Mayhem and mystery on Route 66 in the years before the highway was replaced by the interstate highway system are seldom discussed. But these dark chapters are an important part of the Route 66 story.

Iconic Route 66 has long been celebrated as The Main Street of America. And as we approach the Route 66 centennial this ribbon of highway that is lined with neon lights, mom-and-pop diners, and classic motels has morphed into a destination.

But woven into its tapestry of promised adventure on the open road and Americana is a shadowy world. The tales of gangsters, grifters, outlaws, and cold-blooded killers who once prowled the highway are the dark side of the Route 66 story. From the bank robbing gangs of Tulsa to a brutal celebrity murder in Amarillo, Route 66 has seen it all. After all, this is the Main Street of America.

---

The Central Park District, Tulsa – Breeding Ground for Outlaws

Mayhem and mystery on Route 66 is intertwined in the origins of this storied highway. Long before it was paved across Oklahoma, Tulsa’s Central Park district was notorious as a cradle of crime in the 1920s. Juvenile gangs there produced some of the Midwest’s most violent criminals: Volney “Curley” Davis, Wilbur Underhill, Ray Terrill, Elmer Inman—and even members of the Barker Gang had roots there.

Volney Davis began his criminal life stealing small things, pickpocketing, and shoplifting. He graduated to burglary and then homicide while still in his teens. He teamed up with Arthur “Doc” Barker in 1921 to rob St. John’s Hospital in Tulsa. Night watchman Thomas J. Sherrill was killed, and Barker was quickly arrested. But Davis evaded capture for almost a year while continuing to commit robberies and burglaries.

Ray Terrill also came from Central Park. He used aliases to commit various crimes. After time spent in the state penitentiary he joined up with Al Spencer’s gang. Spencer was a Central Park associate.

Terrill later formed his own gang including Herman Barker and Elmer Inman. They specialized in bank robberies and safes, and even carried out Oklahoma’s last recorded train robbery in 1923.

---

The Kimes-Terrill Gang & the Kimes Brothers – Robberies, Shoot-outs, and Jail Breaks

The Kimes‐Terrill Gang (led by Matthew Kimes and Ray Terrill) was active all along Route 66 during the mid-1920s. Their crimes and methods were bold. They carried off numerous bank robberies (Beggs, Covington, Sapulpa), and were involved in shoot-outs with police. The gang even kidnapped of a police chief, helped prisoners escape from jail, and dumped safes in rivers after emptying them.

Some key episodes:

• On June 30, 1926, George & Matthew Kimes robbed their first bank together in Depew, Oklahoma. Matthew had escaped from jail the day before. As a bit of trivia, Depew was the first community bypassed by realignment of Route 66.
• On August 27, 1926, after robbing a bankin Covington, they were confronted by police in Sallisaw. In the resultant shootout Deputy Perry Chuculate was killed. Then the gang kidnapped the police chief and another hostage to make their escape. Eventually they were trapped at their cousin’s home, wounded, and surrendered.
• Their crime spree included a $42,950 bank robbery in Sapulpa in January 1927. Later that year, both Matthew Kimes and his associates (Terrill, Inman) were arrested.

---

Egan’s Rats – St. Louis’s Early Mob Kings

Egan’s Rats were already a powerful criminal force in St. Louis by the 1910s. Founded by Thomas “Snake” Kinney and Tom Egan around 1890, they started as small-time burglars and enforcers. But when they moved into political intimidation, extortion, theft, and later bootlegging, they became a regional force to be reckoned with.

Some of their more notorious acts:

• After the death of Willie Egan in 1921 (apparently murdered by the rival Hogan Gang), the Rats, under William “Dinty” Colbeck, launched a brutal gang war with the Hogans. Over two years dozens were killed. There were ambushes in automobiles, shoot-outs in streets, and retaliatory killings in ditches and alleyways.
• In 1924, key members were convicted of a mail robbery in Staunton, Illinois. That severely damaged their organization.
• At their peak political influence in St. Louis was enormous. They used voter intimidation, gang alliances, and enforced support for political candidates.

By 1930, Egan’s Rats as a dominant force were waning, many had been imprisoned, killed, or forced into hiding or scattering. Still, the gang would play an important role in St. Louis area crime into the 1940s.

---

Murder in Amarillo – Tex Thornton & the Sensational Trial

One of Route 66’s most infamous true crime legends centers on W. A. “Tex” Thornton. He was a larger than life character known throughout the oilfields for his daring extinguishing of oil-well fires with the use of explosives. Thornton’s reputation for flamboyance in post-World War II Amarillo was just as legendary.

Here are the facts as reconstructed:

• On June 22, 1949, Thornton was driving west on Route 66. He picked up Evald O. Johnson, 32, and his wife Diana Heaney Johnson, 18, hitchhikers near Tucumcari, New Mexico.
• They spent some evening hours at a roadhouse in San Jon, then proceeded to the Park Plaza Motel in Amarillo. Thornton checked into Cabin 18 around 8 p.m. The next morning a maid discovered his body. He was naked, bound, and his skull had been crushed. Blood-soaked sheets, signs of disturbance, and missing cash and Thronton’s Chrysler added to the mystery.

The investigation was troubled from the start. Evidence was contaminated by local groups like the Will Rogers Range Riders wandering through the crime scene. The Amarillo Police Chief was out of town.

The trial:

• Diana turned herself in February 1950 (Washington D.C.), and gave conflicting statements. Evald was arrested in Michigan.
• The murder trial of Evald O. Johnson began May 7, 1950, in Amarillo. Diana’s charges for the murder were dropped early. She instead faced charges related to the stolen car etc. Evald’s defense was sensational. He invoked a legal code article that allowed “justifiable homicide.” This was based on his claim that he walked in on Thornton and Diana in bed. That situation led him to lose control. In his testimony he claimed that after waking up in a drunken stupor, and find the two in bed, he physically assaulted Thornton. That included beating him with his own gun.
• The prosecution countered that the real motive was robbery. Thornton’s new Chrysler was stolen, cash was missing, and Evald had fled with his wife. Also, family testimony suggested Diana’s mother said Evald spoke openly of pimping Diana out.
• After about three hours and nineteen minutes of jury deliberation, on May 16, 1950, the verdict was given. Evald was not guilty of murder! But he was found guilty of transporting a stolen car across state lines and got four years in a federal penitentiary. Diana received probation. The entire trial had been a media circus that riveted the nation. The verdict was stunning.

This trial remains controversial. There are questions about evidence contamination, how much sympathy the jury had for a decorated war veteran, and whether Diana’s youth and gender affected perceptions.

---

Museums and Exhibits Along Route 66

If you want to walk into history, many museums and local historical societies along Route 66 preserve these stories:

• JM Davis Arms & Historical Museum in Claremore, Oklahoma. Thisis the world’s largest firearms collection that includes law-enforcement relics, weapons used in outlaw tales, etc.
• Joplin, Missouri: The Joplin History & Mineral Museum has a display of exhibits related to the Barker family, Bonnie & Clyde, and local crime sprees. There are also exhibits about bank robberies tied to the broader network of Midwestern outlaws.

---

“Bloody 66” in Print: Murder & Mayhem on the Main Street of America

If these stories piqued your curiosity and cast a dark shadow over your thoughts about Route 66, I have a suggestion. Published in 2019, my book Murder & Mayhem on The Main Street of America: Tales from Bloody 66 is an illustrated, award-winning (Silver Medal, 2020 Independent Publishers Book Awards) series of short stories about the dark side of this highways history.

It is a collection of tales from every state along the Route 66 corridor. Each chapter is full of stories about robbery, terror, murder, racial violence, disasters, and mysteries. It doesn’t just retell the story of crimes. It weaves them into the colorful tapestry of the Route 66 story.

---

Join the Shared Adventure

At Jim Hinckley’s America, we share America’s story. Even the dark chapters. If you want more tales from the Route 66 story, come join us:

• Subscribe to the blog: weekly deep dives into history, travel, true crime, and the stories you won’t find in every guidebook.
• Listen to Coffee With Jim on Podbean: we bring these stories to life in conversation, with experts, authors, and local voices.
• Follow on social media: Instagram, YouTube, Facebook—all places where photos, videos, and mini-stories from the road await.

Route 66 isn’t just a road. It’s an adventure, a memory, and at times, a whisper in the dark. Let’s explore all of it together—light and shadow.