On April 14, when the Dallas Times Herald and investigative reporters Hugh Aynesworth and Jim Henderson broke the story that admitted murderer Henry Lee Lucas was clearly not responsible for the hundreds of murders he claims to have committed, WFAA (Channel 8) anchor Tracy Rowlett reported a nearly identical story on the evening news that night. Some observers thought the timing was too coincidental.
And, in fact, there was a collaboration of sorts. As Aynesworth tells it, he had been working for several months on the Lucas story from a national angle, hoping to publish his findings in a book. Last December, Rowlett picked up a more regional angle of the story and asked Aynesworth for an interview. Aynesworth talked to Row-lett and gave him some taped interviews of the family of one woman Lucas claims to have murdered. By February, Aynesworth was having trouble finding a publisher for his book, so he decided to sign an employment contract with the Herald and gear up for breaking his story in it. That was when he sat down with Rowlett and Channel 8 news director Marty Haig, and they agreed that trying to beat each other to the punch would do neither of them any good. In exchange for some time to put the Times Herald story together, Aynesworth gave Rowlett a few more notes and leads.
Get our weekly recap
Brings new meaning to the phrase Sunday Funday. No spam, ever.
Related Articles
Restaurants & Bars
The Best Japanese Restaurants in Dallas
The quality and availability of Japanese cuisine in Dallas-Fort Worth has come a long way since the 1990s.
By Nataly Keomoungkhoun and Brian Reinhart
Home & Garden
One Editor’s Musings on Love and Letting Go (Of Stuff, That Is)
Memories are fickle. Stuff is forever. Space is limited.
By Jessica Otte
Football
The Cowboys’ Draft Class Is Heavy on Athleticism and Heavier on Beef
Dallas entered the weekend needing help on both lines. It exited with plenty of fresh faces to plug those gaps.
By Dan Morse