A 1980's Witch Trial

I'm considering writing about a trial that took place in Plainview, Texas in 1980. I remember hearing about it when we lived close to Amarillo, and I recall it focusing on the accidental shooting of a teenager as she rode past the home of two self-professed occultists.

Weeks before the shooting, which took place on Halloween of 1977, the couple was interviewed by a local television station and announced a witchcraft symposium they would be hosting. This bit of self-disclosure made them a target for harassment from teenagers in their rural community.

On the night in question, 50 to 100 teenagers drove past the couple's house hoping to see ritual ceremonies taking place. A young lady in the back of a pickup was struck in the head when one of the "witches" fired a warning shot into the air. The couple testified that the shot was fired only to scare the kids away, however, the teen died within minutes of arriving to Plains Memorial Hospital.

I don't want to make this a courtroom drama. Any ideas of how a story like this could be told on stage?

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Bradley Nies, Playwright

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