Town file
Odessa, Texas
Odessa, Texas (Ector County, Texas) is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 332, "A Kiss Before Death" (3 November 2022). In the summer of 1960 Betty Jean Williams was seventeen and about to begin her senior year at Odessa High School in Odessa, Texas.
- Town
- Odessa
- County
- Ector County
- State
- Texas
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 332
- Approximate location
- 31.880, -102.345
Episode 332 / 3 November 2022 / 166 min / full
A Kiss Before Death
"This is Odessa, Texas ... This is in Ector County, E-C-T-O-R" about 0:04:35
The case: Murder of Betty Jean Williams (March 1961). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2022
- Population
- 125,000
- Median age
- about 30
- Median household income
- $56,119
- Median home value
- $175,200
- Two-bedroom rent
- about $1,264
- Cost of living
- $84.2
- Religious
- 54%
- Property crime
- ▲ about one-third above
- Violent crime
- ▲ more than double
History, in brief
- Founded in 1881 as a water stop and cattle shipping point on the railroad. about 0:06:50
- Had a post office by 1885. about 0:07:29
- Not incorporated until 1927, when oil was discovered. about 0:07:33
- The Penn Oil Field opened in 1929 and the Cowden Field in 1930. about 0:07:41
- A boom and bust town that has boomed and busted about six times. about 0:07:55
- By 1925 there were 750 people; by 1929 there were 5,000. about 0:08:06
- The 1960s and 1980s were the big busts. about 0:08:12
- Roy Orbison is from Odessa. about 0:08:20
The reviews read out
5 stars
"A smaller Texas town expanding rapidly, safe and down to earth; not much to do but always new things to try, and nice maintained parks to enjoy the desert."about 0:08:44
5 stars
"A place where Mojo football lives; the reviewer loves everything about it because it makes students feel safe and in touch with society."about 0:10:16
4 stars
"Everything is pretty good, but people smile and then awkwardly look away."about 0:10:40
3 stars
"The town is only semi-normal and the reviewer would like more kindness and friendship than always having to watch your back."about 0:11:10
2 stars
"A busy little town that can be dangerous because of crime and drugs; nothing much open during the pandemic, more like Murder, USA than a quaint town."about 0:11:58
2 stars
"People die here every day and the car accidents are horrible."about 0:12:28
1 star
"Like driving in a Mad Max film, a cross between monster truck madness and anything goes; pieces of people's dogs and cats are found in the morning."about 0:12:49
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- Eunice, New Mexico61 miles
- Roswell, New Mexico164 miles
- Dimmitt, Texas184 miles
- Hondo, New Mexico199 miles
- Fort Sumner, New Mexico210 miles
- San Saba, Texas219 miles
Everything here is as told in the episode, on the date it went out; figures and places may have changed since. Endings are covered: open an episode and use the spoiler switch to read them.