Charles Frederick Albright

Case information

Charles Frederick Albright (born August 10, 1933) was a possible serial killer from Dallas, Texas. He was convicted of killing Shirley Williams, a known prostitute, in 1991.

Other known offences

It was suspected that Albright killed two other prostitutes: Mary Pratt in 1990 and Susan Peterson in 1991. Although charges were never filed in these two murders, they were used as evidence in Albright’s trial. In all three murders, the women’s eyes were surgically removed.

Albright was known to have an abnormal obsession with eyes, going so far as to remove the eyes from dolls and photographs.

Early life

Albright was adopted by Delle and Fred Albright, from an orphan’s home. His mother, a schoolteacher, was strict and overprotective of Charles. She accelerated his education, helping him skip two grades.

His criminal career started early. At age 13, he was already a petty thief and was arrested for aggravated assault. At age 15, he graduated from high school and forged his way into North Texas University. At age 16, police caught him with some petty cash from a cash register, two handguns and a rifle. He spent a year in jail.

After his release, he attended Arkansas State Teacher's College and majored in pre-med studies. Found with stolen items, he was expelled from the college before graduation but not prosecuted. Unfazed, he falsified his degrees, stealing the right documents, forging signatures, and giving himself fictitious bachelor's and master's degrees.

He married his college girlfriend and they had a daughter. His wife was a teacher, but he failed to hold a job for long. He continued to “cheat” by forging checks and claiming false credentials. He was caught in his deception while teaching at a high school, but he always managed to get probation for his illegal acts.

In 1965, he and his wife separated, finally divorcing in 1974.

Criminal history

Albright was caught stealing hundreds of dollars’ worth of merchandise from a hardware store and received a two-year prison sentence. He served less than six months before he was out again.

In 1981, after his mother died, while Albright was visiting some friends, he sexually molested their nine-year-old daughter. They reported him and he was prosecuted. He pled guilty and received only probation. He later claimed that he was innocent but had pled to avoid a hassle.

Relationship with Dixie

In 1985, Albright met a woman named Dixie in Arkansas. He invited her to come live with him and it was not long before she was paying his bills and supporting him.

Albright took a “paper route” in the early morning, apparently to visit prostitutes without raising his wife’s suspicions.

Timeline

• December 13, 1990 — Mary Lou Pratt, 35, a well-known prostitute in the Oak Cliff neighborhood (in Dallas), was found lying face-up. She was wearing only a T-shirt. She was shot in the back of the head with a .44-caliber bullet. The medical examiner discovered that this killer removed both eyes without making much of a mark on the eyelids, and apparently took them with him.
• February 10, 1991 — Susan Peterson, a prostitute, was found nearly nude, with her T-shirt pulled up to display her breasts in the same manner as Pratt. She had been shot three times: in the top of the head, in the left breast, and point-blank in the back of the head. One bullet had pierced her heart and another entered her brain. A clump of her hair lay on her chest. She was dumped in south Dallas, just outside city limits. The medical examiner found that her eyes had been surgically removed.
• March 18, 1991 — Shirley Williams, a part-time prostitute, was found naked, lying on her side near a school, with her eyes removed. Williams had facial bruises and a broken nose, and she was shot through the top of her head and in the face.
• March 22, 1991 — After the murder of Shirley Williams, witnesses came forward and told police about Albright. He was arrested in his home.
• December 13, 1991 — The trial began.
• December 18, 1991 — The jury had already deliberated and found Charles Albright guilty.
• December 18, 1991 — He was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Shirley Williams, Mary Lou Pratt and Susan Peterson.

Trial

The trial began on December 13, 1991. The prosecution had many blows and their case seemed circumstantial at best. The only evidence that was solid was forensic evidence: hairs found at Williams’ murder scene matched Albright.

On December 18, 1991, the jury deliberated and found Charles Albright guilty.

Sentencing

Albright was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Shirley Williams, Mary Lou Pratt and Susan Peterson. The sentencing outcome included “Sentenced to five years to life on December 18, 1991.”

Outcome

He was convicted of killing three prostitutes in 1991: Mary Lou Pratt, Susan Peterson, and Shirley Williams.

Other details

• Victim: Mary Lou Pratt — 35-year-old well-known prostitute in the Oak Cliff neighborhood (in Dallas). Her body was found lying face-up wearing only a T-shirt; she was shot in the back of the head with a .44-caliber bullet. Her eyes were removed and apparently taken with the killer.
• Victim: Susan Peterson — prostitute found nearly nude; her T-shirt was pulled up to display her breasts. She was shot three times, including point-blank in the back of the head. One bullet pierced her heart and another entered her brain. She was dumped in south Dallas just outside city limits; her eyes were surgically removed.
• Victim: Shirley Williams — part-time prostitute found naked lying on her side near a school with her eyes removed. She had facial bruises and a broken nose; she was shot through the top of her head and in the face.