My sympathies and condolences go to the victims and their families who had to endure this wicked act of violence.. 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. Kristene Chapa, 19, in her bedroom at the Chapa residence on June 11, 2013 in Corpus Christi, Texas. Teen lesbian couple found shot in Texas park, A Visual History of the Gay-Rights Movement, 13-Year-Old Girl Finds Porn On New Cell Phone, These Are North Koreas 28 State-Approved Hairstyles, Mountain Dews Dub the Dew Online Poll Goes Horribly Wrong. It points out that a jury found "ample evidence" to convict Strickland. [1], David Malcolm Strickland was convicted of the crime in 2014. 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. His wife faces charges of tampering with evidence. Sister Peggy Ritual and Jason Haas share a moment of silence at a vigil. A man murdered his wife and young son, made a cryptic 911 call and died by suicide, according to police in Portland, Texas. A birdwatching couple at Violet Andrews Park in Portland, Texas, came across Mollie and Kristenes bodies on the morning of June 23, 2012. 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? Olgin, 19, and her girlfriend Chapa, 18, were found shot in the head Saturday in a Portland, Tx park. All rights reserved. It was higher than in 44.6% U.S. cities. They said incidents like this are rare, with the last being five years ago. Cops found three people dead inside the childs bedroom: Jennifer Phillips, Eli Garza and the perpetrator Roel Garza. Chapa was also sexually assaulted. The Layton man's home had been burglarized that year by David Strickland, a former friend. PHOTOS: A Visual History of the Gay-Rights Movement. Police have not identified any suspects or announced any arrests. Edward A. Ornelas/San Antonio Express-News, David Strickland, 27, was arrested June 20, 2014, in Helotes. The episode can be streamed on the NBC app or online atwww.nbcnews.com/dateline. Julie Pousson (left) cries during a candle light vigil held for Mollie Judith Olgin and Mary Kristene Chapa Friday June 29, 2012 at Woodlawn Lake. Photo: Portland Police Department. There is still a lot to do in order to prepare the case for prosectuion". PORTLAND, Texas Portland police confirm a double-homicide suicide took place early Saturday morning. [2], On June 23, 2012, birdwatchers at Violet Andrews Park called police after discovering two women's bodies lying below a viewing deck. The document also requestedthe results of DNA testing conducted ona pubic hair that was found onChapa's body. 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. 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. 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. WebAMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - Police say a Texas mother has been charged with murder in the death of her 2-month-old baby, KFDA reports. Eyewitnesses also placed Spellman at Violet Andrews Park both before and after the crime. Olgin died and Chapa continues to recover after the two were shot June 23 at the park. 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. [11] The charge was dismissed. Carol got started in journalism while teaching English in Poland during martial law. 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. About 50 people attended the event. Portland police say they don't know the motive for the shooting Friday night, June 22, 2012, that killed 19-year-old Mollie Olgin and wounded 18-year-old Mary Kristene Chapa in Violet Andrews Park. Portland, Oregons, homicide rate soared a staggering 1,900% in 2021, with 20 killings, compared with one during the first three months of 2020. 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. I hope that it gives them some closure knowing that this person is taken off the street, Portland Police Chief Gary Giles said of the victims families and the community. Daly Mellinger holds Norma Jean, a Boston Chihuaha, as she watches the vigil with Jennifer Cota at Cal Anderson Park on Friday, June 29, 2012. He was released on parole in July 1985. While David Strickland was eventually convicted of the murder, evidence at the crime scene initially implicated Dylan Spellman. 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. Ammunition found in his possession was identified as the same ammunition used in the killings of Boone and Turner. Strickland was found guilty in the 2012 shooting at Portland Park that left 19-year-old Mollie Judith Olgin dead and her girlfriend Mary Kristene Chapa seriously injured. 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. 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. 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. Police Chief Randy Wright says there's no evidence that the attack was motivated by their relationship. 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. I cant find her. An expert witness for the defense testified that the confession was false because David was repeatedly told his wife would be charged if he didnt confess. [3], Other evidence included in the arrest warrant included the fact that a gun in Strickland's possession was matched to bullet casings at the crime scene. The Portland, Texas couple was found shot in the head on Saturday, June 23. William Davis, who worked at Christus Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler, Texas, was convicted of capital murder on Oct. 19. PORTLAND, Texas Portland police confirm a double-homicide suicide took place early Saturday morning. Both women were stripped of their clothes and left for dead after being shot execution-style. DNA testing was previously pending ona pubichair found on Chapa. Kristene Chapa's girlfriend died from the 2012 attack. December 17, 2021 In June 2012, a young teenage couple was found shot in a park in Portland, Texas. [8], Shortly before trial, George Koumbis, a local gun store owner and the husband of a defense witness, was murdered in his own store in an apparent robbery-gone-wrong. A psychologist also concluded in 2009 that David had hallucinations and suicidal ideations. McFadden was executed in Texas in October 1999 for the murders of three other women. Chapa, now 20, had gone with Olgin that Friday night to Violet Andrews Park in Portland outside Corpus Christi to see where her girlfriend had been baptized. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. In the days after the attack, police said the women were known to be in a dating relationship but there was no evidence that the attack was motivated by their sexual orientation. "My family was there with me, and then my mom she was a big part of it," Kristene Chapa said. A friend said Chapa remembers the night of the shooting. WebPortland police solved a 40-year-old murder case by matching DNA found at the crime scene with data in a public genealogy site. While David Strickland was eventually convicted of the murder, evidence at the crime scene initially implicated Dylan Spellman. 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. It is one day before the two-year anniversary. David remains incarcerated at the William G. McConnell Unit in Beeville, Texas. Three days later, the bodies of Boone and Turner were discovered, with gunshot wounds being the cause of death. This is still an active investigation. Rachel Timson and Sarah Dime embrace during a vigil. (AP Photo/Corpus Christi Caller-Times, Michael Zamora). And it wont bring Mollie back, she said. NBCs Dateline: The Overlook chronicles how the police zeroed in on David using a letter sent to Kristenes father. "There are still a lot of things that that we cannot release but we're confident that we do have our person.". A man murdered his wife and young son, made a cryptic 911 call and died by suicide, according to police in Portland, Texas. Portland police say they don't know the motive for the shooting Friday night that killed 19-year-old Mollie Olgin and wounded 18-year-old Mary Kristene Chapa in Violet Andrews Park. The incident was premeditated. Shell casings collected from the crime scene then matched one of Davids firearms. WebPortland police solved a 40-year-old murder case by matching DNA found at the crime scene with data in a public genealogy site. Under the police timeline, the father killed his family, made the 911 call and then died by suicide. The type of DNA testing being done uses technology that wasn't available at the time of Strickland's trial. David Malcolm Strickland, 27, is facing charges of capital murder, aggravated assault with a weapon and aggravated sexual assault in the June 23, 2012, attack. Committed the July 24, 1979, murder of Anna Marie Hlavka in. 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. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Gerald Walter McFadden was born on March 21, 1948, in Haskell County Texas. The investigators worked the case, eventually arresting the culprit, David Strickland. It was higher than in 44.6% U.S. cities. On July 9, 1986, he overcame Kenneth Mayfield, a jailer, and escaped from the prison in Upshur County with Rosalie Williams, another guard, as a hostage. PORTLAND, Texas Portland police confirm a double-homicide suicide took place early Saturday morning. Police were led to David Strickland in 2014 after Chapa's father received an anonymous letter containing information about the crime not released to the public. 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. Olgin died at the scene and Chapa is in stable condition in the hospital. Roel Garza, 52, allegedly shot and killed wife Jennifer Phillips, 36, and their son Eli Garza, 5. Photo: Portland Police Department, Laura Strickland, 23, was arrested June 20, 2014, in Helotes. Man and wife jailed in 2-year-old attack on female couple near Corpus Christi, Portland police still seek leads in teen couple shooting. Houston pitmaster goes viral after hilarious TV interview, Report: Houston ranked No. He contacted family members Friday evening, said Cory, who did not elaborate much. The biological evidence then became a point of contention, seemingly highlighting his potential involvement in the crime. The 2019 Portland crime rate fell by 29% compared to 2018. 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. Nevertheless, the jury found David, then 30, guilty of capital murder and aggravated sexual assault. Marshals and Texas Rangers in the San Antonio suburb of Helotes, local media reported. Olgin, 19, and Chapa, 18, were found shot in the head Saturday in a Portland, Tx park. 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. Theresa Garnero and Rosie Castillo embrace during a vigil. Portland, Oregons, homicide rate soared a staggering 1,900% in 2021, with 20 killings, compared with one during the first three months of 2020. Police said Hlavka had been sexually assaulted and strangled with the electric cord from her clock radio.[1]. David Malcolm Strickland, 27, was arrested Friday by U.S. About 50 people attended a candle light vigil held for Mollie Judith Olgin and Mary Kristene Chapa Friday June 29, 2012 at Woodlawn Lake. On May 4, 1986, McFadden kidnapped 20-year-old Gena Turner, 19-year-old Bryan Boone, and 18-year-old Suzanne Harrison as they took a trip to Lake Hawkins north of Tyler, Texas. Authorities didn't investigate the fatal attack as a hate crime even though the incident happened during Pride weekend. Once investigators issued arrest warrants for the Stricklands, they asked the U.S. I do miss it a lot and, like, even being able to pick up my niece and nephews. McFadden raped and strangled Harrison and dumped her body in a park about 25 miles (40km) from Lake Hawkins. The case garnered national attention and sparked outrage amongst the public, as homophobia initially was suspected to be a motivating factor in the crime. Portland, a small town of 16,000 just north of Corpus Christi, is not known for crime and has not seen a homicide in two years. In May, Strickland'sattorneyCynthia Orr,Fort Worth lawyer Michael Logan Ware and Barry Scheck of the Innocence Project signed afiling for a proposed order requestingaccess to physical evidence, records and results ofDNA testing, hair and trace evidence, jail phone calls andrecorded interviews of the other man. Angela Weddle carries a sign during the Pride Bigger Than Texas Parade held Saturday June 30, 2012. While Mollie Olgin died, her girlfriend, Mary Kristene Chapa, miraculously survived. U.S. Portland Police Chief Randy Wright confirmed the identities of the two girls to local NBC affiliates and to MSNBC. The teenagers were shot execution-style and left for dead in a park in Portland, Texas. David Malcolm Strickland, 27, was arrested Friday by U.S. Portland PD says the investigation is ongoing. 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? "(Strickland) cannot take the gun, computer or ID evidence away. Friends of the girls have said that Olgin and Chapa began dating five months ago. Portland police say they don't know the motive for the shooting Friday night, June 22, 2012, that killed 19-year-old Mollie Olgin and wounded 18-year-old Mary Kristene Chapa in Violet Andrews Park. Marshals and Texas Rangers in the San Antonio suburb of Helotes, local media reported. The chief described the fathers preliminary actions in general terms. The chief described the mother as struck multiple times in the head., We had four officers on scene, and it was rough on them, Cory said. We have a lot of evidence to still continue to process, he said. 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. She was found the next day. Could David Strickland be exonerated in 2012 Portland double shooting? Olgin was pronounced dead at the scene,[3] whilst Chapa was taken to hospital in critical condition. "We are confident that we have the person responsible for this horrific crime in custody. The city carved $16 million, or 7%, out of its police budget last year. Two young women believed to be in a romantic relationship were apparently shot by a mysterious assailant in Portland, Texas Friday night. [10], David Strickland and his wife Laura Strickland were arrested on June 20, 2014 and held at San Patricio County jail. 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. A search of his belongings also revealed a letter similar to the one received by the Chapa family. However, at that point, the authorities had another suspect, Dylan Spellman, who was linked to the crime scene through DNA evidence. "Not only was his DNA found on objects left at the crime scene, but a lab report now undeniably shows that the hair pulled from Kristine Chapas body is in fact (the man's) hair," the November motion states. But she said that it wasn't just her physical state that needed time to recover. Furthermore, when the letter was delivered, Kristenes family saw a black sedan in the area. Police say Garza did not have any prior history of violence. Sign up for breaking news alerts from NBC News. Two young women believed to be in a romantic relationship were apparently shot by a mysterious assailant in Portland, Texas Friday night. See our subscription options and special offers at Caller.com/subscribe, After two hours of being interviewed by Portland police and Texas Rangers. The time of Strickland 's trial in stable condition in the San Antonio suburb of Helotes, local media.. The night of the crime and then died by suicide the Chief described the fathers preliminary actions in terms. Romantic relationship were apparently shot by a mysterious assailant in Portland, Texas fathers preliminary actions in general.! Possession was identified as the same ammunition used in the hospital results of DNA testing being done uses that... 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