Amarillo’s Halloween Nightmare: The Murder of Sister Tadea Benz
On Halloween weekend 1981, the tranquility of the St. Francis Convent in Amarillo, Texas, was shattered by a brutal crime. 76-year-old Sister Tadea Benz was violently raped, stabbed, and manually strangled.
Police quickly arrested 17-year-old neighbor Johnny Frank Garrett. The prosecution presented overwhelming evidence—including fingerprints, pubic hairs, and a knife found under the victim’s bed—leading to a swift conviction and the death penalty.
But the certainty of the verdict masked a disturbing truth: the crime scene was compromised, and critical forensic evidence was consumed by the pathologist, preventing the defense from ever conducting potentially exculpatory blood-typing tests.
This episode of Historical True Crime Tuesday explores the controversial case that divided the Catholic Church, brought international attention (including a personal plea for clemency from Pope John Paul II), and ended with the execution of a juvenile offender whose guilt remains fiercely debated.
Join Jay Nicoll of Nicoll Investigations as we unpack the compromised scene, the compelling physical evidence, and the profound questions of justice that hang over Amarillo's Halloween nightmare.
Because every case deserves answers—and every victim deserves justice.
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