Hey y'all, welcome to Killer Queens, a true crime podcast. I'm your host, Terella, and like most

millennials, I've always had an obsession with true crime. On KQ, you'll find light true crime

stories, millennial hypes and gripes, some adult language, and maybe a special guest here

and there.

Just like a 90s sleepover, we're just a couple BFFs hanging out.

So gather around and let's launch right into it.

This episode contains discussions of domestic violence, physical and emotional abuse, strangulation,

stabbing, and gun violence. Listener discretion is advised.

Charles Joseph Whitman, known infamously as the Texas Tower sniper, shocked the world on August 1st,

1966 when he climbed to the top of the University of Texas Tower in Austin and opened fire on the public below. By the time his rampage was stopped, 16 people

were dead, and 31 others were wounded. While his final act of violence and its aftermath are well

documented, the early life of Charles Whitman offers

critical insights into the forces that shaped him into the man he became. Was there something

in Whitman's background, his upbringing, and the pressures he faced that can provide

context for his tragic descent into madness? Spoiler alert, the answer is yes. We going to get into it, though.

First, of course, I do want to give a Hey Girl thanks to Marky Mark on both occasions. I don't see

that it was requested by anybody. So maybe Mark also requested it. He and I talked about this

case a little bit, but I didn't ask him that

question. So anyway, thanks, girl. We love you. All right. Shall we just like, shall we start?

Charles Whitman was born on June 24th, 1941 in Lake Worth, Florida to Charles Adolphus Whitman Sr.

And Margaret Whitman.

Adolphus is a hell of a fucking name.

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