The residents of the tiny City in River Oaks, Texas, were constantly in fear because of the presence of an alleged serial rapist who was on the run. Then, in January of 1982, the situation worsened after Retha Stratton, a former cheerleader was killed. Investigation Discovery’s “Murder Under Friday’s Nightlights: Cheerleader’s Murder The shocking story traces the case and how the perpetrator was finally caught. We’ve got covered if you want to learn more about the case or the story.
How Did Retha Stratton Die?
Retha Dean Stratton was born in the month of May 1963, in the home of Athol as well as Alta Stratton. The 18-year-old was described as an optimistic and friendly individual who was a good student. Retha was also an accomplished, enthusiastic, and secure cheerleader. After she graduated in 1982 from Castleberry High in Fort Worth, Texas, she moved into a home with her best friend, Amy Moody. Retha had the rest of her life ahead of her, but her life was brutally removed at the beginning of 1982.
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On January 21, 1982, Amy returned home only to discover Retha dead in her bedroom. She immediately contacted authorities. Retha was discovered in the bedroom closet with her pants inside her mouth. She was brutally attacked 38 times with the knife from the kitchen still inside her chest. In addition, Retha’s wrists had been injured. The bloody scene began in the living room, and then it led into the bedroom. The investigators found that there were no indications of robbery or forced entry.
Who Killed Retha Stratton?
In the days preceding the murder, several instigated sexual assaults took place in the region. In January of 1981, 16-year-old Susan Davis was attacked in her home, and the perpetrator left the area. In December 1981, however, two rapes occurred in the same house. Lisa Gabbert, a friend of Retha’s, was raped at her house, and one day later, another girl living across from her was assaulted.
In all the cases in all of them, the victims reported the attacker as having concealed his face using a mask and having a strong physique. The girl living across from Lisa was the sister of Roxy McDonell. Roxy is also known as a fan of cheerleading, like Susan and Lisa. Before that, in November 1981, another assault on a woman was committed in the town of Saginaw, Texas, under very similar circumstances. The authorities could not find evidence other than a fingerprint in the Saginaw case, which led to an investigation that hit the wall.
After the death of Retha, A neighbor reported to the police about an unidentified pickup truck in the area of when the murder. Another student, Wesley Wayne Miller, was known to operate a vehicle that matched the description. In addition, he was also a football player at high school and was also with Roxy during the period. At the time, police believed Retha was murdered at around 5:30 pm, and Wesley was seen at Roxy’s house shortly following that.
Then, Wesley asked Roxy to wash his bleeding jeans. He told his girlfriend it happened during a game, and one of the players began to suffer from nosebleeds. However, Roxy’s parents were aware of the murder at that time. They contacted the police concerning the pants. When she was 19, Wesley initially denied any involvement in the murder but later confessed to the crime.
Wesley had stated that he went to meet Retha the night before to have a sex session with her. However, the events led to a disagreement. He later claimed that Retha was threatening him with the knife. But Wesley claimed not to recall cutting Retha. Then, he was arrested for murder. Authorities also confirmed the fingerprints at the scene of the murder located in Saginaw with that of Wesley. Although the suspect was implicated in four rapes and attempted rapes, he was only charged with one assault sexually aggravated.
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Where is Wesley Miller Now?
In the trial of Wesley in 1982, the jury could convict him of murder within less than an hour. But, the jury determined that they would not learn about the sexual abuse that he was accused of. In the final verdict, Wesley was sentenced to 25 years in prison. He negotiated a plea deal concerning the Saginaw rape case and was given the same sentence of 20 years. Then, in 1991 Wesley became eligible for a program that permitted release upon good behavior.
The family members of Retha protested, and Wesley was released into another halfway house and soon was taken into custody in connection with an attempted attack. After five years in prison and a half, he was released but transferred to a county prison where his location would be monitored by the GPS monitor on his body. In 2006 Wesley was legally accused under Texas Sexually Violent Predator program. Ultimately, Wesley was ordered to remain in prison until his release in 2007.
In the following years, Wesley was sent back to prison for violating the conditions of his release, for instance, being in connection with a female jailer. According to the report that he’s currently under strict supervision in an insecure treatment center for sexually violent offenders located in Littlefield, Texas. Between 1992 and the year 2018, Wesley was released from prison several times but was detained again for breaking the terms of his parole.
