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1982 Lake Waco murders

SOLVED1982Lake Waco / Speegleville Park, Waco, Texas3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Raylene Rice Jill Montgomery Odessa American 16 July 1982
Raylene Rice Jill Montgomery Odessa American 16 July 1982 — Credit: Family members of the decedent. · Public domain

On the evening of July 13, 1982, Kenneth Lamar Franks (18), his girlfriend Jill Montgomery (17), and Montgomery's friend Raylene LaDell Rice (17) were abducted near Lake Waco, Waco, Texas. According to accounts from participant Perry Surita and co-defendant Anthony Melendez, the teenagers encountered David Wayne Spence, Anthony Melendez, and Gilbert Melendez, and were persuaded to accompany them, ostensibly to buy beer and "party." The group drove to a secluded section of Speegleville Park, where the three teenagers were assaulted, raped, and stabbed to death. Investigators later concluded that Montgomery had been mistaken for a young woman named Gayle Kelley, who bore a resemblance to her and who had been involved with a local shopkeeper; Franks and Rice were killed as witnesses. The bodies were discovered on the evening of July 14, 1982, by two fishermen in Speegleville Park. All three victims had been bound with shoelaces, gagged, and stabbed a total of 48 times, with shallow wounds suggesting torture.

The initial investigation, led by Lieutenant Marvin Horton with Detective Ramon Salinas and Patrolman Mike Nicoletti, considered several suspects, including two men who were later found to have alibis. Officer Truman Simons took a lead informal role after the case was suspended in September 1982. Gas station owner Muneer Mohammad Deeb, who had a contentious history with Franks, was arrested shortly after the murders following reported comments implicating himself, but was released after passing a polygraph and for lack of evidence. Nearly a year later, further investigation—centered on a life insurance policy Deeb held on an employee resembling Montgomery—led to the arrest of Deeb, Spence, and the Melendez brothers.

The men were indicted in late 1983, with District Attorney Vic Feazell prosecuting. The case against them relied substantially on testimony from other inmates and confessions from Anthony and Gilbert Melendez, along with bite-mark evidence linked to Spence. Anthony Melendez pleaded guilty in June 1984 and received a life sentence; Spence was convicted in July 1984 and sentenced to death. Gilbert Melendez pleaded guilty in January 1985, receiving life imprisonment in exchange for testimony against Deeb; he died in prison in 1998. Anthony Melendez died in prison in January 2017. Both brothers later recanted their confessions. Deeb was convicted and sentenced to death on June 30, 1985.

Deeb's conviction was overturned in 1991 when the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that jailhouse-informant testimony should not have been admitted; he won a new trial in January 1993 and was released. Spence's appeals were unsuccessful, and he was executed in April 1997.

Following the convictions, questions arose regarding the reliability of bite-mark evidence from forensic odontologist Homer Campbell, who had separately been shown to have made erroneous identifications. A blind panel review of the bite-mark evidence produced inconsistent results. Some inmate witnesses later said they had been offered incentives for their testimony. Defense investigators identified an alternate suspect with a history of knife offenses and an alibi that did not hold up; that individual later died by suicide amid a separate homicide investigation. Journalist Bob Herbert wrote a series of 1997 New York Times columns questioning the evidentiary basis of the convictions.

Key facts

Victims
Raylene LaDell Rice, Kenneth Franks, Jill Montgomery
Date
1982
Location
Lake Waco / Speegleville Park, Waco, Texas
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 1982-07-13

    Kenneth Franks, Jill Montgomery, and Raylene Rice are abducted near Lake Waco and murdered at Speegleville Park.

  2. 1982-07-14

    Two fishermen discover the bodies of the three victims in Speegleville Park.

  3. 1982-09

    The investigation stalls and is marked 'suspended'; Truman Simons continues investigating informally.

  4. 1983

    Muneer Mohammad Deeb, David Spence, and Anthony and Gilbert Melendez are indicted.

  5. 1984-06

    Anthony Melendez pleads guilty and is sentenced to life imprisonment.

  6. 1984-07

    David Wayne Spence is convicted and sentenced to death.

  7. 1985-01

    Gilbert Melendez pleads guilty, agrees to testify against Deeb, and is sentenced to life imprisonment.

  8. 1985-06-30

    Muneer Mohammad Deeb is sentenced to death.

  9. 1991

    The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals grants Deeb's appeal, ruling jailhouse informant testimony should not have been admitted.

  10. 1993-01

    Deeb wins a new trial and is released from prison.

  11. 1997-04

    David Wayne Spence is executed.

  12. 1998

    Gilbert Melendez dies in prison from AIDS-related complications.

  13. 2017-01-13

    Anthony Melendez dies in prison.

Best coverage

No approved coverage links are attached yet.

People

  • Mike Nicoletti

    LAW ENFORCEMENT

    Patrolman who assisted in the initial investigation.

  • Muneer Mohammad Deeb

    EXONERATED

    Convicted and sentenced to death in June 1985; conviction overturned in 1991 due to improper informant testimony; released after winning a new trial in January 1993.

  • Gilbert Melendez

    CONVICTED

    Pleaded guilty in January 1985 and received a life sentence; later recanted confession; died in prison in 1998.

  • Anthony Melendez

    CONVICTED

    Pleaded guilty in June 1984 and received a life sentence; later recanted confession; died in prison in 2017.

  • Ramon Salinas

    LAW ENFORCEMENT

    Detective who assisted in the initial investigation.

  • Marvin Horton

    LAW ENFORCEMENT

    Lieutenant who initially headed the police investigation.

  • Raylene LaDell Rice

    VICTIM

    17-year-old victim, murdered July 13, 1982 near Lake Waco.

  • Kenneth Franks

    VICTIM

    18-year-old victim, murdered July 13, 1982 near Lake Waco.

  • David Wayne Spence

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of the murders in July 1984 and sentenced to death; executed in April 1997.

  • Truman Simons

    LAW ENFORCEMENT

    Waco police officer who took an informal lead role in continuing the investigation after it was suspended.

  • Jill Montgomery

    VICTIM

    17-year-old victim, murdered July 13, 1982 near Lake Waco; mistaken for another woman.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Archival records

  • Raylene Rice Jill Montgomery Odessa American 16 July 1982

    portrait victim

    Raylene Rice Jill Montgomery Odessa American 16 July 1982

    Credit: Family members of the decedent. · Public domain · Source

  • Raylene Rice Waxahachie High School yearbook 1982

    portrait victim

    Raylene Rice Waxahachie High School yearbook 1982

    Credit: Waxahachie High School faculty member, 1982 · Public domain · Source

Places

Lake Waco / Speegleville Park, Waco, Texas

31.5416, -97.2159

View on the map

Common questions

What happened to the victim?
On July 13, 1982, three teenagers were abducted near Lake Waco, Texas, and murdered in what investigators concluded was a case of mistaken identity. The case led to the execution of one man and life sentences for two others, while a fourth convicted man was later released after his conviction was overturned.
Where did the murders happen?
Lake Waco / Speegleville Park, Waco, Texas.
Who was convicted?
Gilbert Melendez (Pleaded guilty in January 1985 and received a life sentence; later recanted confession; died in prison in 1998.), Anthony Melendez (Pleaded guilty in June 1984 and received a life sentence; later recanted confession; died in prison in 2017.), and David Wayne Spence (Convicted of the murders in July 1984 and sentenced to death; executed in April 1997.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved. Last verified July 2026.
More cases in Texas

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDIC1982 Lake Waco murdersWikipedia · 2026-07-05
  2. PRESSThe Wrong Man (contemporaneous coverage of the Lake Waco murders case)The New York Times · 2026-07-05
  3. PRESSWaco Police Interrogate Bishop (case document, Lake Waco murders)lakewacomurders.com · 2026-07-05

Record history

First published
JUL 05, 2026
Last verified against sources
JUL 05, 2026