The Texas Killing Fields: Shelley Sikes
In this episode, we examine the case of Shelley Sikes, a 19-year-old from Texas, who vanished on the night of May 24th, 1986, adding another layer to the disappearances of women in an area of Texas commonly referred to as the Texas Killing Fields.
Background: Shelley, born on September 2, 1966, led a dynamic life in Texas City. Involved in dance and a lover of animals, she excelled in high school, becoming the assistant drum major and earning titles like Miss Spirited, Most Talented, and Best Personality. After graduation, she enrolled in the University of Texas at Austin but left after the first semester.
The Night of the Disappearance: On Memorial Day weekend, Shelley, working as a waitress at Gaido’s on Galveston Island, went missing after her shift. She had planned on going to her boyfriend’s house after work, but she never arrived. The discovery of her abandoned car with a broken driver's side window and a significant amount of blood inside raised immediate concerns for her boyfriend and her family, but investigators were slow in taking this discovery seriously.
Witness Accounts: Over the next few months, eyewitnesses came forward with accounts of a white or blue pickup truck pursuing Shelley's car before forcing her off the road. A man, later described in a police sketch, violently attacked her vehicle, leading to a traumatic abduction witnessed by multiple individuals. Sadly, bystanders hesitated to intervene.
Search: Shelley's family initiated a widespread campaign, distributing over 300,000 flyers across 38 states. A reward was offered, reaching $50,000 for a brief period, reflecting the urgency of finding Shelley alive. Despite these efforts, her whereabouts remained a mystery.
Two Years Later: In a surprising turn, a man walked into a bar in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and recognized the woman he had abducted in Galveston on a missing poster. This led to a suicide attempt and confession from the man who pinpointed his friend as his accomplice. Despite progress in the case, the men would not reveal the whereabouts of her body.
Trial and Tragic Outcomes: The subsequent trials, which took place in 1988, resulted in convictions for aggravated kidnapping, leaving room for potential murder charges in the future in case Shelley’s body was found. Both men died in prison without revealing where her body could be found.
Shelley’s story is part of our broader coverage of the Texas Killing Fields. You can hear our first episode on this wherever you get your podcasts including Spotify and Apple.
People and Cases Mentioned in this Episode:
Shelley Sikes (solved homicide, unsolved missing person case)
Guest reader
Gus Birney
A dynamic young actress, Gus Birney can currently be seen in her second season starring opposite Courteney Cox in the Starz series SHINING VALE, for which she received a Saturn Award nomination. This past year she also made her Broadway debut in the Tony-nominated revival of THE SIGN IN SIDNEY BRUSTEIN’S WINDOW opposite Oscar Isaac and Rachel Brosnahan, following a critically acclaimed run at BAM. She can currently be seen returning to the BAM stage in the New York premiere of OUR CLASS.
Gus’s other television credits include ‘Jane Humphrey’ in all three seasons of the Apple TV series DICKINSON, a series regular role on Spike TV’s THE MIST, and guest star roles on INSATIABLE, BLUE BLOODS, BULL, JESSICA JONES, INSTINCT, LAW AND ORDER: SVU, and CHICAGO MED.
She can currently be seen opposite Ellie Kemper in the film HAPPINESS FOR BEGINNERS on Netflix. Her other film credits include PLAN B, GIVING BIRTH TO A BUTTERFLY, I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS, HERE & NOW, THE MAN IN THE WOODS, A RAINY DAY IN NEW YORK, and the upcoming ASLEEP IN MY PALM. She also starred in Tennessee Williams’ THE ROSE TATTOO at the Williamstown Theater Festival opposite Marisa Tomei, and in CONNECTED at 59E59.
Gus is also a singer/songwriter who has played at the Bitter End, Arlene’s Grocery and The Listening Room. She lives in New York City.