(CBS Austin file image) Detectives are investigating an early Sunday morning shooting after a woman was found dead in Bastrop County. 1) Robert Lee Willie. 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. The original version is as follows:The Bastrop Police Department is investigating the death of a woman. Family and relatives of a woman found dead three weeks ago in Bastrop County are demanding answers. I've seen that stuff on the news and stuff like that, but I don't know that person.. My son was arrested for the murder of Stacey Stites, said his mother Sandra Reed. 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. Whoops! Saturday, June 13, 2020, on Spanish Town Road near N. 10th Street in Baton Rouge, La. No arrests or injuries were reported in those previous encounters. 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. Prosecutor Lisa Tanner said Stites left home at 3 a.m. to make her 3:30 a.m. shift at the grocery story, according to Fennell. Reeds attorney, Lydia Clay-Jackson, said he denied it all.. The suspect in the death of a young woman in Elgin is in the hospital after a police chase Wednesday. "She had her plans, and now somebody's taken that away," Carol Stites said at the time of the murder. Officials would then compare that profile against the missing people in the NameUs database to begin building leads. Investigators asked if he strangled Stites and if he was involved with her death, and to both he answered no.. Bastrop dentist found guilty of manslaughter as trial comes to a close. 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 Sunday released the name of a 28-year-old woman whose body was found near an unused railroad track in Carson. Im proud of the work my entire staff did on this case, Tew said. 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. 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.. They were identified as Janet Vu Thuy Pham, 34, and Wyatt James Rock, 36, both of Fountain Valley, according to Orange County Sheriffs Sgt. According to a police report, Fennell allegedly told one of his colleagues he was going to try to get intelligence from her. Through every trial, hearing and court update, Sandra Reed is standing by her son. The indictment. Anyone with information on the death was asked to call the Sheriffs Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. In March 1997, investigators matched Reeds DNA to DNA recovered from Stites body. Family members say getting the phone call from police, hearing he was found dead, was like a punch in the gut. On the day that her body was found, Sheriff Maurice Cook refused to comment on the evidence or . Police initially looked at Jimmy as a suspect, which is normal given he was the fianc, Tanner said. I sat out here all night.. they aint gonna sleep here tonight either he said confidently. 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.. He previously spent four years as a staff writer with the Orange County Register and the Southern California News Group. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. But you leave it to God.. City and county officials are calling this data extremely concerning. Sofia Vera, 19, was found lying in the roadway on . His truck was found in Bastrop and he was home in Giddings, Texas, which is some 30 miles away. Details surround Jane Does death are scarce. 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. (KNOE) -It was on this trail right through here. 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. She's buried with that wedding ring, and she's buried in her wedding dress. . When officials investigated after obtaining a warrant, they discovered the freshly buried body of Catherin Alonzo-Lopez, 28. (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. We did not believe that Jimmy had hurt Stacey at all, said Oliver, Stites other sister. Deputy Bryan Reyes says the door to the vehicle was ajar and she was lying on the ground next to the car. Bastrop Police Chief Allen Campbell says they're not confirming Lee was the one found dead until autopsy. BASTROP, La. 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 . The sheriff's office said he had unexplained puncture wounds to his body and neck and he was unable to talk. My baby.. Breaking news for Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties. 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. Were not looking to solve a crime here, Goertz said, as he drove from the Elgin Cemetery on June 19. Michael Woodroof, a spokesman for the county coroners office. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Stites body was found off a rural road outside of Bastrop around 3:30 p.m. that day. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. *Watch the full story on "20/20" TONIGHT at 9 p.m. Because If Stacey was killed at midnight or earlier -- and not 3 a.m., then Reed would be excluded as the killer. The Bastrop County Sheriff's Office also addressed its delay in releasing information on the case. 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. On the next morning, the same family members to went to feed the animals and located an area of disturbed ground in the backyard. When he was first questioned by police, he told them, I don't know a Stacey Stites. Last year, Texas officials granted Reed an indefinite stay of execution to examine claims that Reed is actually innocent. Rodney Reed, the man whose DNA matched that found in Stites body, was convicted of her murder and has sat on death row for 22 years. (AP) A Louisiana woman accused of killing her boyfriend's 6-year-old daughter and leaving . Investigators said she had been raped and strangled, then left on the side of the road. All the latest on Orange County from Orange County. Reed said he and Stites were having an affair. A resident called 911 early Sunday and summoned officers to a residence on 17000 block of Santa Suzanne Street . Lisa Tanner was the prosecutor in the Stacey Stites case. She says he told her that if she told anybody, he would hunt me down and kill me.. The last words out of her mouth was, Mom, I love you. And I said, I know you do, Stites remembered. Mr. Willie was convicted and executed in 1984 for the kidnap, rape, and murder of 18-year-old Faith Hathaway. The man was identified as Josue Saravia-Argweta, 34. 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. Her body was found just hours later. The Innocence Project, a non-profit legal organization that works to free wrongly convicted people, picked up Reeds case in 2012. Exiting were photographers, serologists, physical evidence collection people. 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. Detectives are actively following up on leads. 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. Moody discusses HB 3 after it passed through Texas House, Austin weather: Another gorgeous day to start the work week, Hundreds of cyclists ride 150 miles to raise money and awareness for multiple sclerosis, How to get COVID tests now before it's no longer free, Pandemic pounds pushed thousands of U.S. Army soldiers into obesity, Biden signs bill to declassify information on COVID-19 origins, World Health Organization declares end date for COVID-19 'public health emergency', New study cites Wuhan raccoon dogs as possible origin of COVID-19, Nearly 90% of DPS misdemeanor arrests are people of color, data shows, 4 detained following 'military-style' weapons theft in South Austin, police say, Mass shooting gunman could be anywhere, says San Jacinto County sheriff, Man catfishing in Missouri snags prehistoric fish instead. 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. Fennell was given two polygraphs in the months following Stites death. Ed Salmela wrote in a police report. "I remember I was asking her about her engagement ring, Alicia Slater said. 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.. Officials added that the family of the female reported they were concerned because she had gone missing. Stacey Stites was just 19 when she was killed in Bastrop, Texas. They had previous domestic disputes that police responded to, but there was never any physical violence, just verbal only, Hsu said. When Fennell identified the belt found outside the truck as his fiances, he broke down, the report said. . According to the report from the 2007 Ranger investigation, other women had come forward with allegations of sexual assault and misconduct against Fennell. AUSTIN, Texas . I didn't want to get involved, she said. Who was the suspected gunman in the Uvalde school shooting? Reeds legal team has also raised questions about the original investigation. By the time the questioning was over, he was charged with Stites sexual assault, kidnapping and murder. Later the same day, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals indefinitely stayed Reed's execution. There was an impressive response to the scene, according to local independent investigator David Fisher. 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. 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. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. 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 caller said they had heard a verbal argument and a loud noise coming from a bedroom. 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 an affidavit, Fletcher recalls Fennell saying he suspects Stites is sleeping with a Black man, while cursing and using a racial slur. Required fields are marked *. "It hit a little close to home for. 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 . A deputy found the woman while doing a routine check of the lot. A Bastrop County murder suspect who told sheriff's investigators he beat the victim. It is unknown what the dispute was about, Hsu said. 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. 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. At the location, officers found . There's no 10-year sentence that frees me of the things that [Fennell] did to me.. Anyone with information on the death was asked to call the Sheriffs Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. 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. Waller says he and his fiance are not taking any chances with their familys safety. He found support with local politicians and activists around the country, most famously including Kim Kardashian West. Those who choose to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477. Its the first step of a process, Goertz said. That's why you look at all of the extraneous evidence as well in conjunction with just the DNA.. 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. City and county officials are calling this data extremely concerning. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Once entered into CODIS, the unidentified womans genetic sample can be compared against the 18 million samples in the database. We're getting married, that was just about them, Carol Stites said. He was then taken to an ambulance to an Austin-area hospital. Well send you the latest headlines every morning and every weekday afternoon. "My babies, my kids, my grandkids, they're my heart. The Bastrop Police Department is investigating the death of a woman. 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. Lawhons attorney is a Monroe-based lawyer, Lavalle Salomon. in Bastrop. A woman is found dead inside of a crashed vehicle in Bastrop County but deputies say the fatal injuries were from something else. All the bridal stuff was still sitting on my dining room table, she said. Those who choose to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477. Police determined domestic violence resulted in the murder-suicide of a couple in their 30s in Fountain Valley early Sunday morning. 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. Its sit-and-wait now. Lake sturgeon can grow to lengths of 8 feet and weigh up to 300 pounds. Early on I was somewhat upset, just for knowing her. If there is no overriding reason, such as public safety concerns, announcement of an investigation is often delayed for various reasons. The defense argued in legal filings the perpetrator would become Jimmy Fennell, because he said he was in the apartment with her that night. 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. They hope to present new evidence at a hearing thats been delayed due to the pandemic. 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. 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. 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. The defense says that time of death is the key to proving Reeds innocence. There was evidence of a struggle at the truck. 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. *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. His DNA had been collected and stored in the system, though those charges were ultimately dropped. 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. Whoops! 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. He was charged on Friday with murder with a bond set at $1 million. Staceys family also considered whether Fennell might be responsible. I'm hurt to the core. 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. The examiner determined he was deceptive in both answers, according to the examiners report. I knew it was a lie instantly. And her voice will be heard, Oliver said. Responding officers found a man and woman who had died of gunshot wounds from a rifle, Fountain Valley Police Sgt. Reed has been charged with raping Chapman and Hamby, but denies the charges. 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. 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.". Officials say the Travis County Medical Examiner will be doing an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Tanner said Investigators could not figure out how he wouldve gotten back home after the murder. 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. We're gonna get the truth out there. The successful conclusion of an investigation is paramount to public safety. I'll think about it. I wasnt seeing racism like that.. The DPS Crime Lab arrives down this dirt road in the middle of a pine forest, he said. The Morehouse Parish Sheriffs Office said Lawhon called them to report he had shot his wife. The suspect in the death of a young woman in Elgin is in the hospital after a police chase Wednesday. 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. Police realized the red truck they saw earlier was connected to Stites, whod just been reported missing, and the team returned to the truck. What makes the story even more bizarre for Waller is how the day started. The jury took less than a day to come back with a decision in the Stites case, sentencing Reed to death for her murder. He has been on the ground to cover active wildfires, civil unrest and mass shootings. They found Jones lying in an area overgrown with weeds near an unused railroad track in what authorities called the middle stage of decomposition. Prosecutors responded that the truck had been fully gone over and processed for evidence. 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. 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. Race played a big part. The body was taken to the Travis County Medical Examiner's Office in Austin to determine the cause of death. I wish [law enforcement] would have searched the apartment, Tanner told Roberts. 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 placed his utility belt and gun on the back of the car and pointed to what things were on the belt and then he jerked my pants down and he raped me., She says she didnt fight back because she was scared. He had the wedding ring in his hand, and he put the wedding ring on her finger, she said. 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. Hopefully theyll patrol the area a little more, like I said weve been hearing gunshots a lot more around here. Many people in her life, from coworkers to acquaintances, were asked to provide a sample but no matches came up, including her fianc. They argued Reed put the truck less than 0.6 miles from his home and walked home. Required fields are marked *. (KNOE) - UPDATE: The trial of Dr. Tod Lawhon, a Bastrop dentist who shot and killed his wife in 2020, has come to a close. Stacey Stites was the youngest of Carol Stites five children. Lawyers from the organization say they have the evidence to prove investigators arrested the wrong man all those years ago. I stand on that. The trial of Tod Lawhon began today, April 25. Didnt really know exactly what it was or what caused it, but it was unusual, he said. The two had been in a relationship for several years, Hsu said. The all-white jury unanimously decided Reed was guilty. I got an opportunity to be in the prison with Rodney on the day that stay came down we got a chance to tell Rodney of the stay of execution., Dobbs, Stites sister, says, It's just frustrating. 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. 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. This is a developing story. 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. MyNewsLA.com wont sell your information and you can unsubscribe at any time. Slater said she didnt come forward sooner because she was only 18 at the time and about to graduate from high school. If there is no family reference sample or no DNA match, then theres not much they can do, Wescott said. Stacey Stites went missing in 1996, when she was just 19. They also hope this recent crime will spark more attention from police, including additional patrols in the area. Stacey was always on time, she said. 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. Stacey Stites and her fianc Jimmy Fennell. UPDATE: The Bastrop County Sheriff's office confirmed to Fox 7 that Jessica Marie Jefferson Brown died from a single gun shot wound. City News Service contributed to this report. 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. Stacey Stites was weeks away from marrying her fianc when she went missing. My memory of that is my mom just sitting in her chair, just [repeating,] My baby. The woman was identified as Shalynn Jones, according to the Los Angeles . We dont even know that a homicide or a crime occurred. The complaint and search warrant were initially sealed by the court to avoid compromising the investigation.". Carol Stites remembered how Fennell said goodbye to his fiance. 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. BASTROP, La. 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. Right here in my backyard I mean its crazy I would have never thought about anything like this. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Bastrop dentist allegedly shot and killed his wife following a domestic dispute. There is no further timeline available. Upon arrival, officers discovered 29-year-old Jessica Lee dead inside of the apartment complex from at least one gunshot wound.
Fatal Accident On Hillsborough Ave Today,
Manny Yarbrough Wife,
Glenfield Model 50 12 Gauge Magazine,
Ojora Family Net Worth,
Articles W