In July 1987, he was sentenced to death for the murder of 18-year-old Suzanne Harrison, 20-year-old Gena Turner and 19-year-old Bryan Boone. Under the police timeline, the father killed his family, made the 911 call and then died by suicide. They followed my story since day one and I want to thank everybody for that.". [18]. Olgin, 19, and her girlfriend Chapa, 18, were found shot in the head Saturday in a Portland, Tx park. First responders discovered Mollie Olgin and her girlfriend Mary Kristene Chapa. We've been working very hard to make sure we get him as soon as possible. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. See our subscription options and special offers at Caller.com/subscribe, After two hours of being interviewed by Portland police and Texas Rangers. 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. 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. 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. The letter also included a picture of the accused man along with the words, I was told to deliver this or die. Olgin died from her wounds, but Chapa is currently recovering in a local hospital. The women had been sexually assaulted and shot in the head around midnight the previous evening. 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. His sentence will automatically be appealed. Olgin, 19, and Chapa, 18, were found shot in the head Saturday in a Portland, Tx park. Strickland told investigators he composed the letter two weeks before his arrest and printed it out at a public library computer. About 50 people attended the event. Dateline: The Overlook chronicles how the police zeroed in on David using a letter sent to Kristenes father. Committed the July 24, 1979, murder of Anna Marie Hlavka in. The biological evidence then became a point of contention, seemingly highlighting his potential involvement in the crime. Garza shot both Phillips and Eli twice, Cory said. 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. On Jan. 31, police announced that Jerry Walter McFadden of Texas had killed Anna Marie Hlavka in Portland on Jan. 24, 1979. Courtesy of Bexar County Sheriff's Office. [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. Olgin died at the scene and Chapa is in stable condition in the hospital. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Police Chief Randy Wright says there's no evidence that the attack was motivated by their relationship. 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. 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. 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. He was also seen talking to people at the crime scene, telling them that his partner, Laura, knew one of the victims. 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. Officers described finding a tragic, horrifying murder scene at the home in northeast Portland. 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. Portland Police Chief Randy Wright confirmed the identities of the two girls to local NBC affiliates and to MSNBC. 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. 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. 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. 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. Chapa, now 27, survived. McFadden was executed in Texas in October 1999 for the murders of three other women. While Mollie Olgin died, her girlfriend, Mary Kristene Chapa, miraculously survived. 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. 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. 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. 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. Angela Weddle carries a sign during the Pride Bigger Than Texas Parade held Saturday June 30, 2012. 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. David and Laura owned a car that matched the description. Ultimately, David Malcolm Strickland was arrested and later found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. 5-year-old dead after double homicide-suicide in Portland. Portland, Oregons, homicide rate soared a staggering 1,900% in 2021, with 20 killings, compared with one during the first three months of 2020. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. [emailprotected]. IE 11 is not supported. The other man, from Nevada,admitted he was at the park that night and lived in the area at the time of the shooting. 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. The Layton man was tracked down, but he had a solid alibi for the night of the murder. Olgin died from her wounds, but Chapa is currently recovering in a local hospital. 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. 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. The episode can be streamed on the NBC app or online atwww.nbcnews.com/dateline. Here's the latest. 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 man murdered his wife and young son, made a cryptic 911 call and died by suicide, according to police in Portland, Texas. Chapa was also sexually assaulted. A poster depicting Kristene Chapa and her girlfriend Mollie Judith Olgin, at the Chapa residence on June 11, 2013 in Corpus Christi, TX. In June 2012, a young teenage couple was found shot in a park in Portland, Texas. "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. 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. [3] There were several witnesses who had seen McFadden close to the scene of the crime on the day of the killings. Police Chief Randy Wright says there's no evidence that the attack was motivated by their relationship. The two teenagers were found in tall grass on a park overlook in the small town near Corpus Christi, where one of the two victims attended school. Convicted in 1979 of aggravated sexual assault for kidnapping and raping an 18-year-old woman at knifepoint. David Malcolm Strickland, 27, was arrested Friday by U.S. Eyewitnesses also placed Spellman at Violet Andrews Park both before and after the crime. 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. Photo: Portland Police Department, Laura Strickland, 23, was arrested June 20, 2014, in Helotes. Plz, help.. 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. Chapa is currently taking college courses while writing a book about her experience. This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 16:43. The case garnered national attention and sparked outrage amongst the public, as homophobia initially was suspected to be a motivating factor in the crime. Police have not identified any suspects or announced any arrests. A birdwatching couple at Violet Andrews Park in Portland, Texas, came across Mollie and Kristenes bodies on the morning of June 23, 2012. WebPortland police solved a 40-year-old murder case by matching DNA found at the crime scene with data in a public genealogy site. Since joining the Houston Chronicle staff in 1998, she has covered various beats, including criminal courts and transportation. His wife faces charges of tampering with evidence. The Portland Police Department released this sketch July 13, 2012, in the attack on Mollie Olgin and Mary Kristene Chapa. We need time to let it sink and just process the news we've waited on for 2 years. Olgin died and Chapa continues to recover after the two were shot June 23 at the park. U.S. The results, Strickland's lawyers argue,reveal it belonged to the other man. 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. 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. Olgin died at the scene and Chapa is in stable condition in the hospital. 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. 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. 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 teenagers were shot execution-style and left for dead in a park in Portland, Texas. 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. Received a 911 call from a distraught male who was advising that he needed law enforcement assistance, Portland Police Chief Mark Cory told reporters. A Nov. 13 motion fromSan Patricio County prosecutors argue even if the hair came from the other man, "it does not exonerate" Strickland. 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. A memorial is seen at the corner of Market and Castro Streets during a vigil for Mollie Olgin and Mary Kristene Chapa (pictured). They said incidents like this are rare, with the last being five years ago. The Portland, Texas couple was found shot in the head on Saturday, June 23. Previously, DNA found on a cigarette butt and energy drink can at the scene both matched to Spellman. [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. December 17, 2021 In June 2012, a young teenage couple was found shot in a park in Portland, Texas. 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 know fromMollies parents that they were close, he said. Carol got started in journalism while teaching English in Poland during martial law. In the beginning, the authorities used Kristenes help to create a composite sketch of the attacker. Roel Garza did not have a history of violence before the murder-suicide, cops said. She is charged with tampering with evidence in connection with the 2012 attack on Mollie Olgin and Mary Kristene Chapa. The Layton man's home had been burglarized that year by David Strickland, a former friend. William Davis, who worked at Christus Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler, Texas, was convicted of capital murder on Oct. 19. Authorities didn't investigate the fatal attack as a hate crime even though the incident happened during Pride weekend. [1], David Malcolm Strickland was convicted of the crime in 2014. McFadden was executed in Texas in October 1999 for the murders of three other women. Vigils for the women are also scheduled for Friday in Washington, D.C., and Portland, Texas, among other cities. [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. Three days later, the bodies of Boone and Turner were discovered, with gunshot wounds being the cause of death. 1 most stressful city for U.S. workers, Turner: State takeover of Houston ISD could happen next week, Bun B on bringing Southern rap stars to Houston's Rodeo, 'Call me a Nazi': Former Houston pastor calls for state book ban, Astros show struggles with new MLB pitch clock rules, How the Houston Zoo moved its flock of flamingos to a new home, This is what Houston looks like from space, West Texans share apocalyptic photos of after massive dust storm, Houston leaders delay vote on Hobby Airport concesssions contract, Watch: Houston Astros' Luis Garcia debuts new windup, Houston pitmaster goes viral after hilarious on-air interview with reporter. Violence before the murder-suicide, cops said shot June 23 the page across the! Seen McFadden close to the scene of the murder of Anna Marie Hlavka in 1987, was. 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