On November 7, 2013, 28-year-old physical therapist Alfred Wright experienced car trouble along a rural highway near Hemphill, Texas. While waiting for his parents to pick him up, Alfred suddenly ran from the area. During his final phone call, his wife said he sounded distressed.
His clothing and personal belongings were later discovered scattered across the surrounding countryside—but the official search ended without finding him. Eighteen days after Alfred disappeared, his family organized another search and found his body in the same general area authorities had already searched.
The official autopsy concluded that Alfred died accidentally from combined drug intoxication. Investigators uncovered toxicology evidence and messages connecting him to a cocaine supplier. Alfred’s family, however, questioned the search, the condition of his body, and whether the official conclusion explained everything that happened.
In this episode of Murder in the Black, Steph examines the documented evidence, the Wright family’s concerns, the region’s racial history, and the rumors that have complicated Alfred’s story.
What happened between the moment Alfred ran from that store and the moment he died in the East Texas woods?
Follow Murder in the Black and join the conversation.
Content warning: This episode discusses drug use, decomposition, postmortem injuries, racism, and disturbing descriptions of human remains.
