Are there famous Texas murder cases involving hitchhikers or groups of travelers?
• Are there famous Texas cases involving families of murderers? • Is there a Hewitt, Texas? • Is there a Travis County, Texas? • Is Hewitt in Travis County? • Would Hewitt be a likely spot for the events described in the movie? • What do those people most closely associated with the movies say about the underlying story upon which the movies are “based?” On the basis of the answers to those questions, ask the students to form an opinion about the veracity of the movie — is it truly “based on a true story?” Here are my comments on the questions. 1. Are there famous Texas cases that involve cannibalism? Oh, my. No. You must be confusing Texas with Colorado. Early European explorers accused Texas natives of occasional cannibalism, but such charges are not well documented and are dismissed by most current historians. And in any case, that would have been in the first half of the 16th century (Spanish explorers first came to Texas in 1519). No roads, no hitchhikers. (Do any number of differ
