The Disappearance of Jimmy Farenthold Part 1: Oil, Power, and Secrets

The Disappearance of Jimmy Farenthold Part 1: Oil, Power, and Secrets

Author: TTC Productions September 15, 2025 Duration: 33:34
Texas dynasties are remembered for oil, ranching, and politics. Their names are carved into courthouses and campuses—but behind the polished legacy of the Farenthold family lies a darker story. In this first part of our multi-episode series, we trace the family’s rise from European aristocracy and South Texas oil wealth into political power, before unraveling the tragedies that shadowed their name.

From the sudden death of a child to the brutal gangland-style murder of 32-year-old Randy Farenthold, this episode examines the intersections of privilege, politics, and violence. As Frances “Sissy” Farenthold’s political star rose on reform and civil rights, her family life was shattered by a killing that sent shockwaves through Corpus Christi society.

But Randy’s murder was only the beginning. Another son, Jimmy, would one day vanish—without obituary, without a police report, without answers. Just silence.

This is Part One of Three of The Disappearance of Jimmy Farenthold: Oil, Power, and Secrets.

If you have any information about the disappearance of Jimmy Farenthold, please contact the San Antonio Police Department at (210) 207-8939.

Sources: The Corpus Christi Caller-Times, The Port Aransas South Jetty, The Houston Chronicle, The San Antonio Express-News, Texas Monthly, Texas Observer, texashistory.unt.edu, The Los Angeles Times,

You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast

Find us at https://www.gonecold.com

For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com

Follow gone cold on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and X. Search @gonecoldpodcast at all or just click https://linknbio.com/gonecoldpodcast

#WhereIsJimmyFarenthold #CorpusChristi #CCTX #TX #Texas #TrueCrime #TexasTrueCrime #ColdCase #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #ColdCase #Unsolved #Murder #UnsolvedMurder #UnsolvedMysteries #Homicide #CrimeStories #PodcastRecommendations #CrimeJunkie #MysteryPodcast #TrueCrimeObsessed #CrimeDocs #InvestigationDiscovery #PodcastAddict #TrueCrimeFan #CriminalJustice #ForensicFiles

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.

The stories that haunt a community often linger long after the headlines fade, waiting for someone to listen. Gone Cold-Texas True Crime is a podcast dedicated to those unresolved narratives, focusing specifically on the vast and complex landscape of Texas. Each episode delves into a different mystery, from long-unsolved homicides and disappearances that have left families searching for decades to other enigmatic cases that have stubbornly resisted explanation. The sheer size and diverse history of Texas provide a unique backdrop for these investigations, where details can be as sprawling as the state itself. Produced by TTC Productions, this series approaches each case with a focus on the facts and the human stories at their core, avoiding sensationalism in favor of thoughtful examination. When you listen, you’ll hear a detailed recounting of events, often including what is known about the individuals involved and the investigative paths that were followed, all while considering the questions that remain unanswered. This podcast serves as an audio record for cases that deserve renewed attention, exploring the lingering impact on communities and the hope that new information might still emerge. It’s for those drawn to the intricacies of real-life mysteries and the understanding that some of the most compelling stories are those without an ending.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Gone Cold - Texas True Crime
Podcast Episodes
The Murder of Sharon McLane Part Three: The Wrong Man [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:16
In December 1996, 32-year-old Sharon McLane was brutally murdered inside her Bedford, Texas apartment. Two years later, her friend John Earl Nolley was convicted of the crime and sentenced to life in prison. The case app…
The Murder of Sharon McLane Part Two: The Fast Food Killer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:21
In December of 1996, 32-year-old Sharon McLane was found brutally murdered inside her Bedford, Texas apartment, stabbed and slashed more than fifty times in a crime that shocked the Mid-Cities area between Dallas and For…
The Murder of Sharon McLane Part One [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:26
In December 1996, 32-year-old Sharon McLane was murdered inside her home in Bedford, a brutal crime that immediately shook family, friends, and investigators.As detectives began piecing together Sharon’s final hours, que…
The Murder of Dr. George Chronis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:16
In May 2018, what should have been a peaceful getaway to a secluded ranch in Emory ended in one of the most suspicious deaths in recent Texas memory. When 57-year-old obstetrician and surgeon Dr. George Basil Chronis tra…
Linda Flora & Baby Sam McClain [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:51
In August of 1988, twenty-four-year-old Linda Flora was found brutally murdered inside her modest home on Coulson Street in northeast Houston. At first, investigators feared her thirteen-month-old son, Sam McClain Jr., k…
The Abduction & Slaying of Danydia Thompson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:27
In the spring of 1997, seven-year-old DaNydia “Nee-Nee” Thompson vanished just steps away from her elementary school in Killeen, Texas. What began as a confusing absence quickly escalated into a full-scale search involvi…
The Murder of Myrtle Anne Etheridge [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:32
In 1971, 19-year-old Myrtle Anne Etheridge vanished from her Plano apartment complex while doing laundry; barefoot, in the cold, and gone within minutes. Days later, her body was found in a remote drainage area, bound an…
The Murders of Giti Harari & Wendy Aldrich Part Two [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:23
After the murder of Giti Hariri in May 1988, her closest friend, Wendy Aldrich, struggled to move forward. What began as grief quickly turned into something deeper, drawing her back again and again to the cemetery, to th…
The Murders of Giti Harari & Wendy Aldrich Part One [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:16
In the 1980s, Texas was expanding fast, and real estate agents were often left working alone, opening doors for strangers in empty homes. Across the state, a quiet pattern began to form: women in the industry attacked an…
The Kidnapping & Killing of Kim Nguyen Part 2: Nightmares [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:10
As the search for 8-year-old Kim Nguyen continued a week after his disappearance, the Garland Police still coordinated the efforts but had begun concentrating on the investigation. After releasing a lead that likely woul…