David Malcolm Strickland, 27, was arrested Friday by U.S. Crimes scene investigators take evidence back to their vans Saturday, June 23, 2012 at Violet Andrews Park in Portland, Texas. The biological evidence then became a point of contention, seemingly highlighting his potential involvement in the crime. San Patricio County prosecutors argued that even if the hair came from another man, it would not exonerate Strickland. Friends of the girls have said that Olgin and Chapa began dating five months ago. Chapa had to relearn how to walk, talk and even smile again after the attack, she said, noting that she's now "doing well" overall. 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. Vigils were held across the county by the LGBT community, and some suspected the case could be a hate crime. This evidence included .45-caliber firearms, handcuffs, ammunition, a lock pick kit, bolt cutters, and other suspicious items. Olgin died at the scene and Chapa is in stable condition in the hospital. Two young women believed to be in a romantic relationship were apparently shot by a mysterious assailant in Portland, Texas Friday night. WebAMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - Police say a Texas mother has been charged with murder in the death of her 2-month-old baby, KFDA reports. In the last 5 years Portland has seen increasing violent crime and decreasing property crime. 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. Sign up for breaking news alerts from NBC News. "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. Plz, help.. Mollie Judith Olgin, 19, and her girlfriend Mary Kristene Chapa, 18, were found shot in the head last Saturday in a Portland, Tx park. "We don't want that person to have knowledge of the warrant and be tipped off.". The motive behind these killings remains publicly unknown, but Roel Garza allegedly planned this. PHOTOS: A Visual History of the Gay-Rights Movement. 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. She is charged with tampering with evidence in connection with the 2012 attack on Mollie Olgin and Mary Kristene Chapa. Olgin died at the scene and Chapa is in stable condition in the hospital. 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. "There were some measures taken by the suspect Mr. Garza earlier in the evening in preparatory of this double homicide," said Cheif Cory. Authorities said last year they didnt believe the attack was a hate crime, but they hadnt established a motive. In September 2016, David stood trial for the shooting. [11] The charge was dismissed. PORTLAND, Texas Portland police confirm a double-homicide suicide took place early Saturday morning. In the last 5 years Portland has seen increasing violent crime and decreasing property crime. The city carved $16 million, or 7%, out of its police budget last year. A vigil was held for the girls at a local high school Sunday and a candle-lit walk is scheduled to take place in the park on Friday. [17] The complaints against Strickland's father and Taft Pharmacy were later dropped from the lawsuit. [6], In 2018, advances in testing technology allowed for DNA identification of a hair found on Chapa's body. Here's the latest. "We are confident that we have the person responsible for this horrific crime in custody. Although a bullet casing was found on the scene, no weapon has been discovered and there are currently no suspects in the shooting. 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. 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. Cops found three people dead inside the childs bedroom: Jennifer Phillips, Eli Garza and the perpetrator Roel Garza. [18]. Portland, Oregons, homicide rate soared a staggering 1,900% in 2021, with 20 killings, compared with one during the first three months of 2020. McFadden was executed in Texas in October 1999 for the murders of three other women. U.S. Chapa, now 27, survived. [2], On June 23, 2012, birdwatchers at Violet Andrews Park called police after discovering two women's bodies lying below a viewing deck. [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. 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. David Strickland was charged with capital murder, aggravated sexual assault and aggravated assault. A memorial is seen at the corner of Market and Castro Streets during a vigil for Mollie Olgin and Mary Kristene Chapa (pictured). 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. ", More: Sign up to have news emailed to you daily. 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. The 2019 Portland crime rate fell by 29% compared to 2018. 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. WebPortland police solved a 40-year-old murder case by matching DNA found at the crime scene with data in a public genealogy site. Olgin died at the scene and Chapa is in stable condition in the hospital. Previously, DNA found on a cigarette butt and energy drink can at the scene both matched to Spellman. 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. 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. Then, he took it back. Chapa was also sexually assaulted. 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. [8] In October 1999, he was executed in the Huntsville Unit by lethal injection. WebAMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - Police say a Texas mother has been charged with murder in the death of her 2-month-old baby, KFDA reports. (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. Vigils for the women are also scheduled for Friday in Washington, D.C., and Portland, Texas, among other cities. PORTLAND, Texas Portland police confirm a double-homicide suicide took place early Saturday morning. They followed my story since day one and I want to thank everybody for that.". Olgin's girlfriend, Kristene Chapa, then 18, survived. David remains incarcerated at the William G. McConnell Unit in Beeville, Texas. Nevertheless, the jury found David, then 30, guilty of capital murder and aggravated sexual assault. Courtesy of Bexar County Sheriff's Office. Portland, Oregons, homicide rate soared a staggering 1,900% in 2021, with 20 killings, compared with one during the first three months of 2020. 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. Photos of Mary Kristene Chapa (left) and her girlfriend Mollie Judith Olgin that were given to people attending a candle light vigil for the girls Friday June 29, 2012 at Woodlawn Lake. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The city carved $16 million, or 7%, out of its police budget last year. 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. 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. Mollie, 19, suffered a gunshot wound to the neck and was pronounced dead on the scene. While Mollie Olgin died, her girlfriend, Mary Kristene Chapa, miraculously survived. Committed the July 24, 1979, murder of Anna Marie Hlavka in. It points out that a jury found "ample evidence" to convict Strickland. About 50 people attended the event. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. See our subscription options and special offers at Caller.com/subscribe. Man and wife jailed in 2-year-old attack on female couple near Corpus Christi, Portland police still seek leads in teen couple shooting. 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. 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 biological evidence then became a point of contention, seemingly highlighting his potential involvement in the crime. 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. I stared at him, right, whenever I was testifying, and not one look. Roel Garza, 52, allegedly shot and killed wife Jennifer Phillips, 36, and their son Eli Garza, 5. ', Garza replied 'just come now'. Jason Haas and Veronika Fimbres embrace during a vigil. 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. 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. "All my supporters; they've been there. While David Strickland was eventually convicted of the murder, evidence at the crime scene initially implicated Dylan Spellman. Eyewitnesses also placed Spellman at Violet Andrews Park both before and after the crime. The letter included details that hadn't been released to the media. Olgin was pronounced dead at the scene and an unconscious Chapa was taken to a local hospital where she eventually regained consciousness. See our subscription options and special offers at Caller.com/subscribe, After two hours of being interviewed by Portland police and Texas Rangers. The 2019 Portland crime rate fell by 29% compared to 2018. When a dispatcher asked 'what's going on there? The teenagers were shot execution-style and left for dead in a park in Portland, Texas. Marshals and Texas Rangers in the San Antonio suburb of Helotes, local media reported. 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. However, the authorities learned that he used to be friends with David before things fell apart. The document also requestedthe results of DNA testing conducted ona pubic hair that was found onChapa's body. A man murdered his wife and young son, made a cryptic 911 call and died by suicide, according to police in Portland, Texas. While David Strickland was eventually convicted of the murder, evidence at the crime scene initially implicated Dylan Spellman. He called 911 on Saturday at about 1:30 a.m., but he did not reveal much, cops said, according to KIII-TV. In August 1986, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the escape. 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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. They remained Tuesday in the San Patricio County Jail on no bond. Theresa Garnero and Rosie Castillo embrace during a vigil. But he could smile at my family and taunt them," she continued. 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. December 17, 2021 In June 2012, a young teenage couple was found shot in a park in Portland, Texas. Portland, OR 97006 (503) 906-1249; The teenagers were shot execution-style and left for dead in a park in Portland, Texas. Marshals, Texas Rangers and the police officers from Portland, where the attack occurred, detained Strickland and his wife, Laura Kimberly, 23. 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. facing charges of capital murder, aggravated assault with a weapon and aggravated sexual assault in the June 23, 2012, attack, who tried to claw her way out of the thorny brush. His wife is charged with tampering with evidence. Roel Garza, 52, allegedly shot and killed wife Jennifer Phillips, 36, and their son Eli Garza, 5. 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. Became a point of contention, seemingly highlighting his potential involvement in San!, D.C., and not one look County Jail on no bond potential... 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