I keep waiting for Mother Teresa to be the next witness coming in via epiphany from beyond the grave I mean, it's just nonsense.. We suspected foul play.. Police determined domestic violence resulted in the murder-suicide of a couple in their 30s in Fountain Valley early Sunday morning. Prosecutors presented the case of Vivian Harbottle Chapman, who was 39 at the time and was raped six months prior to Stites death in October 1995. We have videotape of the body of Stacey stites being examined and manipulated and put into a body bag [with] her arms folded, Barry Scheck, another attorney with the Innocence Project, said. This is the one who attacked me. Deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department responded around 12:50 p.m. Friday to the 20800 block of South Santa Fe Avenue, near the San Diego (405) Freeway, regarding a person down. Officials said the investigation began on May 6 when officials responded to a medical emergency on Upper Elgin Road. Your email address will not be published. ET on ABC.*. Micheal Waller and his fianc still cant believe what happened on the edge of their property on Sunday afternoon. Stites was murdered in April of 1996, and Reed was arrested a . In 2017, Reeds defense attorneys tried to present forensic evidence from that 1996 murder that they said would prove his innocence in a hearing in Bastrop. The body of an adult woman was found at the edge of the property on Gurden Avenue intersecting with White Avenue in Bastrop around 3 pm on Sunday afternoon. The defense argued in legal filings the perpetrator would become Jimmy Fennell, because he said he was in the apartment with her that night. (KNOE) - UPDATE: The trial of Dr. Tod Lawhon, a Bastrop dentist who shot and killed his wife in 2020, has come to a close. Whoops! Copyright 2023 KNOE. There's no way it's gonna go away.. At the location, officers found . Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Staceys murder went unsolved for nearly a year. But, this is the situation that was handed to me so I have [to] accept that I did know her. The victim has been identified as 32-year-old Jessica Marie Jefferson Brown from Cedar Creek. Raymerio Lee, known as "Red" by family and friends, has been missing since Monday. Your email address will not be published. April 27, 2023, at 2:14 p.m. Sheriff: Woman Held in Death of Child, 6, Found in a Bucket. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. It wouldn't have made any sense for them to keep it any longer than they did.. Carol Stites remembered the family had just held a bridal shower only days before. The woman was identified as Shalynn Jones, according to the Los Angeles . I sat out here all night.. they aint gonna sleep here tonight either he said confidently. Her arrest comes after the sheriff announced Wednesday that they were investigating a homicide after a 6-year-old girl was found dead in a bucket Wednesday morning. I stand on that. The sample was taken to UNTs federally-funded DNA lab, where Gill-King and the Forensic Anthropology Unit will build a genetic profile of the woman and enter it into a federal DNA database in hopes that it might match the genetic profile of a family member already in the system. Riverside County Firefighters Stop Forward Progress of Brush Fire in Thermal, Walk to End Genocide Held Sunday In Fairfax District, Asian Couple in Bel Air Terrorized in Home Invasion Robbery, Police Arrest 24 During DUI Checkpoint in Riverside, Riverside Police Arrest 24 People During DUI Checkpoint, Coroner IDs Man Who Jumped or Fell From Freeway Overpass. Reed has appealed his case repeatedly from 2001 through 2015. APD investigating after dead body found in south Relatives of a female who lived at the residence with the suspect found him injured in the driveway. For a 19-year-old thats kind of a big transition., Stites sister Debra Oliver told 20/20 Stacey didnt share any concerns with her. He found support with local politicians and activists around the country, most famously including Kim Kardashian West. A deputy found the woman while doing a routine check of the lot. Slater said she didnt come forward sooner because she was only 18 at the time and about to graduate from high school. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Check for a confirmation email, and then you're all set with MyNewsLA.com! He also initially denied dating her and was asked to provide a DNA sample. Police initially looked at Jimmy as a suspect, which is normal given he was the fianc, Tanner said. "She was like the white tornado," she told "20/20." "That's exactly what they called her when she was little. Her body was found in the parking lot at 118 Stephen F. Austin Boulevard at about 2 a.m. Wednesday morning. Every year, Smithville has their jamboree. RELATED: Bastrop man arrested after deadly shooting. Stacey Stites was just 19 when she was killed in Bastrop, Texas. Reeds legal team has also raised questions about the original investigation. He has long maintained his innocence and claims that he and Stites had a secret, consensual relationship. Sheriff Capers said Saturday evening authorities widened the search to as far as 20 miles from the scene. (KNOE) - Jurors are being selected on Tuesday, April 25, for the trial of Bastrop dentist, Dr. Tod Lawhon, who is accused of shooting and killing his wife just before Christmas day in . All rights reserved. . During Thursday's press conference, they also said Brown was working her 2nd job, delivering newspapers to homes along a rural road in Bastrop County when she was murdered. Details surround Jane Does death are scarce. (Courtesy. Officials would then compare that profile against the missing people in the NameUs database to begin building leads. Fennell spoke with the media about losing his fiance. Jimmy then pointed out one of the tennis shoes that was lying on the passenger floorboard. With that said, certain aspects of a criminal investigation are protected from public release to avoid hindering or jeopardizing the integrity of the investigation. Stacey Stites moved in with Fennell in an upstairs apartment in the same building as her mother. Bastrop Police Chief Allen Campbell says they're not confirming Lee was the one found dead until autopsy results come back, but in the meantime, they're leaving no stone unturned. The woman was identified as Shalynn Jones of Compton, according to the Los . Eleven years after Stites murder, Texas Rangers investigated Fennell after a woman named Connie Lear accused him of raping her while he had her in custody. Firefighters Discover Man's Body While Battling Apartment Fire in South L.A. Police Investigate No-Hit Shooting in Long Beach, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. If I wouldnt have known her, I wouldnt have been associated with her [and] I wouldnt be in this situation, Reed told ABC News in a 2019 jailhouse interview. HARAHAN, La. They're still investigating, but Campbell says they hope to have a suspect, or a better idea of what happened, soon. (AP) A Louisiana woman accused of killing her boyfriend's 6-year-old daughter and leaving . (AP) A Louisiana woman accused of killing her boyfriend's 6-year-old daughter and leaving the child's body in a bucket outside the home where the girl's mother lives has been jailed without bond in a New Orleans suburb, authorities said. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Goertz said that the outside agency is speculating that Jane Does death may be linked to the notorious serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, who confessed to hundreds of killings in the 1980s and died from natural causes in 2001 while on death row. If there is no overriding reason, such as public safety concerns, announcement of an investigation is often delayed for various reasons. In no way am I denying that he committed a crime or that he didn't deserve to go to prison, because there was misconduct-- that he admitted and took responsibility for, Fennells attorney Phillips said. The all-white jury unanimously decided Reed was guilty. When officers responded to the scene, they found Lenora Lawhon dead in the couples home. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). Eric Licas is a crime and public safety reporter for the Daily Pilot. According to the report from the 2007 Ranger investigation, other women had come forward with allegations of sexual assault and misconduct against Fennell. 2023 FOX Television Stations, North Austin neighborhood sees relief after flooding from storms, Wife arrested after shooting husband in Buckeye while kids were home, police say, Army says helicopters crashed in mountains, fair weather, Williamson County Deputies Association raising funds to give bikes to students with perfect attendance, 2 high schoolers killed, 4 others hurt in shooting at house party in Mississippi, Texas: The Issue Is - Armed officers on Texas school campuses, Texas: The Issue Is - Rep. 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He slammed me up against the back of his patrol car, on the side of it, she said. That defendant divulged details of the bodys condition and location to sufficiently convince law enforcement at the time that he was the party responsible for the death, the district attorney offices motion for inquest read. "My babies, my kids, my grandkids, they're my heart. Stacey would pick him up at various locations, one being the H-E-B [grocery store] parking lot, Reeds former attorney Jimmie Brown said. This is an updated story. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Check for a confirmation email, and then you're all set with MyNewsLA.com! In his interview with KEYE-TV, Fennell said its hard having the finger pointed at you."It's hard when they're saying, Yeah you killed Stacey, your fiance, he said. Later the same day, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals indefinitely stayed Reed's execution. Waller says he and his fiance are not taking any chances with their familys safety. That same morning, Carol Stites got the call that her daughter didnt make it to work. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Davion Mar'Keith Veal, 22, who is wanted for murder in Bastrop County, was arrested Nov. 1 in Louisiana. It is unknown what the dispute was about, Hsu said. They had previous domestic disputes that police responded to, but there was never any physical violence, just verbal only, Hsu said. What makes the story even more bizarre for Waller is how the day started. No arrests or injuries were reported in those previous encounters. A Bastrop County grand jury declined to indict a woman accused of exploiting girls living at the Refuge Ranch, a rehabilitation center that treats survivors of sex trafficking, according to . The Bastrop police chief questioned Fennell and said he was visibly shaken and concerned, but not in a state of panic, according to the police report. Officials Sunday released the name of a 28-year-old woman whose body was found near an unused railroad track in Carson. They found Jones lying in an area overgrown with weeds near an unused railroad track in what authorities called the middle stage of decomposition. Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joseph . She really loved Jimmy.. The Bastrop Police Department is investigating the death of a woman. Days later, Fennell was charged with aggravated sexual assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated kidnapping, improper sexual activity with a person in custody and official oppression. Its sit-and-wait now. Detectives are actively following up on leads. Stites said her daughter wanted to make more money to pay for her wedding, so she got a job at a local H-E-B grocery company. Investigators said she had been raped and strangled, then left on the side of the road. Because If Stacey was killed at midnight or earlier -- and not 3 a.m., then Reed would be excluded as the killer. In a 2016 filing, the state said her account is patently unbelievable and that she failed to mention the secret affair when she spoke to police at the time of the murder. Responding officers found a man and woman who had died of gunshot wounds from a rifle, Fountain Valley Police Sgt. Stacey Stites went missing in 1996, when she was just 19. The family of a woman missing from Kyle since last month says she was found dead. [We] think that he was just upset, Dobbs said. Fennell explained he was emotional and that all he could visualize was Stites lying dead in her casket. [The medical examiner] said that, Nobody should have relied on what I said., The examiner wrote, My estimate of time of deathwas only an estimate, and should not have been used at trial as an accurate statement of when Ms. Stites died.. The last time Carol Stites said she saw her daughter was on the evening of April 22, 1996, right before she and her fianc were about to head upstairs to their apartment. Jimmy stated that it was part of a glass that Stacey drank out of, and that it was not in the truck broken like that before. Michael Woodroof, a spokesman for the county coroners office. UPDATE: The Bastrop County Sheriff's office confirmed to Fox 7 that Jessica Marie Jefferson Brown died from a single gun shot wound. The man shot the woman and then took his own life, Hsu said. I cant imagine DNA will in any way, shape or form, 40 years later, open a criminal investigation, Goertz said. On the next morning, the same family members to went to feed the animals and located an area of disturbed ground in the backyard. The gene sample collected from the skeletal remains can also be used to create a biological profile of the woman, which would estimate the womans ancestry, age and size. It hit a little close to home for me. In May of 1998, a Bastrop County jury convicted Bastrop resident Rodney Reed of the murder of a young Giddings woman, Stacey Stites. Oliver and Dobbs said they were not concerned about the polygraph results. Bastrop County law enforcement officials are relaunching an investigation into the identity of the woman, whose badly decomposed body was discovered along U.S. 290 east of Elgin by law enforcement . Lake sturgeon can grow to lengths of 8 feet and weigh up to 300 pounds. There is no further timeline available. Dr. Daniel Wescott, director of Texas States Forensic Anthropology Center who is not involved in the case, said that genetic profiles of unidentified people are often entered into the FBIs Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS, which includes the genetic profiles of missing persons, convicted offenders and forensic samples collected from crime scenes. Lisa Tanner was the prosecutor in the Stacey Stites case. I saw that Rodney had been given an execution date. It wasnt boyfriend-girlfriend, it was purely sexual.. Deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department responded around 12:50 p.m. Friday to the 20800 block of South Santa Fe Avenue, near the San Diego (405) Freeway, regarding a person down. Lake sturgeon can grow to lengths of 8 feet and weigh up to 300 pounds. Carol Stites, Stacey's mother, and her sisters, Debra Oliver and Crystal Dobbs. They found Jones lying in an area overgrown with weeds near an unused railroad track in what authorities called the middle stage of decomposition. The indictment. Police realized the red truck they saw earlier was connected to Stites, whod just been reported missing, and the team returned to the truck. He said he had hoped the jury would hear the evidence and see he was innocent. Raul Anthony Caballero was flown to the hospital by helic Photo of Sofia Vera. Or what if.. A resident called 911 early Sunday and summoned officers to a residence on 17000 block of Santa Suzanne Street . None of them look like me, Reed told ABC News. So little is known after Yuridia Espinoza's body was found in a grave on March 27 near Elgin. The woman was identified as Shalynn Jones, according to the Los Angeles County coroners office. It's awfully hard to find this evidence credible that he miraculously has this secret affair with this girl and somehow, his semen hangs around for several days, Tanner said. "It hit a little close to home for. There was an impressive response to the scene, according to local independent investigator David Fisher. It raked away the dirt that had been the final resting place of "Jane Doe," an unidentified woman whose remains were buried at the unmarked grave site on June 21, 1979. She earned an extra 50 cents an hour to work in the produce department, but had to get to work very early in the morning. The officer called it in but nothing seemed amiss, so the officer continued on his patrol. Family and relatives of a woman found dead three weeks ago in Bastrop County are demanding answers. ". City and county officials are calling this data extremely concerning. In the area where the vehicle was found the mailboxes are down, a stop sign appears to have been ripped off its post and trees are damaged. BASTROP, La. One of Stites coworkers at H-E-B came forward in 2014, and in an affidavit she claimed Stites told her she was having an affair with Reed. BASTROP COUNTY, Texas The Bastrop County Sheriff's Office is investigating after a teenage woman was found shot dead on FM 1704 last month. Experts for the defense also claim the time of Stites death was hours earlier than the 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. window the prosecution argued at Reeds original trial. And the scientific facts and findings have proven that he is innocent. Required fields are marked *. I think he felt bad that he didn't get up and take her to work that day., Fennell himself has always maintained his innocence. That is very powerful scientific evidence that again, the time of death is way before that 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. window of the prosecution's case.. I didn't do it.. Bastrop County's tip line is (866) 930-TIPS. She was into everything and did everything, and friends with everybody.. According to a police report, Fennell allegedly told one of his colleagues he was going to try to get intelligence from her. I'm hurt to the core. Now, county officials are waiting to see if the woman's genes closely resemble a sample already in the system, or a sample that may be entered into the system in the future. The sheriff's office said he had unexplained puncture wounds to his body and neck and he was unable to talk. Fennell was given two polygraphs in the months following Stites death. It says that a preliminary autopsy report indicates that 29-year-old Samantha Dean died of an apparent gunshot. DNA forensics was still in its infancy at the time of Stites murder. In the sentencing hearing, Reeds defense team says prosecutors presented a series of unadjudicated allegations against Reed. A spokesperson could not be reached to determine Jones city of residence. Police found a broken piece of belt with the buckle attached, just outside of the drivers door. She was lying face down. He's had the same values I was raised with. Tami Amen, who was friends with Stacey Stites in high school, said Stites had a carefree personality and was always cracking jokes. Phillips told ABC News that Fennell was not in any way involved or connected to Stites murder. 19-year-old found dead in Bastrop Stacey Stites was the youngest of Carol Stites' five children. The search is on for answers, and whoever is responsible, for killing a young man from Bastrop. City News Service contributed to this report. Carol Stites remembered how Fennell said goodbye to his fiance. In October 2007, police were called to an apartment complex where Lear and her boyfriend were attending a friends party, after a neighbor complained that the couple was having a drunken argument. Stacey Stites was weeks away from marrying her fianc when she went missing. I didn't want to get involved, she said. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Ive stayed out here by this fire and watched just to make sure what if someone came back. Family mourns teen they say was found dead in Bastrop, 10-year-old shot during argument, Marion man arrested, Black mans decapitated remains found after he warned his mom he was targeted by truckloads of white guys, KNOE Sunday Night Forecast with Jake Lambright, KNOE Sunday Evening Forecast with Jake Lambright, KNOE Saturday Night Forecast with Jake Lambright. There are outliers and I also understand that. Ive kept my gun on me at all times, I didnt even let my daughters stay the night here last night. Family members say getting the phone call from police, hearing he was found dead, was like a punch in the gut. Reed has been charged with raping Chapman and Hamby, but denies the charges. Those who choose to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477. A hearing for the defense to present new evidence, including questions about Stites time of death, has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I'll think about it. All the bridal stuff was still sitting on my dining room table, she said. Fast forward to 2014, and I'm at work and I jump on Facebook. They were identified as Janet Vu Thuy Pham, 34, and Wyatt James Rock, 36, both of Fountain Valley, according to Orange County Sheriffs Sgt. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies responded around 12:50 p.m. to the . 14 children and 1 teacher were killed in the Uvalde school shooting, officials confirm, Moriah Wilson murder: What we know so far about the crime and Kaitlin Armstrong, Example video title will go here for this video. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Who was the suspected gunman in the Uvalde school shooting? Bastrop Police Chief Allen Campbell says they're not confirming Lee was the one found dead until autopsy. ELGIN, Texas The Bastrop County Sheriff's Office has charged a man with murder after an Elgin woman was found buried in a backyard earlier this month. But once we knew that she had been raped, our emotions were like, it had to be somebody else.. And never once have I ever had a case where I didn't at some point say, gosh, I wish law enforcement would have done whatever it is, X.. And her voice will be heard, Oliver said. He ended up pleading guilty to improper sexual activity with a person in custody, and kidnapping. They hope to present new evidence at a hearing thats been delayed due to the pandemic. Schlueter later pointed out Rodney Reed in a photo array. David Board said there were bodily fluids on the floorboard of the truck. Officials said the investigation began. Both he and the victim are from El Salvador. Hsu described the man who died as a suspect in the killings. All were trying to do is put a name and a face to an unknown body, and the best way we got to do that these days is through DNA.. Raymerio Lee, known as "Red" by family and friends, has been missing since Monday. Prosecutors responded that the truck had been fully gone over and processed for evidence. They also questioned why his truck was returned to him within days after the murder. He was charged on Friday with murder with a bond set at $1 million. I thought he was heaven sent. They moved in together and they said, We're engaged. The defense says that time of death is the key to proving Reeds innocence. He wasn't a child without love, we loved that baby," Carter said. City and county officials are calling this data extremely concerning. Both resided in the home. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. She was like the white tornado, she told 20/20. That's exactly what they called her when she was little. She worked hard for that wedding dress, and we all decided that that's what she should be buried in.. Stacey Stites was just 19 when she was killed in 1996. Well send you the latest headlines every morning and every weekday afternoon. Exiting were photographers, serologists, physical evidence collection people. Please reload the page and try again. Her normal route to work was on Highway 21 through Bastrop.. It was really sad, said Michael Waller. The prosecutor of the case is Assistant District Attorney Mike Fontenot.
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