The discovery of human remains on a Texas cattle ranch have brought investigators a step closer to solving the 1995 disappearance of atheist activist Madalyn Murray O’Hair and two of her adult children.
The discovery of the three sets of human remains Jan. 28 came five days after prosecutors struck a plea bargain with David Roland Waters, who was scheduled to appear in federal court Jan. 29 on charges of kidnapping and extortion in connection with the disappearance of O’Hair, her son Jon Garth Murray and her granddaughter Robin Murray O’Hair.
Prosecutors had claimed the three family members were kidnapped, killed and dismembered by Waters, who had been O’Hair’s office manager, and two accomplices. The men forced the family to relinquish items such as cars and coins worth about $500,000 before killing them, prosecutors believed.
Waters, 53, had pleaded innocent to the extortion and kidnapping charges. He was found guilty seven years ago of stealing $54,000 from O’Hair’s atheist organizations, and last year was sentenced to prison for probation violation and federal weapons offenses. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 31 in connection with last week’s plea agreement.
Last August the man prosecutors believe to be Waters’ accomplice was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of several charges including extortion in connection with the case. Gary Karr, 52, was also ordered to pay about $542,000 in restitution to O’Hair’s estate and the United Secularist of America, one of her atheist organizations.
Investigators had long suspected that the bodies of the O’Hairs might have been disposed of on the 5,000-acre Cooksey Ranch, though a search of the property in 1999 had unearthed no evidence of the bodies. Sunday’s discovery of a metal artificial hip and three skulls in a shallow grave at the ranch revived hopes that those suspicions were accurate.” (RNS, EP)
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