Inspired by a series of long-unsolved murders of young women occurring for decades along an interstate south of Houston, in a rural area that became known as the "killing fields." Since the release of this film, several of the murders have been solved, with four connected to William Lewis Reece.
In preparation for their roles, Sheryl Lee and Chloë Grace Moretz spent time in a rehabilitation center for drug addicts.
The real-life cops, portrayed by Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Sam Worthington in this movie, are seen in the October 22, 2011 episode of the investigative series 48 Hours (1988). The episode is called "The Killing Fields". It was re-broadcast on August 12, 2015 with the same title on 48 Hours (1988) on the Investigation Discovery channel.
Although the film is said to be set among the "Texas bayous," the real area known as the "killing fields" is more of a low-lying grassy or marshlands area. (Houston, to the north, is known for its bayous.) The movie was filmed entirely in Louisiana for a "swampier" look.
Ami Canaan Mann later cast Sheryl Lee again in Jackie & Ryan (2014). Mann described Lee as an "incredible actress, totally underused" and said about her performance in 'Texas Killing Fields': "Sheryl Lee came in and blew me away."