lawmakers champion bills raising penalties for fentanyl dealers and accountability from online platforms, Mallard, shot in neck and cheek, gets second chance at life, Boats set sail from Balboa Pier to Ensenada for 75th annual race. So little is known after Yuridia Espinoza's body was found in a grave on March 27 near Elgin. That's where Stacey met Jimmy Fennell.. Stacey would pick him up at various locations, one being the H-E-B [grocery store] parking lot, Reeds former attorney Jimmie Brown said. Details surround Jane Does death are scarce. A resident called 911 early Sunday and summoned officers to a residence on 17000 block of Santa Suzanne Street . 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. I described the man The police automatically knew who he was, Schlueter told 20/20. They presented [pictures of] six Africans Americans on a piece of paper. While deputies wait on an official cause of death they are doing what they can to identify the caller so they can get a statement from him. Stacey Stites cousin, Heather Stobbs, told 20/20 that as the family was gathering together, she realized, instead of going to Stacey's wedding, now we're going to Stacey's memorial.. Mon, February 20th 2023, 10:20 AM PST. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Officials said on Tuesday he remains in the hospital under guard. Your email address will not be published. "My babies, my kids, my grandkids, they're my heart. 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. If anyone has. 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. Read More 4873 LA-139, Collinston, LA 71229 Louisiana Bastrop LA-139 source: Bing 0 view Oct 02, 2022 12:48pm Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies responded around 12:50 p.m. to the . I have a son's life to save, she said. All the bridal stuff was still sitting on my dining room table, she said. He has long maintained his innocence and claims that he and Stites had a secret, consensual relationship. According to a police report, Fennell allegedly told one of his colleagues he was going to try to get intelligence from her. BASTROP, La. But the State of Texas and Stites family believe Reed is the man who murdered her and hes exactly where he belongs. Family members say getting the phone call from police, hearing he was found dead, was like a punch in the gut. There are outliers and I also understand that. 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. This is the one who attacked me. Staceys family also considered whether Fennell might be responsible. I've seen that stuff on the news and stuff like that, but I don't know that person.. The autopsy also revealed that Dean was pregnant at the time.Bastrop County Sheriff's Office says further analysis and toxicology will be completed before a final determination of how Dean died is made. The woman was identified as Shalynn Jones, according to the Los Angeles . The lead DNA analyst in the case said the semen found in Stites body had been deposited at the same time as her killing. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison. I wasnt seeing racism like that.. The two had been in a relationship for several years, Hsu said. Carol Stites remembered how Fennell said goodbye to his fiance. The woman was identified as Shalynn Jones, according to the Los Angeles County coroners office. Reeds legal team has also raised questions about the original investigation. Another new witness, Charles Wayne Fletcher, was a former member of the Bastrop County Sheriff's Department. Officers had been called to their home multiple times over the years in response to verbal arguments, Hsu said. Last year, Texas officials granted Reed an indefinite stay of execution to examine claims that Reed is actually innocent. They hope to present new evidence at a hearing thats been delayed due to the pandemic. Well send you the latest headlines every morning and every weekday afternoon. Ultimately, Fennell was cleared as a suspect. "In the case at hand, the suspect had injuries that initially prevented him from being interviewed, so the investigation was better served to delay the release of as much information as feasible until after the injured person was interviewed. (KNOE) - UPDATE: The trial of Dr. Tod Lawhon, a Bastrop dentist who shot and killed his wife in 2020, has come to a close. Many people in her life, from coworkers to acquaintances, were asked to provide a sample but no matches came up, including her fianc. There's no 10-year sentence that frees me of the things that [Fennell] did to me.. Police found a broken piece of belt with the buckle attached, just outside of the drivers door. Oliver and Dobbs said they were not concerned about the polygraph results. Detectives are actively following up on leads. Ed Salmela wrote in a police report. The body was taken to the Travis County Medical Examiner's Office in Austin to determine the cause of death. The defense says that time of death is the key to proving Reeds innocence. . I knew we were in trouble, Clay-Jackson said. They also hope this recent crime will spark more attention from police, including additional patrols in the area. ". It also says that the specific term of Dean's pregnancy has not been fully identified.Dean was from Austin and was employed as the Victim Services Coordinator for the Kyle Police Department.The Bastrop County Sheriff's Office says it is investigating Dean's death as a homicide and is partnering with several other agencies, including Texas Rangers, the Kyle Police Department and the Austin Police Department, in the investigation.This is an update to a previous story. Your email address will not be published. Its the first step of a process, Goertz said. Therefore, the analyst said, if someone matched the DNA, it would indicate they committed the murder. Copyright 2021 KNOE. They were identified as Janet Vu Thuy Pham, 34, and Wyatt James Rock, 36, both of Fountain Valley, according to Orange County Sheriffs Sgt. 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. The original version is as follows:The Bastrop Police Department is investigating the death of a woman. We're getting married, that was just about them, Carol Stites said. 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. Hopefully theyll patrol the area a little more, like I said weve been hearing gunshots a lot more around here. Please reload the page and try again. 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 2020. I was cleaning up my yard and dragged some logs out of here trying to start a fire and never saw anything out of the ordinary and a guy stopped us and said that there was a dead body back here Waller explained. Officials say the Travis County Medical Examiner will be doing an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Hes trying to put the pieces together to create a new world for himself., This is a person that is supposed to protect you, Lear said. I saw that Rodney had been given an execution date. (KNOE) -It was on this trail right through here. MyNewsLA.com wont sell your information and you can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up here for our free newsletters. Copyright 2023 KNOE. Fennell was given two polygraphs in the months following Stites death. The Morehouse Parish Sheriffs Office said Lawhon called them to report he had shot his wife. 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. She says he told her to sit in the front of the car and realized something was wrong when they pulled into a secluded park and Fennell told her to get out. Relatives of a female who lived at the residence with the suspect found him injured in the driveway. Lawhon is currently booked in the Bastrop jail, and his bond has been revoked. A host of celebrities and politicians have rallied behind Reed as well, pushing for him to be removed from death row and be granted a new trial, and bringing national attention to the case. Stacey Stites was just 19 when she was killed in 1996. In the early morning hours of Sunday, Feb. 19, the Travis County Sheriff's Office's (TCSO) Criminal Investigations Division was sent to assist the Bastrop County Sheriff's Office regarding a. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Stites was murdered in April of 1996, and Reed was arrested a . I have to accept that Im here now for something that I didnt do.. They found Stacey on the side of a road in a bunch of wildflowers, Carol Stites remembered. When deputies arrived they found a female dead inside the vehicle with injuries they say aren't consistent with a traffic crash. HARAHAN, La. Stacey Stites was weeks away from marrying her fianc when she went missing. Bastrop County Sheriff Maurice. I cant imagine DNA will in any way, shape or form, 40 years later, open a criminal investigation, Goertz said. DNA found on her matched that of Reed. I dont know her Ive seen her walking up and down the road, she was real friendly always waved but I didnt know who she was he added. Chief Campbell says they found the body deep in the woods off of Shady Oaks Street in West Bastrop around five Wednesday afternoon, but he says it looks like it was dumped there. I thank the world for the support.. Investigators said they saw similarities between Schlueters assault and Stites murder, which led them to see if Reeds DNA was on file. Well send you the latest headlines every morning and every weekday afternoon. Your email address will not be published. Sheriff Capers said Saturday evening authorities widened the search to as far as 20 miles from the scene. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Sofia Vera, 19, was found lying in the roadway on . When officers responded to the scene, they found Lenora Lawhon dead in the couples home. The state argued that none of these methods establishing the time of death are totally reliable or have pinpoint accuracy, and Dr. Baden agreed. in Bastrop. City and county officials are calling this data extremely concerning. Or what if.. But once we knew that she had been raped, our emotions were like, it had to be somebody else.. Like I said I was trying to get logs to start a fire I pulled a log out of these bushes right here and never saw her exclaimed Waller. Every time a new person comes forward, it's more colorful and creative than the last, Phillips said. He previously spent four years as a staff writer with the Orange County Register and the Southern California News Group. Didnt really know exactly what it was or what caused it, but it was unusual, he said. BASTROP, La. Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joseph . BASTROP, La. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. City News Service contributed to this report. 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. He was raised in the church that I was raised in, she said. That information would be entered into NamUs, a federal missing persons database that collects cases from law enforcement, medical examiners, coroners and family members of missing persons. BASTROP COUNTY, Texas The Bastrop County Sheriff's Office is investigating after a teenage woman was found shot dead on FM 1704 last month. Reed has appealed his case repeatedly from 2001 through 2015. Both he and the victim are from El Salvador. 25-year-old woman found dead in burning brush off Spanish Town Road has been ID'd . Tanner said there are exceptions., There are no absolutes in science, I completely agree with that, she said. The trial is happening in courtroom one of the Morehouse Parish Courthouse. Early on I was somewhat upset, just for knowing her. Anyone with information on the death was asked to call the Sheriffs Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Officials Sunday released the name of a 28-year-old woman whose body was found near an unused railroad track in Carson. 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. The DA never, never talked to me about plea agreements, Lear said. Kyle woman found dead in Bastrop County; man charged with murder Mary Huber mhuber@statesman.com 0:00 0:29 A 33-year-old woman from Kyle who was last seen in February was found dead in. (CBS Austin file image) Detectives are investigating an early Sunday morning shooting after a woman was found dead in Bastrop County. On the day that her body was found, Sheriff Maurice Cook refused to comment on the evidence or . In the sentencing hearing, Reeds defense team says prosecutors presented a series of unadjudicated allegations against Reed. Reed has been charged with raping Chapman and Hamby, but denies the charges. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Check for a confirmation email, and then you're all set with MyNewsLA.com! Cook said the revived investigation was recently instigated by a request from an outside agency, which officials have declined to identify. 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. 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. A resident called 911 early Sunday and summoned officers to a residence on 17000 block of Santa Suzanne Street, Fountain Valley police wrote in a news release. Stacey Stites was the youngest of Carol Stites five children. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). The police told me that his name was Rodney Reed.. He wasn't a child without love, we loved that baby," Carter said. There's no way it's gonna go away.. She says he told her that if she told anybody, he would hunt me down and kill me.. The Bastrop Police Department is investigating a homicide after a woman's body was found in the woods on Sunday afternoon. He slammed me up against the back of his patrol car, on the side of it, she said. The caller said they had heard a verbal argument and a loud noise coming from a bedroom. Her body was found just hours later. (Courtesy. Prosecutors responded that the truck had been fully gone over and processed for evidence. After three hours of deliberation, the jury came back with a manslaughter guilty verdict on April 27 around 8 p.m., according to the Ouachita and Morehouse Parish District Attorney Steve Tew. Fast forward to 2014, and I'm at work and I jump on Facebook. 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. 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. She notices that he looks he's just woke up. Police initially looked at Jimmy as a suspect, which is normal given he was the fianc, Tanner said. Deputy Bryan Reyes says the door to the vehicle was ajar and she was lying on the ground next to the car. 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. April 27, 2023, at 2:14 p.m. Sheriff: Woman Held in Death of Child, 6, Found in a Bucket. 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 Bastrop County Sheriff's Office also addressed its delay in releasing information on the case. She had her plans, and now somebody's taken that away, Carol Stites said at the time of the murder. Early the next morning, a patrol officer found a red truck in Bastrop at the high school. Make sure to check back for more details as the trial continues and more information becomes available. Police arrested her boyfriend for public intoxication, put him in a patrol car and took him to the police station. Race played a big part. The Bastrop Police Department is investigating the death of a woman. Lawyers from the organization say they have the evidence to prove investigators arrested the wrong man all those years ago. . In May of 1998, a Bastrop County jury convicted Bastrop resident Rodney Reed of the murder of a young Giddings woman, Stacey Stites. Staceys sister said the family and Jimmy were devastated by her death. Bastrop dentist found guilty of manslaughter as trial comes to a close. 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.. Sign up here for our free newsletters. Fennell explained he was emotional and that all he could visualize was Stites lying dead in her casket. They say they have had plenty of leads, but no suspect has been identified, and they are considering everyone a person of interest, including members of Brown's family. Officials Sunday released the name of a 28-year-old woman whose body was found near an unused railroad track in Carson. She says he drove her home, handed her a business card, and told her they would do it again the next day. Woman found dead in roadside brush 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. Eric Licas is a crime and public safety reporter for the Daily Pilot. One is an insurance seller who was trying to convince Stites to purchase life insurance, to which Stites said shes too young and has no need for it, according to the sellers affidavit. An autopsy on the body was performed by the Travis County Medical Examiners office at the time, but there was no finding on the cause of death nor on her identity. The suspect in the death of a young woman in Elgin is in the hospital after a police chase Wednesday. Responding officers found a man and woman who had died of gunshot wounds from a rifle, Fountain Valley Police Sgt. Mr. Willie was convicted and executed in 1984 for the kidnap, rape, and murder of 18-year-old Faith Hathaway. Carol Stites hopes the world remembers her daughter was human and all she wanted to do is get married and have a baby, she said. ELGIN, Texas (KXAN) The Bastrop County Sheriff's Office said an arrest was made in connection to the murder of a woman found dead near Elgin in November. Every year, Smithville has their jamboree. 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. Phillips, told ABC News that Authorities apparently thought so little of these extraneous offenses, that none of them were ever prosecuted, nor did these women ever testify in court., Phillips says Fennell found the Lord in prison. 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. They moved in together and they said, We're engaged. 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. The cops showed up, one being Jimmy Fennell Jr., and pretty much separated us apart so that they could figure out what was going on, Lear told 20/20 about the incident. Not based on any of the credible evidence or physical evidence or forensic evidence, Phillips said. Oliver and her mother say they had no doubts that Reed is responsible for Stites murder. He found support with local politicians and activists around the country, most famously including Kim Kardashian West. He has been on the ground to cover active wildfires, civil unrest and mass shootings. It was awful, Oliver said. 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. I dont know. The Innocence Project has brought nine new witnesses in their most recent appeal. The search is on for answers, and whoever is responsible, for killing a young man from Bastrop. The man was identified as Josue Saravia-Argweta, 34. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). When you have just witness after witness after witness coming it's taking a huge toll out of your client who's told you that, no, he did not do that, she said. Bunnak Landon, 43, of Harahan, was booked Wednesday on charges of first-degree murder . MyNewsLA.com wont sell your information and you can unsubscribe at any time. The Travis County Sheriff's Office says the woman was discovered in the 100 block of Stony Point Drive, near the intersection of Pearce and Wolf lanes. Five days before his scheduled execution date, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles unanimously recommended that Texas Governor Greg Abbott grant Reed a 120-day reprieve. Waller says he and his fiance are not taking any chances with their familys safety. but maybe well get some more patrols around here. The white woman who accused Black teenager Emmett Till of making improper advances before he was lynched in Mississippi in 1955 has died in hospice care in Louisiana, a coroner's report shows. The prosecution argued that Reed abducted Stites while she was driving her fiancs truck on her way to work, raped her, strangled her and dumped her body on the road where she was found. 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. City and county officials are calling this data extremely concerning. It wouldn't have made any sense for them to keep it any longer than they did.. Whoops! The jury took less than a day to come back with a decision in the Stites case, sentencing Reed to death for her murder. I didn't realize until then that what she told me had so much of an implication in the case.. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Check for a confirmation email, and then you're all set with MyNewsLA.com! And, at the same time, I got to fight these people to save my son's life.. You try to figure it out in your head what happened and how did it happen? Raul Anthony Caballero was flown to the hospital by helic Photo of Sofia Vera. With just weeks to go before his scheduled execution, Reed garnered attention from the national media, including Dr. Phil, Oprah and The New York Times. Bastrop County law enforcement officials are relaunching an investigation into the identity of the woman, whose badly decomposed body was discovered along U.S. 290east of Elgin by law enforcement officers 40 years ago. Were not looking to solve a crime here, Goertz said, as he drove from the Elgin Cemetery on June 19. 32-year-old Yuridia Anaya-Espinosa Nava was last seen Friday, Feb. 22, at around 8 a. m. after dropping her 5 . 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. "I remember I was asking her about her engagement ring, Alicia Slater said. He's had the same values I was raised with. Betty Carter, "Red"s grandma, says she got the call from a friend, who works with Bastrop Police. Investigators said she had been raped and strangled, then left on the side of the road. Ive kept my gun on me at all times, I didnt even let my daughters stay the night here last night. APD investigating after dead body found in south Saturday, June 13, 2020, on Spanish Town Road near N. 10th Street in Baton Rouge, La. Stacey Stites went missing in 1996, when she was just 19. Family and relatives of a woman found dead three weeks ago in Bastrop County are demanding answers. It was locked, but he noted a bag of clothing in the back of the truck and a broken piece of belt with the buckle attached, just outside of the drivers door. Raymerio Lee, known as "Red" by family and friends, has been missing since Monday. ( KTVE/KARD) According to Morehouse Parish Chief Deputy James Mardis, three teenagers are dead after an early morning shooting on Bentley Street in Bastrop, La. This guy was here and it was just about everything that I wanted in a son-in-law. They argued Reed put the truck less than 0.6 miles from his home and walked home. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. But Amen said Stacey Stites became less excited about her relationship with Fennell as time went on. It wasnt boyfriend-girlfriend, it was purely sexual.. My baby.. The woman has not been identified and the cause of death has not been determined. Tami Amen, who was friends with Stacey Stites in high school, said Stites had a carefree personality and was always cracking jokes. Ive stayed out here by this fire and watched just to make sure what if someone came back. *Watch the full story on "20/20" TONIGHT at 9 p.m. Those who choose to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477. Officers said they responded to a call shortly after 2:30 p.m. in Orchidland. The Bastrop County Sheriff's Office said they were called to the scene of the crash around 4:10 a.m. Once there, they found 32-year-old Jessica Brown of Cedar Creek dead inside the car. She was looking for what everybody does, young love, Amen said. Her body was found in the parking lot at 118 Stephen F. Austin Boulevard at about 2 a.m. Wednesday morning. It hit a little close to home for me. Later the same day, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals indefinitely stayed Reed's execution. She worked hard for that wedding dress, and we all decided that that's what she should be buried in.. I sat out here all night.. they aint gonna sleep here tonight either he said confidently. Lisa Tanner was the prosecutor in the Stacey Stites case. There is no further timeline available. 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. Im proud of the work my entire staff did on this case, Tew said. The all-white jury unanimously decided Reed was guilty. We're gonna get the truth out there. They asked Fennell, who had arrived at the scene, to unlock the truck and point out anything unusual. It is unknown what the dispute was about, Hsu said. I thought maybe [the] truck broke down or something., Carol Stites said she immediately called Fennell to let him know, and he said hed be down in just a minute., He's getting dressed, he's tucking in his shirt, Tanner said. I've been doing this a long time. 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. Its sit-and-wait now. Forensically speaking, they did everything that was available to examine the truck forensically at the time, Tanner said. I'll think about it. 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. The sentencing is set to be held on July 6 in the Bastrop courthouse at 1 p.m. His inspirations include his parents, Diane Arbus, Kurt Vonnegut, Ronnie James Dio, Randy The Macho Man Savage, John Waters, and his orange tabby cat named Critter.
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