#crimechat: Richard Lee Waggoner

The first #crimechat of 2013 is dedicated to a cold case with zero media attention: the shooting death of Richard Lee Waggoner.

Imagine losing a family member to a murder that never got solved. Nobody to stand trial, nobody convicted for this crime. Nobody who can bring you any news. And then the silence … oblivion … as if he never existed. An online search brings up nothing about Richard’s death and it feels as if he just disappeared into thin air. But you still have his grave to remind you that at one point he did exist and that someone did take his life.

Virginia Braden and I are very happy to turn part of the tide with this #crimechat and recap.

Richard was murdered on September 12, 1981, at 3:45 am. He was shot dead in the parking lot of a school close to the bar “Danceland” on 712 West Daggett Avenue, Fort Worth, Texas. Richard was standing outside the bar, on the parking lot, sharing a beer with a lady who had not met Richard before. She told police that they were approached by two Hispanic looking men. One of the men asked for a cigarette. Richard gave him one. Then they asked for a match. And while she searched for one, one of the two men drew a gun and they tried to rob Richard. When Richard resisted a shot was fired. Richard died of exsanguination, the traumatic laceration in the ascending arch of his aorta. There was an arrest but there was never enough evidence to take that case to trial so the suspect was released. That person is alive to this day. Alas, he is not longer mentally sound.

The only description that we have of the suspects is frankly, useless. It was 3:45 am, it was night and thus dark. How can we be sure that the men were Hispanic? Were they partially lit up by neon lights? Did they speak with a Spanish accent? As long as we do not have any clear information here, I’d like to say that Richard was approached by two men. It was dark so any white male with dark hair or, any tanned man could easily have been mistaken for a Hispanic looking man.

According to Google maps, the bar is now called “Five Star Bingo” and if you enter the address you can see it. The big building to the north is most likely the old school but I do not know that for sure.

Richard was born on April 18, 1958 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was only 23 years old when he died. He was a roofer and had recently moved from Northern Kentucky to Texas. Det. Sarah Waters from the Fort Worth Cold Case Homicide Unit is now handling Richard’s case. You can reach her at 1-817-392-4307.

So what can we do right now?

If you have a blog you can link to this post to help me give Richard more media attention and a web presence because as you can see for yourself, he has none! Google it. Change this with me!

If you lived in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1981 AND you knew the bar “Danceland” dig into your memories and try to remember the name of the school that was nearby. If you got it, let me know.

If you lived in Fort Worth, Texas in 1981 AND frequented the bar “Danceland” dig into your memories and try to remember if it was common for off-duty police officers to frequent that bar. Was there ever trouble at that bar? What was the bar’s reputation in 1981?

If you knew Richard Lee Waggoner from either Cincinnati, Ohio, Kentucky or Fort Worth, share some memories with us by posting them in the comment box below. We cannot let murder victims slip into oblivion.

As soon as I get a head shot from Richard, I will place it in this post.

The verbatim text of today’s #crimechat is below.