The Chilling Story Behind Odessa’s ‘Kiss And Kill’ Case

The city of Odessa, Texas, does not make the national spotlight often. When it does, whether it be for triumph or tragedy, the latter usually creates more far-lasting memories for the people of the United States.

Such is the case of Betty Williams, an Odessa High School senior who was tragically killed by her ex-boyfriend back in 1961. In the 60+ years since this happened, there have been numerous reports of Ms. Williams' ghost and that she haunts the high school to this very day.

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The Story of Odessa's Betty Williams

The story goes that Ms. Williams was dating a football player named John Mack Herring.  While they only dated briefly, it was claimed by Mr. Herring that she made repeated requests for him to take her own life.

On the night of March 20, 1961, Harring claimed he picked her up with the intention of taking her to the movies. They eventually found their way to a nearby pond where it was said that he kissed her, and then allegedly shot her, where she eventually passed away.

This gained national attention and eventually became known as the "Kiss and Kill" case.

Read More: TikTok Captures Possible UFO Over Odessa, Texas

The Ghost Stories of Odessa High School

Despite how this happened and the results for Mr. Harring, the fact of the matter was that Betty Williams was deceased. It was known that Ms. Williams was very fond of high school and her contribution to theater arts and performing in the school's auditorium.

Not long after the tragedy, reports of strange occurrences in the school started to come to light.

For decades, unexplained phenomena have been experienced in the school's auditorium, such as strange sounds, lights flickering, objects moving seemingly on their own, and even sounds of distant voices have been reported.

This eventually led students to blame mishaps or odd occurrences on Ms. Williams.

"That must be Betty" or "It was Betty the ghost".

While the murder did not happen on school grounds, some say it was her affinity for performing that was the reason why Betty Williams decided to make the auditorium her spot to roam the afterlife.

The story has been told so many times over the decades that it has become part of the Odessa High School culture, with stories passed down through generations.