A crowd of over 100 people attend a vigil for Mollie Judith Olgin, 19, and Mary Kristene Chapa, 18, at Cal Anderson Park on Friday, June 29, 2012. Roel Garza, 52, allegedly shot and killed wife Jennifer Phillips, 36, and their son Eli Garza, 5. 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. The prosecution did not seek the death penalty and Strickland was sentenced to life imprisonment. The city carved $16 million, or 7%, out of its police budget last year. 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. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. [1], David Malcolm Strickland was convicted of the crime in 2014. The Layton man was tracked down, but he had a solid alibi for the night of the murder. The 2019 Portland crime rate fell by 29% compared to 2018. David Malcolm Strickland, 27, was arrested Friday by U.S. Theresa Garnero and Rosie Castillo embrace during a vigil. The document also requestedthe results of DNA testing conducted ona pubic hair that was found onChapa's body. While David Strickland was eventually convicted of the murder, evidence at the crime scene initially implicated Dylan Spellman. We've been working very hard to make sure we get him as soon as possible. In September 2016, David stood trial for the shooting. (PHOTOS: Teens in America: Class Pictures). He is charged with capital murder, aggravated sexual assault and aggravated assault. 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. Since joining the Houston Chronicle staff in 1998, she has covered various beats, including criminal courts and transportation. I want to have my independence back.". Listen and subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Spotify, Stitcher or the ABC News app. This is still an active investigation. Strickland had also inserted himself in the original investigation, talking to investigators and being seen at the crime scene just days after the shooting. Chapa, now 27, survived. A few days after the attack, a man named David Strickland went to the police to provide information regarding something he saw on the night of the shootings. A man murdered his wife and young son, made a cryptic 911 call and died by suicide, according to police in Portland, Texas. Just come now, Roel Garza said in 911 audio obtained by KRIS-TV. The motion also states the evidence presented at trial is "insufficient to sustain Strickland's conviction. While David Strickland was eventually convicted of the murder, evidence at the crime scene initially implicated Dylan Spellman. The Portland Police Department released this sketch July 13, 2012, in the attack on Mollie Olgin and Mary Kristene Chapa. Strickland was sentenced to life in prison without parole in September 2016. "My body will never be 100% again. [3], Police used GPS to discover that David Strickland's cell phone had been near the Chapa home when the letter had been hand-delivered. Marshals and Texas Rangers in the San Antonio suburb of Helotes, local media reported. In the last 5 years Portland has seen increasing violent crime and decreasing property crime. There is still a lot to do in order to prepare the case for prosectuion". Strickland's lawyers said his DNA was found on several items at the park, including cigarette butts and an energy drink can. Ashlee Burns covers trending and breaking news in South Texas. Courtesy of Bexar County Sheriff's Office. Court document: David Strickland denied appeal in killing of Mollie Olgin in 2012, Defense: New DNA results exonerate man convicted in 2012 double shooting in Portland, 'Truth About Murder with Sunny Hostin' episode about 2012 Portland attack of teens to air, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. The crime went unsolved for about two years before police shifted their focus to Stickland in 2014 after learning about a letter addressed to Chapa's father written from the perspective of a hitman. People write messages of support on a banner during a vigil for Mollie Judith Olgin, 19, and Mary Kristene Chapa, 18, at Cal Anderson Park on Friday, June 29, 2012. 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. Olgin died at the scene and Chapa is in stable condition in the hospital. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. [15] The appeal was denied in January 2020. The city carved $16 million, or 7%, out of its police budget last year. Mollie, 19, suffered a gunshot wound to the neck and was pronounced dead on the scene. I cant find her. The letter also included a picture of the accused man along with the words, I was told to deliver this or die. According to police, around 1:30 a.m., a man called 911 and told officers he was distraught and to go to Escondido St. Kristene Chapa, left, accompanied by her mother Grace Chapa, opened up about a 2012 attack in Texas that killed her girlfriend on "The View," Oct. 29, 2019. It is one day before the two-year anniversary. Three days later, the bodies of Boone and Turner were discovered, with gunshot wounds being the cause of death. Wright said that police were operating on the assumption that the two girls were dating based on of information from family and friends. PHOTOS: A Visual History of the Gay-Rights Movement. He was released on parole in July 1985. 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. In the last 5 years Portland has seen increasing violent crime and decreasing property crime. Eyewitnesses also placed Spellman at Violet Andrews Park both before and after the crime. Dispatch attempted to get more information from him, police said. Portland, OR 97006 (503) 906-1249; Marshals and Texas Rangers in the San Antonio suburb of Helotes, local media reported. Marshals Service Lone Star Fugitive Task Force for help in finding and apprehending the couple. Convicted in 1979 of aggravated sexual assault for kidnapping and raping an 18-year-old woman at knifepoint. "I felt powerful, like I took my power back to be able to stand up against him," Chapa said. 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. Marshals and Texas Rangers in the San Antonio suburb of Helotes, local media reported. 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. 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. We know fromMollies parents that they were close, he said. The motion states while prosecutors agreed to have the DNA testing done, they didn't agree that Strickland would be exonerated. Dateline: The Overlook chronicles how the police zeroed in on David using a letter sent to Kristenes father. Almost exactly two years earlier, on June 22, 2012, Mollie Olgin, 19, and her girlfriend, Mary Kristene Chapa, who was then 18, were found in a birdwatching area at Violet Andrews Park in Portland near Corpus Christi. [17] The complaints against Strickland's father and Taft Pharmacy were later dropped from the lawsuit. The women had been sexually assaulted and shot in the head around midnight the previous evening. All rights reserved. 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. 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. 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. [10], David Strickland and his wife Laura Strickland were arrested on June 20, 2014 and held at San Patricio County jail. 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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. When police arrived, they found the front door open, and found a family of three, 5-year-old Eli Garza, 36-year-old Jennifer Phillips, and 52-year-old Roel Garza dead in the child's bedroom. December 17, 2021 In June 2012, a young teenage couple was found shot in a park in Portland, Texas. PORTLAND, Texas Portland police confirm a double-homicide suicide took place early Saturday morning. William Davis, who worked at Christus Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler, Texas, was convicted of capital murder on Oct. 19. The 2019 Portland crime rate fell by 29% compared to 2018. Portland, Oregons, homicide rate soared a staggering 1,900% in 2021, with 20 killings, compared with one during the first three months of 2020. Sentenced to 15 years in prison in 1973 for two counts of rape. A new Dateline NBC episode that aired in Decembertook another look at the sexual assaultand shooting of two South Texas women nearly a decade ago. Portland PD says the investigation is ongoing. 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 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. A friend said Chapa remembers the night of the shooting. Thats always something that were looking for, but as of this point, we have not been able to establish that that had anything to do with the attack, Wright said. The Portland, Texas couple was found shot in the head on Saturday, June 23. About 50 people attended the event. He contacted family members Friday evening, said Cory, who did not elaborate much. See our subscription options and special offers at Caller.com/subscribe. 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. Then, he took it back. The type of DNA testing being done uses technology that wasn't available at the time of Strickland's trial. David Strickland was charged with capital murder, aggravated sexual assault and aggravated assault. [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. [12][14][15], Attorneys for Strickland filed a motion for his conviction to be overturned based on the newfound DNA evidence, which District Attorney Sam Smith dismissed on an updated episode of Dateline. Messages left by NBC News seeking comment from Chapa and her family werent immediately returned. Spellman had been staying with his father's best friend just down the street from the scene of the crime. 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. Authorities didn't investigate the fatal attack as a hate crime even though the incident happened during Pride weekend. But after a police press conference on Saturday announcing the arrest, she told the Corpus Christi Caller-Times that though she felt safer: It will never take back the pain and hurt he did to our families. The case garnered national attention and sparked outrage amongst the public, as homophobia initially was suspected to be a motivating factor in the crime. Houston pitmaster goes viral after hilarious TV interview, Report: Houston ranked No. Strickland's appealis still making it's way through the legal system. Kristene Chapa's girlfriend died from the 2012 attack. Under the police timeline, the father killed his family, made the 911 call and then died by suicide. See our subscription options and special offers at Caller.com/subscribe, After two hours of being interviewed by Portland police and Texas Rangers. Roel Garza did not have a history of violence before the murder-suicide, cops said. More:Could David Strickland be exonerated in 2012 Portland double shooting? We have a lot of evidence to still continue to process, he said. Arrested in May 1986 for the rape and murder of 18-year-old high school cheerleader Suzanne Harrison and the murder of 20-year-old Gena Turner and 19-year old Bryan Boone who were shot. He called 911 on Saturday at about 1:30 a.m., but he did not reveal much, cops said, according to KIII-TV. McFadden was executed in Texas in October 1999 for the murders of three other women. A couple out bird watching the next morning found the girls Olgin had died but Chapa, who tried to claw her way out of the thorny brush, was alive. Officers described finding a tragic, horrifying murder scene at the home in northeast Portland. At the time, Strickland denied shooting and raping the girls. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Sister Peggy Ritual and Jason Haas share a moment of silence at a vigil. 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. ', Garza replied 'just come now'. Jason Haas and Veronika Fimbres embrace during a vigil. 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. The Portland, Texas couple was found shot in the head on Saturday, June 23. 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