James Waybern Hall

Serial Killer

James Waybern Hall: The Arkansas Hitchhike Killer

James Waybern Hall, sometimes called "Red" or "Big Jim," was an American serial killer whose known crimes centered on Arkansas during the final months of World War II. Hall was born on January 28, 1921, in Arkansas and spent much of his young adulthood drifting from place to place. By his early twenties he had served briefly in the United States Navy, had been discharged, and had returned to the Little Rock area. He later became associated with a series of murders in which motorists and other victims were robbed and killed. Although Hall eventually claimed responsibility for numerous killings across several states, only a much smaller group of murders can be tied to him with substantial evidence.

The Murder of Fayrene Clemmons

Hall married 19-year-old Fayrene Clemmons on March 14, 1944. Their marriage quickly became troubled, and the couple temporarily separated before reconciling. On the night of September 14, 1944, Hall and Fayrene attended a dance at the Rainbow Garden in the Little Rock area with a friend. The couple were reportedly arguing when they drove their friend home. Fayrene was not seen alive again after leaving with Hall. Hall later admitted that he drove Fayrene to an isolated area near the Arkansas River in Little Rock and killed her by repeatedly striking her in the head. He left her remains near the river. Instead of admitting what had happened, Hall later told Fayrene's family that she had disappeared. On September 28 he reported that she had supposedly left him several days earlier, encouraging the belief that she had voluntarily run away. A Christmas card later arrived bearing Fayrene's name and a California postmark, but Hall obtained the card before police could examine it and it subsequently disappeared. After Hall was taken into custody in 1945, he led investigators to the area where he said he had left Fayrene. Investigators recovered human remains as well as pieces of clothing and other evidence. Her relatives helped identify her remains through her teeth. Fayrene's murder became the crime for which Hall was ultimately tried and sentenced to death.

The 1945 Roadside Murders

During the first months of 1945, Hall was connected with a frightening series of killings involving men traveling Arkansas roads. His method depended heavily on appearing harmless enough that motorists would allow him into their vehicles. Once he had an opportunity, Hall robbed his victims and shot them. Their automobiles were then abandoned in different parts of the state, creating separate murder investigations that initially appeared unrelated. Carl Hamilton, a barber from Camden who was also described in contemporary accounts as a bootlegger, became one of Hall's victims in January 1945. Hamilton's automobile was discovered in Ouachita County on January 29. His body was inside the vehicle, and he had been shot in the chest. Investigators determined that Hamilton had probably been dead for several days before the discovery, so January 29 is the verified discovery date rather than a certain date of death. The murder later became particularly important because investigators traced the weapon used in the shooting back to a pistol Hall had borrowed. On February 1, 1945, another motorist, E. C. Adams, disappeared while traveling to his job at a war-related plant in Little Rock. His vehicle was discovered near Fordyce in Dallas County, Arkansas. Searchers subsequently found Adams nearby. He had been shot once in the head. His death was recorded as occurring on February 1, 1945. The similarity between this killing and other murders associated with Hall eventually helped investigators recognize a pattern. Truck driver Doyle Mulherin, age 30, also disappeared on February 1, 1945, while making a meat delivery. His truck was located in the Stuttgart area of Arkansas County, and his body was later discovered near the Bayou Meto Bridge. He had been shot in the head, and approximately $125 in company money was reported missing. Homicide records give February 1, 1945, as his date of death, although his body was not located until later. ...

Confirmed Victims: (4)

Fayrene Clemmons Age: (19), Date of Death: 1944-09-14

Suspected Victims:

Carl Hamilton , Date of Death: 1945-01-29

J. D. Newcomb Jr , Date of Death: 1945-03-09

Charles Nipper , Date of Death: 1944-10-30

Dr. E. M. Lambert , Date of Death: 1944-10-30

The Arkansas Hitchhike Killer - True Crime - Arcadia Publishing