We The People: This Day in History, December 6
KWTX Broadcasts First Live U.S. Murder Trial
WACO, Texas (KWTX) - On December 6, 1955, KWTX-TV made history by televising the murder trial of Harry L. Washburn.
It was the first U.S. murder trial to be broadcast live, “gavel to gavel.”
In January 1955, Helen Harris Weaver, a well-known rancher’s wife, was killed by a car bomb in San Angelo.
Police quickly identified Harry Leonard Washburn, the Weavers’ former son-in-law, as the suspect.
Due to intense pre-trial publicity, the trial was moved to Waco.
McLennan County Judge Drummond W. Bartlett agreed to allow KWTX-TV to broadcast the proceedings from the balcony of his 54th State District Court.
KWTX-TV provided unedited, commercial-free coverage from the opening gavel to the conclusion, with Washburn found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.
Copyright 2025 KWTX. All rights reserved.
