Casey - Texas Love Triangle Murder

Photos courtesy of Janice Rubin ( www.janicerubin.com )

Dear Readers: This is the third in my series of true crime shorts, a 17,000-word piece on an infamous Texas murder. You may know me as a bestselling true crime and mystery author, but I spent two decades traveling the U.S. reporting on sensational cases for magazines. It was a great way to learn about courtrooms and investigations. The Texas Love Triangle Murder is the first case I ever covered. At the time, in the mid-eighties, I was a fledgling reporter for the now defunct Houston City Magazine . Its an amazing murder case, one involving racial tension and a small-town love triangle. I vividly remember driving Liberty Countys backcountry roads, knocking on doors, piecing together all I could about those involved and what led to the killing of junior school coach Billy Mac Fleming. It was an eerie experience, one Ive carried with me through the years. Since writing the original article, Ive extensively expanded the piece to include an account of the trial and the aftermath. So come with me. Its 1985, and were in the small town of Daisetta, nestled into Texass mysterious Big Thicket. The junior school coach is missing, and all eyes are on the principal, a man named Hurley Fontenot. They both loved the same woman. Did their rivalry lead to murder?