Pigeon Shoots and Hitmen: New Leads in a Texas Oilman’s Cold Case

Bellingcat and the Texas Observer investigate the 1971 shotgun murder of Texas oilman Bill Richardson Jr., reconstructing the events of the crime, the arrests and failed prosecution of suspects Odis Hammond and Sam Mena, and the suspected involvement and subsequent execution-style killing of alleged hitman/getaway driver “Tommy” Gibbs. The report explores overlapping circles of high-stakes gambling and alleged organized crime connections among Richardson’s associates, including ties to the separate 1972 murder of millionaire Randy Farenthold and figures like Bruce Bass and Jerry LaBarba. Despite extensive open-source research and FOIA efforts, significant police and FBI records remain unreleased, leaving the motive and mastermind unresolved.