First responders discovered Mollie Olgin and her girlfriend Mary Kristene Chapa. "There were some measures taken by the suspect Mr. Garza earlier in the evening in preparatory of this double homicide," said Cheif Cory. 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. Olgin was pronounced dead at the scene and an unconscious Chapa was taken to a local hospital where she eventually regained consciousness. WebAMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - Police say a Texas mother has been charged with murder in the death of her 2-month-old baby, KFDA reports. Could David Strickland be exonerated in 2012 Portland double shooting? 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. We have a lot of evidence to still continue to process, he said. She was found the next day. [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]. While Mollie Olgin died, her girlfriend, Mary Kristene Chapa, miraculously survived. Thanks everyone for the texts, messages, and calls but my family and I are just kinda in shock and just shook up, Chapa wrote on Facebook after the arrest was made. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. Nevertheless, the jury found David, then 30, guilty of capital murder and aggravated sexual assault. These items were turned over to investigators in the Olgin case. The chief described the fathers preliminary actions in general terms. U.S. Authorities said last year they didnt believe the attack was a hate crime, but they hadnt established a motive. Two young women believed to be in a romantic relationship were apparently shot by a mysterious assailant in Portland, Texas Friday night. Spellman had been staying with his father's best friend just down the street from the scene of the crime. Photo: Portland Police Department. David remains incarcerated at the William G. McConnell Unit in Beeville, Texas. The prosecution did not pursue the death penalty, and therefore, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. WebMollie 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. Ashlee Burns covers trending and breaking news in South Texas. Portland police released two composite sketches of the male shooter, based upon information from Chapa as she recuperated. So, lets find out what happened to David then, shall we? 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. [8] In October 1999, he was executed in the Huntsville Unit by lethal injection. 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. All rights reserved. The 2019 Portland crime rate fell by 29% compared to 2018. The motive behind these killings remains publicly unknown, but Roel Garza allegedly planned this. 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. Olgin, 19, and Chapa, 18, were found shot in the head Saturday in a Portland, Tx park. Chapa is currently taking college courses while writing a book about her experience. It was higher than in 44.6% U.S. cities. 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. "He's behind bars because of me, so he's watching this right now.". This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 16:43. Olgin died from her wounds, but Chapa is currently recovering in a local hospital. The case garnered national attention and sparked outrage amongst the public, as homophobia initially was suspected to be a motivating factor in the crime. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Eyewitnesses also placed Spellman at Violet Andrews Park both before and after the crime. The episode can be streamed on the NBC app or online atwww.nbcnews.com/dateline. However, at that point, the authorities had another suspect, Dylan Spellman, who was linked to the crime scene through DNA evidence. A series of fortunate events has led us to this point and I'm just very happy that we could help in at least at this point in bringing him to justice., Hes a stone cold killer who thought he got away with murder, but will finally pay for his crime, said Robert R. Almonte, United States Marshal for the Western District of Texas. 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. Portland Police Chief Randy Wright confirmed the identities of the two girls to local NBC affiliates and to MSNBC. A vigil will also be held in San Fransisco, a city well known for its support of gay rights. 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. Portland, Oregons, homicide rate soared a staggering 1,900% in 2021, with 20 killings, compared with one during the first three months of 2020. While Mollie Olgin died, her girlfriend, Mary Kristene Chapa, miraculously survived. The investigators worked the case, eventually arresting the culprit, David Strickland. 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. 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. The case garnered national attention and sparked outrage amongst the public, as homophobia initially was suspected to be a motivating factor in the crime. But she said that it wasn't just her physical state that needed time to recover. A friend said Chapa remembers the night of the shooting. Roel Garza, 52, allegedly shot and killed wife Jennifer Phillips, 36, and their son Eli Garza, 5. The motion also states the evidence presented at trial is "insufficient to sustain Strickland's conviction. In June 2012, a young teenage couple was found shot in a park in Portland, Texas. Just come now, Roel Garza said in 911 audio obtained by KRIS-TV. Police have not identified any suspects or announced any arrests. 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. About 100 people came out for the vigil to remember Olgin, who died June 23 at the park, and show their support for Chapa, who is in the hospital in stable condition. Corpus Christi police concluded that the robbery was targeted. My sympathies and condolences go to the victims and their families who had to endure this wicked act of violence.. Police said Hlavka had been sexually assaulted and strangled with the electric cord from her clock radio.[1]. Jason Haas and Veronika Fimbres embrace during a vigil. [11] The charge was dismissed. The investigators worked the case, eventually arresting the culprit, David Strickland. I cant find her. This is still an active investigation. Messages left by NBC News seeking comment from Chapa and her family werent immediately returned. Kristene Chapa's girlfriend died from the 2012 attack. 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. Marshals and Texas Rangers in the San Antonio suburb of Helotes, local media reported. 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Powered by WordPress.com VIP. 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. Police Chief Randy Wright says there's no evidence that the attack was motivated by their relationship. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. KRIS 6 News obtained the almost 20 second audio clip of the police call to Portland PD, but some of it was inaudible. Dateline: The Overlook chronicles how the police zeroed in on David using a letter sent to Kristenes father. 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. The Portland, Texas couple was found shot in the head on Saturday, June 23. "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. The investigation is ongoing. 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]. Vigils were held across the county by the LGBT community, and some suspected the case could be a hate crime. Strickland was sentenced to life in prison without parole in September 2016. Portland, OR 97006 (503) 906-1249; WebCrime rate in Portland, TX The 2019 crime rate in Portland, TX is 110 (City-Data.com crime index), which is 2.4 times lower than the U.S. average. Watch: Astros SP Luis Garcia debuts new windup after rule changes, Houston facing severe thunderstorms, possible tornadoes Thursday, Oops! McFadden was executed in Texas in October 1999 for the murders of three other women. 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. He was also seen talking to people at the crime scene, telling them that his partner, Laura, knew one of the victims. The Portland Police Department released this sketch July 4, 2012, in the attack on Mollie Olgin and Mary Kristene Chapa. 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. He called 911 on Saturday at about 1:30 a.m., but he did not reveal much, cops said, according to KIII-TV. [15] The appeal was denied in January 2020. On Jan. 31, police announced that Jerry Walter McFadden of Texas had killed Anna Marie Hlavka in Portland on Jan. 24, 1979. His wife faces charges of tampering with evidence. [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 gunshot initially left Chapa unable to sit or stand, with the bullet piercing the part of her brain controlling movements on her left side. 2023 www.caller.com. A poster depicting Kristene Chapa and her girlfriend Mollie Judith Olgin, at the Chapa residence on June 11, 2013 in Corpus Christi, TX. PORTLAND, Texas Portland police confirm a double-homicide suicide took place early Saturday morning. He called 911 on Saturday at about 1:30 a.m., but he did not reveal much, cops said, according to KIII-TV. The city carved $16 million, or 7%, out of its police budget last year. Sister Peggy Ritual and Jason Haas share a moment of silence at a vigil. [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. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. A man murdered his wife and young son, made a cryptic 911 call and died by suicide, according to police in Portland, Texas. Here's the latest. 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. David Malcolm Strickland, 27, was arrested Friday by U.S. 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. Report: Houston is the No. 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. 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. David and Laura owned a car that matched the description. I do miss it a lot and, like, even being able to pick up my niece and nephews. The teenagers were shot execution-style and left for dead in a park in Portland, Texas. 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. 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. "(Strickland) cannot take the gun, computer or ID evidence away. 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. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. San Patricio County prosecutors argued that even if the hair came from another man, it would not exonerate Strickland. 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. 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. Portland, OR 97006 (503) 906-1249; U.S. Under the police timeline, the father killed his family, made the 911 call and then died by suicide. 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 city carved $16 million, or 7%, out of its police budget last year. Rachel Timson and Sarah Dime embrace during a vigil. "We are confident that we have the person responsible for this horrific crime in custody. 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