When he reached the center, Mack oriented himself by looking at the mesquite trees on either side; then he dove under the water and came back up. Im sorry I have to tell you like this. He has vowed not to step down as governor. His own neighborhood lacks the gracious lawns and spreading trees of his childhood; the house, which is a bit down at the heels, looks like the province of a man who lives alone. Herring's wife and friends also told investigators that a good friend of Herring died a day earlier and that Herring said "it should have been me," according to the autopsy report.. Give me a kiss to remember you by, Mack asked. Birth of Heron "Mack" Herrin. It was like he was talking about shooting a dog.. A former principal has even claimed to have seen a glimpse of Betty after hours in the study hall as a result, he refused to ever be in the school alone again. As for Macks case, Burnetts first move was to get Mack out of going to trial by using a law no one had ever resorted to before. She may have been shunned at the time, but many of the girls who knew her were inspired to become school counselors, her death having had a profound effect on them. [3], Herring was tried for murder but was acquitted. [3], Herring killed Williams on March 20, 1961. Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax is also expected to run for governor, although he has not officially announced plans yet. They even sat in his jeep talking about heaven for a while. November 2022 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? Viewers are anxious about Gino Odjick, The people want to know does Matteo Messina Denaro has Figli. On March 22, 1961, at 8:45 AM, the 17-year-old was reported missing. Herring spent most of his childhood in Loudoun County, Virginia. In the tradition of past attorneys general, I believe I am duty bound to uphold the U.S. Constitution, rather than support a Virginia law that is both unconstitutional and demeaning to Virginias same-sex couples.. In the event that both Governor Northam and Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax resign, attorney general Mark Herring would be next in line to take over as governor of Virginia. She was a native of East Liverpool, Ohio. . He was allegedly the ex-boyfriend of the victim, Betty Williams. But the only reaction she was able to provoke was a few eye rolls. When her father lived with my parents, he used to threaten to kill himself in the middle of the night, says Shelton. Herring was tried and acquitted for the killing after his lawyers argued that he had temporary insanity. We were shocked that one of our owna popular football player who had been to our parties and had dated our friendshad committed a heinous crime, says Jean Smith Kiker. Pamela Coloff of Texas Monthly stated that he appeared "utterly unremarkable", at odds with his appearance in his youth. He claimed to have committed the crime with a twelve-gauge shotgun that Betty herself had picked out. In the summer of 1960, they started dating, and Betty wondered if she might be falling in love; Mack, she told friends, really listenedto her. The verdict deemed Mack was innocent for a second time and the crowd broke into applause. As a result, the school painted over the windows and eventually covered them with bricks. Betty wanted to be liked, says her first cousin Shelton Williams, whose memoir, Washed in the Blood, chronicles his coming-of-age in Odessa through the prism of Bettys murder. I wanted to help, but I didnt know what to do. I take upon myself all blame, for there it lies, on me alone! They turned off the highway onto a winding dirt road and continued on until Mack directed them to stop. . During the fall, Betty made a move on Bill Rose, one of Macks best friends. Ever since Tom Selleck and Jillie Mack got married, they have both been extremely devoted to the family they've built together. The notoriety of the case has long since faded, yet 45 years later, something lingers. She too liked to get a rise out of people, and she thrived on attention, whether she got it by arriving at Tommys Drive-In dressed entirely in black but wearing white lipstick or in jeans and a T-shirt, under which she didnt bother to put on a bra. Mack led officers to his fathers hunting lease, 26 miles northwest of town, on a lonely piece of scrubland studded with pump jacks. But the most compelling testimony came from Marvin Grice, an Odessa psychiatrist who had examined Mack three days after the murder. But to the astonishment of courthouse observers and over the strenuous objections of the prosecution, Judge Olsen granted Burnetts motion for the pretrial hearing. I cant explain. He had difficulty understanding it all himself, he told the jury in a halting voice. She tricked that boy into killing her. Bettys classmates in Winterset, which was canceled after the news of Macks arrest, puzzled over her intentions on the last night of her life. After Betty realized she lacked the courage to commit suicide she began asking her schoolmates if theyd be willing to kill her. Johnson advised him to leave the body, which was still clad in pale-pink pajamas, in the water. He can be trusted to lead a normal life, Grice assured the jury. Herring wrote, It is no longer possible for Governor Northam to lead our Commonwealth and it is time for him to step down. Williams, who had counter-cultural views, was not considered popular, while Herring, an American football player, was considered to be popular. To whom it may concern,The time has come to leave, and as I prepare to go, I find it difficult to write the words that will explain . . Betty, on the other hand, refused to conform to other peoples views. Mack wept when he heard the verdict and dozens of people rushed to his side. The boys laughed, thinking she was just being dramatic as usual. Several sources, however, allege that Betty asked her ex-boyfriend to murder her. The stunt soured Mack on the relationship, and by the fall, he had broken things off and started going steady with a pretty redhead in Amicae. Whenever something unexplained happensa book falls on the floor in my classroom or the light board goes out during a technical rehearsalsomeone always jokes, Its Betty., What may be nothing more than just a ghost story can also be seen as something more complicatedas a metaphor, perhaps, for the way that one crime has lodged, uneasily, in Odessas collective memory. A meager yard of packed dirt and weeds led to the street, and an old rusted pickup sat in the driveway. Records may include photos, original documents, family history, relatives, specific dates, locations and full names. The Fort Worth Star-Telegrams banner headline about Bettys death. As a result, locals sided with Mack, claiming she had tricked him into committing the crime. Would they be willing to do it for her, she asked? Ike had been certain Betty was only joking when she had remarked earlier in the evening that Mack had promised to kill herso certain that he did not try to stop her when she climbed into Macks Jeep. True Crime Writer catarina.leigh@gmail.com, A Brief History of Electricity: From Ancient Times to Modern Day, How a Boy with Lobster Claws Went From Circus Act To Murder, The Anniversary of the Unsolved Murder of The Black Dahlia. 5. Nevertheless, she entered Macks jeep and said to Ike, Ive got to call his bluff, even if he kills me. Go around and take the witness chair. It appeared that Burnett was calling his client to the stand for rebuttal, but no sooner had Mack been sworn in than Burnett, for further dramatic effect, roared, Pass the witness! After a legal challenge the Texas Supreme Court stated that the judge lacked the authority to do so. The letter, which the Texas Department of Public Safety had authenticated and which Mr. Did Maxine Die In Hollyoaks? Nine character witnessesincluding Odessa Highs head football coach, Lacy Turnerspoke on Macks behalf; many of them concurred that Mack must have been temporarily insane at the time of the crime. Near it was blood splatter. Im sorry about Indiana, but I hope youll understand. Everything looked different to me afterward. Kiss and Kill is generally known as the murder of Betty Williams. Sometimes now I think it was a dream. She kissed him, Thank you Macks. I remember a teacher taking me aside afterward and asking me, Was Betty pregnant? And I said, No. Rachael Rollins Husband: Who Is The American lawyer Married To? John Mack Herring was one of the popular kids at Odessa High School. In the summer of 1817, an argument around between Heron and Atkinson, and Heron was killed. He is survived by his wife Janet Herring of the home, a son, Maxwell Glen Herring, Jr. of Clinton, a daughter, Logan Renee Herring of . His past was no secret, he was even introduced as the famous kiss and kill murderer in one of his classes. Laura works as a middle school . He became so mixed up and so sick that he felt pulling the trigger was what he should do for her, Grice testified. No other event in my life impacted me the way this did, he says. In a flat monotone, Mack told investigators that he had shot Betty next to the stock tank, weighted her down, and submerged her body. Genealogy profile for Alfred Mack Herring Alfred Mack Herring (1890 - 1962) - Genealogy Genealogy for Alfred Mack Herring (1890 - 1962) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. According to Betty, Mack was different than all the other boys at school. But she asked him for one last favor: to kill her. So rather than admit defeat Im going to beat a quick retreat into the no mans land of death. Mack Herring was not one of the elite football players at Odessa High School on whose shoulders rested the hopes for the 1960 season; as a back for the Bronchos, and one of average abilities, he was just another guy on the team. Ron DeSantis, an expected Republicancontender for President in 2024,, The little blue pill is good for more than just one body, Cholesterol is a blood fat that is made in the liver, but, A father being sought by police after disappearing with a missing aristocrat, John Mack Herring Today Kiss and Kill: Revisit Betty Williams Murder, Steve Bronski Death Cause: How Did The Beat Founder Die? Herring. A strict Baptist, her father often preached to Betty about sin and eternal damnation, and on more than one Sunday morning, he prayed that she might learn to be a more obedient daughter. After eleven hours of deliberation, during which jurors asked that Grices expert testimony be read back to them, they determined that Mack had, in fact, been temporarily insane on the night of the murder. The Tennessee native & Virginia resident since he moved with his family as a child admitted he wore blackface during a college party in the 80s, In 1980, when I was a 19-year-old undergraduate in college, some friends suggested we attend a party dressed like rappers we listened to at the time, like Kurtis Blow, and perform a song, Herring said. So she became not the victim but the villain., Sullivan appealed the verdict to the Texas Supreme Court, on the grounds that Judge Olsen did not have the authority to grant a hearing that only evaluated Macks sanity at the time of the crime. Mack led authorities to a property his father had leased for hunting and fishing. Herring tied the knot on August 12, 1989, and have two children; daughterPeyton E. Herring, 26, and son Timothy R. Herring, 22. His name is Mack Herring and I pray that he will not have to suffer for what he is doing for my sake. If anything, he became more popular than ever even gaining a group of fangirls who were dubbed Macks Girls. Access is free so discover Mack Herring's story today. She was ad-libbing all the way, and it spun out of her control. Nonetheless, his reputation around town did not suffer. Texass Most Venomous Caterpillar, Texass First Nonalcoholic Bottle Shop Reflects the Shifting Culture Around Drinking. He has since worked part time as custodian for St. Ann School. She used to participate in sexual activity with a number of men with whom she was not in a relationship. Distraught, Betty confided in a friend that he had found her diary, in which she had detailed her experiences with boys. Herring said he and his friends put on wigs and brown make up and dressed up as their favorite rappers. Bettys parents slipped through the exuberant crowd and out of the courtroom before reporters could reach them for comment. He stood near her, holding a 12-gauge shotgun in his hands. Judge Olsen had denied his motion to have Mack evaluated by a psychiatrist for the state, having agreed with Burnett that the defendants current state of mind was irrelevant. But Fairfax is facing a sexual abuse scandal; according to a story on the conservative news site Big League Politics, a woman has accused him of sexually assaulting her at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston. Her work as a dancer allowed her to meet John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie, and she was good friends with Rita Hayworth. A judge approved Burnetts request to evaluate Macks sanity at the time of the murder in a pre-trial. In the meantime, journalists had gathered at the scene. He shot her in the head with a twelve-gauge shotgun, destroying much of it, attached weights to the body, and threw it into the tank. Had she really wanted to die, or was she still hoping, somehow, to win Mack back? But what advantage he gained in being allowed to present his evidence was negated by Burnetts skill and showmanship. The real Betty, it was said, had attended Odessa High decades before and had acted in a number of plays on the auditoriums stage. Mark Herring. I dont believe that Betty ever wanted to die. In the Williams family, grandiose threats and melodramatic bids for attention had not been unique to Betty. Emily McCullar is a senior editor covering pop culture, news, and Texas history. Around Bettys waist were tied two lead weights. An avid hunter, he was happiest when he could spend a few days bagging dove or quail on his fathers hunting lease north of town or ramble around the oil fields with his .22, plinking jackrabbits. of service. In retrospect, he told the jury, I know that everything about it was wrong.. The two teenagers had parked in the alley for a while, but they had been startled to see headlights coming toward them. The jury never heard the indictment read or learned how the crime was committed. Im waging a war within myself, a war to find the true me and I fear that I am losing the battle. When Ronnie White, who graduated from Odessa High the year that the murder took place, returned to his alma mater to teach history, in 1978, he was astonished to hear students talking about the former drama student named Betty whose spirit supposedly haunted the auditorium and the popular football player who had had a hand in her killing. Then she told him to just go ahead and do it, which he didnt. And he points to his work on the opiod crisis, where he pushed for easier access to the overdose treatment drug naloxone, as another success for his office. A sophomore, Jim Mercer, also deflected the invitation. Ike Nail, a popular junior who had taken Betty home from rehearsal the previous evening, recounted a story that interested investigators. She hoped to one day become an actress, and in her bedroom, where movie posters and playbills covered the walls, she devoured magazines like the Hollywood scandal sheet Confidential. Sometimes I think it was real. Interestingly, her cousin, Shelton Williams, assisted in the production of the show. Kiss and Kill Murder Victim Betty Williams Still Haunts the High School in Odessa, #Texas https://t.co/SA1o0Mtj0k. She died as a teen in 1961, according to reports. When Mack drove Betty and their friend home from rehearsal one night, she asked him if hed pull the trigger if she held the gun to her head. Still reeling from their breakup and depressed at the prospect of not being cast in a single play her senior year, Betty began to feel hopeless. Marvin Grice, a psychiatrist who had examined Mack a few days after his arrest, said he was not a danger to others. He told the Post, Ive been really honored to play a part in building a safer, stronger, more economically dynamic and inclusive Commonwealth as a county supervisor, a state senator, and as attorney general, and I think the best way to continue that work would be as Governor. He had parked his Jeep a short distance from the stock tank, and he and Betty had sat there for a while and talked. Beside the water, the ground was spattered with blood. Herring argued that the ban on same sex marriage violated the constitution and that he would not defend the ban. Tall and good-looking, with jet-black hair that framed a long, contemplative face, Mack was a guys guy, his classmates remember, who was quiet and self-contained. A lot of kids were cruelthey would shoot something and watch it hobble offbut Mack was different. So many teenagers made the late-night pilgrimage to see Betty that the high school deemed it prudent to paint over the windows of the school auditorium. Betty said that the situation at home was bad, says the friend, who asked not to be named. A few glad observers, including the wife of a Baptist minister who sat on the jury, looked on with tears in their eyes. 19: Daughter: Beatrice Herring. He claimed the judge did not have the authority to have held a trial solely to evaluate Macks sanity. When he broke up with her during her senior year at Odessa High School, her world fell apart. The defendant was a good-looking boy, and all these clean-cut girls came out from Odessa to ooh and aah over him. Nicknamed Macks girls, they made up only a fraction of the spectators whose sympathies were with the defendant. He died on January 5, 2019, at the age of 75, according to CBS. I was just showing off. Age 99. If I am to live I have to fight [or] else it will pull me down, down, down into that thankless pit of fear, pain, and agonized loneliness. We report on vital issues from politics to education and are the indispensable authority on the Texas scene, covering everything from music to cultural events with insightful recommendations. Until some evidence is brought to show the psychiatrists were wrong, Id be inclined to believe them. Jurors agreed, and twelve days before Christmas, they found Mack not guilty by reason of insanity. He shot Betty in the head with a shotgun and dismembered her body parts there. Most claimed that Mack was an exemplary teenager and that he represented everything that was good. The scene herself had picked out nevertheless, she asked to die, or was she still hoping somehow! Pickup sat in his jeep talking about heaven for a second time and the crowd broke applause. Admit defeat im going to beat a quick retreat into the no mans land of death, Herring tried! Ground was spattered with blood to believe them and acquitted for the killing after arrest! 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