Janice Morgan

Lisa won't receive that poem we mentioned earlier for a few more months. But Fred tells her it was actually two other letters that Bell sent from jail that originally piqued his interest in Bell as a potential suspect. Both were sent in 1998, one to the Galveston County DA, the other to the Harris County DA.

Lisa won't receive that poem we mentioned earlier for a few more months. But Fred tells her it was actually two other letters that Bell sent from jail that originally piqued his interest in Bell as a potential suspect. Both were sent in 1998, one to the Galveston County DA, the other to the Harris County DA.

In the letters, Bell confesses to having a hand in the deaths of seven girls across those counties, four fewer than the 11 he'll later claim. What really grabs Fred's attention is how Bell describes an unsolved double homicide from 1971. The victims were teenagers and best friends, Debbie Ackerman and Maria Johnson.

In the letters, Bell confesses to having a hand in the deaths of seven girls across those counties, four fewer than the 11 he'll later claim. What really grabs Fred's attention is how Bell describes an unsolved double homicide from 1971. The victims were teenagers and best friends, Debbie Ackerman and Maria Johnson.

Bell even includes their names for the DAs, and then he goes on to list a lot of specific details about the murder, like how he bound their hands and feet, how he'd shot them from a bridge with a specific gun. He even includes the specific locations of their bullet wounds. As far as Fred could tell, it's pretty accurate.

Bell even includes their names for the DAs, and then he goes on to list a lot of specific details about the murder, like how he bound their hands and feet, how he'd shot them from a bridge with a specific gun. He even includes the specific locations of their bullet wounds. As far as Fred could tell, it's pretty accurate.

To Fred, it seems like Bell might have actually been involved, because if he totally fabricated his story, it's a stunning coincidence that And if he read about those details long ago and is now lying and taking credit for a crime he didn't commit, he has an incredible memory.

To Fred, it seems like Bell might have actually been involved, because if he totally fabricated his story, it's a stunning coincidence that And if he read about those details long ago and is now lying and taking credit for a crime he didn't commit, he has an incredible memory.

By the time Detective Fred Page calls Lisa, the DA's office in Galveston had tried to talk to Bell about making an official on-the-record confession. But he refused to cooperate. And that kicked off a never-ending cycle of confessing and recanting over several years. Without more to work with, there's not much the DA's office can do. So they dropped their investigation.

By the time Detective Fred Page calls Lisa, the DA's office in Galveston had tried to talk to Bell about making an official on-the-record confession. But he refused to cooperate. And that kicked off a never-ending cycle of confessing and recanting over several years. Without more to work with, there's not much the DA's office can do. So they dropped their investigation.

But Lisa was just starting hers.

But Lisa was just starting hers.

And Fred says, no, he hasn't spoken to Bell yet. It's not an easy ask coming from a homicide detective. It would be more straightforward for Lisa to request an interview as a reporter. So she does just that. Ahead of the interview, Lisa studies the case Fred has already put together. So far, Fred has focused on two double homicide cases in particular. We mentioned one already.

And Fred says, no, he hasn't spoken to Bell yet. It's not an easy ask coming from a homicide detective. It would be more straightforward for Lisa to request an interview as a reporter. So she does just that. Ahead of the interview, Lisa studies the case Fred has already put together. So far, Fred has focused on two double homicide cases in particular. We mentioned one already.

Debbie and Maria were murdered in November 1971. That month, the 15th, Monday, was a school holiday, an extra day of freedom, so Debbie and Maria planned to make the most of it. A few students were hanging out at an ice cream shop that morning and saw the girls outside. According to one friend, Debbie and Maria said they planned to hitchhike into Houston, which isn't all that unusual for the time.

Debbie and Maria were murdered in November 1971. That month, the 15th, Monday, was a school holiday, an extra day of freedom, so Debbie and Maria planned to make the most of it. A few students were hanging out at an ice cream shop that morning and saw the girls outside. According to one friend, Debbie and Maria said they planned to hitchhike into Houston, which isn't all that unusual for the time.

Catching rides from strangers if you can't drive yourself is just something that happened back then. Debbie and Maria waited outside the ice cream shop for someone to pick them up. A driver in a white van finally stopped and talked to them. By the way they interacted, one witness assumed it was somebody they knew. The girls climbed in and the van took off.

Catching rides from strangers if you can't drive yourself is just something that happened back then. Debbie and Maria waited outside the ice cream shop for someone to pick them up. A driver in a white van finally stopped and talked to them. By the way they interacted, one witness assumed it was somebody they knew. The girls climbed in and the van took off.

Two days later, Maria's body was found in the murky waters of Turner Bayou, in the middle of nowhere, over 20 miles from Galveston. Maria's hands and feet were bound and she was partially unclothed. She'd been shot and left near a wooden bridge. Investigators determined she was probably killed late on Monday night because that's when a local heard gunshots ring out across the field.

Two days later, Maria's body was found in the murky waters of Turner Bayou, in the middle of nowhere, over 20 miles from Galveston. Maria's hands and feet were bound and she was partially unclothed. She'd been shot and left near a wooden bridge. Investigators determined she was probably killed late on Monday night because that's when a local heard gunshots ring out across the field.