Chance meeting led TV reporter James Muñoz to discover the family he never knew

Muñoz, who grew up without a father, had just finished interviewing the late journalist Walter Cronkite in 2001 about the presidential election when he saw an elderly man with a name tag displaying the last name Doughty, his father’s last name. An exchange of numbers and one lunch meeting later, he soon realized the man was his great-uncle. He was then finally introduced to the family he had been searching for his whole life. 

 “I knew I had a story and I knew it needed to be told,” Muñoz said. “And I’m still enjoying the fact that it’s a project completed.”

His book, “Some Monument to Last,” is a memoir that takes a look into his childhood and growing up without ever knowing his birth father or paternal family. He talks about the challenges he faced, such as losing his father to a fire at just 6 months old and encountering sexual abuse as a child. The book also includes family photos, some dating back to the 1800s, personal letters between his mother and father, and poetry from his paternal grandmother’s journal, given to Muñoz from his aunt. 

 “It’s an old black book, frayed at the edges, and falling apart. My grandmother always wanted to publish those but she never had a chance. So I thought it only made sense to get that done for her, in honor of her,” Muñoz said. 

Although it’s a small part in the book, Muñoz felt it was important to talk about the sexual abuse he encountered at the age of 4. He wanted to speak out and encourage others who have experienced the same to keep pursuing their dreams. 

“I don’t like when I hear people say statistically people who are sexually abused will go to drugs, prostitution and prison,” Muñoz said. “Let’s talk about someone like me who beat those odds and has my entire future ahead of me. There are those other stories out there.” 

Muñoz was born in Midland and raised in Lubbock. He’s worked at TV stations in Amarillo, Corpus Christi, Lufkin, San Angelo and has been in San Antonio reporting for KENS 5 since 2003. 

During the first few years of his career Muñoz used his father’s last name, Doughty, hoping that someone from his paternal family would recognize it. But as he struggled to move up into a bigger market as a broadcast journalist he was encouraged to use his mother’s maiden name and decided to make the switch when he became an anchor in San Angelo. 

“On TV I use Muñoz, but in my private life I’m James Doughty,” he said.