281-454-1933
Lost Children—A Texas Tragedy
A riveting new book about foster care and adoption exposes just how the state lost six kids to out-of-state mothers who murdered them.
Lise Olsen
Lise Olsen is a Houston-based senior reporter and editor at the Texas Observer. Lise has investigated many twisted Texas tales, including crooked judges, an unjust execution, massive environmental disasters, myriad cases of corporate and public corruption, and unsolved serial killings. Her reports in three states over 20 years contributed to the prosecutions of a former congressman and a federal judge, inspired laws and reforms, helped solve cold cases, restored names to unidentified murder victims, and freed dozens of wrongfully-held prisoners. Her work is featured in CNN's “The Wrong Man” (2015) about the innocence claims of executed offender Ruben Cantu and the six-part A&E series on the victims of a 1970s serial killer, The Eleven, (2017). She is the author of Code of Silence: Sexual Misconduct by Federal Judges, the Secret System that Protects Them and the Women who Blew the Whistle.
Articles by Lise Olsen
Last Dance with Ann Richards: Best Texas Books of 2022
How Galvestonians used to dance until they dropped (for fun), a former figure skater turned journalist, and other Lone Star State stories.
Plumshuga: The Rise of Lauren Anderson
New play tells a poetic version of the long road to recovery of Houston’s first Black prima ballerina.
Houston’s ‘Librotraficante’ Calls on Chicanos to Combat Censorship
In his unusual new book, “The Tip of the Pyramid,” Tony Diaz preaches the need for “cultural accelerators” to combat right-wing reaction.
Notorious Houston Serial Killer Requests Compassionate Release
Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr is currently serving six life sentences for participating in a murder, rape, and torture ring when he was a teenager.
‘The Fishermen and the Dragon’ Uncovers Racist Conflict in Galveston Bay History
A new nonfiction book reveals dark details of a clash between white and Vietnamese shrimpers, corporate polluters, and the KKK in Texas.
Mexico’s Repo Man
After billions went missing, the Mexican state of Veracruz turned to a prominent trial lawyer to recover money that was allegedly laundered in the Houston suburbs. But the unusual quest appears to be foundering.
An Astonishing ID: Baby of Couple Murdered in 1981 Finally Found
Holly is alive and well, but who killed the Texas couple whose bodies were found dumped in the woods north of Houston?
Texas’ ‘Anti-Censorship’ Law Censors Social Media. What If It Goes Into Effect?
A federal appeals court recently upheld a state law requiring companies like Facebook and Twitter to host hate speech.
A Lexicon of the Border Wars
The “Bard of Juárez” and a Tucson artist co-created a glossary of the violence so many have endured.