The Killing of Kathy Ann Stembridge

The Killing of Kathy Ann Stembridge

Author: TTC Productions November 24, 2025 Duration: 30:26
On the night of March 28, 1980, twenty-one-year-old Kathryn Ann “Kathy” Stembridge was attacked while closing up the C&M Laundromat on Paluxy Road in Granbury, Texas. Stabbed repeatedly in the chest and abdomen, she managed to crawl more than 170 feet across a vacant lot to the porch of her neighbors, Bill and Mary Lou Carney, where she collapsed after telling them, “I’ve been stabbed.” Despite an immediate response and appeals to anyone who might have been driving by that night, no weapon was ever recovered, and no eyewitnesses came forward to name a suspect.

The case soon focused on Robert Lowell Combs, who lived across from the laundromat at the time of the murder. With a violent history that included armed robbery and assaults against women, he was indicted for capital murder in 1981, but the charge was reduced and later dismissed when witnesses changed their stories and prosecutors admitted they lacked evidence strong enough to move forward. Years later, serial killer Henry Lee Lucas tried to claim responsibility, but his version of events didn’t match the facts, and local investigators dismissed him as “all wet.” In the 1990s, DNA tests on hair and blood evidence proved inconclusive, leaving the file open but unsolved. Even decades later, investigators described the crime as a likely passion killing committed by someone close to home. Kathy’s family never stopped pressing for answers, and the community never forgot her final words on a quiet Friday night in Granbury.

If you have any information about the murder of Kathy Ann Stembridge, please call the Granbury Police Department at (817) 573-2648.

Sources: The Hood County News, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The Houston Post, The Austin American-Statesman

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

#JusticeForKathyStembridge #GranburyTX #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
Of Hell: Texas True Crime, Slayer Saint Part One: Danita [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:45
In April 1974, 16-year-old Danita Ann Cash drove to the abandoned Trinity River Bridge, better known in local lore as “Screaming Bridge,” to pick up her brother from target practice. But instead of finding the boys, she…
The Assassination of Sammy Rogers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:04
On Halloween morning in 1984, a masked gunman lay in wait inside a garage in the tiny Stephens County community of Caddo, Texas. When oilman and civic leader Sammy Martin Rogers went to investigate a report of a prowler,…
The Murder of Heather Leann Pope [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:07
In July 2010, twenty-nine-year-old Heather Leann Pope left her mother’s home in Royse City, Texas, telling her she was going to visit a friend. She never returned. Days passed without a call or message, something that im…
The Murder of Betty Ann Thomas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:37
In April 1988, the quiet lakeside community of Lakeway, Texas was shaken when 45-year-old Betty Ann Thomas vanished from her home on Cold Water Lane. A violent scene inside the residence suggested a targeted attack, and…
Introducing Of Hell: Texas True Crime [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:37
This is a preview of Of Hell: Texas True Crime, a narrative investigation into the darkest crimes committed on Texas soil.From the creators of Gone Cold, each episode dives deep into cases where violence leaves a permane…
The Shooting of Suzanne Hummel [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:38
On the morning of November 13, 1992, Suzanne Marie Hummel, a 39-year-old mother of two, parked in the busy lot of Rice Epicurean Market at Kirby and West Alabama in Houston, a familiar spot she used to wait before work.…
The Murder of Schoolteacher Jana Carol Simpson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:29
On August 28, 1989, 24-year-old Jana Carol Simpson walked into her portable classroom at Glen Park Elementary School in southeast Fort Worth for her very first day of teaching in the district. Not long after, she was fou…
The Disappearance and Slaying of Cindy Davis Rendon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:30
In February of 1983 23-year-old Austin mother Cindy Davis Rendon vanished from her parents’ home in Northeast Austin. It was a normal Tuesday morning — Cindy fed her baby daughter, spoke briefly with her parents before t…
The Vanishing of Christine Starrine Byrd [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:47
In May of 1992, 42-year-old Christine “Starrine” Byrd vanished from her home in west Tyler, Texas. What began as a missing-person case soon turned into something far darker – and more disturbing – than anyone could have…
The Murder of Linda Jane Phillips [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:16
In August 1970, 26-year-old schoolteacher Linda Jane Phillips, daughter of Kaufman County School Superintendent Jimmy Phillips, vanished while driving home from a Dallas wedding party. Two days later, her mutilated body…