A Texas man known for putting on large displays for feeding his alligators may have been hiding a far more morbid secret behind his tavern. Known forebodingly as 'The Butcher of Elmendorf', Joseph D. Ball was born and raised in a small town southeast of San Antonio, Texas. In the early 1930s, he opened up a place for local folk to gather for a few drinks at the weekend.
Quickly, this became the place to be and the go to party spot. However, the weekends of fun and drinking suffered a dramatic gear shift when one barmaid disappeared. Hazel had vanished, and no one could find her.
Jealousy and murder
Ball's right-hand man, Clifton Wheeler, said Ball and Hazel were romantically linked, according to the San Antonio Express. Wheeler told Bexar County deputies that Ball could be jealous and possessive over Hazel. Terrifyingly, Wheeler claimed when the bar owner discovered Hazel wanted to move on with her life and start up elsewhere with a new lover, he did not take the news well.
In fact, Wheeler said Ball cut short any opportunity for this new life and shot Hazel in the back. Bizarrely, Wheeler also was forced to then admit his own part in the grim murder. He said he helped Ball get rid of her remains in one of the most gruesome ways possible.
Grisly disposal
Wheeler gave sickening details of the process, saying the pair stuffed her body parts in a barrel and burned her head whole along with her belongings. The barrel was later found in plain sight after deputies noticed a strange odor coming from it.
The police set out to arrest Ball for his crimes and Ball agreed to go with them but asked if he could lock up the tavern. He then reached for a gun and shot himself in the chest.
Alligator pit and aftermath
Days later, authorities discovered more bodies buried nearby. However, it was never clear just how many there were. When the other missing women were called into question, attention turned to the alligator pit behind the tavern.
Five enormous reptiles made their home behind his establishment, and Wheeler claimed this is how Ball disposed of the rest of the bodies. Ball made a song and dance of these alligators and used to welcome people to watch as he fed the reptiles small animals. "There's more to come, my pets!" he once shouted to a crowd watching feeding time, according to Historical True Crime.
Ball would pull live cats, dogs, or possums from sacks and hurl them into the concrete pit. Chillingly, reports said Ball kept a ledger with the word "fed" next to the names of his missing waitresses. However, no evidence was ever found to support the claim and the alligators were taken to what is now the San Antonio Zoo.
Wheeler was sentenced to two years in jail for being an accomplice in Hazel's murder. It was never reported just how many murders Ball committed or if any of the bodies were ever identified.
