It hit a little close to home for me. Tami Amen, who was friends with Stacey Stites in high school, said Stites had a carefree personality and was always cracking jokes. I'll think about it. 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. "She was like the white tornado," she told "20/20." "That's exactly what they called her when she was little. Bastrop County Sheriff Maurice. He slammed me up against the back of his patrol car, on the side of it, she said. Her body was found in the parking lot at 118 Stephen F. Austin Boulevard at about 2 a.m. Wednesday morning. Gill-King declined to answer questions about this case or how forensic anthropology unravels the mysteries surrounding the deaths of unidentified bodies. The sheriff's office said he had unexplained puncture wounds to his body and neck and he was unable to talk. Law enforcement officials and archeologists gathered around a grave site on June 19 in Elgin as a backhoe carefully clawed at the ground. 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. Fennell was given two polygraphs in the months following Stites death. It was awful, Oliver said. 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. A spokesperson says the person will be interviewed. Hopefully theyll patrol the area a little more, like I said weve been hearing gunshots a lot more around here. Officers had been called to their home multiple times over the years in response to verbal arguments, Hsu said. The family of a woman missing from Kyle since last month says she was found dead. Tanner said there are exceptions., There are no absolutes in science, I completely agree with that, she said. Lisa Tanner was the prosecutor in the Stacey Stites case. But, this is the situation that was handed to me so I have [to] accept that I did know her. "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. 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.". By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. 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. According to the report from the 2007 Ranger investigation, other women had come forward with allegations of sexual assault and misconduct against Fennell. 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. 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. He previously spent four years as a staff writer with the Orange County Register and the Southern California News Group. Lake sturgeon can grow to lengths of 8 feet and weigh up to 300 pounds. The state argued that none of these methods establishing the time of death are totally reliable or have pinpoint accuracy, and Dr. Baden agreed. It is unknown what the dispute was about, Hsu said. They say now, all they can do is hope police find answers soon. . Slater said she didnt come forward sooner because she was only 18 at the time and about to graduate from high school. And, at the same time, I got to fight these people to save my son's life.. 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. Man and woman found dead after reports of argument in Fountain Valley bedroom. 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.. Mr. Willie was convicted and executed in 1984 for the kidnap, rape, and murder of 18-year-old Faith Hathaway. Relatives of a female who lived at the residence with the suspect found him injured in the driveway. That's why you look at all of the extraneous evidence as well in conjunction with just the DNA.. Family members say getting the phone call from police, hearing he was found dead, was like a punch in the gut. 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. He was charged on Friday with murder with a bond set at $1 million. 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 Innocence Project, a non-profit legal organization that works to free wrongly convicted people, picked up Reeds case in 2012. The body of a woman in what authorities said was the middle stage of decomposition was found Friday in Carson. He found support with local politicians and activists around the country, most famously including Kim Kardashian West. Prosecutors responded that the truck had been fully gone over and processed for evidence. DNA found on her matched that of Reed. There's no way it's gonna go away.. Stacey was always on time, she said. Its the first step of a process, Goertz said. Bastrop Police Chief Allen Campbell says they're not confirming Lee was the one found dead until autopsy results come back, but in the meantime, they're leaving no stone unturned. Sheriff Capers said Saturday evening authorities widened the search to as far as 20 miles from the scene. 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.. Because If Stacey was killed at midnight or earlier -- and not 3 a.m., then Reed would be excluded as the killer. Officers said they responded to a call shortly after 2:30 p.m. in Orchidland. 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. With that said, certain aspects of a criminal investigation are protected from public release to avoid hindering or jeopardizing the integrity of the investigation. They hope to present new evidence at a hearing thats been delayed due to the pandemic. 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. The DPS Crime Lab arrives down this dirt road in the middle of a pine forest, he said. I've seen that stuff on the news and stuff like that, but I don't know that person.. Reed was arrested, then later released, without posting bond, in connection to Schlueters case. They found Stacey on the side of a road in a bunch of wildflowers, Carol Stites remembered. 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. A deputy found the woman while doing a routine check of the lot. The all-white jury unanimously decided Reed was guilty. The sample was taken to UNTs federally-funded DNA lab, where Gill-King and the Forensic Anthropology Unit will build a genetic profile of the woman and enter it into a federal DNA database in hopes that it might match the genetic profile of a family member already in the system. 32-year-old Yuridia Anaya-Espinosa Nava was last seen Friday, Feb. 22, at around 8 a. m. after dropping her 5 . Her arrest comes after the sheriff announced Wednesday that they were investigating a homicide after a 6-year-old girl was found dead in a bucket Wednesday morning. BASTROP, La. Stacey Stites was the youngest of Carol Stites five children. 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. 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. Bastrop dentist allegedly shot and killed his wife following a domestic dispute. We're gonna get the truth out there. (KNOE) - UPDATE: The trial of Dr. Tod Lawhon, a Bastrop dentist who shot and killed his wife in 2020, has come to a close. The Innocence Project has brought nine new witnesses in their most recent appeal. The defense argued in legal filings the perpetrator would become Jimmy Fennell, because he said he was in the apartment with her that night. 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. [The medical examiner] said that, Nobody should have relied on what I said., The examiner wrote, My estimate of time of deathwas only an estimate, and should not have been used at trial as an accurate statement of when Ms. Stites died.. Later the same day, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals indefinitely stayed Reed's execution. Phillips told ABC News that Fennell was not in any way involved or connected to Stites murder. The DA never, never talked to me about plea agreements, Lear said. ET on ABC.*. There was an impressive response to the scene, according to local independent investigator David Fisher. According to a police report, Fennell allegedly told one of his colleagues he was going to try to get intelligence from her. Every year, Smithville has their jamboree. She's buried with that wedding ring, and she's buried in her wedding dress. 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. This was quite a unique crew to show up in this little, sleepy county of Bastrop. "She had her plans, and now somebody's taken that away," Carol Stites said at the time of the murder. Race played a big part. Early on I was somewhat upset, just for knowing her. Police found a broken piece of belt with the buckle attached, just outside of the drivers door. *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 truck was found in Bastrop and he was home in Giddings, Texas, which is some 30 miles away. Former Bastrop Police Det. Mon, February 20th 2023, 10:20 AM PST. Officials added that the family of the female reported they were concerned because she had gone missing. The man shot the woman and then took his own life, Hsu said. After 10 years of hard time in a Texas prison, hes serving Christ in the mission field of the street of Austin. 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.. The defense says that time of death is the key to proving Reeds innocence. [It] was tremendous, Quinncy McNeal, an attorney on Reeds team, said. A deputy. 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. She says he told her that if she told anybody, he would hunt me down and kill me.. Michael Woodroof, a spokesman for the county coroners office. We know for sure that, 100% positive, that Rodney Reed murdered my sister., 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. To prematurely release information for the sake of being transparent, when the information could adversely affect an investigation, is not fair to the victims family, nor to the public. I thought he was heaven sent. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. BASTROP, La. Responding officers found a man and woman who had died of gunshot wounds from a rifle, Fountain Valley Police Sgt. Sign up here for our free newsletters. 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. When Fennell identified the belt found outside the truck as his fiances, he broke down, the report said. I cant imagine DNA will in any way, shape or form, 40 years later, open a criminal investigation, Goertz said. Reed has been charged with raping Chapman and Hamby, but denies the charges. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I wish [law enforcement] would have searched the apartment, Tanner told Roberts. Carol Stites, Stacey's mother, and her sisters, Debra Oliver and Crystal Dobbs. (CBS Austin file image) Detectives are investigating an early Sunday morning shooting after a woman was found dead in Bastrop County. 25-year-old woman found dead in burning brush off Spanish Town Road has been ID'd . 14 children and 1 teacher were killed in the Uvalde school shooting, officials confirm, Moriah Wilson murder: What we know so far about the crime and Kaitlin Armstrong, Example video title will go here for this video. Im proud of the work my entire staff did on this case, Tew said. In the sentencing hearing, Reeds defense team says prosecutors presented a series of unadjudicated allegations against Reed. All the bridal stuff was still sitting on my dining room table, she said. 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.. (Courtesy. Police arrested her boyfriend for public intoxication, put him in a patrol car and took him to the police station. Stacey Stites was just 19 when she was killed in Bastrop, Texas. Officials say the Travis County Medical Examiner will be doing an autopsy to determine the cause of death. No arrests or injuries were reported in those previous encounters. Schlueter later pointed out Rodney Reed in a photo array. It wasnt boyfriend-girlfriend, it was purely sexual.. The examiner determined he was deceptive in both answers, according to the examiners report. 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 . They haven't made any funeral arrangements just yet. 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 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. 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. It was -- from a separate, earlier sex assault complaint against Reed. Stacey Stites was just 19 when she was killed in 1996. 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. 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. Its sit-and-wait now. Raymerio Lee, known as "Red" by family and friends, has been missing since Monday. Investigators determined her sex based off the morphology of the skeletons pelvis, which they said was broken at the time they found her body. Raymerio Lee, known as "Red" by family and friends, has been missing since Monday. She was into everything and did everything, and friends with everybody.. Lawhon is currently booked in the Bastrop jail, and his bond has been revoked. 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. 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 *. Breaking news for Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties. The Morehouse Parish Sheriffs Office said Lawhon called them to report he had shot his wife. "Jimmy pointed out a piece of green colored plastic, Bastrop PD Det. 1) Robert Lee Willie. Reeds attorney, Lydia Clay-Jackson, said he denied it all.. 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. Officials said on Tuesday he remains in the hospital under guard. 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. Officials Sunday released the name of a 28-year-old woman whose body was found near an unused railroad track in Carson. All rights reserved. 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. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. He has long maintained his innocence and claims that he and Stites had a secret, consensual relationship. BASTROP, La. Investigators said they saw similarities between Schlueters assault and Stites murder, which led them to see if Reeds DNA was on file. They argued Reed put the truck less than 0.6 miles from his home and walked home. 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. Both resided in the home. Well send you the latest headlines every morning and every weekday afternoon. My memory of that is my mom just sitting in her chair, just [repeating,] My baby. Bastrop dentist found guilty of manslaughter as trial comes to a close. Carol Stites remembered the family had just held a bridal shower only days before. Lawyers from the organization say they have the evidence to prove investigators arrested the wrong man all those years ago. 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. When deputies arrived they found a female dead inside the vehicle with injuries they say aren't consistent with a traffic crash. 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 original version is as follows:The Bastrop Police Department is investigating the death of a woman. Were not looking to solve a crime here, Goertz said, as he drove from the Elgin Cemetery on June 19. 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 victim has been identified as 32-year-old Jessica Marie Jefferson Brown from Cedar Creek. We certainly dont want the family to have some false hope, so were keeping all of that information close to our belts.. but maybe well get some more patrols around here. I wasnt seeing racism like that.. Stacey Stites was weeks away from marrying her fianc when she went missing. "My babies, my kids, my grandkids, they're my heart. That's where Stacey met Jimmy Fennell.. They said police never searched the apartment Stites shared with Fennell. Details surround Jane Does death are scarce. If there is no family reference sample or no DNA match, then theres not much they can do, Wescott said. I didn't want to get involved, she said. Stacey Stites moved in with Fennell in an upstairs apartment in the same building as her mother. 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. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). Fennell spoke with the media about losing his fiance. There's no 10-year sentence that frees me of the things that [Fennell] did to me.. The last words out of her mouth was, Mom, I love you. And I said, I know you do, Stites remembered. Those who choose to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477. They also wouldn't say if Brown slammed into the tree because she had been shot or if the crash was staged. The complaint and search warrant were initially sealed by the court to avoid compromising the investigation.". 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. He's had the same values I was raised with. It says that a preliminary autopsy report indicates that 29-year-old Samantha Dean died of an apparent gunshot. 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. I'm not gonna lie to you and tell you that, oh, it was okay. Whoops! Anyone with information on the death was asked to call the Sheriffs Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. BASTROP COUNTY, Texas The Bastrop County Sheriff's Office is investigating after a teenage woman was found shot dead on FM 1704 last month. ". I thank the world for the support.. Her family says they still don't know the cause of her death nor have they received her remains yet. Her normal route to work was on Highway 21 through Bastrop.. 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 didnt see it at first. They're still investigating, but Campbell says they hope to have a suspect, or a better idea of what happened, soon. The woman was identified as Shalynn Jones, according to the Los Angeles County coroners office. in Bastrop. RELATED: Bastrop man arrested after deadly shooting. We suspected foul play.. They thoroughly vetted all the evidence they had, and they cleared him, Fennells lawyer Robert Phillips told 20/20.. Exiting were photographers, serologists, physical evidence collection people. Therefore, the analyst said, if someone matched the DNA, it would indicate they committed 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. I'm hurt to the core. A Bastrop County murder suspect who told sheriff's investigators he beat the victim. If there is no overriding reason, such as public safety concerns, announcement of an investigation is often delayed for various reasons. Your email address will not be published. Detectives are actively following up on leads. On the next morning, the same family members to went to feed the animals and located an area of disturbed ground in the backyard. Bastrop County's tip line is (866) 930-TIPS. Lawhons attorney is a Monroe-based lawyer, Lavalle Salomon. What makes the story even more bizarre for Waller is how the day started. The police told me that his name was Rodney Reed.. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. 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. Forensically speaking, they did everything that was available to examine the truck forensically at the time, Tanner 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. 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. ( 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. That's what I'm tryin' to do I have to hold onto my faith, and stand on this truth and the facts. 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. The trial is happening in courtroom one of the Morehouse Parish Courthouse. UPDATE: The Bastrop County Sheriff's office confirmed to Fox 7 that Jessica Marie Jefferson Brown died from a single gun shot wound. In an interview with ABC News Deborah Roberts, Roberts pointed to research suggesting sperm can last 72 days or longer. She notices that he looks he's just woke up. They had previous domestic disputes that police responded to, but there was never any physical violence, just verbal only, Hsu said. Through every trial, hearing and court update, Sandra Reed is standing by her son. 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. 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. We did not believe that Jimmy had hurt Stacey at all, said Oliver, Stites other sister. 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 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. Jimmy then pointed out one of the tennis shoes that was lying on the passenger floorboard. Make sure to check back for more details as the trial continues and more information becomes available. 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. Ive stayed out here by this fire and watched just to make sure what if someone came back. In March 1997, investigators matched Reeds DNA to DNA recovered from Stites body. 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.
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