On Clovis Road

A man who read Clovis Road called us from Cameron, Texas on Friday. He was at the Dairy Queen in Cameron and had read the Clovis Road. He wanted directions to Newton Lake and the site of the Newton house fire. We gave him as much information as he needed and he found the sites. Also heard from a few others over the weekend who enjoyed the book. The guy who called had a lot of questions about his favorite character in the book, Ruth Nichols. We answered what we could.

Lamb County Thru the Years

We just received this weekend the Museum Cookbook from the Littlefield Lands/Duggan House Museum. The title is "Lamb County Thru the Years." It was a copyright date of 2009, like Clovis Road, and contains many Lamb County recipes as a welcome and historical section at the front. The introduction is by David B. Gracy II.

The Controversial Book???

Well, I hope the '''controversy" over "Clovis Road," which was well researched from newspapers, interviews, visits, research on computer, Cameron court records, and many other sources will help more people want to buy it. Then you can decide if it is a "controversial" book. In this case, truth is stranger than fiction, and this story is a great example of that. Technically both the murderer and the attempted murderer were found guilty of their crimes, but somehow, the Criminal Court of Appeals overturned many of their convictions. Jim Thomas died before being found "technically" guilty, but his MO was the same in the Hunt murders as it was on another couple in Lubbock, who lived to tell their story. The book was fascinating to research, and the time element of it being a crime that started in 1942, makes the 1940s seem to come to life.

Angelus Hotel

From a new book, Amarillo, published in 2009 by Ron Smith one finds this photo of the Angelus Hotel mentioned in Clovis Road. This is where James Clyde Thomas had doughnuts on the morning of October 26, 1943. The Angelus Hotel Coffee Shop was across the street from the Craig's apartment. Search "Ron Smith and Amarillo" to view the book. Photo courtesy of Mr. Ron Smith

Purchase "Clovis Road" Today

For details about how to purchase Clovis Road, the story of the Dr. Roy Hunt murder in 1943. Dedicated to Harold LaFont and Bill LaFont. Former Texas Supreme Court Judge Hon. Ted Z. Robertson advised the authors on Clovis Road. Send your name and address to 6257 Highgate Lane, Dallas, Texas, 75214 and a check, cash, or money order for $30. The book is 184 pages, has 93000 words and 50 illustrations. It is hardback, first edition, and is its second printing. It is currently also available at Waymore's, the Waylon Jennings Museum and store, in Littlefield, Texas, at Hastings on Slide Road in Lubbock, at Hastings in Plainview, and at Amazon.com.The caption above Dana's head is a Channel 11 attempt to say the murders are not solved. Read Clovis Road.

KCBD Interview Airs "Clovis Road" Called "Controversial"

KCBD “Littlefield’s first murders remain unsolved”
On the phone, “It was like the day JFK died for the town of Littlefield, because it was their doctor.”
Dana Samuelson writes about the day Dr. Roy Hunt and his wife, Mae Franks, were found murdered in their home and the investigation that followed.
The recently released book, Clovis Road, details a rumored love triangle between Dr. Hunt and Ruth Newton, the wife of his medical school classmate.
The author says Dr. Newton hired someone to kill the couple. He appeared in trial numerous times to appeal the case.
Now the niece of Dr. Hunt tells that the community went from leaving their homes unlocked to being too scared to go outside.
Now this book is controversial, some of the family are not really happy with it, so there is another book in the works as to what really happened they say.
(Transcribed from KCBD broadcast 7.29.2010 from Littlefield in Local News Section 6:00 P.M. broadcast, the print version on their website is not the same, Dana never said the murders were still unsolved, she said to "read the book"). There were not just "rumors" about a "love triangle." Classmates were interviewed. Hunt and his brother testified about it.

Television KCBD Lubbock

While Dana and I, my son, Drew Samuelson, and her mother, Sue Middlebrooks, were vacationing in Sipapu, New Mexico, Dana got a call from Channel 11 in Lubbock from Christie Post of KCBD about Clovis Road. She wanted to include Clovis Road in a segment on the news about Littlefield that was set to view on Thursday, September 29. She and Dana had a telephone interview about Clovis Road last night. The call from Mr. Bill LaFont came while I was at the Crescent Park Motel in Littlefield last year, and we got the delayed call from Christie Post at the Crescent Park this time, it may be good luck for the story to be at the Crescent Park Motel! Turns out KCBD planned an interview to show off an alternative view of the Hunt murders, discredit Clovis Road, and did not focus on the two authors or the thrust of Clovis Road, only on different views from Lubbock.