Marshals, Texas Rangers and the police officers from Portland, where the attack occurred, detained Strickland and his wife, Laura Kimberly, 23. Ammunition found in his possession was identified as the same ammunition used in the killings of Boone and Turner. The document also requestedthe results of DNA testing conducted ona pubic hair that was found onChapa's body. She is charged with tampering with evidence in connection with the 2012 attack on Mollie Olgin and Mary Kristene Chapa. Spellman had been staying with his father's best friend just down the street from the scene of the crime. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Ultimately, David Malcolm Strickland was arrested and later found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. His attorney, Cynthia Orr, told the Caller-Times that the type of DNA testing technology that would be conducted on a piece of pubic hair found on Chapa was not available during the time of Strickland's trial. We need time to let it sink and just process the news we've waited on for 2 years. The two teenagers were found in tall grass on a park overlook in the small town near Corpus Christi, where one of the two victims attended school. Photo: Portland Police Department, Laura Strickland, 23, was arrested June 20, 2014, in Helotes. Roel Garza, 52, allegedly shot and killed wife Jennifer Phillips, 36, and their sonEli Garza, 5. DNA testing was previously pending ona pubichair found on Chapa. In the last 5 years Portland has seen increasing violent crime and decreasing property crime. Mary Kristene Chapa, 18, and her girlfriend, Mollie Olgin, 19, were shot in the head at Violet Andrews Park in Portland, Texas on June 22. When his phone was tracked, records showed that it was present in the locality of the Chapa family residence around the time the letter was delivered. The case garnered national attention and sparked outrage amongst the public, as homophobia initially was suspected to be a motivating factor in the crime. "He's behind bars because of me, so he's watching this right now.". "Once we have a warrant, we start doing everything on our end to find the person as quickly as possible," Bozeman said. Officers described finding a tragic, horrifying murder scene at the home in northeast Portland. Members and supporters of the gay community held a vigil on Wednesday, June 27, 2012 in San Francisco, Calif., at the corner of Castro and Market Streets for Mollie Olgin and Mary Kristene Chapa, two lesbian teens who were shot on Friday near Corpus Christi, Texas. It was sufficient evidence for the jury, and, regardless of the veracity of this alleged DNA test results is still sufficient evidence to sustain the conviction," the motion states. Furthermore, when the letter was delivered, Kristenes family saw a black sedan in the area. Olgin died from her wounds, but Chapa is currently recovering in a local hospital. Roel Garza, 52, allegedly shot and killed wife Jennifer Phillips, 36, and their son Eli Garza, 5. PORTLAND, Texas Portland police confirm a double-homicide suicide took place early Saturday morning. [8] The letter accused a Layton, Utah, man of the murder of Olgin; police found that the man had an alibi. His sentence will automatically be appealed. "My body will never be 100% again. Olgin died at the scene and Chapa is in stable condition in the hospital. Portland, OR 97006 (503) 906-1249; Olgin had already died of a gunshot wound to the head, and Chapa was in grave condition but survived to tell about the ordeal. Authorities said last year they didnt believe the attack was a hate crime, but they hadnt established a motive. When police arrived, they found the front door open, and found a family of three, 5-year-old Eli Garza, 36-year-old Jennifer Phillips, and 52-year-old Roel Garza dead in the child's bedroom. Chapa spoke on Tuesday to "The View's" co-hosts including Sunny Hostin, host of the show "Truth About Murder," who revisits the investigation with Chapa about the attack, her miraculous recovery and testifying during Strickland's trial. "We don't want that person to have knowledge of the warrant and be tipped off.". Almost exactly two years earlier, on June 22, 2012, Mollie Olgin, 19, and her girlfriend, Mary Kristene Chapa, who was then 18, were found in a birdwatching area at Violet Andrews Park in Portland near Corpus Christi. [4][7] The Texas Appeals Court affirmed the conviction and sentence in November 1993. Since joining the Houston Chronicle staff in 1998, she has covered various beats, including criminal courts and transportation. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. Gay rights groups have called for a thorough police investigation into the fatal shooting of a teenage woman and wounding of her girlfriend in the park. Marshals Service Lone Star Fugitive Task Force for help in finding and apprehending the couple. As the investigation carried on, there was a break in the case in June 2014 when Kristenes father received an anonymous letter in the mail. Roel Garza did not have a history of violence before the murder-suicide, cops said. Chapa is currently taking college courses while writing a book about her experience. This is a carousel. After an investigation, police confirmed that Garza shot his child and wife, and then took his own life shortly after hanging up with Portland PD. I do miss it a lot and, like, even being able to pick up my niece and nephews. The motion also states the evidence presented at trial is "insufficient to sustain Strickland's conviction. Two young women believed to be in a romantic relationship were apparently shot by a mysterious assailant in Portland, Texas Friday night. Dateline originally aired an episode on the case in 2017 after a San Patricio County Judge found David Strickland, a Portland, Texas, man, guilty of capital murder. Marshals and Texas Rangers in the San Antonio suburb of Helotes, local media reported. 0:59 David Strickland was not the person who killed a 19-year-old in a Portland park, and new DNA evidence proves it, attorneys for Strickland say. Plz, help.. Vigils were held across the county by the LGBT community, and some suspected the case could be a hate crime. Shell casings collected from the crime scene then matched one of Davids firearms. Jason Haas and Veronika Fimbres embrace during a vigil. Carol Christian reports on breaking news for chron.com. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. "All my supporters; they've been there. Under the police timeline, the father killed his family, made the 911 call and then died by suicide. [16], In 2017, Kristene Chapa filed a lawsuit against David Strickland, his father Larry Joe Strickland, and Taft Pharmacy, the family business, seeking $500 million in damages. People write messages of support on a banner during a vigil for Mollie Judith Olgin, 19, and Mary Kristene Chapa, 18, at Cal Anderson Park on Friday, June 29, 2012. He was also seen talking to people at the crime scene, telling them that his partner, Laura, knew one of the victims. The biological evidence then became a point of contention, seemingly highlighting his potential involvement in the crime. Strickland's appealis still making it's way through the legal system. WebAMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - Police say a Texas mother has been charged with murder in the death of her 2-month-old baby, KFDA reports. According to police, around 1:30 a.m., a man called 911 and told officers he was distraught and to go to Escondido St. The episode can be streamed on the NBC app or online atwww.nbcnews.com/dateline. PORTLAND, Texas Portland police confirm a double-homicide suicide took place early Saturday morning. [7], In January 2019, McFadden was linked by DNA via GEDmatch to the July 24, 1979 murder of Anna Marie Hlavka; Anna was found dead by her sister inside her apartment. The Layton man was tracked down, but he had a solid alibi for the night of the murder. Its apparent in the investigation that once the suspect Mr. Garza made the call to the police department, he committed suicide in the bedroom where the wife and child had already been killed, Cory said. But he could smile at my family and taunt them," she continued. The city carved $16 million, or 7%, out of its police budget last year. Nearly two years after a teenager and her girlfriend were both shot in the head on a grassy hillside in South Texas, killing one of them and leaving the other with serious injuries, authorities have arrested a man in the attack. The investigators worked the case, eventually arresting the culprit, David Strickland. A man murdered his wife and young son, made a cryptic 911 call and died by suicide, according to police in Portland, Texas. 1 most stressful city for workers in U.S. Turner: State takeover of Houston ISD could happen as soon as next week, Houston rap royalty Bun B on returning to Rodeo for another Takeover, 'Call me a Nazi': Former Houston-area pastor calls for state book ban, Kevin Porter Jr. return can't end Rockets' growing losing streak, W&P Porter bowl review: A container that makes office lunch easy, A new musical spotlights a Texas bank-robbing legend. McFadden had been convicted of rape three times between 1972 and 1978, but never had to serve his full sentence. PORTLAND, Texas A husband, wife and their five-year-old son are dead after a murder suicide in the City of Portland, according to police. Emailus. Olgin died from her wounds, but Chapa is currently recovering in a local hospital. About 50 people attended the event. Mollie Judith Olgin, a 19 year old student at Texas A&M, was declared dead; Mary Christine Chapa, 18, was taken to a nearby hospital where she is said to be in serious but stable condition. A crowd of over 100 people attend a vigil for Mollie Judith Olgin, 19, and Mary Kristene Chapa, 18, at Cal Anderson Park on Friday, June 29, 2012. Elizabeth Valadez of Corpus Christi, Texas, writes a message on one of the posts Friday, June 29, 2012 as other friends and supporters write messages on a large sheet behind her during a vigil for teens Mollie Olgin and Mary Kristene Chapa at Violet Andrews Park in Portland, Texas. 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