not only bragged repeatedly that he was responsible for the murders but that he had details [about] how the murders were committed. Seven jailhouse informants took the stand. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. The series also includes recent interviews with some people directly affected by the murders and updates on their lives today. Dannen was something of a curiosity in Wacoa stubborn, garrulous reporter with a New York accent knocking on doors, asking questions about a fifteen-year-old murder case, typing answers feverishly on his laptopbut he had a knack for getting people to open up. Feeling buoyed, Schonemann and Schwartz, now joined by Ken Driggs, decided to again attack the only physical evidence against Spence: the bite marks. After closing arguments, in which Feazell likened the store owner to Judas Iscariot for his dirty hands in the killings, Deeb was found guilty in less than two hours. Spence had grown so dependent on their conversations that he would sometimes call Simons at home, waking him up to talk. So the Portland Police Bureau sent the crime-scene DNA to Parabon NanoLabs, a Reston-based firm, which used a database with more than a million profiles from people who have submitted their genetic information from companies like 23andMe or Ancestry.com, the Oregonian reported. Evans had seen plenty of murder and mayhem in her career, but nothing this macabre. A second wrote that the marks were more likely than not made by insects or artifacts. If the purpose of the exercise, he continued, was to match these marks to a set of teeth, it borders on the unbelievable. A third thought that some contusions on one body were probable human bite marks, but he couldnt match any of the molds to them. We remember your smile. And, simply, We remember you., One letter in particular moved Thompson. I called him several more times through the summer, and in our talks he turned often to Spence, saying he had all kinds of photos of the inmate and letters he had written. They had come to distrust the sergeant for his tendency to build cases on his own; in a vocation that valued teamwork, being a loner didnt win him any friends. He was linked to about 40 rapes in Colorado, Oklahoma. hawkins texas murders 1986 - realdigitizingworld.com For Feazell in particular, the victory could not have come at a better time. After the phenotyping was completed, investigators began working with GenMatch to use genetic genealogy to compose family trees for both of the victims. Simons went back to the inmate, even taking him to Koehne and Speegleville parks the next morning; over two days, Melendez gave three statements that included other discrepancies, such as different times for when he and Spence arrived at Koehne Park. Truman Simons (far right) helping carry the body of the teenagers out from the brush in Speegleville Park on July 14, 1982. The following summer, in August 1987, Williams went on trial. He walked with a limp and went by the nickname Lucky. Melendez had been suffering from multiple maladies, including bone cancer and kidney failure. Yet there was one nagging question: How to explain the many people whod heard him say he was the murderer? Fred would call now and then and say, Im almost ready, remembered Thompson. All Dannen needed at this point was DNA from the crime scene. Harper was no longer alive to talk; he had killed himself with a shotgun in 1994 when police tried to arrest him after hed attacked an elderly couple with a knife. In 1988, she moved to the Seabrook, Texas, area, where she lived in several apartment complexes. Whats Up With All the Kangaroos on the Loose in Texas? 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. He had never been violent with her or them, she recalled. need your help for this. SONNIER, David Wayne These days theres increasing credibility given to the idea that innocent people do plead guilty; the National Registry of Exonerations recently found that nearly 1 in 5 of the 87 inmates who were exonerated in 2013 had pleaded guilty to charges against them, often because of the guarantee of a lesser sentence. She and her girlfriend had broken up at the time of her disappearance, Bluffington said. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. ). Officials used dental records to identity her remains. We were pulling out all the stops, Schonemann explained to me. Thousands of people die in Hawkins each year, and most of these people are mentioned in local Texas obituaries. Brooklyn Nets +11 Boston Celtics -11 1 -110. accessed ), memorial page for Gena Lee Turner (1 Mar 1966-4 May 1986), Find a Grave Memorial ID 6653351, citing County Line Cemetery, Yoakum . Mainly because of the number of them, Scott stated in his own deposition. Schonemann, however, was frantic. Gerald Wayne My responsibility to Calvin Washington took precedence over my interests as a journalist and book writer, Dannen told me. ABC News' Stacy Chen contributed to this report. 38.3m members in the funny community. Investigators learned that the girls had driven from Waxahachie, an hour north of Waco, in Raylenes orange Ford Pinto to pick up Jills last paycheck from Fort Fisher, at the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, where she had been a tour guide that spring. Did you say it to be a big man? He said yes. She also had marks on her skin that looked as if theyd been made by teeth. Wood County authorities protested vigorously after learning McFadden intended to settle in the Hawkins area. I assumed she wouldnt be willing to speak with us, but she was candid and forthcoming. Sitting at a Dennys in Waco, the three discussed Simonss work with informants, and Price gave an affidavit about the Juanita White case. Ladies and gentlemen, he announced as Simons entered, I thank God for men like Truman Simons. Charges filed in two cold case murders from 1986 and 2007 He signed the paperwork for disposition of his personal property and recited the 23rd Psalm, saying it gave him peace. But Melendez later recanted, saying he had only confessed because hed been threatened with the death penalty. ALBRIGHT, Richard The brothers were set to testify against Muneer Deeb at his retrial, in December 1992 in Fort Worth, and both had been promised help with their paroles if they did. W Bent Bow Ln, Hawkins, TX 75765. Feazell didnt have to rely as heavily on the murder-for-hire theory; thanks to Simons, he had new ammunition. (Simons testified that he fully cooperated with Price.). Id never heard of the DA getting involved so quickly in an investigation, recalled J.R. Two weeks into a whodunit like the White case, youre just getting started. Price would continue working the case for the WPD, but she felt blindsided, as if she had done something wrong. Their only option now was to go to the federal courts. This story examines the case through the viewpoint of five people: a patrol sergeant who investigated the crime; a police detective who became skeptical of the investigation; an appellate lawyer who tried to stop the execution; a journalist whose reporting has raised new doubts about the case; and a convict who pleaded guilty but now vehemently proclaims his innocence. So someone would keep coming back to talk to you? Yes. He told me he didnt have any idea it would get so out of hand., Though Schonemann never saw this side of Spence, some of the inmates other lawyers did. On November 21, 1983, a McLennan County grand jury indicted Deeb, Spence, and both Melendez brothers for the murders of the three teenagers. On March 30 Dannen was busy writing in his apartment when the phone rang. Within days, Butler got remarkable news: Campbell was certain that Spences teeth had made the marks. Editor's Note: This is the first in a five-day series recalling paroled sex offender Jerry Walter McFadden's murderous 1986 crime spree that t, PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) A convicted murderer called the "Animal," who was executed by the state of Texas in 1999 has been identified by DNA as t, Editor's Note:This is the first in a five-day series recalling paroled sex offender Jerry Walter McFadden's murderous 1986 crime spree that t, Editor's Note: This is the third in a five-day series recalling paroled sex offender Jerry Walter McFadden's murderous 1986 crime spree that t, Editor's Note: This is the fourth in a five-day series recalling paroled sex offender Jerry Walter McFadden's murderous 1986 crime spree that , Editor's Note: This is the last of a five-day series recalling paroled sex offender Jerry Walter McFadden's murderous 1986 crime spree that te. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. These are serious allegations against public officials sworn to seek justice, read the response. He really believed that. Deebs family hired a lawyer, who pushed for a polygraph test, and after four days Simons agreed to set it up. new content, we kindly appreciate any donation you can give to help January 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? They were all good kids they were the cream of the crop.". Did he know a man named Chili? This account has been disabled. Teenagers would gather each weekend by the dozens at the point to enjoy the freedom of youth lazing on the sandy beach listening to music on car radios and rubbing a baby oil-iodine blend on sun-drenched skin. They also learned that McFadden had traveled with a woman he knew in 1979 to the Pacific Northwest a trip that would have put him in Oregon at the time when Hlavka was murdered. Other officers werent so surprised. As investigators processed the scene, another body was found in close proximity but they were in "vastly different stages of decomposition," Ratliff said. Thompson was making a chocolate cake, and Jill, who had recently lost a lot of weight, asked for a slice. On that Friday, she said, I think Ive found out what happened. Mathew Birkindine, 2, Linda's son, was in stable condition with a lacerated throat at the Tyler hospital. (Years later, Feazell would tell the Waco Tribune-Herald that the accusation that he had not disclosed exculpatory evidence was a total lie.), But Owen and Schonemann had bought themselves two more months, so they went out on the road again. Spence was the kind of criminal Simons knew well: rough, poor, and full of swagger. Suzanne's body was located the following day and by May 6, officers stopped the suspect vehicle near Loop 564 and State Highway 37, north of Mineola. Shortly after meeting up, however, the trio disappeared, never to be seen alive again. Dannen rented an expensive high-speed scanner and began uploading pages and pages of court transcripts, case briefs, and medical reports onto his computer. On May 4, 1986, Suzanne Harrison, 18, and Gena Turner, 20, decided to visit Lake Hawkins in Wood County, Texas. Suzanne and two former classmates from Hawkins High School vanished May 4, 1986 during a Sunday evening drive around Lake Hawkins. Hed had a real crappy childhood, Driggs remembered, and probably had a lot of anger, but I never read him as a dangerous guy, unlike some others we worked with. There was no reliable forensic evidence that Spence had killed the teenagersand to all his lawyers, he had consistently maintained his innocence. Avon He was officially charged with capital murder for Suzanne's death and transferred from Wood to Upshur County where he was denied bond. She had been stabbed repeatedly and was naked except for a bra that was tied around her right leg. A week later, Simons felt like taking another look around the lake. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. By the time he got out of prison, he had become entranced by the biker lifestyle. Hawkins, TX Map & Directions - MapQuest Wileys willingness to meet with interested parties on matters of criminal justice should never be construed as support for, or against, a person or issue being discussed.) Dannen made a presentation, and UT gave him more funds, which he sent to FSA for another round of testing. Surely they knew each other, mused Dannen. He always told me hed be dead before the truth came out, remembered June. But what is happening is wrong.. They knew they had to attack the jailhouse testimony; if Robert Snelson had lied, they figured, other inmates probably had too. At Williamss trial, she had testified that she saw Williams and Washington in a club parking lot, sitting near Whites car. Then there was the report detailing a bizarre polygraph test taken by Kenneths father, Richard Franks. Rose Ann Hlavka came home to the modest brick apartment building just northwest of Portland, Ore.s downtown around 10 p.m. expecting to find her 20-year-old sister, Anna Marie. Shes gotten me through the last year or two, he told me. In 2004 Dannen finally finished a draft of his book. The lawyer, on the other hand, spent the month of March in a state of high anxiety. But later he told the police that he was out driving around the parks at about eight in the evening; this inconsistency, among other details, had prompted Detective Ramon Salinas and Lieutenant Marvin Horton to briefly consider Franks a suspect. HAWKINS - On a clear May 4, 1986 evening, Suzanne Harrison, 18, and her best friend, Gena Turner, 20, waved goodbye to their families, jumped in the car and headed out on an ill-fated ride. The courts, it seemed, had agreed: in 1992, in a remarkable decision, the Tenth Court of Appeals had overturned Williamss murder conviction, ruling that testimony against him from one of the informants was inadmissible. There were so many witnesses they wanted to call that they first persuaded Judge Norman Black to let them collect depositions instead of having everyone testify in court. She didnt make any changes, she didnt say anything was wrong with it, and she signed it.). She talked to inmates, some of whom claimed that Simons sources were liars. HAWKINS On a clear May 4, 1986 evening, Suzanne Harrison, 18, and her best friend, Gena Turner, 20, waved goodbye to their families, jumped in the car and headed out on an ill-fated ride around Lake Hawkins. Then, just when it seemed things couldnt get worse, in September 1995 the TRC found itself forced to shut its doors. Not a shred of doubt., For almost thirty years now, Tony Melendez has sat in a Texas prison cell and considered his life. Lynn And why? Winnipeg Jets Edmonton Oilers 2 -155. (Simons would later say that it was Price who believed the wounds on Whites body were bite marks and that they agreed to get the mold after looking at autopsy photos together; Price insists that the mold already existed when she and Simons joined forces.). He had had such an obviously unfair trial, he told me. He said one of them had some big tits, Gilbert told his lawyers. hawkins texas murders 1986army records office address. Gene David was kind of a braggart, Hunt told me. To his surprise, Spence was so friendly that they fell into easy conversation; Simons even told him he was quitting the force. As he testified in a deposition in 1997, Im a deputy sheriff, Im not an assistant DA or a prosecutor. Me and some friends of mine from Fort Worth, you know, we did that, we took care of them. When Gilbert didnt believe him, Spence described how hed picked up the teenagers at the tables. He had grown up in Rosenthal, a tiny town just south of the city, and joined the WPD in 1965, a few years after dropping out of high school. It was only after she had described the bracelet to police that it was found, she told Dannen. I dont know why I started writing, Thompson told me, but I felt it was the thing to do. While CODIS had failed to find Hlavkas murder, she realized that if any of the mans relatives had submitted DNA information to the public sites, they might find a link. A Town In Terror: How Jerry McFadden's 1986 crime spree stole the lives He was known to camp not too far from the point, where rolling waves crashed against the rugged shoreline and pretty girls flirted with the guys. The community will always have a void.". Harrison's body was found the next day on Barnwell Mountain in Gilmer. Like a legal MASH unit.. Melendez pleaded guilty to the savage 1982 murder of three teenagers in Waco; he also testified against another man, David Spence in 1985. He was confident, even giddy. Harrison was strangled to death, Turner and Boone were found days later in Upshur County shot to death. Photo by Ben. Born in 1948, McFadden a heavyset man with a thoroughly tattooed torso was convicted of two counts of rape in Texas in 1972 and sentenced to 15 years in prison, according to a timeline produced by the Portland police. Unfortunately, however, the odontologists took a long time completing their assessments, and as the October 1993 deadline for the depositions approached, the TRC team realized the full odontology report was going to be late. He was going to find the one person who would give him the answer. Dannen himself was beginning to feel drawn into the lake murders for reasons that went beyond his book contract. Then the two set out to attack what they saw as the most powerful element of the states case: the accomplice testimony of the Melendez brothers. Then DNA pointed to a serial rapist named Animal., Roger Goodell, Muriel Bowser discussed future of RFK site in December call, Everything you need to know about the National Cherry Blossom Festival, Kyle Kuzma, Wizards start fast and dont look back in win over Raptors, DNA testing that has used public genealogy sites to close scores of lingering cold cases, according to a timeline produced by the Portland police, a recounting of the crime spree by the Tyler Morning Telegraph. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. I kept shaking my head, he told me. Try again later. Physically, McFadden cast an imposing shadow. hawkins texas murders 1986 army records office address Man, 2 Teen-age Girls Found Stabbed to Death at Lake Park: Police Say Bodies Bound, Girls Nude, read the front page of the Waco Tribune-Herald. Drag images here or select from your computer for Gena Lee Turner memorial. Though Melendez took two polygraphs that seemed to confirm his involvement, he also recanted his confession entirely. Randall Wayne He was found guilty and ultimately executed by the state of Texas in 1999. On November 17 they spoke with Otis Douglas, an informant who had testified against Williams. He and Blum met with Vic Feazell, who had gotten divorced and started dabbling in the film business. Copyright 2020 KLTV. When Simons had shown it to her, all she could say was that shed bought Jill one that looked similar. Judy Whitley, a 17-year-old sophomore at Clifton High School, was found raped and murdered in June 1985. HAWKINS, Texas (KLTV) -Monday, April 27, true-crime network Investigation Discovery (ID) will air the story of Hawkins' serial murderer and kidnapper Jerry McFadden, dubbed "the animal," on a new show called Southern Gothic. Hawkins City Council members accepted his resignation. The town historically offered reasonable, affordable housing for workers and a plentiful infusion of cash when the oil field was booming. The Murders at the Lake - Texas Monthly Schonemann was not about to give up: after landing a job at the Capital Punishment Clinic at the University of Texas School of Law, he continued to represent Spence pro bono. There was the gold bracelet, entered now as conclusive evidence of where the teenagers had been killed. For four decades, Portland police were baffled by the brutal crime against the young woman with flowing brown locks and a bright smile. Despite this acclaim, Simons felt the most satisfaction from having fulfilled his calling. When Campbell reported his results, his conclusion was different from Halesit was Williams, he said, not Washington, who had bitten White. The trail went cold again. [Simons] brought to my office no less than five separate confessions. The WPDs policy, he said, was simple: If its additional information that you are wanting to put in their confession, you put a supplement to it, you dont take a whole new confession., Horton had also been suspicious. He played things close to the vest, Baier would explain later, and that bothered some people. Nevertheless, Scott, convinced of Deebs flight risk, approved the arrest, and that night Simons brought the store owner in for questioning. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. League City Police detectives "worked diligently" since the bodies were discovered to identify Jane Doe and Janet Doe, Ratliff said. Kenneths parents had divorced in 1975, after Franks had acknowledged he was gay. When the deputy drove Gilbert out to Koehne and Speegleville parks for the inmate to walk him through the crime, Gilbert said, he had taken his cues from Simons when identifying the spot where the teenagers were killed. I was with my uncle and my cousins in Bryan, painting apartments, he told me. Many, if not most should be considered armed and dangerous. Schonemann and Schwartz had no time to lose. And when I tracked down Kevin Mikel, the informant who testified against Spence and later said his testimony had been influenced by Simons, he told me he believed Spence was guilty. The families are now undergoing a "formal grieving process" now that they know "that their loved one is actually deceased, not just missing or living a new life somewhere," Bluffington said. "When I sit here in retrospect, it doesn't seem like much time has passed at all. SKILLERN, Derrick J. Blum felt strongly that it wasnt safe for Dannen to continue his reporting on the lake murders, at least not in Waco, and advised him to stay in New York. On November 27 Owen and Schonemann filed a supplement to their habeas writs with the Court of Criminal Appeals. 1 dead, 1 in custody after shooting at Hawkins convenience store - KLTV In September 1999, in a conference room at a Fort Worth Marriott, Chapman delivered boxes containing pieces of clothing, the bloody bindings, the stray hairs, the two beer cans, and more. Authorities were eager to locate the unkempt man. A post office was established in Hawkins in 1873. Obituaries Hawkins TX - Hawkins Death Records If there was the possibility of any DNA being there, why didnt they turn it over to the proper authorities who could maintain a chain of custody? he wrote in another email. Mrs. Lane said. He seemed to prefer the company of hustlers to that of his fellow cops, and he was known among local law enforcement for his distaste for rules. On December 18, the day before Spence was to die, the lawyers filed for a stay of execution as well as a federal habeas corpus petition, citing 25 grounds for reversal. One important question remained: Whose semen was it? Murderers Texas, USA Name Date Victims Location A Daniel Clate ACKER March 12, 2000 1 Texas, USA Beunka ADAMS September 2, 2002 1 Texas, USA John Wade ADAMS March 23, 1997 1 Texas, USA Timothy Wayne ADAMS February 20, 2002 1 Texas, USA Dwight Dwayne ADANANDUS January 28, 1988 1 Texas, USA Jesus But Dannen ignored his friends warnings, and in October 1998 he returned to Austin alone, taking along his computer and a digital keyboard on which to play Chopin and Gershwin. Even Feazell was won over. Cliffside Path, Hawkins, TX 75765. . Then Simons got a surprise visit from Ned Butler, an assistant DA who had recently been hired to try capital cases. ADAMS, Charles And other law enforcement officers, the TRC team was learning, had always doubted Gilberts statements. But McFadden's parole to East Texas was granted anyway, in spite of White's objections. If theres one thing for certain, its that the Lake Waco murder case does indeed stand on its own. After his direct appeal had been denied, the former shop-keeper, who never wavered in his protestations of innocence, had resolved to free himself: sitting on the floor of his cell at the Ellis Unit, hed studied law books and typed out cases, trying to learn the rhythms of legal writing. Its amazing the lack of information weve found out there, Sergeant Dennis Kidwell told the Tribune-Herald. Hopper learned that police had used DNA information in public genealogy databases to identify DeAngelo. Grand juries in Wood and Upshur counties later indicted him for the robbery and Suzanne's death. Some cases were the kind hed seen before, like that of a prostitute whod been stabbed and thrown into the river. "I wrote the parole board and asked them not to parole him to this area," then-sheriff Frank White said in a May 13, 1986 newspaper. Texas law sets the bar very high for innocence claims, effectively requiring conclusive proof of innocence, said Raoul Schonemann, who is now the co-director of the Capital Punishment Clinic. And You Thought Feral Hogs Were Bad. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The Harris County Sheriff's Office announced a breakthrough in two unrelated cold case murders Thursday morning. Lake Hawkins murders featured on true-crime network episode, 1 person hospitalized in Tyler after being struck by vehicle while changing flat tire, Woman charged with capital murder in Ellis County for allegedly killing 3 children, Troup police ask for publics help to identify pursuit suspect, WebXtra: Fresh 15 race kicks off in Tyler, Brigitta's Hungarian Restaurant loses half of roof, closing business temporarily. A connection between all four murders has not been determined yet, other than the location of where their remains were found, said League City Police Lt. Michael Bluffington. From the start, Dannen had been working on a theory, based in part on Schonemanns writs, that the murders had taken place after a drug deal gone bad. I don't think there's ever going to be complete closure. ROBERSON III, Mariano Juarez Her father, Ash, is suspicious of Hill, thinking that he married Joan for money, which he used to buy a house and indulges in some odd hobbies. There was a much stronger case to be made, he felt, for the involvement of Tab Harper, whom witnesses had seen at the park that night and whose name he had encountered in police reports and interviews several times. At that time, prisoners were granted excessive time off their sentences for good behavior, essentially opening the spigot for releases. McFadden never was charged with the other killings. The medical examiner agreed with the results and is now in the process of amending the death certificates, Ratliff said. She also fell in love with a fellow officer, J.R. Price, whom she married; the two bought some land out in the country and acquired a few horses. Phoenix Suns -4 Chicago Bulls +4 1 -110. (Sarah A. Miller/Tyler Morning Telegraph). Home; About Us; Services; Substances of Abuse; Locations His tenacity, in fact, was about to pay off in other ways. Yes, admitted Deeb; he often spent time at the Rainbow Drive Inn. For Fred, Texas was as exotic as a foreign country, remembered Lawrence Wright, a staff writer for the New Yorker (and a former TexasMonthly staffer), who hosted Dannen and Blum in his home, in Austin. There was also former inmate Kevin Mikel, who explained how hed learned details of the murders. Spence, in fact, was about to become the face of a national debate over capital punishment in Texas. The lawyers found two other jailhouse inmates who had not testified but nevertheless claimed that Simons had fed them information also, offering them leniency and favorable treatment if they turned the words into testimony. Simons was undeterred; he felt that his relationship with Spence was the key to solving the case. For Simons, this was a promising start, and later that afternoon he and Baier sat down to interview Kelley, who had also been a friend of Jills. Allen never disclosed anything from the file to the defense. The jailer managed to escape unhurt from a railroad boxcar. Sitting calmly nearby, Simons would tell him to let it all out. And, crucially, they kept and carefully stored forensic evidence from the scene.