Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello. Police found Jason John, 30, dead in Lady Bird Lake in February, a week after he was last been seen on Rainey Street, which has a popular row of bars near the water. (Google Maps), TEXAS POLICE ADDRESS FEARS OF SERIAL KILLER AFTER SECOND MISSING MAN FOUND DEAD IN AUSTIN LAKE, "Although these cases are still under investigation and evidence is being analyzed, at this time, there is no evidence in any of these cases to support allegations of foul play," Austin police said in a statement. In the 1930s, Joe Ball's murder spree was such a media sensation that it nearly became the stuff of tall tales, but Ball's numerousfemale victims were quite real - as were the alligators he fed their bodies to. WHAT WE KNOW:Who is convicted murderer Raul Meza Jr.? speaking from Texas Capitol where the two have been meeting with state lawmakers. Sexton said Austin police found only one case that met the "parameters that had been set out by Meza" in that phone call: the murder of Gloria Lofton, who was strangled in May 2019. Meza and Fraga had known each other since the 1990s. Pflugerville police responded to a check welfare check just after noon on May 20 in the 700 block of Camp Fire Trail and found Fraga dead. Lofton had been strangled to death, Reed said. The remains of 10 men and six women have been pulled from the Chicago River and Lake Michigan since the beginning of last year, prompting fears of a serial killer terrorizing the community. Texas EquuSearch will turn to new technology to find more victims killed by one of the country's most notorious serial killers. North Texas city ran suspected serial killer out of town. After serial killer theories emerge online, Austin Police Department releases statement denying foul play April 4, 2023. With his DNA in hand, Wendy Duke was finally able to connect Reece to the DNA recovered from Tiffany's body, and Reece could not be eliminated as the contributor. The girl was riding her bicycle on the playground of Langford Elementary, several blocks from her family's home, when Meza killed her. News 12 Long Island was the first to report the arrest. Authorities have said that more than one person may have been responsible for the murders. Eleven sets of human remains have been found around Long Island's Gilgo Beach since 2010. Their remains were uncovered accidentally as police searched for 24-year-old escort Shannan Gilbert, who went missing after visiting a client, whom she met on Craigslist, in the gated community of Oak Beach, and then fleeing the man's home. With the help of some information from William Reece, after 25 days of digging, Jessica Cain's remains were discovered in a field on East Orem Drive, near Hobby Airport. WebHere is a look at the 184 inmates currently on Texas' death row. The entire ordeal reads like a bad campfire ghost story, with teens murdered on lover's lane, harrowing escapes, and a killer who was never found. His brother, Martin Gutierrez, was an experienced swimmer, according to Hammonds. "There are too many people that have gone missing," Austin resident Christopher Pugh told the Austin City Council earlier this month. Twenty-five years after the murders of Laura Smither, Kelli Cox and Jessica Cain, their families finally got their day in court. Beyond the sheer number of serial murderers in the Lone Star State, there are some killers whose crimes are especially shocking and terrible. Clifton Axtell, 40, was identified as the man found dead on March 5. 4. Everything is bigger in Texas, and Texas killers are among the most brutal and notorious in the country. Join the search for Austin's 1885 serial killer. "Here's a guy who probably should have spent the rest of his life in prison," Mills said. The belt is imprinted with the letters "WH" or "HM" possibly the suspect's initials. Lofton was found dead in her home in May 2019 and Fraga in his home on May 20. From 1990 to 1991, the city of Dallas, Texas was gripped with fear after authorities linked two brutal and bizarre homicide cases. Authorities believe he is responsible for 11 murders across the country. Eight to 10 cold cases going back to 1996 are being investigated as possibly connected to Meza, and the number could rise, Austin Police Department detective Katie Conner said in a news conference Tuesday. He was found dead on the morning of Dec. 7. Two sets of the remains were later linked to the dismembered torsos of women first discovered in Manorville, about 40 miles away. Fraga was a retired Travis County probation officer. William Lewis Reece. The murky crime drama about a chalk-and-cheese detective duo chasing a serial killer couple continues. He later received another four-year sentence for having a weapon in prison. This comes after relatives and friends of Jason John, a 30-year-old whose body was recovered near 30 East Ave. in February, called on the city to install security cameras and lights in the area to improve safety. United States. Police said they have charged Meza with capital murder in the death of 80-year-old Jesse Fraga in Pflugerville and in the death of Austin resident Gloria Lofton, 66, who was killed in May 2019. Published: Jan. 19, 2022 at 3:30 AM PST. To be eligible for the cash rewards, tipsters must provide information to authorities using one of the following methods: Call the Texas Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477) Submit a web tip through the Texas 10 Most Wanted website or Facebook page Submit a tip through the DPS Mobile App. A Texas man is facing two new murder charges after he allegedly called police to confess to killing his roommate and another woman, and authorities are now The burned-out van was found on a beach near Galveston and the remains pf the victims were found in a landfill. Cain found his daughter's truck abandoned on the shoulder of I-45 just a couple of miles from their home. The answers to other lingering questions are likely known to investigators but not to the public, said John Kelly, a criminal profiler who has interviewed numerous serial killers. Published June 1, 2023. Alexis was Cox's whole world and Kelli's mother Jan Bynum knew that Kelli would never leave Alexis behind. Despite this devastating news, a suspect quickly emerged. The group has risen to 56,000 members at the time of writing, describing itself as "a place to discuss the possible serial killer in Austin Texas/ Theories including the "If not for the members of this task force, he would still be out on the streets today.". Bodies have been found in Lady Bird Lake this year, stoking fears in the community, but police have said there is no evidence of foul play in those deaths. He pleaded not guilty. Johns obituary says he was also known as JJ and passed away on February 5, 2023, at the age of 30 in Austin, Texas.. After moving to rural Uvalde County, west of San Antonio, to live with his grandparents, he was jailed again after his family said he had verbally abused them. Texas, which reinstated the death penalty in 1976, has the most active execution chamber in the nation. 23, 2023 at 10:32 AM PDT. Published June 5, 2023 11:48am EDT Austin has its first known serial killer in 138 years, but questions remain on Rainey Street deaths Raul Meza Jr shot a man in 1975, By Kate McGee, The Texas Tribune Jun 29, 2023 No one was ever caught. Ramon Escobar, 50 (Los Angeles County) By Angela Bonilla. Neighbors of Gloria Lofton are reacting to the news of her suspected killer being in police custody. There are too many people that can walk off, and we still have absolutely no answers as to what has happened to any of those folks.". "While each incident has occurred at the lake, the circumstances, exact locations, and demographics surrounding these cases vary. The group has been referred to as the "Gilgo Four" after investigators determined their killings were connected. He was arraigned Friday afternoon in Suffolk County. A Texas man police are describing as a "serial killer" who served time for killing a young girl in 1982 was arrested this week after confessing to the slayings of two other people, authorities said.. Raul Meza Jr., 62, called police and admitted to killing an 80-year-old man in Pflugerville, Texas, this month and a 66-year-old woman in Austin in 2019, This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin police say no evidence of foul play in Lady Bird Lake deaths. AUSTIN, Texas An investigation is underway after a body was recovered from Lady Bird Lake in Austin on Sunday morning, according to Austin-Travis County first responders. "While the investigation is still in the early stages, we do not suspect foul play was involved based on the information we have at this time," police said. Laura Smither, a 12-year-old aspiring ballerina, went for a morning jog near her home in Friendswood, Texas, but never returned. Police began searching for Meza as a person of interest after Fraga, a retired Travis County probation officer, was found dead by officers on May 20 while they were conducting a welfare check because Fraga's loved ones hadn't heard from him in several days. The families wanted to see him go away.. Online speculation that a serial killer is stalking the streets of Austin was reignited over the weekend after the discovery of another corpse in Lady Bird Lake. Marshals Service Lone Star Fugitive Task Force after the Pflugerville Police Department filed an arrest warrant charging him with capital murder in connection with a homicide investigation. Full Forecast said had fantasies of becoming a serial killer to life in prison for the 2021 beating death of a woman. HOUSTON, Texas (KWTX) -A serial killer has admitted to the It is not clear if Heuermann has been charged. FBI analyzing 'hundreds of pieces of information' amid hunt for He graduated from Vidor High School in 1954, went to the service and then settled in Houston and Pasadena. WebA Texas Serial Killer Left His Victims Without Their Eyes. to confess to 90 murders. Escobar first killed Rogelio Escobar, 65,using an old police baton because he felt disrespected. "I have been digging into this now for the last couple of weeks pretty much every day, and the odds of this happening this many deaths in that one spot, all men around the same age, the odds are pretty astronomical if this is just a coincidence," he said. Austin police said Meza called them May 23 and confessed to killing Fraga. The home belonged to a family that had long kept to themselves, neighbors said, noting that the dilapidated property seemed out of place among rows of single-family homes and well-kept lawns in the small community. Texas EquuSearch will turn to new technology to find more victims killed by one of the country's most notorious serial killers. It took more than two decades to bring William Reece to justice for the murders of Laura Smither, Kelli Cox, Tiffany Austin police have labeled Meza a "serial killer" and the "worst of the worst," CBS affiliate KEYE-TV reported. When Meza was arrested, police said, he was on a bicycle and had a backpack with him containing duct tape, zip ties and a .22-caliber gun.. The Travis County medical examiner found a puncture wound on Fragas neck and a severed cervical spine, Sexton said. At the time that Lofton died, her death was considered suspicious, police said. Police said investigators do not believe Meza is responsible for either of the recent deaths that have taken place near the Rainey Street entertainment district downtown. At least, not according to San Antonio Police Department. Kelli Cox, a 20-year-old mother and student at the University of Northern Texas, was taking a tour of the Denton police department as a part of her criminal justice class but left early to take an exam. The approximate locations of the four recent bodies found in Austin, Texas', Lady Bird Lake, based on estimations from local reports and Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services. Allie Pertel, the sister of one of the victims, Megan Waterman, spoke out after the arrest of Heuermann. But. As police roundly deny rampant serial killer speculation, relatives of the victims tell Andrea Blanco what needs to happen to avoid more tragedies Wednesday 03 May 2023 20:34 Article bookmarked @tplohetski. Exclusive video obtained by Eyewitness News shows authorities surrounding Heuermann to take him into custody. By Maurice Chammah. Dean Corll called Southeast Texas home when his family moved here in 1950. He was sentenced to death. In the early 1970s, Corll drugged, raped, tortured, and murdered at least 27 boys aged 13 to 19years old. The shore of Lady Bird Lake is less than one hundred feet from the end of Rainey Street on Sunday, April 2, 2023 in downtown Austin, Texas. Mystery of Texas 'roofie serial killer' with eerie echoes of 'smiley face murders' Cliff Axtell, 40, was found in Lady Bird Lake on March 5th 2023. Elgin had connections to all the victims, a club foot that matched a footprint found at one of the scenes, and he was shot to death in February1886 while attempting to stab a woman to death. moves to Despite only having an agreement to waive the death penalty for Kelli Cox and Laura Smither's cases, William Reece ended up confessing to all four murders. A man run out of multiple cities and towns across Texas after he served prison time for the slaying of an 8-year-old girl in the 1980s has been arrested in connection with two other murders, and police say they are reopening several cold cases that could be linked to him. Shannan Gilbert's disappearance in 2010 triggered the hunt that exposed the larger mystery. Meza's car was found parked in the driveway of Fraga's residence with duct tape, gloves, a hammer and a hatchet inside of it, according to a search warrant. Market data provided by Factset. read image description. On average, these inmates have spent 18 years, 1 month on death row. However, drugs like GHB, commonly known as "roofies," are quickly metabolized and can be out of a victim's system by the time they reach a forensic pathologist, Hammonds noted. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. As for the victims, their murders, along with the deaths of seven other people, have long gone unsolved. Updated: July 8, 2023 @ 10:46 pm. After Meza confessed to killing her, police were able to match DNA from the scene to Meza, investigators said. He was sent back to prison in 1994 for a parole violation and was then released in 2002. She had been strangled and sexually assaulted. WebTexas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives. The stars at night are big and bright. convicted in 1982 of the murder of an 8-year-old girl. After detectives with the Houston Police Department interviewed Escobar about his uncles disappearance, he fled to Santa Monica, California. They noted that those areas close at 10 p.m. and urged people not to enter them at night. Police say Raul Meza Jr. was carrying a bag with zip ties, a flashlight and a gun when arrested. A man in Texas called police and admitted to two murders. A former nurse in East Texas has been sentenced for killing four patients at a hospital in Tyler, Texas. Gay and Bob Smither, who were still processing the loss of their own daughter Laura, just four months earlier, joined the search immediately, saying they felt called by God to help. "Just from the sheer number and the fact that there's so many in a short period of time, I don't believe that it's accidental," said Gannon, who with the NYPD was credited with more than 1,000 felony arrests and, at the time of his retirement, the most decorated officer in the department's history. Anyone with more information about the case can call Austin police at 512-974-8477, or submit tips anonymously through Capital Area Crime Stoppers at austincrimestoppers.org or call 512-472-8477. ", Defense attorney Michael J. Detective Patrick Reed said Meza told authorities he was ready and prepared to kill again and he was looking forward to it.. 272. Heuermann was first eyed in the cases in March 2022. Her floor mats were still hanging on the drying racks and keys were still in the ignition, but there was no sign of Tiffany and no one at the car wash reported seeing anything out of the ordinary that day. He also admitted to strangling 66-year-old Gloria Lofton during the call. Shortly after leaving, Cox discovered that she was locked out of her car and used a pay phone at a nearby gas station to call her boyfriend for help. Criminologist Dr. Bryanna Fox speaks about her death row interview with him for the show. A Texas man police are describing as a "serial killer" who served time for killing a young girl in 1982 was arrested this week after confessing to the slayings of two other people, authorities said. At the time, police thought the 66-year-old's death was suspicious, but no one was charged. Stockton, Calif., police released a photo of a person of interest in the murders of five men in the city since July. Published on April 17, 2023 12:41PM EDT Trending Videos Four bodies have been found in a Texas lake in the last two months but police say there is no evidence that foul play is involved. New docu-series examines case of Tyler hospital serial killer. The jury heard Sandra Sapaugh's powerful testimony and his victims from the eighties also took the stand and shared how they were both brutally attacked by Reece in Oklahoma. Raul Meza confessed to killing man in Pflugerville, woman in Austin. 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. by ACACIA CORONADO, Associated Press. November 9, 2022 6:00 pm. Forty years after the original, "Halloween" gets a do-over when Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) once again faces off against Michael Myers. Missing person flyer for Jonathan Honey, whose body was found by Austin, Texas, police in Lady Bird Lake. After serving nearly 10 years in prison for sexually assaulting two women in his native Oklahoma, William Reece was released from prison in the fall of 1996. From Olivia Dunne to Damar Hamlin it was a star-studded 2023 ESPY Awards. All rights reserved. Even though prosecutors had DNA linking him to Tiffany Johnston and his confession, Reece entered a plea of not guilty. Which presidential candidates raised the most from April through June? Texas girls killer faces new murder charges, may be serial killer, police say. Search parties and friends looked for any sign of Jessica, but they had no luck. He is an architect and married father of two who lives in Massapequa Park. On July 12, 1999, Texas Ranger Drew Carter accompanied by Manuela and a spiritual guide, met up with Resndiz on a bridge that connects El Paso with Juarez, Mexico, and he surrendered. Lofton was found dead in her East Austin home in mid-2019. Meza's first recorded crime came in 1975 when he was 15 years old. It's not consistent with normal accidental drownings. Police said Meza also implicated himself in the 2019 Ten months after Johnson's disappearance, deputies announced that they found her remains on Feb. 7, 2023 in Copyright 2023 WABC-TV. Cain went out looking for her. DNA recovered from the Lofton scene was also linked to Meza, authorities said, but it wasn't until Meza called police that he was charged with Lofton's murder. Austin police have labeled Meza a "serial killer" and the "worst of the worst," CBS affiliate KEYE-TV reported. All your exes live there. Jan and Alexis Bynum, embrace friends and family in court. Pugh's 21-year-old son, Christian, went missing for several days in 2019 after partying on Rainey Street. This tour explores Austin's dark history through the infamous historical murders that threw our city into a state of panic and turmoil. He is now being investigated for possible involvement in up to 10 other killings. In January 2020, police released photographs of a black leather belt found at one of the dump locations they believed likely belonged to the murderer. [6] Travis Lewis. During a robbery of a South Congress Avenue convenience store on New Year's Eve, Meza shot Derly Ramirez, the store attendant, the Statesman reported in 1991. It's America's second largest state! "Did they go to the same bar?Something else that bothers me is that they seem not to be with friends. Four of those remains were women, one was a female toddler and one was an Asian male wearing women's clothing. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Mills said Meza pleaded guilty to the murder of Page in exchange for a 30-year sentence. Serial killer admits to murder of aunt and uncle in Houston in 2018, Passion for STEM leads Temple High School senior to publish book, launch two organizations. or redistributed. Meza was arrested in May after police said he called police and confessed to killing 80-year-old US crime How a Texas serial killer went under police radar for years The recent conviction of a prolific killer sheds light on the need for protections for a vulnerable (April 13 Austin City Council Meeting). Meza called police on May 24 while he was being sought for the death of Fraga, Austin police said in a news conference Tuesday. January 21, 2023 / 9:38 PM "There are too many people that have been injured. Reed, who answered Meza's confession phone call, said Meza told him that he was released from prison in 2016 and, "I end up murdering a lady soon afterwards.". Sandra Sapaugh, 19, stopped at a convenience store near I-45. Surveillance video shows Sandra Sapaugh inside the convenience store right before her attack. Meza admitted to killing Fraga during a phone call with the Austin Police Department on May 24. Marshals Service's Lone Star Fugitive Task Force arrested Meza in North Austin on Monday, according to Pflugerville police. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. He told Los Angeles Police Department detectives about all of the deaths. SAN ANTONIO The San Antonio Police Department is dispelling rumors of a serial killer on the loose in the city. He died of prostate cancer while in prison. 19962020. Criminal defense attorney Ty Cardenas said the FBI search of the Pflugerville field could be related to the Fraga murder. Still, the days of searching turned into weeks and despite her best efforts, Bynum couldn't figure out exactly what happened to her daughter. A sign warns of poor lighting conditions at night on a hike and bike trail along Lady Bird Lake that passes the end of Rainey Street on Sunday, April 2, 2023 in downtown Austin, Texas. Nathan Sexton said at a news conference Tuesday. According to Pflugerville city officials, Meza is accused of fatally stabbing Jesse Fraga, 80, at his Pflugerville home in May. Early Friday morning, crime laboratory officers were seen entering his home in Massapequa Park as a large police presence, led by Suffolk County Police, NY State Police, and other law enforcement partners kept a perimeter. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. She has reported on several high-profile stories during her career at KSAT and specializes in trending news and things to do around Texas and San Antonio. Texas police think they may have just arrested a possible serial killer after the murder of an 80-year-old man. GIF. Published: 13:20 EDT, 23 April 2023 | Updated: 13:34 EDT, 23 April 2023. WhenRaul Meza Jr. was arrestedthis week, police said he told them he was "looking forward" to killing again. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Before Jack the Ripper began his spree in England, the killer known as the Servant Girl Annihilator terrorized Texas like a demonic tall tale. Just a day after her disappearance, Tiffany Johnston's partially clothed body was found in tall grass, next to an unpaved rural road close to the interstate. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Updated: 11:15 PM CST January 17, 2023 MEMPHIS, Tenn Many Memphians have seen speculation growing online of a serial killer in the Westwood community. That is if the medical examiner even tests for them. He didn't name her but mentioned the street where she was killed. We don't know," Mills said. "I was honestly very shocked because he doesn't look like the monster that he is," Pertel said. Harris County Assistant District Attorney Robert Buss said Fridays plea deal ensures that Escobar will not be released from prison in California and if he ever is, he will have to serve two life sentences in Texas, which gave the victims families some closure. 15. As the name suggests, Albright surgically removed the eyes of all three of his victims. Posted Sat 23 Jul 2022 at 12:08pm While on death row for the murder of a 19-year-old woman, William Reece confessed to a string of other killings he committed in He was found dead on the morning of Dec. 7. ", Heuermann was ordered held on no bail pending a bail application based on what the judge called the "extreme depravity of the allegations.". It took more than two decades to bring William Reece to justice for the murders of Laura Smither, Kelli Cox, Tiffany Johnston and Jessica Cain. Jessica Cain's parents asked for privacy while they buried their daughter. Filed 6:00 a.m. 04.26.2023. From 1970 to 1973, he killed at The four women Heuermann is linked to were all found covered in burlap along a half-mile stretch of Ocean Parkway on Long Island's South Shore in late 2010. All Rights Reserved. HOUSTON (AP) - Authorities say three teens have been found dead in a home northeast of Houston, and it appears one of ", BANK ACCOUNTS OF NEW YORK ROOFIE MURDER VICTIMS DRAINED VIA FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Police announced Tuesday that Meza confessed to her murder and that his DNA matched the DNA found at the scene.
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