Addendum to the murder

Red River County Sheriff Bob Edrington lost his 2000 bid for re-election partly because his department could not solve the Peek murder. I don’t remember who won that election, but I do remember the new sheriff saying he planned on contacting producers of Unsolved Mysteries. At the time, I covered Red River County for the Paris, Texas, newspaper. I contacted Unsolved Mysteries and was told by a junior producer that the case was just what the program was established for, and that investigators would be going to Red River County.

Things rocked along for a couple of months. I checked with the new sheriff now and then, and he said he was still determined to get Hollywood into the investigation.

Then I heard the TV people had backed away. People backing away from investigations in Red River County is not unknown, but for an outfit in California to retreat … That sounded funny.

I contacted the junior producer, who said the case was taken out of the program’s schedule. I asked why. The producer said investigators were unable to find any credible witnesses. (There were only two witnesses to the murder, and one or both were dead.)

The producer said everybody seemed to be a suspect. I said I had heard that, too.

He said, “(Name) was seen driving by the murder scene several times before the shooting.”

I said I had heard that.

He said, “Do you believe (Name) is capable of shooting someone?”

I thought, “Everybody I know is capable of shooting someone. This is Texas.” I said, “Yep.”

The producer was shocked. “Really? You really think he could shoot someone?”

“Yep,” I said.

The conversation ended right after that. I thought, “Hollywood meets Red River County … and blinks.”