Murders of RVers On A Texas Beach

Above, The Beast at a private campground in Lake Havasu, Arizona. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Only once since I bought my 2015 Winnebago Minnie Winnie 22R ("The Beast") have I ever boondocked alone. That was in 2016 in a rest area in Missouri.

A couple who full-timed in their RV were recently found murdered. They were boondocking on a beach in Corpus Christi, Texas. Fortunately, the suspects have been caught.

RV Life has an article asking, "Will the Texas beach camping murders change how you camp?"

They begin it with:

Murders aren’t usually the topic of conversation among RVers. But then again, two recent Texas beach camping murders aren’t your every day homicides. The tragic end of James and Michelle Butler’s lives has RVers buzzing with chatter all over the Internet. Many like myself are questioning the safety of free camping in remote places. 

James Butler had recently retired from the U.S. Navy when he and his wife Michelle decided to give the full-time RVing lifestyle a try. The New Hampshire residents were full-time RVers for just over a year when they took a break from a series of workamping jobs. 

After staying in a Corpus Christi RV park along with their three cats, they packed up and went boondocking on a lonely stretch of Corpus Christi shoreline.

They were never heard from again. Then, their bodies were found.

While on the road, I stay at established private campgrounds or, on occasion, at national park campgrounds. Generally, there's some security at each. But additionally, whenever I go camping, I bring along a friend: my Ruger 9mm semi-automatic. My dad and grandfather always "packed heat" whenever we went camping. Because, you never know

What happened to the Butlers could happen to anyone. This isn't the first time a crime such as this has occurred. It will likely not be the last. It will not change the way I camp.

To read more, go here.