There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. The indictment. He ended up pleading guilty to improper sexual activity with a person in custody, and kidnapping. That is very powerful scientific evidence that again, the time of death is way before that 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. window of the prosecution's case.. Law enforcement officials and archeologists gathered around a grave site on June 19 in Elgin as a backhoe carefully clawed at the ground. This is the one who attacked me. Rodney Reed, the man whose DNA matched that found in Stites body, was convicted of her murder and has sat on death row for 22 years. The body of an adult woman was found at the edge of the property on Gurden Avenue intersecting with White Avenue in Bastrop around 3 pm on Sunday afternoon. APD investigating after dead body found in south The successful conclusion of an investigation is paramount to public safety. They were identified as Janet Vu Thuy Pham, 34, and Wyatt James Rock, 36, both of Fountain Valley, according to Orange County Sheriffs Sgt. They asked Fennell, who had arrived at the scene, to unlock the truck and point out anything unusual. In an affidavit, Fletcher recalls Fennell saying he suspects Stites is sleeping with a Black man, while cursing and using a racial slur. Ed Salmela wrote in a police report. My memory of that is my mom just sitting in her chair, just [repeating,] My baby. All were trying to do is put a name and a face to an unknown body, and the best way we got to do that these days is through DNA.. "My babies, my kids, my grandkids, they're my heart. She was like the white tornado, she told 20/20. That's exactly what they called her when she was little. I'll think about it. He was engaged to the woman, and they had been in a romantic relationship with each other for at least three years. In 2017, Reeds defense attorneys tried to present forensic evidence from that 1996 murder that they said would prove his innocence in a hearing in Bastrop. Mon, February 20th 2023, 10:20 AM PST. The Bastrop County Sheriff's Office says it got a call just after . Required fields are marked *. I thought maybe [the] truck broke down or something., Carol Stites said she immediately called Fennell to let him know, and he said hed be down in just a minute., He's getting dressed, he's tucking in his shirt, Tanner said. Breaking news for Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties. Early on I was somewhat upset, just for knowing her. in Bastrop. Deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department responded around 12:50 p.m. Friday to the 20800 block of South Santa Fe Avenue, near the San Diego (405) Freeway, regarding a person down. The victim has been identified as 32-year-old Jessica Marie Jefferson Brown from Cedar Creek. I dont know her Ive seen her walking up and down the road, she was real friendly always waved but I didnt know who she was he added. (KNOE) -It was on this trail right through here. Reeds court-appointed attorney Clay-Jackson said she and her co-counsel, Calvin Garvie, only had two months to prepare for the trial. She was really excited about getting married. I was cleaning up my yard and dragged some logs out of here trying to start a fire and never saw anything out of the ordinary and a guy stopped us and said that there was a dead body back here Waller explained. It hit a little close to home for me. Bastrop County law enforcement officials are relaunching an investigation into the identity of the woman, whose badly decomposed body was discovered along U.S. 290east of Elgin by law enforcement officers 40 years ago. ELGIN, Texas The Bastrop County Sheriff's Office has charged a man with murder after an Elgin woman was found buried in a backyard earlier this month. She worked hard for that wedding dress, and we all decided that that's what she should be buried in.. The woman was identified as Shalynn Jones, according to the Los Angeles County coroners office. Her body was found in the parking lot at 118 Stephen F. Austin Boulevard at about 2 a.m. Wednesday morning. His truck was found in Bastrop and he was home in Giddings, Texas, which is some 30 miles away. Whoops! During his time on death row, Sister Helen Prejan became his spiritual adviser, and her relationship with Mr. Willie and another death row prisoner, Elmo Patrick Sonnier, was eventually dramatized in the 1995 film . [It] was tremendous, Quinncy McNeal, an attorney on Reeds team, said. Michael Woodroof, a spokesman for the county coroners office. So little is known after Yuridia Espinoza's body was found in a grave on March 27 near Elgin. We certainly dont want the family to have some false hope, so were keeping all of that information close to our belts.. In the area where the vehicle was found the mailboxes are down, a stop sign appears to have been ripped off its post and trees are damaged. Stacey would pick him up at various locations, one being the H-E-B [grocery store] parking lot, Reeds former attorney Jimmie Brown said. A hearing for the defense to present new evidence, including questions about Stites time of death, has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fennell was given two polygraphs in the months following Stites death. In no way am I denying that he committed a crime or that he didn't deserve to go to prison, because there was misconduct-- that he admitted and took responsibility for, Fennells attorney Phillips said. Investigators determined her sex based off the morphology of the skeletons pelvis, which they said was broken at the time they found her body. Lake sturgeon can grow to lengths of 8 feet and weigh up to 300 pounds. Riverside County Firefighters Stop Forward Progress of Brush Fire in Thermal, Walk to End Genocide Held Sunday In Fairfax District, Asian Couple in Bel Air Terrorized in Home Invasion Robbery, Police Arrest 24 During DUI Checkpoint in Riverside, Riverside Police Arrest 24 People During DUI Checkpoint, Coroner IDs Man Who Jumped or Fell From Freeway Overpass. The police have not released how the woman died or made an arrest in this case. When we take this to the actual medical examiner who testified, he gives us a sworn statement, said Bryce Benjet, senior attorney at the Innocence Project, who is representing Reed. They also hope this recent crime will spark more attention from police, including additional patrols in the area. 2023 FOX Television Stations, North Austin neighborhood sees relief after flooding from storms, Wife arrested after shooting husband in Buckeye while kids were home, police say, Army says helicopters crashed in mountains, fair weather, Williamson County Deputies Association raising funds to give bikes to students with perfect attendance, 2 high schoolers killed, 4 others hurt in shooting at house party in Mississippi, Texas: The Issue Is - Armed officers on Texas school campuses, Texas: The Issue Is - Rep. 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That information would be entered into NamUs, a federal missing persons database that collects cases from law enforcement, medical examiners, coroners and family members of missing persons. I have to accept that there was a relationship. Betty Carter, "Red"s grandma, says she got the call from a friend, who works with Bastrop Police. BASTROP COUNTY, Texas The Bastrop County Sheriff's Office is investigating after a teenage woman was found shot dead on FM 1704 last month. There was an impressive response to the scene, according to local independent investigator David Fisher. UPDATE: The Bastrop County Sheriff's office confirmed to Fox 7 that Jessica Marie Jefferson Brown died from a single gun shot wound. ET on ABC.*. According to the report from the 2007 Ranger investigation, other women had come forward with allegations of sexual assault and misconduct against Fennell. Relatives of a female who lived at the residence with the suspect found him injured in the driveway. Every year, Smithville has their jamboree. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot. Woman found dead in roadside brush in Bastrop, 10-year-old shot during argument, Marion man arrested, Black mans decapitated remains found after he warned his mom he was targeted by truckloads of white guys, KNOE Sunday Night Forecast with Jake Lambright, KNOE Sunday Evening Forecast with Jake Lambright, KNOE Saturday Night Forecast with Jake Lambright. The police told me that his name was Rodney Reed.. I've been doing this a long time. The sheriff's office said he had unexplained puncture wounds to his body and neck and he was unable to talk. When deputies arrived they found a female dead inside the vehicle with injuries they say aren't consistent with a traffic crash. (AP) A Louisiana woman accused of killing her boyfriend's 6-year-old daughter and leaving the child's body in a bucket outside the home where the girl's mother lives has been jailed without bond in a New Orleans suburb, authorities said. There is no further timeline available. The officer called it in but nothing seemed amiss, so the officer continued on his patrol. Bastrop Police Chief Allen Campbell says they're not confirming Lee was the one found dead until autopsy results come back, but in the meantime, they're leaving no stone unturned. Responding officers found a man and woman who had died of gunshot wounds from a rifle, Fountain Valley Police Sgt. Her body was found just hours later. Oliver and her mother say they had no doubts that Reed is responsible for Stites murder. BASTROP, La. The prosecutor of the case is Assistant District Attorney Mike Fontenot. "She had her plans, and now somebody's taken that away," Carol Stites said at the time of the murder. In the sentencing hearing, Reeds defense team says prosecutors presented a series of unadjudicated allegations against Reed. The body was taken to the Travis County Medical Examiner's Office in Austin to determine the cause of death. The woman was identified as Shalynn Jones of Compton, according to the Los . I didn't do it.. Henry Hsu said Monday. He was then taken to an ambulance to an Austin-area hospital. She says he told her that if she told anybody, he would hunt me down and kill me.. We know for sure that, 100% positive, that Rodney Reed murdered my sister., 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Both he and the victim are from El Salvador. A Bastrop County grand jury declined to indict a woman accused of exploiting girls living at the Refuge Ranch, a rehabilitation center that treats survivors of sex trafficking, according to . But, this is the situation that was handed to me so I have [to] accept that I did know her. Firefighters Discover Man's Body While Battling Apartment Fire in South L.A. Police Investigate No-Hit Shooting in Long Beach, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Officers said they responded to a call shortly after 2:30 p.m. in Orchidland. Staceys sister said the family and Jimmy were devastated by her death. That's where Stacey met Jimmy Fennell.. [The medical examiner] said that, Nobody should have relied on what I said., The examiner wrote, My estimate of time of deathwas only an estimate, and should not have been used at trial as an accurate statement of when Ms. Stites died.. He has long maintained his innocence and claims that he and Stites had a secret, consensual relationship. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. They say they have had plenty of leads, but no suspect has been identified, and they are considering everyone a person of interest, including members of Brown's family. No arrests or injuries were reported in those previous encounters. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison. BASTROP, La. Carol Stites remembered how Fennell said goodbye to his fiance. For a 19-year-old thats kind of a big transition., Stites sister Debra Oliver told 20/20 Stacey didnt share any concerns with her. Police found a broken piece of belt with the buckle attached, just outside of the drivers door. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Check for a confirmation email, and then you're all set with MyNewsLA.com! Exiting were photographers, serologists, physical evidence collection people. Staceys murder went unsolved for nearly a year. Officials added that the family of the female reported they were concerned because she had gone missing. That same morning, Carol Stites got the call that her daughter didnt make it to work. Jimmy stated that it was part of a glass that Stacey drank out of, and that it was not in the truck broken like that before.