James Farrell "Texe" Marrs (1943–2017) was an American journalist and a prolific author whose work explored various alleged cover-ups and conspiracies, including the JFK assassination, UFOs, and secret societies. He began his career in journalism in the Dallas–Fort Worth area, working for newspapers like the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Marrs later transitioned to freelance writing and public relations, also publishing local newspapers and producing a cable television show.

Marrs gained significant recognition for his 1989 book, *Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy*, which became a source for Oliver Stone's film *JFK*. His subsequent books delved into topics such as government conspiracies surrounding aliens, the September 11 attacks, telepathy, and clandestine organizations. He also taught classes on the JFK assassination at the University of Texas at Arlington for three decades and was a member of Scholars for 9/11 Truth. Marrs frequently appeared on various media platforms to discuss his research and theories.

Born in Fort Worth, Texas, James Farrell Marrs Jr. pursued journalism, earning a bachelor's degree from the University of North Texas in 1966 and undertaking graduate studies at Texas Tech University. His early career began while still in college, working as a reporter, cartoonist, and photographer for several Texas newspapers. In 1968, he joined the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where he served in various roles, including police reporter and general assignment reporter, covering stories both domestically and internationally. During his time there, he also briefly served in the U.S. Army Reserve as a translator. He later specialized as the newspaper's military and aerospace writer and an investigative reporter before moving into public relations and eventually returning to freelance writing.

Marrs became widely known for his extensive research into alleged conspiracies. His 1989 book, *Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy*, was a New York Times bestseller and a significant influence on Oliver Stone's film *JFK*. In this work, Marrs explored numerous potential motives for President Kennedy's assassination, implicating various groups from organized crime to the military-industrial complex. He continued to explore themes of hidden power structures and governmental secrecy in books like *Rule by Secrecy*, which connected modern secret societies to ancient history, and *The War on Freedom* (later retitled *The Terror Conspiracy*), which examined 9/11 conspiracies. His explorations also extended to the paranormal and extraterrestrial, with his book *Alien Agenda* becoming a notable work in UFO literature.

Beyond his writing, Marrs was an educator, teaching continuing education classes on the assassination of John F. Kennedy at the University of Texas at Arlington starting in 1976. He later added a course on UFOs. He was a frequent guest on numerous national and regional radio and television programs, including *Coast to Coast AM*, *The Alex Jones Show*, and various network news shows, discussing his theories and research. In his later years, he hosted his own radio program, *The View from Marrs*, on the Jeff Rense network, where he continued to explore topics such as UFOs, conspiracies, and survivalism.