now, Roy would later say that he was excited for the trip ahead. He had never been to Fort Worth before. He also said that he wasn't sure why Kenneth specifically chose,

this town, but he was happy to tag along. During the drive, the two picked up some beers from a 7-Eleven, and soon enough, they had arrived to Fort Worth. Roy would later tell the police, quote, Kenneth showed me the town, end quote. Once there, the two would share some drinks at a local bar, and while getting liquored up, Kenneth decided to call up an old love interest of his, named Edith. He asked Edith if she wanted to meet up at a local restaurant called Hamburger Hut. and Edith agreed. Now I'm not sure if she knew that Kenneth had a friend tagging along, but once they met up at the restaurant, Kenneth made Roy drive around town while he and Edith hung out in the back seat. After a few hours, they finally decided to drop Edith off at her home

around 9.30 p.m. But Kenneth wasn't finished with his night of fun, so from here, the two continued to drive around. Eventually, they made their way out of Fort Worth and drove to the nearby town of Everman. In the entire time, Kenneth is looking out the window and he's looking for another pretty girl. By this point, it's pretty late, so the streets were nearly empty. But Kenneth was confident that he would find someone. He even told Roy that he was good at finding teenagers. Finally, after driving around for a bit, Kenneth drove by Everman High School. As he slowly cruised the campus, he noticed a large 1955 Ford parked at one of the secluded baseball fields. As he got closer, he saw that there were three teenagers, two boys, and a girl. And in that

moment, Kenneth decided that they were going to be his next victims. Earlier that night, 16-year-old Luis Sullivan was getting ready for an evening out with her boyfriend, 17-year-old Robert Brand, and his cousin, 15-year-old Marcus Dunham, who was visiting from California. It was a typical hot summer evening in the small Texas town of Everman, and the three teenagers were looking forward to the night ahead. Now, initially, it was supposed to be a double date. Louise's friend Rhonda was going to come hang out with Marcus, but at the last minute, she canceled, a decision that likely saved her life.

But even without Rhonda, the three teens were determined to have a fun night out. Now, at around 6.30 that night, Robert and Marcus got into the 19th, 55 Ford Fairlane and made their way over to Luis's house to pick her up. From there, they drove to a drive-in movie. But once it was over, they noticed they still had a little time to kill before curfew. So that's when they decided to drive to the secluded baseball field next to the high school. This was something teenagers did around Everman. It was the type of town where everyone knew each other.

It was a small, rural community that consisted of honest working-class people. And these kids had their whole lives ahead of them. Louise was getting ready to start her junior year at Everman High School. She worked really hard to get good grades. She played basketball and worked at the nursery of the First Baptist Church. A couple months prior to this night, in June of 1966, Louise had met Robert Brand from the nearby town of Alvarado. At summer, the two spent a lot of time together.

They were described by their loved ones as really good kids. Robert Brand was handsome, outdoorsy, and absolutely loved music. He had worked various odd jobs to get enough money to do. to purchase a guitar and once he did he joined a group of boys who played teenage clubs around Alvarado. As for Marcus Dunham, he and his older cousin Robert were incredibly close. Marcus also loved music and played the drums. When he got together with Robert, the boys enjoyed playing their instruments and sometimes would go hunting in the woods. Marcus had big dreams of joining the military after high school and wanted to work as a machinist. Now that summer, Marcus had traveled

from California and had been spending time with his grandmother in Fort Worth. In that weekend, he decided to make the trip to Everman to have a fun night. However, no one could have known that their innocent weekend would quickly turn bloody and violent. As they side at the baseball fields, Luis, Robert, and Marcus laughed and had good conversations. At some point, Louise even pulled out a bottle of mascara from her purse and jokingly wrote her name with it on the back glass. Eventually, they made their way out of the vehicle and were enjoying the fresh air. They would all have to go home soon, and they were soaking up the last few minutes of their time together.

The three had no reason to believe that they were in danger. However, soon enough, they would cross paths with pure evil. By 10 p.m., the streets of Everman were almost empty. Kenneth and Roy had been on the prowl looking for a girl to victimize. And that's when Kenneth noticed the park car at the baseball field. He saw that the girl was a petite brunette. She was five feet two inches tall, around 110 pounds. She was wearing a red and white striped shirt and blue cut off jeans.

Louise was beautiful, and as soon as Kenneth spotted her, he knew he had found his target, and there wasn't going to be anything that got in the way. Even those two teenage boys she was with. Immediately, Kenneth pulled into the parking lot, telling Roy to stay quiet. And for a few minutes, he just watched them. In his sick and disturbing mind, he was picturing all of the things he wanted to do with Luis. He was also sizing up the boys to see how much of a threat they posed. Then finally, he looked at Roy and said, I want to have a little fun.

Roy would later admit that he thought Kenneth just wanted to rob the teenagers. Kenneth even handed him a broken broomstick handle that he kept in the back seat, while Kenneth grabbed his brother's 38 caliber revolver. and from there they got out of the car. Kenneth quickly started walking towards the teenagers, with Roy following close behind. And soon enough, the teens saw the men coming in their direction. But before they could react, the gun was pointed straight at them.

Kenneth told the boys that no one would get hurt as long as they followed instructions. He then ordered them to hand over their wallets and the keys to Roberts Ford. Once they did, Kenneth opened the Ford's truck. trunk. He then looked at Robert and Marcus, pointed to the trunk, and said, get inside. Terrified, the boys did as they were told. But Kenneth didn't want Luis inside the trunk. She was going to come with him. So Kenneth grabbed her by the arm and took her back to his dodge.

Meanwhile, he ordered Roy to get in the Ford and follow close behind. Roy also did as he was told. Over the next few minutes, Kenneth drove down the road looking for a secluded spot. Along the drive, Luis pleaded with him, please don't hurt us, she said. But Kenneth wasn't interested in conversation. Looking in the rearview mirror, he saw that Roy was still following in the Ford. And eventually, Kenneth found a good place to stop off Farmed Market Road. Once he parked the car, he pulled Luis out and he made her get in the trunk of his dodge. And that's because he didn't want her to see this next part.

Now that they were out in the wilderness, Kenneth wanted to get rid of the two teenage boys. Roy would later say that he didn't even know Kenneth wanted to harm them until they got out there. But once Luis was in the trunk of the Dodge, Roy said the following. Kenneth looked at me and said, They got a good look at me.

I'm going to have to kill them. We can't have any witnesses. I'm going to knock them off. And in that moment, He grabbed his gun and opened up the trunk. Inside, Robert and Marcus were terrified. They looked up at Kenneth pleading with him to spare their lives, but he had already made up his mind.

Kenneth first aimed the gun at Robert. The first shot he fired went through Robert's ear, but the second was straight through his forehead. Next to him, Marcus was screaming. He had just watched his cousin get murdered, and he knew he was next. Kenneth then pointed the gun at him. The first shot went through his arm,

and the second through his forehead. Within seconds, the two cousins were dead. Roy would later say that as he watched all of this, he was shocked. He said he even covered his ears and looked away. He had no idea that this is what Kenneth wanted to do. After Kenneth shot the boys, Roy asked him why he did that. But Kenneth calmly responded, quote, it had to be done."

There was no remorse, no emotion at all. Kenneth had just murdered Robert and Marcus' execution style, like it was nothing. Now following this, Kenneth attempted to shut the trunk, but for whatever reason, it wouldn't close. So instead, he got into the Ford and he backed it up against the fence. The Ford was concealed enough so that you could barely see it from the road. But Kenneth knew that it would eventually be found. So he grabbed a cloth and wiped the inside of the car so that he and Roy's fingerprints wouldn't be found inside.

He then instructed Roy to cover up the tire tracks and the dirt. Once Kenneth was satisfied with the crime scene, the two got back into Kenneth's Dodge, where Louise was still being held hostage in the trunk. It's horrifying to think about what was going through her mind at that moment. She had heard the gunshots. She had heard Robert and Marcus' screams. and she probably heard Kenneth and Roy talking about cleaning things up, so she knew that they were dead.

Then Louise heard the car's engine turn on. She could feel as they drove down the road. Kenneth and Roy were now going to find a new spot so that they could do exactly what they had set out to do that night. They ended up driving south through Johnson County until they reached the small town of Egan. Kenneth drove down FM 917, an isolated gravel road, And once it was secluded enough, he stopped the car.

It was 11 miles away from where he had just murdered Robert and Marcus. And soon enough, Luis saw the trunk open up. Crying and fearful for her life, she continued to plead with Kenneth. But instead, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her from the trunk. He then ordered her to get undressed and to get in the backseat of his car. Trigger warning on this next part, but it's here where Kenneth three. raped her, and her nightmare was far from over. Once Kenneth was finished, he then ordered Roy to rape her as well, and he did. Now, Roy would later say that he was forced to do this, and that

Kenneth held a gun to his head. He also said it took him a while to get an erection, but eventually he was able to, and Kenneth watched the entire thing. Then when Roy was finished, Kenneth raped her again. But even then, he continued to torture the poor girl. After the horrific rapes, Kenneth grabbed the broken broomstick that was sitting in the back seat, and horrifically, he used it to violate Luis's body. Roy would later say that he would never forget her agonizing screams, and how she kept saying, quote, Stop, I think you ripped something, end quote.

Frighten and bloody, Louise was ordered to put her clothes back on and get back in the trunk, and once again she felt the car take off once more. more. Kenneth and Roy were driving to yet another secluded location down the road. When they arrived, Kenneth ordered Louise out of the car and they told her to sit down on the ground. What are you going to do with me? Louise asked, but I think deep down she knew. Like Robert and Marcus, Louise was not going to make it out alive. And that was confirmed when Kenneth grabbed that broken broomstick and began walking towards her. Louise tried to scream for help, but there was no one around to hear her. And in that moment, Kenneth straddled over her

body and pressed the wooden stick up against her throat as hard as he could. The force was so intense he broke multiple bones and her neck. Roy would later say, quote, it sounded like air escaping out of a balloon or air hose, end quote. Louise waved her arms frantically and kicked her legs in an attempt to get Kenneth off of her, but it was no use. Kenneth screamed for Roy to hold down Louise's legs, while he killed her, and once again, Roy obliged. After a few minutes, Louise was no longer fighting back. She was dead.

From there, Kenneth and Roy then carried her lifeless body, Kenneth holding her arms, and Roy holding her legs. And like a piece of trash, they tossed her body into the wilderness. But before leaving, Kenneth wanted a souvenir. He ripped a German cross necklace that she wore around her neck, and he stuffed it into his pocket. Then he covered her body and brush, and they left the scene. Along the drive back home to Rosebud, Kenneth told Roy to keep his mouth shut about what happened that night. If you tell anyone, they'll put us in the electric chair, he said.

After putting some distance between them and the crime scene, Kenneth also threw some evidence out the window, including the empty shell casings and the broken broomstick he used to assault Louise. At some point along the drive, they also got out and dug a small hole in the ground, where they ended up burying Robert and Marcus's wallets. Now, eventually, they made it back to Rosebud, and Kenneth stayed the night with Roy at Roy's mother's home. Then the next morning on Sunday, August 7, 1966, Kenneth and Roy woke up early and took the dodge to a nearby car wash.

Both men scrubbed the interior and exterior of the car, getting rid of any evidence that could link them to the crime. During their cleanup, Kenneth found a long brown hair that belonged to Louise. You see this, Roy, he said. This is the kind of thing that could put us in prison. Roy would later say that he was really upset about what happened the night before. The events just kept playing in his head, and he was extremely paranoid. But Kenneth was the exact opposite.

He didn't have any remorse about what happened. Sure, he was nervous about getting caught, but the fact that he took the lives of three teenagers didn't even seem to phase him. In fact, that very next night, Kenneth already had another date. Growing up, my mom was always the best at handling sticky, stressful situations. I mean, we have so many crazy family memories, so many things that stick out to me, so many trips that we took and just funny moments. I mean, I remember specifically one just crazy time when we had jet skis and we took them out.

We had rented them for the day and we took them out on this lake. and somehow something got on the engine of the jet ski, mine stalled, my dad stalled, and my mom and sister had to come rescue us because we floated to shore on the other side of the lake. We've got some hilarious pictures from that day. But it's just one of those memories that I don't want to let die. And aura frames can help keep those moments alive. So basically an aura frame is like a virtual frame that can display photos and videos from anywhere. You can upload to the frame. You can share in new photos.

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It's called The Conspiracy Files, and it's hosted by me, Colin Brown, from Murder in America and the Paranormal Files. On the Conspiracy Files, we explore everything from bizarre deaths to freak paranormal events, pedophile rings, government corruption, ritual sacrifice. No topic is untouched on this show. Everything that we talk about on the conspiracy files is backed up with fact. I release reference sheets with every single episode that we do so you guys know. Everything we're talking about is confirmed to have happened and be real.

It's a completely different type of show than anything else you've ever seen about conspiracy theories. Instead of a bunch of conjecture and theories, we're presenting you people with facts, telling you the story, walking you through the story just as detailed as we do with murder in America, and then letting the listener decide what they think. Anyways, you should definitely give it a listen. It's called The Conspiracy Files. The links are in the description of this show, and you can find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,

or wherever you get your podcasts. And now let's get back to our story. Meanwhile, back in Alvarado, Robert's father, Jack Brand, was frantic. He had just worked the night shift at his job, and he finally came back home around 2.15 a.m. But when he pulled up in his driveway, he noticed that Robert's car wasn't there.

And sure enough, when he went inside, he saw that both Robert and Marcus had never made it home. Immediately, Jack knew that something was wrong. Robert was a good kid. He never missed curfew. So Jack got into his car and started driving around town looking for his son and nephew. He would later say that he searched all night long with no luck.

Robert's sister Fran also knew something wasn't right. Because Robert was always home in time. No matter what, he was always home. And dad didn't rest until his kids were home. By that next morning, when Robert still hadn't come home, his family decided to report him missing. But over in the town of Everman, Luis's mother had no idea that her daughter was missing.

Louise wasn't supposed to come home that night. She had actually planned to spend the night with her friend Rhonda, the girl who was supposed to be with them the night before. But soon enough, a police came knocking on her door. Louise's mother figured there had to be some explanation. But after speaking with Rhonda, Luis's friend, she learned that Luis never showed up at her house the night before. And it's at this moment where everyone began to panic.

Where did the three teenagers go? Well, it wouldn't take them long to get some answers. The same morning that Louise, Robert, and Marcus were reported missing, a man named Bill Sanders decided that he wanted to go fishing. So that morning, he loaded up his car and he started making the drive down FM 1017. Along the way, he happened to be looking out of his window when he spotted something odd off the road. You could barely even see it, but it was a car backed up against a fence. Bill thought to himself that maybe someone had crashed and needed some help, so he decided to pull over and check it out. As a zan, he said, he was a car back to

he got closer, he noticed that the trunk of the car was wide open, but he didn't see anyone nearby, that is until he looked in the trunk. To Bill's horror, as he turned the corner, he saw the bloodied bodies of Robert and Marcus. They both had clear bullet holes right in the center of their foreheads. From there, Bill quickly rushed to a house down the road, and he called the police. As law enforcement descended upon the crime scene, Tarrant County Sheriff's if Lon Evans would later say, it looked like an execution, which didn't make a lot of sense. These three teenagers were good kids. They didn't have enemies. So who could have done this to them? Well, they tried to figure it out. Another officer made their way to Robert's home to tell

his family the horrible news. Here's Robert's sister Fran recalling that moment. I think it was Lon Evans brought dad over to my mother in Falun's house because we got the phone call to wait there. Don't leave. He kind of said they had found. They had found. So dad, the little wall pulled up with Lon Evans. They got out of the car and dad come over to me, he said, we found them. They've both been shot. They're dead. Word quickly spread around town that these two teenagers had been murdered, execution style,

in the trunk of their own car. Bob Schiefer, who was a reporter at the crime scene that day, would later tell a true crime reporter Robert Riggs. It really upset people. It really bothered the community. I still remember it because I think, think it was the worst thing I ever saw. I saw those bodies. And when you're on the police force, you see a lot of death, but I had never seen anything that matched the cruelty of what McDuff did.

And I hope I never do see it again. These murders quickly shattered this town's sense of security. And even more disturbing was that Louise Sullivan was still missing. Following the discovery of Robert and Marcus, the whole town came together to try and find the 16-year-old girl, including 250 volunteers. This crime was so horrifying that people all over Texas were talking about it, even people over two hours away and rosebud. The very day after the murders, Roy Dale Green was with his mom listening to the radio when all of a sudden he heard a broadcast about the two slain teenagers, and immediately he broke down crying.

His family said that he started screaming, quote, My God, I've got to tell somebody, and that's when he can find. to his family that he and Kenneth were responsible. Luckily, his mother convinced him to turn himself in. From there, Roy called Robertson County Sheriff Sonny Elliott, and that's when he admitted that he had been involved in the murders of Robert Marcus and Louise. Roy was then arrested and taken to the Robertson County Jail before being transferred to Fort Worth. In a written statement, Roy recounted the entire night's events, and that's when he told them that the mastermind of the crimes

had been Kenneth Allen McDuff. Here is a video of Roy explaining parts of what happened that night. This boy in front of me go like yes, covered his head, and that's what I did too, I turned away. And at the time I take my hand off the eyes to look, he'd shoot, and you can smell gunpowder and blood when he got the... Now, following his confession, investigators began to look for Kenneth McDuff. But in the meantime, they needed Roy's help in locating Louise.

By then, it seemed as if they had searched everywhere. They even had dive teams and helicopters flying overhead. But when they brought Roy out to the area, he was having a hard time remembering where they had taken her. However, he did remember a sign that he kept seeing along the drive. He said it read Burleson. Eventually, authorities asked Roy to draw what he remembered about the location. And surprisingly, this seemed to have worked. When Roy handed them the drawing, the authorities decided to start looking in the northern area of Johnson County near the small town of Egan.

Roy was taken to the location and he immediately recognized it. He ended up jumping over the fence and told the search team. This looks like it. Minutes later, investigators would come across the body of 16-year-old Louis Sullivan. She was hidden among some brush, lying face down near an over. down near an oak tree. When word got out that a body had been found, her two uncles made their way to the scene and positively identified her. The brutal murders of Robert Bran, Marcus Dunham, and Louise Sullivan instantly became front-page headlines across the state of Texas. It was also

revealed by Roy Dale Green that Louise had been assaulted and killed by that broken broomstick. So the media quickly dubbed the slings as, quote, the broomstick murders. But now that the teenagers had been found, the next thing investigators focused on was finding the mastermind, Kenneth Allen McDuff. After speaking with Roy, they learned that Kenneth had actually planned a date with a woman that very night, and that the girl's name was Joanne. After doing some digging, detectives were able to find the identity of this girl, and they immediately went to her mother's house to explain the situation. And just for a second, imagine getting a knock on your front. door that your daughter is currently on a date with someone who had just murdered three people. And the worst part of all is that Joanne's mother had no idea where Kenneth had taken her

daughter, so all they could do was wait until she came back home. So for hours, the officers waited. And finally, at around 10.50 p.m., they saw Kenneth's car. But he must have known that something was going on. Once he got about halfway down the driveway, he quickly put the car. He quickly put the car in reverse and took off down the road, with Joanne still in the front seat. The officers followed close behind, and before they knew it, a shootout had ensued. Joanne quickly dropped down on the floorboard of his car. Luckily, she wasn't hit. But after a while, detectives were finally able to catch up with him, knowing there was nowhere else to turn. Kenneth McDuff got out of his car with his hands in the air, and he was quickly detained. The officers who arrested him,

would later say that one of their biggest regrets in life is that they didn't kill Kenneth in that shootout and you'll later find out why but even after his arrest Kenneth mcduff showed no remorse in fact he seemed more upset about the bullet holes in his car than he did the murders now like we mentioned Kenneth's accomplice Roydale green immediately confessed to everything that happened but Kenneth was not his forthcoming Bob Schiefer would later say what was interesting about these two was how totally different they were. McDuff wasn't about to tell anybody about anything. He wouldn't give you details. He wouldn't even acknowledge that he was there. Green, on the other hand, couldn't hold it in. He was the person who was easily swayed. He was the kid in high school

that if everyone else wanted to do something, he went along. It never seemed to be his idea. And obviously, he was totally afraid of McDuff. But with Roy's confession, the authorities had everything they needed. On August 9th, 1966, Kenneth McDuff was back in jail for the brutal murders of Robert Marcus and Luis. And if you remember, he was actually already on parole for those robberies he committed in 1964. So following his arrest, the state of Texas revoked his parole. Once again, police reporter Bob Sullivan was able to accompany police officers during their transfer of Kenneth McDuff to Fort Worth. And here's what he told Robert Riggs. In those days when there was an important prisoner to be transferred to the Fort Worth jail,

Sheriff Lon Evans would generally drive down at a patrol car with his deputy, Earl Brown, who was the number two guy in the Sheriff's Department, and bring them back himself. And on this particular case, I had asked him if I could go with him to pick up these people after this story broke. And so we did drive down there on the way back, and we were in the car for a about two and a half hours with Nick Duff. He expressed no interest in any conversation about anything. At one point, the only thing, when people would ask him a question, he would just nod or act like he was asleep or just,

I've never seen anybody quite like him. He showed no remorse. He showed no hesitancy about any of it. He just sat there and said he wanted to see a lawyer. And I came to realize I had never seen anyone like this. And I'd been on the police beat for a long time at that point. He was a monster. He was a monster.

I don't think he had any conscience. And I remember somebody saying at the time, if there was ever a reason for the death penalty, it was Kenneth Allen McDuff. He personified that. And it just made you feel uneasy, really, to be around him. Kenneth McDuff was held at the Huntsville Unit at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. But as he awaited trial, he refused to speak to anyone about the murders. McDuff was angry that he was in jail.

The sheriff said that the day after his arrest, he even went by McDuff's jail cell, and he screamed at him. Go to hell! Now, interestingly, around this time, a huge tragedy hit the state of Texas. It was the University of Texas at Austin mass shooting, which is a story we covered in episodes 94 and 95 of murder in America. That shooting actually occurred about a week before the broomstick murders. And surprisingly, while in jail, Kenneth McDuff made it. a comment about how the shooter Charles Whitman must have been crazy. Now over the next few months, the prosecution started building their case against Kenneth

McDuff, and their star witness was none other than his accomplice, Roy Dale Green. McDuff's capital murder trial started in November of 1966. He arrived in court wearing a dark suit and a tie. But one of the prosecutors would later say, quote, his eyes were just so cold. He had the coldest, deadest eyes I have ever seen or want to see, end quote. Now, Kenneth's defense argued that he wasn't responsible and that the entire thing had been orchestrated and carried out by Roy Dale Green, a story that no one believed.

But as you can imagine, Kenneth's mother, Addy McDuff, was his biggest supporter. She was very outspoken about how she believed her son was innocent. During the trial, she even told one of the reports, reporters that Kenneth had actually been with a girl from church during the time the teenagers were murdered. But Kenneth didn't want to give up this girl's name to confirm his alibi because he didn't want to ruin her reputation. Addy said, quote, he's too good for his own good, end quote. Now, Addy had hired a good attorney from Waco to represent her son, and every day she, along with her five other children, would sit in the courtroom, right across from the victim's families.

Robert Brand's sister Fran said that she only went to the trial one of the days, and she never went back. And that's because, on the day she did go, when she walked out of the courtroom, Addy McDuff threatened her. And she was talking so loud. She said he's not guilty of this. She said, I will get each and every one of them. Well, that kind of scared me.

I was horrified. But I said, just don't listen to her. The jury that consisted of nine men and three women heard emotional stories from Robert Brand's father and Louis Sullivan's mother However, everyone wanted to hear from Roy Green On November 9th, Ninth 66 Roy took the stand and recounted the events that took place on the night of August 6th Roy was obviously frightened on the stand

His speech was sometimes inaudible and he shook with nervousness When the defense asked him why he didn't just drive away in Kenneth's Dodge instead of following him He responded I, I, I just don't know. Everyone in the courtroom could tell that Roy was scared. It was also clear that he had a very low IQ. But to everyone's surprise, someone else took the stand on November 13th. Kenneth McDuff.

He admitted that on the night of the murders, he had been passed out in a burned out building in Everman. He described Roy as the angry lunatic who had planned the murders. He said, Roy was very mad because he hadn't got a date. He wanted me to wait someplace while he used the car. We argued. He was real mad. I was just tired and wanted to go home and go to bed. I just sat down beside a wall and went to sleep. Now, as for the broomstick, Kenneth said that Roy liked to carry it around because he had some trouble with bullies in the past. According to Kenneth, the broomstick

was Roy's weapon of choice for self-defense. There was a stark difference between Roy's testimony and Kenneth's testimony. Roy had been nervous. He shifted in his chair and he refused to make eye contact. However, Kenneth remained calm and cool. Kenneth claimed that the police had been out to get him, that they had hated his entire family for years, which is why they tried to put the blame on him. But obviously, the jurors did not believe Kenneth's side of the story, and after only four hours of deliberation, they had returned with their verdict. As Kenneth was escorted back into the courtroom, he casually waved to his family members as he was led to the defense table. judgment, but Kenneth said that he would take the news sitting down. Once again, there was no sign of remorse or emotion. But at that moment, the jury found Kenneth McDuff guilty, and from there, he was sentenced to die in the Texas electric chair, better known as Old Sparky.

As for Roy Dale Green, he also pleaded guilty to the murders, but he was only sentenced to 25 years in prison, since it was clear he was not the mastermind. Following this, Roy was taken to the Tarrant County Jail, where he really struggled. Because he was labeled a snitch, other prisoners tormented him. After several years of this, he was actually transferred to the Rusk State Mental Hospital. Roy had said that he was hallucinating and hearing voices, and he would ultimately end up staying at the Rusk State Hospital in time. his parole in 1979. Roy Del Green only served 13 years for his role in the broomstick murders. According to an article in Texas Monthly that was published in 1992,

following his release, Roy went back to his hometown of Marlin, Texas. Sheriff Larry Pamplin stated, he stays out at the old family home and spends most of the day in his sister's beer joint, the town door. To say he's messed up is a real understatement. But with the arrest and conviction of Kenneth McDuff, The mastermind of the broomstick murders, the state of Texas felt a sense of relief. He was a monster living among them, and finally, justice had been served.

Kenneth was scheduled to die by the electric chair on October 8, 1968, and many people in the community were counting down the days until he took his last breath. However, that day wouldn't come. And believe it or not, the state of Texas had not seen the last, of Kenneth McDuff. This death row inmate would somehow get released back into society. And as you'll hear in part two of this story, he would go on to kill again.

So make sure to join us next week as we tell you about the other victims murdered at the hands of the broomstick killer, Kenneth McDuff. Hey everybody, thank you for tuning in to this week's episode of Murder in America. This is a story that Courtney suggested that I had never heard, but upon researching this whole thing, I mean, wow, this whole story is just unbelievable.

And next week, the details that we're going to share with you are truly mind-blowing and just incomprehensible. If you guys enjoy our show and you want to help support what we do here, please consider joining us on Patreon. If you join us on Patreon, you can get early and free access to all of our main feed episodes. They're released on Patreon before they're released to the general public. And they have no ads. If you don't like the ads, Patreon is definitely a good, choice for you. You can also sign up for higher tiers to get bonus content if you really want to help support the show. Courtney and I create full length bonus episodes of the show. If you haven't

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