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. Shell casings collected from the crime scene then matched one of Davids firearms. [17] The complaints against Strickland's father and Taft Pharmacy were later dropped from the lawsuit. "We don't want that person to have knowledge of the warrant and be tipped off.". PORTLAND, Texas Portland police confirm a double-homicide suicide took place early Saturday morning. PORTLAND, Texas Portland police confirm a double-homicide suicide took place early Saturday morning. 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. Here's the latest. Strickland's lawyers said his DNA was found on several items at the park, including cigarette butts and an energy drink can. 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. While Mollie Olgin died, her girlfriend, Mary Kristene Chapa, miraculously survived. Three days later, the bodies of Boone and Turner were discovered, with gunshot wounds being the cause of death. 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. The results, Strickland's lawyers argue,reveal it belonged to the other man. ", More: Sign up to have news emailed to you daily. Rachel Timson and Sarah Dime embrace during a vigil. 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. A friend said Chapa remembers the night of the shooting. "(Strickland) cannot take the gun, computer or ID evidence away. 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 from her wounds, but Chapa is currently recovering in a local hospital. [9], Layton Police investigating the burglary had discovered evidence in Strickland's car including two guns, ammunition, a suppressor, gloves and a backpack containing condoms, flex handcuffs, bolt cutters, a knife and other items. 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. The motion states while prosecutors agreed to have the DNA testing done, they didn't agree that Strickland would be exonerated. 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. Just come now, Roel Garza said in 911 audio obtained by KRIS-TV. The city carved $16 million, or 7%, out of its police budget last year. Convicted in 1979 of aggravated sexual assault for kidnapping and raping an 18-year-old woman at knifepoint. All rights reserved. A man murdered his wife and young son, made a cryptic 911 call and died by suicide, according to police 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. Chapa was also sexually assaulted. Theresa Garnero and Rosie Castillo embrace during a vigil. First responders discovered Mollie Olgin and her girlfriend Mary Kristene Chapa. In August 1986, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the escape. [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 gunshot initially left Chapa unable to sit or stand, with the bullet piercing the part of her brain controlling movements on her left side. Cops found three people dead inside the childs bedroom: Jennifer Phillips, Eli Garza and the perpetrator Roel Garza. While Mollie Olgin died, her girlfriend, Mary Kristene Chapa, miraculously survived. The Portland, Texas couple was found shot in the head on Saturday, June 23. Roel Garza, 52, allegedly shot and killed wife Jennifer Phillips, 36, and their son Eli Garza, 5. McFadden was executed in Texas in October 1999 for the murders of three other women. 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. Paroled in December 1978. The women had been sexually assaulted and shot in the head around midnight the previous evening. Vigils for the women are also scheduled for Friday in Washington, D.C., and Portland, Texas, among other cities. 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. She was found the next day. Sister Peggy Ritual and Jason Haas share a moment of silence at a vigil. Two young women believed to be in a romantic relationship were apparently shot by a mysterious assailant in Portland, Texas Friday night. Edward A. Ornelas/San Antonio Express-News, David Strickland, 27, was arrested June 20, 2014, in Helotes. [8] The letter accused a Layton, Utah, man of the murder of Olgin; police found that the man had an alibi. [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]. Olgin's girlfriend, Kristene Chapa, then 18, survived. On Jan. 31, police announced that Jerry Walter McFadden of Texas had killed Anna Marie Hlavka in Portland on Jan. 24, 1979. Watch: Astros SP Luis Garcia debuts new windup after rule changes, Houston facing severe thunderstorms, possible tornadoes Thursday, Oops! More:Court document: David Strickland denied appeal in killing of Mollie Olgin in 2012, More:Defense: New DNA results exonerate man convicted in 2012 double shooting in Portland, More:'Truth About Murder with Sunny Hostin' episode about 2012 Portland attack of teens to air, Ashlee Burns covers trending and breaking news in South Texas. Police have not identified any suspects or announced any arrests. Portland, Oregons, homicide rate soared a staggering 1,900% in 2021, with 20 killings, compared with one during the first three months of 2020. Nevertheless, the jury found David, then 30, guilty of capital murder and aggravated sexual assault. 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. 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. The case garnered national attention and sparked outrage amongst the public, as homophobia initially was suspected to be a motivating factor in the crime. Committed the July 24, 1979, murder of Anna Marie Hlavka in. Olgin, 19, and her girlfriend Chapa, 18, were found shot in the head Saturday in a Portland, Tx park. 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. 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. WebPortland police solved a 40-year-old murder case by matching DNA found at the crime scene with data in a public genealogy site. 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. [15] The appeal was denied in January 2020. 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 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. 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. A resident of a nearby home said that she heard two loud bangs the night of the events, but discounted the sounds as firecrackers. 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. On Jan. 31, police announced that Jerry Walter McFadden of Texas had killed Anna Marie Hlavka in Portland on Jan. 24, 1979. Report: Houston is the No. 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. A Nov. 13 motion fromSan Patricio County prosecutors argue even if the hair came from the other man, "it does not exonerate" Strickland. 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. 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. When a dispatcher asked 'what's going on there? [10], Laura Strickland was charged with tampering with evidence. "While we know the community has many questions, this is still an active investigation and we would not want to do anything to jeopardize the case," Portland Police Chief Gary Giles said in a news release. The biological evidence then became a point of contention, seemingly highlighting his potential involvement in the crime. Two young women believed to be in a romantic relationship were apparently shot by a mysterious assailant in Portland, Texas Friday night. 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. The other man, from Nevada,admitted he was at the park that night and lived in the area at the time of the shooting. In September 2016, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Olgin was pronounced dead at the scene,[3] whilst Chapa was taken to hospital in critical condition. WebPortland police solved a 40-year-old murder case by matching DNA found at the crime scene with data in a public genealogy site. [7] He was arrested two days later after the biggest fugitive hunt in Texas state history. IE 11 is not supported. 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. Carol got started in journalism while teaching English in Poland during martial law. 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. 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. He was released on parole in July 1985. Kristene Chapa, 19, in her bedroom at the Chapa residence on June 11, 2013 in Corpus Christi, Texas. 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. In the last 5 years Portland has seen increasing violent crime and decreasing property crime. While David Strickland was eventually convicted of the murder, evidence at the crime scene initially implicated Dylan Spellman. (AP Photo/Corpus Christi Caller-Times, Michael Zamora), A crime scene investigator takes pictures of an evidence marker near some playground equipment Saturday, June 23, 2012 at Violet Andrews Park in Portland, Texas. Olgin died at the scene and Chapa is in stable condition in the hospital. It points out that a jury found "ample evidence" to convict Strickland. Olgin had already died of a gunshot wound to the head, and Chapa was in grave condition but survived to tell about the ordeal. 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. Two young women believed to be in a romantic relationship were apparentlyshot by a mysterious assailantin Portland, Texas Friday night. These items were turned over to investigators in the Olgin case. 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. Garza shot both Phillips and Eli twice, Cory said. Olgin, 19, and her girlfriend Chapa, 18, were found shot in the head Saturday in a Portland, Tx park. Messages left by NBC News seeking comment from Chapa and her family werent immediately returned. [9] A draft of the letter to the Chapa family was found on Strickland's computer. "I struggle with [post-traumatic stress disorder] and anxiety. 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. A birdwatching couple at Violet Andrews Park in Portland, Texas, came across Mollie and Kristenes bodies on the morning of June 23, 2012. 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. We do n't want that person to have the DNA testing done, did. Her family werent immediately returned, in her bedroom at the Chapa family was found on Strickland 's lawyers his! 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