TX TX - Mildred 'JoAnn' Knighten, 15, Pasadena, 20 Oct 1972

[citizen_sleuth]

It seems LE knows who killed Joann, but were unable to try him due to the lack of evidence.

In 1975, serial rapists 20-year-old Clarence Michael O'Hern and 19-year-old Howard Eugene Braden were arrested after an on-duty officer spotted the pair engaging in a vehicle chase with a young woman. Underneath the floorboard of the car police found the car keys belonging to Cathy Dworin, a young woman who was founded murdered. O'Hern was indicted for murder as well as 22 counts of rape and in 1974 received a life sentence for the rape of a New Mexico airline stewardess. Braden was indicted on 19 counts of rape and also received a life sentence for transporting the airline stewardess.

After the pair was sentenced, Prosecutor Allen Stilley said that "we are satisfied that we have cleared the Dworin case, and we are satisfied, too, that Ohern [sic] is the killer of Mildred Knighten, although we have no supporting evidence other than his boasts to some victims." (BBM)

Both men appealed their convictions. In 1977, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals upheld Braden's life sentence. O'Hern's conviction was upheld two years prior. In 2017, O'Hern filed a writ of habeas corpus in the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals but it was unsuccessful.

 

[bettyannboop]

Hello Tara,

I grew up with JoAnn on Globe street in Freeway Manor. There were at least 15-20 girls on our street and you could always find JoAnn playing outside any time of the day or night. I think we all stayed outside from the time our feet hit the floor until it started getting dark. Your mom didn't live there, but I remember how beautiful she was when she came to visit. I was sorry to hear of her recent passing. There were very few boys on the block so George Jr hung out with his friends elsewhere. Nancy Knighten worked nights at the post office and George Knighten... well... I believe he was probably on disability and didn't work.

Life was so simple then. We had slumber parties, tea parties, pool parties, sprinkler parties and hopscotch parties every single day. In 1972, Almeda Mall opened its doors and it became our new playground. Shortly thereafter, JoAnn and her parents moved out of the house on Globe street and into apartments on Old Galveston Road (Hwy. 3).

We had seen JoAnn at the mall with a few friends a week before she went missing. We were shocked, horrified, terrified and traumatized by JoAnn's murder. It did happen during the time of the Texas Killing Fields murders, however, I do not recall any of those victims being as savagely and brutally attacked the way JoAnn was. It was personal, it had to be, and I have always believed she knew her killer.

I hope and pray you find Justice for JoAnn. May she Rest in Peace.

I grew up with Joanne too.

Hello Tara,

I grew up with JoAnn on Globe street in Freeway Manor. There were at least 15-20 girls on our street and you could always find JoAnn playing outside any time of the day or night. I think we all stayed outside from the time our feet hit the floor until it started getting dark. Your mom didn't live there, but I remember how beautiful she was when she came to visit. I was sorry to hear of her recent passing. There were very few boys on the block so George Jr hung out with his friends elsewhere. Nancy Knighten worked nights at the post office and George Knighten... well... I believe he was probably on disability and didn't work.

Life was so simple then. We had slumber parties, tea parties, pool parties, sprinkler parties and hopscotch parties every single day. In 1972, Almeda Mall opened its doors and it became our new playground. Shortly thereafter, JoAnn and her parents moved out of the house on Globe street and into apartments on Old Galveston Road (Hwy. 3).

We had seen JoAnn at the mall with a few friends a week before she went missing. We were shocked, horrified, terrified and traumatized by JoAnn's murder. It did happen during the time of the Texas Killing Fields murders, however, I do not recall any of those victims being as savagely and brutally attacked the way JoAnn was. It was personal, it had to be, and I have always believed she knew her killer.

I hope and pray you find Justice for JoAnn. May she Rest in Peace.

Hello Tara,

I grew up with JoAnn on Globe street in Freeway Manor. There were at least 15-20 girls on our street and you could always find JoAnn playing outside any time of the day or night. I think we all stayed outside from the time our feet hit the floor until it started getting dark. Your mom didn't live there, but I remember how beautiful she was when she came to visit. I was sorry to hear of her recent passing. There were very few boys on the block so George Jr hung out with his friends elsewhere. Nancy Knighten worked nights at the post office and George Knighten... well... I believe he was probably on disability and didn't work.

Life was so simple then. We had slumber parties, tea parties, pool parties, sprinkler parties and hopscotch parties every single day. In 1972, Almeda Mall opened its doors and it became our new playground. Shortly thereafter, JoAnn and her parents moved out of the house on Globe street and into apartments on Old Galveston Road (Hwy. 3).

We had seen JoAnn at the mall with a few friends a week before she went missing. We were shocked, horrified, terrified and traumatized by JoAnn's murder. It did happen during the time of the Texas Killing Fields murders, however, I do not recall any of those victims being as savagely and brutally attacked the way JoAnn was. It was personal, it had to be, and I have always believed she knew her killer.

I hope and pray you find Justice for JoAnn. May she Rest in Peace.

Hello Tara,

I grew up with JoAnn on Globe street in Freeway Manor. There were at least 15-20 girls on our street and you could always find JoAnn playing outside any time of the day or night. I think we all stayed outside from the time our feet hit the floor until it started getting dark. Your mom didn't live there, but I remember how beautiful she was when she came to visit. I was sorry to hear of her recent passing. There were very few boys on the block so George Jr hung out with his friends elsewhere. Nancy Knighten worked nights at the post office and George Knighten... well... I believe he was probably on disability and didn't work.

Life was so simple then. We had slumber parties, tea parties, pool parties, sprinkler parties and hopscotch parties every single day. In 1972, Almeda Mall opened its doors and it became our new playground. Shortly thereafter, JoAnn and her parents moved out of the house on Globe street and into apartments on Old Galveston Road (Hwy. 3).

We had seen JoAnn at the mall with a few friends a week before she went missing. We were shocked, horrified, terrified and traumatized by JoAnn's murder. It did happen during the time of the Texas Killing Fields murders, however, I do not recall any of those victims being as savagely and brutally attacked the way JoAnn was. It was personal, it had to be, and I have always believed she knew her killer.

I hope and pray you find Justice for JoAnn. May she Rest in Peace.

 

[bettyannboop]

Hello Tara,

I grew up with JoAnn on Globe street in Freeway Manor. There were at least 15-20 girls on our street and you could always find JoAnn playing outside any time of the day or night. I think we all stayed outside from the time our feet hit the floor until it started getting dark. Your mom didn't live there, but I remember how beautiful she was when she came to visit. I was sorry to hear of her recent passing. There were very few boys on the block so George Jr hung out with his friends elsewhere. Nancy Knighten worked nights at the post office and George Knighten... well... I believe he was probably on disability and didn't work.

Life was so simple then. We had slumber parties, tea parties, pool parties, sprinkler parties and hopscotch parties every single day. In 1972, Almeda Mall opened its doors and it became our new playground. Shortly thereafter, JoAnn and her parents moved out of the house on Globe street and into apartments on Old Galveston Road (Hwy. 3).

We had seen JoAnn at the mall with a few friends a week before she went missing. We were shocked, horrified, terrified and traumatized by JoAnn's murder. It did happen during the time of the Texas Killing Fields murders, however, I do not recall any of those victims being as savagely and brutally attacked the way JoAnn was. It was personal, it had to be, and I have always believed she knew her killer.

I hope and pray you find Justice for JoAnn. May she Rest in Peace.

I grew up with Joanne too.

Hello Tara,

I grew up with JoAnn on Globe street in Freeway Manor. There were at least 15-20 girls on our street and you could always find JoAnn playing outside any time of the day or night. I think we all stayed outside from the time our feet hit the floor until it started getting dark. Your mom didn't live there, but I remember how beautiful she was when she came to visit. I was sorry to hear of her recent passing. There were very few boys on the block so George Jr hung out with his friends elsewhere. Nancy Knighten worked nights at the post office and George Knighten... well... I believe he was probably on disability and didn't work.

Life was so simple then. We had slumber parties, tea parties, pool parties, sprinkler parties and hopscotch parties every single day. In 1972, Almeda Mall opened its doors and it became our new playground. Shortly thereafter, JoAnn and her parents moved out of the house on Globe street and into apartments on Old Galveston Road (Hwy. 3).

We had seen JoAnn at the mall with a few friends a week before she went missing. We were shocked, horrified, terrified and traumatized by JoAnn's murder. It did happen during the time of the Texas Killing Fields murders, however, I do not recall any of those victims being as savagely and brutally attacked the way JoAnn was. It was personal, it had to be, and I have always believed she knew her killer.

I hope and pray you find Justice for JoAnn. May she Rest in Peace.

Hello Tara,

I grew up with JoAnn on Globe street in Freeway Manor. There were at least 15-20 girls on our street and you could always find JoAnn playing outside any time of the day or night. I think we all stayed outside from the time our feet hit the floor until it started getting dark. Your mom didn't live there, but I remember how beautiful she was when she came to visit. I was sorry to hear of her recent passing. There were very few boys on the block so George Jr hung out with his friends elsewhere. Nancy Knighten worked nights at the post office and George Knighten... well... I believe he was probably on disability and didn't work.

Life was so simple then. We had slumber parties, tea parties, pool parties, sprinkler parties and hopscotch parties every single day. In 1972, Almeda Mall opened its doors and it became our new playground. Shortly thereafter, JoAnn and her parents moved out of the house on Globe street and into apartments on Old Galveston Road (Hwy. 3).

We had seen JoAnn at the mall with a few friends a week before she went missing. We were shocked, horrified, terrified and traumatized by JoAnn's murder. It did happen during the time of the Texas Killing Fields murders, however, I do not recall any of those victims being as savagely and brutally attacked the way JoAnn was. It was personal, it had to be, and I have always believed she knew her killer.

I hope and pray you find Justice for JoAnn. May she Rest in Peace.

Hello Tara,

I grew up with JoAnn on Globe street in Freeway Manor. There were at least 15-20 girls on our street and you could always find JoAnn playing outside any time of the day or night. I think we all stayed outside from the time our feet hit the floor until it started getting dark. Your mom didn't live there, but I remember how beautiful she was when she came to visit. I was sorry to hear of her recent passing. There were very few boys on the block so George Jr hung out with his friends elsewhere. Nancy Knighten worked nights at the post office and George Knighten... well... I believe he was probably on disability and didn't work.

Life was so simple then. We had slumber parties, tea parties, pool parties, sprinkler parties and hopscotch parties every single day. In 1972, Almeda Mall opened its doors and it became our new playground. Shortly thereafter, JoAnn and her parents moved out of the house on Globe street and into apartments on Old Galveston Road (Hwy. 3).

We had seen JoAnn at the mall with a few friends a week before she went missing. We were shocked, horrified, terrified and traumatized by JoAnn's murder. It did happen during the time of the Texas Killing Fields murders, however, I do not recall any of those victims being as savagely and brutally attacked the way JoAnn was. It was personal, it had to be, and I have always believed she knew her killer.

I hope and pray you find Justice for JoAnn. May she Rest in Peace.

I grew up with Joanne as well. I remember everyone thinking it was her dad. I went to the funeral and it rained that day. I remember she enjoyed writing poetry. This was just so sad...

 

[bettyannboop]

I grew up with Joanne as well. I remember everyone thinking her dad did it. She was sort of afraid of him. I remember she enjoyed writing poetry and a lot of times she liked to hitchhike even if she had a ride. I was at her funeral. I remember it rained that day. It was just so sad...

 

[bettyannboop]

I think you had said you didn't have pictures of Joann. I just wanted to let you know when it first happened, the Pasadena Citizen had a good picture of her along with the article. I've tried to locate the article, but I couldn't find it.