Crime Junkie is examining the murder of Mary Lou Morris, who was found dead in a burnt-out car in a desolate area near her hometown of Baytown, Texas.
Mary’s case is often compared with that of Mary McGinnis Morris, another woman from the same county who was also found murdered a few days later.
As well as having similar names, the two women were killed under mysterious circumstances, leading some to suspect it was the same killer. One theory has even suggested that a hitman accidentally murdered Mary Lou before switching their attention to the correct target, Mary McGinnis.
On October 12, 2000, 48-year-old Mary Lou failed to turn up at the bank where she worked as a loan officer. Later that day, a passerby found her remains in a burnt-out vehicle.
The fire destroyed all viable evidence, and Mary Lou could only be identified by her dental records. A cause of death could not be determined.
The cops were baffled by the murder as Mary Lou was seemingly beloved by family, friends, and work colleagues. She had no obvious enemies.
Murder of Mary McGinnis Morris very similar to Mary Lou Morris murder
On October 16, 2000, the remains of 39-year-old nurse Mary McGinnis were found in a remote area; she had been shot in the head.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelThe cops learned that Mary McGinnis had been having problems with her marriage and may have been having an affair. She also had bad blood with a colleague who allegedly made a death threat against her; she seemed a far more likely target than Mary Lou.
On the day of Mary McGinnis’s murder, she contacted a friend to say she had seen someone at a drugstore who had frightened her, and she was returning to work rather than going home. The police believe she was abducted and murdered a short time later.
The cops identified the coworker and her husband, Mike, as potential suspects. Mike claimed he was at the cinema with his daughter at the time of the murder, but he refused to take a polygraph and forbade the investigators to speak with his daughter.
It is also possible that Mary McGinnis and Mary Lou were the victims of an opportunistic serial killer.
Investigators still don’t know who killed Mary Lou Morris and Mary McGinnis Morris
The investigators were unable to prove the theory that the two deaths were connected and have found no evidence beyond the circumstantial similarities that suggest it was the same killer.
A few months after the murders, a teenager in Galveston, TX, found Mary Lou’s phone card in a purse left in a parking lot. None of her family recognized the purse.
Mary Lou’s daughter, Marilyn Blalock, spoke to reporters about the two cases and said, “The similarities are shocking, right? They’re kind of astounding. What are the chances that these are not related, but then what are the chances they are?”
If anyone has any information about either of these murders, they should contact Crimestoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477).
MURDERED: Mary Morris is available to stream now on Crime Junkie.