ABC 20/20 “Highway Hunter” March 15 2024 Recap & Preview
Don’t miss the gripping two-hour episode of ’20/20′ airing on Friday, March 15, 2022, from 9:01 to 11:00 p.m. EDT on ABC, with next-day streaming on Hulu.
Join ABC News correspondent John Quiñones as he delves into the chilling case of four young women who vanished in the spring and summer of 1997. Two of the victims disappeared just off Texas Interstate 45, while the other two vanished a few hours north. Could a serial killer be prowling the highways between Texas and Oklahoma?
This special episode features exclusive footage of a hypnosis session with a fifth survivor that played a crucial role in leading police to the killer, along with behind-the-scenes insights into the killer’s confession. Viewers will also hear powerful new interviews with family members of the victims, including Gay Smither, Laura Smither’s mother; Jan Bynum, Kelli Cox’s mother; Alexis Bynum, Kelli Cox’s daughter; Kathy Dobry, Tiffany Johnston’s mother; and C.H. and Suzy Cain, Jessica Cain’s parents. Additionally, law enforcement members who dedicated decades to solving these cold cases share their perspectives.
Tune in to ’20/20′ for a riveting and emotional journey into the search for justice in the face of tragedy.
What Happened to William Lewis Reece?
William Lewis Reece, notorious for his heinous crimes spanning several decades, was born on July 1, 1959, in Oklahoma. His upbringing in a large family was marred by financial struggles, forcing him to abandon his education after the ninth grade and take up work as a farm laborer.
In 1979, Reece married Judy Flaming, who later divorced him after enduring alleged physical abuse. Despite their separation, they remarried briefly, during which time they had a second child. However, the relationship ended again due to Reece’s continued abusive behavior.
Reece’s criminal history began to surface in the mid-1980s when he perpetrated a series of violent crimes, including sexual assaults and kidnappings. His predatory behavior escalated in April 1986 when he kidnapped and raped a 19-year-old woman. Despite being arrested and charged, he was released on bail but subsequently re-offended, leading to his conviction and imprisonment.
Upon his release, Reece relocated to Houston, Texas, where he became a suspect in several cases of missing women, particularly those associated with the infamous “Texas Killing Fields.” The abduction and attempted rape of Sandra Sapaugh in 1997 led to Reece’s arrest, and his subsequent conviction for kidnapping earned him a lengthy prison sentence.
It wasn’t until 2015 that Reece’s dark past caught up with him when DNA evidence linked him to the murder of Tiffany Johnston in Oklahoma in 1997. This breakthrough prompted Reece to confess to not only Johnston’s murder but also the killings of Laura Smither, Kelli Cox, and Jessica Cain in Texas during the same year.
During his trials, Reece’s defense team attempted to challenge the validity of his confessions and negotiate reduced sentences, but their efforts were largely unsuccessful. In August 2021, Reece was sentenced to death for Johnston’s murder in Oklahoma, while in Texas, he received life imprisonment for the murders of Smither, Cox, and Cain.
Reece’s case stands as a chilling reminder of the devastating impact of serial violence on communities and the tireless efforts of law enforcement to seek justice for victims and their families.
