5 key details about Billy Mac Fleming's murder |Sportskeeda Lite

The upcoming episode of Murder Under the Friday Night Lights is going to turn back the clock and cover the 1985 murder of local coach Billy Mac Fleming, who was found shot to death ten days after he disappeared. In the course of the investigation, many theories emerged about why he was killed, but none stood the test of time.

This case will be covered in Murder Under the Friday Night Lights season 4, episode 6, which premieres at 9.00 PM EST on ID on Wednesday, February 19, 2025. The synopsis for the episode reads:

"In 1985, police find the body of a beloved coach in the barrens of southeast Texas, triggering a murder investigation laced with sex, jealousy and revenge; investigators close in on the killer, but an eleventh-hour twist tears the community apart."

This case is filled with many details that stand out. Ahead of the episode, let us go over five of them.

5 key details about the murder of Billy Mac Fleming

1) Billy Mac Fleming went missing 10 days before he was found dead

During a time when Fleming was going through some big personal changes, he suddenly started not showing up for his commitments. He was last seen on April 12, 1985, in the school where he taught.

Ten days later, a berry picker spotted his body in Polk County, Texas. Authorities determined that he was shot twice behind the ear with a small-caliber pistol. Authorities alleged that he was killed elsewhere and transferred to the place where he was found.

2) Billy Mac Fleming's death was linked to drugs by authorities

Billy's murder could have been drug-related (Image via Pexels)

One peculiar detail that stood out about Billy Mac Fleming's dead body was that his boots had been removed. This was an execution style that was commonly practiced in drug-related murders. Moreover, a small amount of cocaine was found in his closet, which further supported this theory.

Yet, the police weren't sure if this was planted to make it look like a drug-related murder.

3) Billy's wife had a motive to kill him

While Linda Fleming was never charged, they were between a divorce, and she stood to earn from a $55,000 insurance policy that Billy reportedly had. Moreover, Billy was leaving his wife to marry Laura Nugent, a clerk at his school. This gave ample motive to Linda Fleming.

4) Rumors led to the most promising suspect, Hurley Fontenot, the school principal

The school principal became the prime suspect (Image via Pexels)

When authorities followed a string of rumors about Billy Mac Fleming's alleged affair with Laura Nugent, they also discovered that she had dated the school principal, Hurley Fontenot, for quite a while. When the police questioned Fontenot, he could not provide a concrete timeline of what he had done that night, and the police could not corroborate details of his whereabouts.

He was ultimately tried for the murder.

5) The case of Billy Mac Fleming's murder was never solved

No one was punished for Billy Mac Fleming's murder (Image via Pexels)

Though Hurley Fontenot went to trial for the murder, there was simply not enough evidence for the jury to find him guilty. He was ultimately acquitted of the crime. However, on May 17, 1989, Hurley passed away due to a heart attack.

Fleming's murder was never formally solved.

The upcoming episode of Murder Under the Friday Night Lights will cover this case in more detail.