Officers said they responded to a call shortly after 2:30 p.m. in Orchidland. No arrests or injuries were reported in those previous encounters. Stacey Stites and her fianc Jimmy Fennell. Former Bastrop Police Det. A woman is found dead inside of a crashed vehicle in Bastrop County but deputies say the fatal injuries were from something else. They were identified as Janet Vu Thuy Pham, 34, and Wyatt James Rock, 36, both of Fountain Valley, according to Orange County Sheriffs Sgt. It's a concoction of creative, brilliant lawyers trying to save a condemned man -- who is worthily condemned, I might add., Prosecutor Lisa Tanner agreed that Reed, not Fennell, is guilty, saying that she is still sure the right man has been convicted beyond a reasonable doubt of Stacey Stites murder.. 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. The sentencing is set to be held on July 6 in the Bastrop courthouse at 1 p.m. BASTROP, La. The Bastrop County Sheriffs Office and the District Attorneys Office have declined to reveal details of the case as well as the identity of the man who claims he killed the unidentified woman. Stacey Stites was weeks away from marrying her fianc when she went missing. Sign up here for our free newsletters. DNA forensics was still in its infancy at the time of Stites murder. Officials said on Tuesday he remains in the hospital under guard. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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. Therefore, the analyst said, if someone matched the DNA, it would indicate they committed the murder. Investigators would not confirm where she was shot or what kind of gun was used or if the murder was random or that she had been targeted. We know for sure that, 100% positive, that Rodney Reed murdered my sister., 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. The examiner determined he was deceptive in both answers, according to the examiners report. 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. Were not looking to solve a crime here, Goertz said, as he drove from the Elgin Cemetery on June 19. All rights reserved. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). On the next morning, the same family members to went to feed the animals and located an area of disturbed ground in the backyard. On the day that her body was found, Sheriff Maurice Cook refused to comment on the evidence or . 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. Forensically speaking, they did everything that was available to examine the truck forensically at the time, Tanner said. Brown said when Reed learned of Stites murder, Reed told him he was afraid because he knew he was a Black male having sex with a white girl in Bastrop, and how that could be seen as unacceptable. The officer called it in but nothing seemed amiss, so the officer continued on his patrol. I'll think about it. 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. Reeds court-appointed attorney Clay-Jackson said she and her co-counsel, Calvin Garvie, only had two months to prepare for the trial. It was awful, Oliver said. We're getting married, that was just about them, Carol Stites said. He had the wedding ring in his hand, and he put the wedding ring on her finger, she said. The defense ran into a major problem when Clay-Jackson said no one could testify to Stites and Reeds relationship. 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. In 1984, five years after the bones were discovered, Texas Rangers and Bastrop County sheriff investigators reopened the case after someone in their custody confessed to the womans murder, according to an inquest order executed earlier this month. Those who choose to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477. I wasnt seeing racism like that.. When we take this to the actual medical examiner who testified, he gives us a sworn statement, said Bryce Benjet, senior attorney at the Innocence Project, who is representing Reed. Well send you the latest headlines every morning and every weekday afternoon. ET on ABC.*. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). The sheriff's office said he had unexplained puncture wounds to his body and neck and he was unable to talk. So little is known after Yuridia Espinoza's body was found in a grave on March 27 near Elgin. The suspect in the death of a young woman in Elgin is in the hospital after a police chase Wednesday. But, this is the situation that was handed to me so I have [to] accept that I did know her. Her body was found in the parking lot at 118 Stephen F. Austin Boulevard at about 2 a.m. Wednesday morning. Well send you the latest headlines every morning and every weekday afternoon. By the time she was discovered there was not enough soft tissue to where you could tell whether shed been stabbed or raped or anything. Tanner said Investigators could not figure out how he wouldve gotten back home after the murder. (KNOE) - UPDATE: The trial of Dr. Tod Lawhon, a Bastrop dentist who shot and killed his wife in 2020, has come to a close. 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 . UPDATE: The Bastrop County Sheriff's office confirmed to Fox 7 that Jessica Marie Jefferson Brown died from a single gun shot wound. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Not based on any of the credible evidence or physical evidence or forensic evidence, Phillips said. The Bastrop County Sheriff's Office also addressed its delay in releasing information on the case. At the location, officers found . It was definitely stressful for her just because she had to work and come home and she was expected to do laundry, clean, Amen said. Fennell was given two polygraphs in the months following Stites death. Required fields are marked *. According to the report from the 2007 Ranger investigation, other women had come forward with allegations of sexual assault and misconduct against Fennell. 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. 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. The Bastrop County Sheriff's Office released the following statement: "There have been a few Facebook posts criticizing the Sheriffs Office for not posting details of a recent Murder investigation. 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. Ive stayed out here by this fire and watched just to make sure what if someone came back. Stacey Stites was just 19 when she was killed in Bastrop, Texas. According to a police report, Fennell allegedly told one of his colleagues he was going to try to get intelligence from her. The woman was identified as Shalynn Jones, according to the Los Angeles County coroners office. She worked hard for that wedding dress, and we all decided that that's what she should be buried in.. BASTROP, La. A spokesperson says the person will be interviewed. Prosecutors responded that the truck had been fully gone over and processed for evidence. Once entered into CODIS, the unidentified womans genetic sample can be compared against the 18 million samples in the database. Ive kept my gun on me at all times, I didnt even let my daughters stay the night here last night. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Check for a confirmation email, and then you're all set with MyNewsLA.com! 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. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? She was really excited about getting married. The victim has been identified as 32-year-old Jessica Marie Jefferson Brown from Cedar Creek. Fennell spoke with the media about losing his fiance. He said he had hoped the jury would hear the evidence and see he was innocent. Race played a big part. 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. She's buried with that wedding ring, and she's buried in her wedding dress. Whoops! During his time on death row, Sister Helen Prejan became his spiritual adviser, and her relationship with Mr. Willie and another death row prisoner, Elmo Patrick Sonnier, was eventually dramatized in the 1995 film . 19-year-old found dead in Bastrop Stacey Stites was the youngest of Carol Stites' five children. There is no further timeline available. Im proud of the work my entire staff did on this case, Tew said. My memory of that is my mom just sitting in her chair, just [repeating,] My baby. 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. 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(KTVE/KARD) On Monday, the Bastrop Police Department responded to a fatal shooting that occurred on 915 E. Cypress Ave, where officers were notified of a woman who had been. The defense says that time of death is the key to proving Reeds innocence. He was engaged to the woman, and they had been in a romantic relationship with each other for at least three years. 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. Anyone with information on the death was asked to call the Sheriffs Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Officials would then compare that profile against the missing people in the NameUs database to begin building leads. A resident called 911 early Sunday and summoned officers to a residence on 17000 block of Santa Suzanne Street . He is facing up to 40 years in prison. And her voice will be heard, Oliver said. Family members say getting the phone call from police, hearing he was found dead, was like a punch in the gut. 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. 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. Saturday, June 13, 2020, on Spanish Town Road near N. 10th Street in Baton Rouge, La. Just 19 years old at the time, Stites didnt show up for work one morning in 1996, and was found dead hours later. The search is on for answers, and whoever is responsible, for killing a young man from Bastrop. Her body was found in the parking lot at 118 Stephen F. Austin Boulevard at about 2 a.m. Wednesday morning. Sofia Vera, 19, was found lying in the roadway on . I stand on that. His DNA had been collected and stored in the system, though those charges were ultimately dropped. in Bastrop. Last year, Texas officials granted Reed an indefinite stay of execution to examine claims that Reed is actually innocent. In the affidavit, the seller said that Fennell then said, If you ever cheat on me, I will kill you and no one will ever know about it.". Deputies found Ambrosio Gonzales shot and killed in his car on May 24. . There was an impressive response to the scene, according to local independent investigator David Fisher. I sat out here all night.. they aint gonna sleep here tonight either he said confidently. Your email address will not be published. Officials Sunday released the name of a 28-year-old woman whose body was found near an unused railroad track in Carson. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Alicia Slater, 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's had the same values I was raised with. Anthony Bernard Fender, 31, of Tustin, was arrested Monday after a grand jury indictment alleged he sold fentanyl powder that led to the death of a 40-year-old man, officials said. In May of 1998, a Bastrop County jury convicted Bastrop resident Rodney Reed of the murder of a young Giddings woman, Stacey Stites. He slammed me up against the back of his patrol car, on the side of it, she said. The state argued that none of these methods establishing the time of death are totally reliable or have pinpoint accuracy, and Dr. Baden agreed. Many people in her life, from coworkers to acquaintances, were asked to provide a sample but no matches came up, including her fianc. I have to accept that there was a relationship. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. His truck was found in Bastrop and he was home in Giddings, Texas, which is some 30 miles away. The police told me that his name was Rodney Reed.. "My babies, my kids, my grandkids, they're my heart. Officials Sunday released the name of a 28-year-old woman whose body was found near an unused railroad track in Carson. Lawhon is currently booked in the Bastrop jail, and his bond has been revoked. It is unknown what the dispute was about, Hsu said. He says the way the blood settled in the front of Stites body suggests she was killed before 3 a.m. and her body laid in a different position for hours before she was found on her back. The family of a woman missing from Kyle since last month says she was found dead. Stites body was found off a rural road outside of Bastrop around 3:30 p.m. that day. April 27, 2023, at 2:14 p.m. Sheriff: Woman Held in Death of Child, 6, Found in a Bucket. That's what I'm tryin' to do I have to hold onto my faith, and stand on this truth and the facts. When deputies arrived they found a female dead inside the vehicle with injuries they say aren't consistent with a traffic crash. . BASTROP COUNTY, Texas The Bastrop County Sheriff's Office is investigating after a teenage woman was found shot dead on FM 1704 last month. The Innocence Project, a non-profit legal organization that works to free wrongly convicted people, picked up Reeds case in 2012. Lisa Tanner was the prosecutor in the Stacey Stites case. We cant give too much information, because even though we may have a glimmer of who we think this might be, we cant reveal that because we dont know that, Cook 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. This guy was here and it was just about everything that I wanted in a son-in-law. My son was arrested for the murder of Stacey Stites, said his mother Sandra Reed. The body was taken to the Travis County Medical Examiner's Office in Austin to determine the cause of death. The prosecutor of the case is Assistant District Attorney Mike Fontenot. Read below for previous information. Brown explained thats why, at first, he said he didnt know her. Lawhons attorney is a Monroe-based lawyer, Lavalle Salomon. They're still investigating, but Campbell says they hope to have a suspect, or a better idea of what happened, soon. Bastrop County Sheriff Maurice Cook, District Attorney Bryan Goertz and other county officials looked on last week as Dr. Harrell Gill-King, director of University of North Texas Center for Human Identification, extracted bone samples from the woman's decaying skeletal remains. In the sentencing hearing, Reeds defense team says prosecutors presented a series of unadjudicated allegations against Reed. The Bastrop County Sheriff's Office says it got a call just after 4 a.m. about a vehicle that ran into a tree at the intersection of North Main Street and Old Highway 40. In an interview with ABC News Deborah Roberts, Roberts pointed to research suggesting sperm can last 72 days or longer. (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 . Ed Salmela wrote in a police report. It was -- from a separate, earlier sex assault complaint against Reed. Jimmy then pointed out one of the tennis shoes that was lying on the passenger floorboard. Bunnak Landon, 43, of Harahan, was booked Wednesday on charges of first-degree murder . The lead DNA analyst in the case said the semen found in Stites body had been deposited at the same time as her killing. "It hit a little close to home for. I knew it was a lie instantly. There are outliers and I also understand that. 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 Innocence Project has brought nine new witnesses in their most recent appeal. She was looking for what everybody does, young love, Amen said. Reed has been charged with raping Chapman and Hamby, but denies the charges. They hope to present new evidence at a hearing thats been delayed due to the pandemic. Sign up here for our free newsletters. Hopefully theyll patrol the area a little more, like I said weve been hearing gunshots a lot more around here. 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. Raul Anthony Caballero was flown to the hospital by helic Photo of Sofia Vera. 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. She was lying face down. They asked Fennell, who had arrived at the scene, to unlock the truck and point out anything unusual. The complaint and search warrant were initially sealed by the court to avoid compromising the investigation.". Calm Monday; watching for storm chances Thursday evening into Friday, Austin group hosts vigil for those affected by violent crimes, Mammatus clouds over Central Texas as severe threat comes to an end. Another new witness, Charles Wayne Fletcher, was a former member of the Bastrop County Sheriff's Department. Police found a broken piece of belt with the buckle attached, just outside of the drivers door. 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. ( 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. The two had been in a relationship for several years, Hsu said. 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. City and county officials are calling this data extremely concerning. I've seen that stuff on the news and stuff like that, but I don't know that person.. Linda Schlueter, who was also around Stites age, was attacked and had her car stolen seven months after Stites death. Raul Anthony Caballero was flown to the hospital by helicopter after he . *Update* The Bastrop County Sheriff's Office has identified the woman who was found in a parking lot in the 100 block of Stephen F. Austin Blvd. I thank the world for the support.. 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. Your email address will not be published. 1) Robert Lee Willie. I thought he was heaven sent. "She was like the white tornado," she told "20/20." "That's exactly what they called her when she was little. Investigators determined her sex based off the morphology of the skeletons pelvis, which they said was broken at the time they found her body. Oliver and Dobbs said they were not concerned about the polygraph results. I'm not gonna lie to you and tell you that, oh, it was okay. The successful conclusion of an investigation is paramount to public safety. He also initially denied dating her and was asked to provide a DNA sample. Didnt really know exactly what it was or what caused it, but it was unusual, he said. Stacey would pick him up at various locations, one being the H-E-B [grocery store] parking lot, Reeds former attorney Jimmie Brown said. 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. Law enforcement officials and archeologists gathered around a grave site on June 19 in Elgin as a backhoe carefully clawed at the ground. 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. Exiting were photographers, serologists, physical evidence collection people. They say now, all they can do is hope police find answers soon. He was charged on Friday with murder with a bond set at $1 million. *Watch the full story on "20/20" TONIGHT at 9 p.m. He ended up pleading guilty to improper sexual activity with a person in custody, and kidnapping. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies responded around 12:50 p.m. to the . 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. Angela Hamby, 12, was raped in September 1989, and prosecutors said that evidence from her case also matched Reeds DNA. I have to accept that Im here now for something that I didnt do.. You try to figure it out in your head what happened and how did it happen? We're gonna get the truth out there. 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. He previously spent four years as a staff writer with the Orange County Register and the Southern California News Group. Officials Sunday released the name of a 28-year-old woman whose body was found near an unused railroad track in Carson. Bastrop County Sheriff Maurice. Staceys murder went unsolved for nearly a year. The body of a woman in what authorities said was the middle stage of decomposition was found Friday in Carson. The man was identified as Josue Saravia-Argweta, 34. Carol Stites, Stacey's mother, and her sisters, Debra Oliver and Crystal Dobbs. The Bastrop Police Department is investigating a homicide after a woman's body was found in the woods on Sunday afternoon. 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 added that the family of the female reported they were concerned because she had gone missing. 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. Read More 4873 LA-139, Collinston, LA 71229 Louisiana Bastrop LA-139 source: Bing 0 view Oct 02, 2022 12:48pm Anyone with information on the death was asked to call the Sheriffs Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. 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. 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. Her body was found just hours later. This is the one who attacked me. They haven't made any funeral arrangements just yet. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Man and woman found dead after reports of argument in Fountain Valley bedroom. They found Jones lying in an area overgrown with weeds near an unused railroad track in what authorities called the middle stage of decomposition. Responding officers found a man and woman who had died of gunshot wounds from a rifle, Fountain Valley Police Sgt. Its sit-and-wait now. But you leave it to God.. (AP) A Louisiana woman accused of killing her boyfriend's 6-year-old daughter and leaving . I dont know. HARAHAN, La. 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.. Every year, Smithville has their jamboree. 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. The body of Jessica Jefferson Brown was found behind the wheel, but with injuries not consistent with a car crash. Relatives of a female who lived at the residence with the suspect found him injured in the driveway. 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.
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woman found dead in bastrop la