b'Insteadofapileofgovernmentlong for them to identify the unfortunate bonds, Randy and Bruce were presentedsoul as Randy Farenthold.heavy fire arms, pointed at them, andTwo-and-a-halfdaysearlier,Sissy their lives in exchange for the hundredFarenthold,theunlikelyrunoffcandi-grand in cash. The two returned to Cor- date for the Democratic nomination for pusChristiemptyhanded,butsoonGovernor of Texasa liberal, anti-estab-boarded another flight, this one boundlishmentfemale,whoattendedVassar for Las Vegas, with yet another $100,000and was married to a European aristo-in Randys cash in handthis time to ac- cratlost by eleven points to governor-cept an apology and double repaymentto-be,DolphBriscoe,thenthelargest from a remorseful Mafia bossthe sec- private landowner in Texas. Her success ond episode arranged by Bass. asareformistlegislator,feministand Soon after touching down in Vegas,political candidate gained Sissy nation-it dawned on Randy that his partner inal attention, and she placed second for crime might be up to no good, and hethe vice presidential nomination at the turned Bruce in to the FBI, claiming heDemocraticNationalConvention,later had been defrauded. By 1972, Bruce Bassthat summer.and three others were indicted on fed- BackintheCoastalBend,Texas eral fraud charges, with their trial setRangers and agents from the FBI, along for the end of the year in HoustonRan- with local and county detectives, were dy Farenthold, naturally, would be thefollowingdozensofleads,andinter-star witness, as he was the victim of theviewing hundreds of folks in the search scheme. for Randy Farentholds killer or killers. June 3, 1972, was a beautiful dayIt was theorized that he was abducted in in Port Aransas, a typically warm earlyfront of his house by at least two men in summer Saturday, with a light, south- one or two rented cars, taken to a rural easterly breeze and a high temperaturelocation, beaten and struck in the head in the mid-80sa perfect day for off- withaheavyobject,thentransported shore fishing, and Randy made the mostto a dock and onto a boat. It was ruled of itrather the joining his stepmother,outthatanyoneinthePortAfishing Sissys, election party for her runoff racecommunitytransportedRandysbody versus Dolph Briscoe. Court statementsoffshore, as he was well known there would later show that Randy returnedand the population of yacht owners was to his home in Corpus Christi after fish- much smaller then, than it is these days.ing off Port Aransas, dressed and wentThere is at least one unofficial ac-for cocktails at the Corpus Christi Yachtcount of a dad and his teenage son who Club, followed by dinner at his estrangedwere approached by four men in a rental wifes home, with her, Blake and Sue. Hecar on the Lawrence St. T-Head, where was said to have joined a craps game atthey were fueling up a 40-something-a private home, leaving after midnight,foot Bertram. These guys asked Dad if presumably to his house in the Oceanthey could pay us to take em offshore Drive district. There, his car, keys, wal- thatnight,thesonremembers,buttop : Randy Farentholds letandmoneywouldbefoundinhisDad told them, well, we can sell you thisson, Blake Farenthold, absence, and Randy would not be seenboat, but we dont do charters. And thebeing sworn in as a again for another two days. guy kept going on about how he wouldmember of the U.S. OnthemorningofTuesday,Junepay us to take us out there and back, noHouse of Representa-6, 1972, two well-known Port A fisher- fishing, just a ride. tives for the 27th Dist. men were running a seine net throughThatwasrightaroundthetimeof Texas.middle : Blakes the surf off Mustang Island, gatheringRandy went missing. We just thought itsister, Sue Farenthold, bait for their offshore trip that morn- was kinda weird. the raid on her home, ing, when an object far bigger than baitThe most likely scenario was thatand the accomplices ar-fish pulled their drag to a heavy stop.thekillershiredashrimpboatfromrested with her in 2012. The clothed, male body they discoveredAransas Pass or Rockport to take poorbottom : Rep. Farenthold had a concrete block chained around itsRandy to his watery grave, at the age ofhounded by report-neck, and the victim looked beaten bad- just thirty-three. Bass would later serveers after news broke ly. On the mans wrist was a fully intact,six years for Randys murder before be- that Congress settled designer wristwatch, and it did not takeing shot to death in a Staples St. bar. a sexual harrasment claim on his behalf.TheC talBend.comom THE COASTAL BEND MATHE CGAOZINEASTAL BEND MAFEATURED: The StGAZINEories that MattMarch/April 2018ered77TheCooasastalBend.c 47'