A birdwatching couple at Violet Andrews Park in Portland, Texas, came across Mollie and Kristenes bodies on the morning of June 23, 2012. [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. Chapa was also sexually assaulted. [8] The letter accused a Layton, Utah, man of the murder of Olgin; police found that the man had an alibi. Chapa was 18 years old in June 2012 when she and her girlfriend Mollie Olgin were shot in the head execution-style at Violet Andrews Park in Portland, Texas. Chapa attributed a large part of her recovery to her family, especially her mother Grace Chapa, who stayed with her in a physical rehabilitation center for three-and-a-half months. [emailprotected]. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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. Listen and subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Spotify, Stitcher or the ABC News app. David Malcolm Strickland, 27, was arrested Friday by U.S. See our subscription options and special offers at Caller.com/subscribe. They followed my story since day one and I want to thank everybody for that.". 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. She is charged with tampering with evidence in connection with the 2012 attack on Mollie Olgin and Mary Kristene Chapa. The letter included details that hadn't been released to the media. WebAMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - Police say a Texas mother has been charged with murder in the death of her 2-month-old baby, KFDA reports. Garza shot both Phillips and Eli twice, Cory said. Olgin died from her wounds, but Chapa is currently recovering in a local hospital. So, lets find out what happened to David then, shall we. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. While Mollie Olgin died, her girlfriend, Mary Kristene Chapa, miraculously survived. It was written from the perspective of a hitman who claimed that someone from Layton, Utah, was responsible for the attacks and had wanted Kristene dead. More: David Strickland's attorney: Impending DNA testing will clear him of Portland Park murder, Sign up to have news emailed to you daily, David Strickland's attorney: Impending DNA testing will clear him of Portland Park murder, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. It was higher than in 44.6% U.S. cities. Two years after a brutal attack on a female couple near Corpus Christi made national headlines, a break in the case has resulted in two arrests. One girl is dead and another in serious condition after a mysterious shooting in a normally peaceful town. Ashlee Burns covers trending and breaking news in South Texas. Emailus. In the last 5 years Portland has seen increasing violent crime and decreasing property crime. Neighbors described Jennifer Phillips as, in the words of KRIS-TV, the heart of the community, and Eli as a playful soul., [Screengrab of memorial for Jennifer Phillips and Eli Garza at their home via KIII], Have a tip we should know? Olgin's girlfriend, Kristene Chapa, then 18, survived. facing charges of capital murder, aggravated assault with a weapon and aggravated sexual assault in the June 23, 2012, attack, who tried to claw her way out of the thorny brush. Then, he took it back. He was released on parole in July 1985. McFadden had been convicted of rape three times between 1972 and 1978, but never had to serve his full sentence. 47 Two years after a brutal attack on a female couple near Corpus Christi made national headlines, a break in the case has resulted in two arrests. Chapa was 18 years old in June 2012 when she and her girlfriend Mollie Olgin were shot in the head execution-style at Violet Andrews Park in Portland, Texas. Chapa was also sexually assaulted. A resident of a nearby home said that she heard two loud bangs the night of the events, but discounted the sounds as firecrackers. Portland, OR 97006 (503) 906-1249; A friend said Chapa remembers the night of the shooting. WebAMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - Police say a Texas mother has been charged with murder in the death of her 2-month-old baby, KFDA reports. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. She has recovered those abilities but was still recently undergoing physical rehabilitation. When questioned about the letter, the Layton man noted a photo of him included in the letter had been taken by Strickland's wife Laura. 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. Attorneys for convicted killer David Strickland are asking for a hearing along with records they hope will prove someone else was to blame for the 2012 double shooting in a Portland park. Mollie Olgin was a 19-year-old woman murdered on June 22, 2012 in Violet Andrews Park in Portland, Texas after she and her girlfriend were attacked and shot. Chapa suffered tunnel vision and lost part of her mobility. Mollie, 19, suffered a gunshot wound to the neck and was pronounced dead on the scene. The hair was matched to an initial suspect in the crime, Dylan Spellman, who had recently pleaded guilty to his involvement in an armed robbery in Nevada in which he and his cohorts referred to each other by numbers, mirroring the way Mollie and Kristene were referred to as "number one" and "number two" during their assault. ', Garza replied 'just come now'. He called 911 on Saturday at about 1:30 a.m., but he did not reveal much, cops said, according to KIII-TV. "Once we have a warrant, we start doing everything on our end to find the person as quickly as possible," Bozeman said. Two young women believed to be in a romantic relationship were apparentlyshot by a mysterious assailantin Portland, Texas Friday night. [10], Laura Strickland was charged with tampering with evidence. The chief described the fathers preliminary actions in general terms. He was arrested on 6 May, after a police report from a couple he had attacked by the lake on the day of the murder. WebAMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - Police say a Texas mother has been charged with murder in the death of her 2-month-old baby, KFDA reports. He called 911 on Saturday at about 1:30 a.m., but he did not reveal much, cops said, according to KIII-TV. And it wont bring Mollie back, she said. 47 Two years after a brutal attack on a female couple near Corpus Christi made national headlines, a break in the case has resulted in two arrests. Orr and prosecutors with the San Patricio County District Attorney's officecould not immediately be reached for comment. Olgin, 19, and her girlfriend Chapa, 18, were found shot in the head Saturday in a Portland, Tx park. The following morning, a couple discovered the bodies of the two women in knee-high grass near a scenic lookout in the park, police said. David M. Strickland, 27, and his wife, Laura K. Strickland, 23, were arrested June 20 at their home in Helotes in the San Antonio area. Strickland's appealis still making it's way through the legal system. [8] In October 1999, he was executed in the Huntsville Unit by lethal injection. A vigil will also be held in San Fransisco, a city well known for its support of gay rights. This evidence included .45-caliber firearms, handcuffs, ammunition, a lock pick kit, bolt cutters, and other suspicious items. Its a difficult situation when you walk in on a welfare check and then you discover three deceased bodies, and especially ones a child.. Family, friends and supporters walk the trail Friday, June 29, 2012 along Violet Andrews Park as they head to the overlook where teens Mollie Olgin and Mary Kristene Chapa were found shot last weekend in Portland, Texas. He called 911 on Saturday at about 1:30 a.m., but he did not reveal much, cops said, according to KIII-TV. Olgin died at the scene and Chapa is in stable condition in the hospital. Strickland had also inserted himself in the original investigation, talking to investigators and being seen at the crime scene just days after the shooting. Portland police have not provided details about how Strickland was linked to the case. Photos of Mary Kristene Chapa (left) and her girlfriend Mollie Judith Olgin that were given to people attending a candle light vigil for the girls Friday June 29, 2012 at Woodlawn Lake. [4] Following intensive care and concerns that the bullet may have left her completely paralyzed,[5] Chapa regained mobility in the left side of her body and helped police create a sketch of the offender.[6][7]. 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. In 2019, one of Strickland's attorneys said a man from Nevada, whose DNA was found at the scene, was actually responsible for the crime. The letter also included a picture of the accused man along with the words, I was told to deliver this or die. 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. At the time, David was accused of burglarizing his home, and the evidence collected was turned over to the Portland police. A crime scene investigator photographs evidence at the end of a sidewalk, June 23, 2012 at Violet Andrews Park in Portland, Texas, where Mollie Olgin, 19, and Mary Kristene Chapa, 18, were killed. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. Strickland told investigators he composed the letter two weeks before his arrest and printed it out at a public library computer. Seven years after her girlfriend was killed and she was seriously injured in a brutal attack, Kristene Chapa spoke openly to "The View" about testifying against her attacker. Marshals and Texas Rangers in the San Antonio suburb of Helotes, local media reported. In a Nov. 30 motion that was previously sealed, Strickland's attorney Cynthia Orr argues a different man whose DNA was found at thescene and on the surviving victimis actually responsible for the crime. The suspected shooter allegedly forced the girls down a steep incline in the quiet bayside park, bound them and shot them in the head. The Portland, Texas couple was found shot in the head on Saturday, June 23. PORTLAND, Texas Portland police confirm a double-homicide suicide took place early Saturday morning. Olgin, 19, and Chapa, 18, were found shot in the head Saturday in a Portland, Tx park. Mollie Judith Olgin, 19, and her girlfriend Mary Kristene Chapa, 18, were found shot in the head last Saturday in a Portland, Tx park. Ammunition found in his possession was identified as the same ammunition used in the killings of Boone and Turner. Though he was suspected by police for two years, hewas never charged in the case. 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. Once investigators issued arrest warrants for the Stricklands, they asked the U.S. 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. PHOTOS: A Visual History of the Gay-Rights Movement. A man murdered his wife and young son, made a cryptic 911 call and died by suicide, according to police in Portland, Texas. The teenagers were shot execution-style and left for dead in a park in Portland, Texas. Marshal Christopher Bozeman, a spokesman for the Marshals Service in San Antonio, said it took the team a little over two hours to find the Stricklands in an apartment in the 12000 block of Bandera Road in Helotes, about 25 miles northwest of San Antonio. A friend said Chapa remembers the night of the shooting. Portland Police Chief Randy Wright confirmed the identities of the two girls to local NBC affiliates and to MSNBC. 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. [9], Strickland was not charged with a hate crime because authorities found no evidence to indicate the women were targeted due to their sexuality but were likely random targets. 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. A native of Des Moines, Iowa, she holds a Master?s degree in journalism from Northwestern University and a Master?s in sociology from Michigan State University. WebPortland police solved a 40-year-old murder case by matching DNA found at the crime scene with data in a public genealogy site. The following morning, a couple discovered the bodies of the two women in knee-high grass near a scenic lookout in the park, police said. 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. Theresa Garnero and Rosie Castillo embrace during a vigil. List of people executed in Texas, 19901999, List of serial killers in the United States, "1979 cold case solved: DNA evidence links executed killer to Portland woman's murder", "Woman's 1979 murder solved using DNA evidence, Portland police say", "A popular genealogy website just helped solve a serial killer cold case in Oregon", "Cold Case Homicide Detail Solves 40-year-old Case", "URGENT Convict Known As 'Animal' Captured Without A Shot Fired", "A Town In Terror: How Jerry McFadden's 1986 crime spree stole the lives of Hawkins' best, brightest", "City Hall Update: DNA ties executed killer to 1979 murder of Portland woman", "Jerry (Animal) McFadden's escape to be featured on Investigation Discovery Channel", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jerry_Walter_McFadden&oldid=1140955085, People executed by Texas by lethal injection, Violence against women in the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. A Nov. 13 motion fromSan Patricio County prosecutors argue even if the hair came from the other man, "it does not exonerate" Strickland. 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 the two lesbian teens who were shot on Friday near Corpus Christi, Texas. Police say Garza did not have any prior history of violence. Convicted in 1979 of aggravated sexual assault for kidnapping and raping an 18-year-old woman at knifepoint. Chapa, now 27, survived. Chapa had to relearn how to walk, talk and even smile again after the attack, she said, noting that she's now "doing well" overall. The other man, from Nevada,admitted he was at the park that night and lived in the area at the time of the shooting. Gerald "Jerry" Walter McFadden (March 21, 1948 October 14, 1999), known as The Animal, was an American serial killer and sex offender who was executed in 1999.[6]. She believed the testing could help exonerate Strickland. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. The investigators worked the case, eventually arresting the culprit, David Strickland. WebPortland police solved a 40-year-old murder case by matching DNA found at the crime scene with data in a public genealogy site. The episode can be streamed on the NBC app or online atwww.nbcnews.com/dateline. While David Strickland was eventually convicted of the murder, evidence at the crime scene initially implicated Dylan Spellman. 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. We need time to let it sink and just process the news we've waited on for 2 years. Later on, David even confessed to the crime, saying he attacked Mollie and Kristene because they were mean to his wife, who was a server at a restaurant. The motive behind these killings remains publicly unknown, but Roel Garza allegedly planned this. 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. While David Strickland was eventually convicted of the murder, evidence at the crime scene initially implicated Dylan Spellman. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. He is facing charges of capital murder, aggravated assault with a weapon and aggravated sexual assault in the June 23, 2012, attack on Mollie Olgin, 19, who died in the shooting in Portland on the Corpus Christi Bay. "We don't want that person to have knowledge of the warrant and be tipped off.". 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