Beginning in late 1884 and throughout 1885, Austin, the boomtown capitol of Texas, was terrorized and sensationalized by a series of horrific murders. One man, six women and a young girl would be claimed by the spree before the year was out. Most of the victims were Black, and many of them worked as domestic servants. Despite over 400 arrests, the crimes remain unsolved to this day... Officially, that is. In the first of a two-parter, Sean introduces the growing city of Austin in the late 19th century and takes us through the details of the Annihilator's early attacks. Footprints are analyzed, police are baffled, and a famed short story author makes a surprise cameo. Tune in next week for the final murders, the investigation, and the thrilling conclusion of our series! ________________________________________ Connect with us on social media: Facebook: www.facebook.com/aintitscary Twitter: @aintitscary Instagram: @aintitscary Patreon: www.patreon.com/aintitscary Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/aint-it-scary?ref_id=27696 ___________________________________________ Thank you to our sponsors: Neuro Gum - Get up to 30% off your order of Neuro Gum at tryneurogum.com/aintitscary! Magic Mind - Get up to 56% off your subscription and 20% off your first order with our code SCARYSC2020 at MagicMind.co/aintitscary! MANSCAPED - Get 20% OFF @manscaped + Free Shipping with promo code SCARYSQUAD at MANSCAPED.com! #ad #manscapedpod BetterHelp - Special offer for Ain’t it Scary? listeners: Get 10% off your first month at www.betterhelp.com/aintitscary Audible - Get a FREE audiobook and 30-Day Free Trial at www.audibletrial.com/aintitscary BarkBox - Enjoy a FREE month of BarkBox on us when you sign up for a 6 or 12-month BarkBox subscription! Visit www.barkbox.com/aintitscary for more details Hunt a Killer - Receive 20% off your first Hunt a Killer subscription box at www.huntakiller.com with the code SCARYSQUAD at checkout!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices