But, this is the situation that was handed to me so I have [to] accept that I did know her. Lawyers from the organization say they have the evidence to prove investigators arrested the wrong man all those years ago. (AP) A Louisiana woman accused of killing her boyfriend's 6-year-old daughter and leaving . There's no 10-year sentence that frees me of the things that [Fennell] did to me.. There's no way it's gonna go away.. Officials Sunday released the name of a 28-year-old woman whose body was found near an unused railroad track in Carson. *Watch the full story on "20/20" TONIGHT at 9 p.m. He was charged on Friday with murder with a bond set at $1 million. Hsu described the man who died as a suspect in the killings. Stacey Stites was just 19 when she was killed in 1996. There was evidence of a struggle at the truck. 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. Detectives are actively following up on leads. That's where Stacey met Jimmy Fennell.. Her family says they still don't know the cause of her death nor have they received her remains yet. 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. Woman found dead inside crashed car in Bastrop - KXAN Austin In an affidavit, Fletcher recalls Fennell saying he suspects Stites is sleeping with a Black man, while cursing and using a racial slur. But you leave it to God.. 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. And her voice will be heard, Oliver said. A spokesperson says the person will be interviewed. 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. 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. Required fields are marked *. There has never been any evidence, whatsoever, there was any type of relationship, Stites sister Debra Oliver told 20/20. Theres no notes, theres no letters, no phone records.. Once entered into CODIS, the unidentified womans genetic sample can be compared against the 18 million samples in the database. Reeds legal team has also raised questions about the original investigation. BASTROP, La. We're gonna get the truth out there. Not based on any of the credible evidence or physical evidence or forensic evidence, Phillips said. They also hope this recent crime will spark more attention from police, including additional patrols in the area. 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. They found Jones lying in an area overgrown with weeds near an unused railroad track in what authorities called the middle stage of decomposition. Investigators asked if he strangled Stites and if he was involved with her death, and to both he answered no.. Please reload the page and try again. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Davion Mar'Keith Veal, 22, who is wanted for murder in Bastrop County, was arrested Nov. 1 in Louisiana. Your email address will not be published. On the next morning, the same family members to went to feed the animals and located an area of disturbed ground in the backyard. She was into everything and did everything, and friends with everybody.. He ended up pleading guilty to improper sexual activity with a person in custody, and kidnapping. I have a son's life to save, she said. Betty Carter, "Red"s grandma, says she got the call from a friend, who works with Bastrop Police. 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. Forensically speaking, they did everything that was available to examine the truck forensically at the time, Tanner said. Reed has appealed his case repeatedly from 2001 through 2015. If anyone has. BASTROP, La. 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. I didn't realize until then that what she told me had so much of an implication in the case.. She was really excited about getting married. Linda Schlueter, who was also around Stites age, was attacked and had her car stolen seven months after Stites death. 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. But once we knew that she had been raped, our emotions were like, it had to be somebody else.. She told me that she wasn't that excited to get married, because she was sleeping with a black guy named Rodney. To hear that she was actually having an affair was shocking to begin with, but then that it was also with a black man named Rodney, she and I both, you know, proceeded to say, like, Wow, you need to be careful with this.. "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. Jimmy then pointed out one of the tennis shoes that was lying on the passenger floorboard. Last year, Texas officials granted Reed an indefinite stay of execution to examine claims that Reed is actually innocent. 2023 FOX Television Stations, North Austin neighborhood sees relief after flooding from storms, Wife arrested after shooting husband in Buckeye while kids were home, police say, Army says helicopters crashed in mountains, fair weather, Williamson County Deputies Association raising funds to give bikes to students with perfect attendance, 2 high schoolers killed, 4 others hurt in shooting at house party in Mississippi, Texas: The Issue Is - Armed officers on Texas school campuses, Texas: The Issue Is - Rep. 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Anyone with information on the death was asked to call the Sheriffs Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Or what if.. "Jimmy pointed out a piece of green colored plastic, Bastrop PD Det. He was engaged to the woman, and they had been in a romantic relationship with each other for at least three years. The family of a woman missing from Kyle since last month says she was found dead. They say now, all they can do is hope police find answers soon. They had previous domestic disputes that police responded to, but there was never any physical violence, just verbal only, Hsu said. By the time the questioning was over, he was charged with Stites sexual assault, kidnapping and murder. 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 . Lisa Tanner was the prosecutor in the Stacey Stites case. He slammed me up against the back of his patrol car, on the side of it, she said. The Morehouse Parish Sheriffs Office said Lawhon called them to report he had shot his wife. 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. Whoops! Im proud of the work my entire staff did on this case, Tew said. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Daily Pilot e-newspaper: Sunday, April 30, 2023, Newport Beach woman who survived abusive relationship uses her experience to empower others, Laguna Beach High students to install pop-up floral art mural at Promenade on Forest, Vanguard University unveils Patty Arvielo School of Business and Management, Newport to Ensenada Race: 21-year-old sailor hopes for robust winds throughout event, Daily Pilot e-newspaper: Saturday, April 29, 2023, O.C. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Check for a confirmation email, and then you're all set with MyNewsLA.com! 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. Exiting were photographers, serologists, physical evidence collection people. She really loved Jimmy.. Officials added that the family of the female reported they were concerned because she had gone missing. UPDATE: Body found in the woods identified - myarklamiss.com 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. Lawhon is currently booked in the Bastrop jail, and his bond has been revoked. Schlueter later pointed out Rodney Reed in a photo array. Stacey would pick him up at various locations, one being the H-E-B [grocery store] parking lot, Reeds former attorney Jimmie Brown said. Lawhons attorney is a Monroe-based lawyer, Lavalle Salomon. It wasnt boyfriend-girlfriend, it was purely sexual.. (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 . They said police never searched the apartment Stites shared with Fennell. "She had her plans, and now somebody's taken that away," Carol Stites said at the time of the murder. Shea Maloney, who hosts a podcast that covered the case, said Carol Stites saw her daughter and Fennell embrace outside her window, then saw them laughing and joking together as they made their way upstairs. Hawaii Island police launched a second-degree murder investigation in Puna on Friday. Bastrop dentist allegedly shot and killed his wife following a domestic dispute. Bastrop Police have yet to identify the woman, so who she is, remains a mystery. They also questioned why his truck was returned to him within days after the murder. 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. Reed said he and Stites were having an affair. According to Interim Police Chief Anthony Evans, the body was. The defense ran into a major problem when Clay-Jackson said no one could testify to Stites and Reeds relationship. Angela Hamby, 12, was raped in September 1989, and prosecutors said that evidence from her case also matched Reeds DNA. A woman is found dead inside of a crashed vehicle in Bastrop County but deputies say the fatal injuries were from something else. 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. A Bastrop County murder suspect who told sheriff's investigators he beat the victim. 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. 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. I wish [law enforcement] would have searched the apartment, Tanner told Roberts. "My babies, my kids, my grandkids, they're my heart. Copyright 2023 KNOE. He found support with local politicians and activists around the country, most famously including Kim Kardashian West. Well send you the latest headlines every morning and every weekday afternoon. He wasn't a child without love, we loved that baby," Carter said. It wouldn't have made any sense for them to keep it any longer than they did.. Kyle woman found dead in Bastrop County; man charged with murder The woman was identified as Shalynn Jones, according to the Los Angeles County coroners office. Ed Salmela wrote in a police report. Coroner Identifies Woman Found Dead Near Railroad Track in Carson Ive kept my gun on me at all times, I didnt even let my daughters stay the night here last night. Were not looking to solve a crime here, Goertz said, as he drove from the Elgin Cemetery on June 19. The all-white jury unanimously decided Reed was guilty. 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. Her body was found in the parking lot at 118 Stephen F. Austin Boulevard at about 2 a.m. Wednesday morning. I didn't want to get involved, she said. Baden also pointed to rigor mortis, or the stiffening of the body after death, that lasts for about 12 hours before the body begins to slacken again. I cant imagine DNA will in any way, shape or form, 40 years later, open a criminal investigation, Goertz said. She was lying face down. Officials say the Travis County Medical Examiner will be doing an autopsy to determine the cause of death. All the latest on Orange County from Orange County. Stacey Stites was just 19 when she was killed in Bastrop, Texas. 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 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. This guy was here and it was just about everything that I wanted in a son-in-law. I sat out here all night.. they aint gonna sleep here tonight either he said confidently. Waller says he and his fiance are not taking any chances with their familys safety. Tami Amen, who was friends with Stacey Stites in high school, said Stites had a carefree personality and was always cracking jokes. Those who choose to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477. She was like the white tornado, she told 20/20. That's exactly what they called her when she was little. If there is no overriding reason, such as public safety concerns, announcement of an investigation is often delayed for various reasons. A woman is found dead inside of a crashed vehicle in Bastrop County but deputies say the fatal injuries were from something else. 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. BCSO: Murder suspect arrested in connection to dead body found in Coroner Identifies Woman Found Dead Near Railroad Track in Carson DNA forensics was still in its infancy at the time of Stites murder. Didnt really know exactly what it was or what caused it, but it was unusual, he said. My baby.. Woman Found Dead in Carson, Circumstances Unknown Police: Large, bloody sword found alongside man suspected in gruesome Make sure to check back for more details as the trial continues and more information becomes available. Prosecutors responded that the truck had been fully gone over and processed for evidence. 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. 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 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. So little is known after Yuridia Espinoza's body was found in a grave on March 27 near Elgin. Officials Sunday released the name of a 28-year-old woman whose body was found near an unused railroad track in Carson. 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. 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. 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. Sheriff: Woman Held in Death of Child, 6, Found in a Bucket - US News Family mourns teen they say was found dead in Bastrop - KNOE *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. 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. BASTROP, La. Early the next morning, a patrol officer found a red truck in Bastrop at the high school. 25-year-old woman found dead in burning brush off Spanish Town Road has been ID'd . I saw that Rodney had been given an execution date. Raul Anthony Caballero was flown to the hospital by helicopter after he . The two had been in a relationship for several years, Hsu said. What makes the story even more bizarre for Waller is how the day started. Staceys family also considered whether Fennell might be responsible. Many people in her life, from coworkers to acquaintances, were asked to provide a sample but no matches came up, including her fianc. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Woman discovered dead with gunshot wound in Bastrop County 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.. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Deputy Bryan Reyes says the door to the vehicle was ajar and she was lying on the ground next to the car. Reeds court-appointed attorney Clay-Jackson said she and her co-counsel, Calvin Garvie, only had two months to prepare for the trial. Fennell was given two polygraphs in the months following Stites death. My memory of that is my mom just sitting in her chair, just [repeating,] My baby.