MURDERED: Mollie Olgin

[00:00] Hi, Crime Junkies. It's Britt, and I have big news. One of my favorite seasonal shows, CounterClock, is back with a brand new season, and it is wild. Host Delia D'Ambra is digging into the 2008 Lane Bryant murders. I mean, this isn't just a recap. It is a reinvestigation. She's talking to law enforcement, people from the community, even sources who have never spoken publicly until now. And you know I love a show that asks all the questions. Listen to CounterClock Season 8 now wherever you get your podcasts. [00:31] Hi, Crime Junkies. I'm your host, Ashley Flowers. And I'm Britt. And as Pride Month gets underway, I want to reiterate to all of our LGBTQ plus listeners that we see you and we love every single one of you, whether you're out or not. You are beautiful. You have immense value and you are exactly who and where you need to be. And I want you to hear that. And I don't know about you, Britt, but [00:57] Just in doing this show and telling these stories, I have learned so much about the different communities under the LGBTQ plus umbrella and what they face. [01:07] Oh, 100 percent. There was so much that I wasn't aware of and didn't even realize I was taking for granted.

[01:37] much darker. [01:39] This is the story of Molly Olguin. [01:42] *music* [02:13] At around 8.30 on the morning of Saturday, June 23rd in Portland, Texas, a woman named Chris is out and about at Violet Andrews Park with her husband, Stan. Now, it's one of those summer mornings where the sun is high enough to give off just this great light, but the heat hasn't gotten out of control yet. So Chris and Stan are excited to spend some time in nature and, you know, do a little quality birdwatching. [02:37] And South Texas is actually a pretty good spot for this. Since Portland is less than three hours from the U.S.-Mexico border, there is always a chance that a keen watcher could see some more exotic birds from down south. [02:51] So if you're, shall we say, eagle-eyed while out bird watching? No, just no. Anyway, it is a beautiful, quiet morning. The sun is out. There's a light breeze coming in off the ocean. And from the overlook they're standing on, Stan and Chris can see the Corpus Christi skyline in the distance. It is pretty much a perfect morning. But then...

[03:16] As Chris is taking pictures of the scenery, she suddenly gets this terrible surprise. [03:21] She lowers her camera and looks around when out of the corner of her eye, she notices something. [03:29] At first, Chris thinks it's trash and she calls for Stan to come check it out. But when he does, he says something that makes the blood freeze in her veins. Oh my God, it's two bodies. [03:42] Chris forces herself to look again, and there, in the tall grass, just as Stan said, are two young women, lying motionless and covered in blood. From a single glance, it's obvious that some truly terrible things have happened to them. So without even stopping to check if the women are alive, Chris and Stan run to call for help. [04:05] Police and first responders rush out to Violet Andrews Park within five minutes of the call. And even they're shocked by the brutality of what they're looking at. According to Dateline NBC's episode about this case called The Overlook, both women have been shot in the head and they are bound, gagged, and are blindfolded with duct tape. Blood and mud streak across their bare legs and one of the women has her arm slung over the other, [04:35] trying to protect her before they died. [04:38] Now, the EMTs are already braced for the absolute worst as they check the bodies. The first girl, the one who's being held by the other, is cold to the touch with no pulse and she's pronounced dead at the scene. But just as they're about to check the second girl, something incredible happens. The woman with her arm over the other one sits up and starts moaning. What?

[05:08] This girl is still alive. She is rushed off to the hospital right away. And this is something that just kind of stops everyone in their tracks. I mean, they want to follow her. They want to make sure she's OK. But there's nothing police can do for her at this point. It would be up to the doctors to save her. And the best thing police can do for her now is to find out who did this. So they stay behind at the park to process the scene. Okay. [05:37] Krista M. Taralva reported for the Corpus Christi Caller Times that as officers comb the tall grass looking for clues, they come across a discarded energy drink can and some cigarette butts right near where the girls were found. But you said this was a public park, though. Like, that garbage could have been out there at any time left by anybody. Yeah, so that was my first thought, too. But according to the show Unusual Suspects' Deadly Intent, they did an episode called Terror Under the Moonlight. [06:07] park is right on the ocean, the sea breeze is actually strong enough that it catches trash pretty quickly. So police are thinking that since this stuff is still here, it probably hasn't been out there all that long and it at least could be connected. Yeah. [06:21] Officers also find a car in the parking lot, so they're hoping that they can trace the license plate number and learn who else was in the park last night. [06:30] Police keep searching, keep sifting through the landscape around the scrub brush that comes up to their knees, and once again, they get lucky. There's no murder weapon waiting for them in the grass, but there are a pair of bullet casings, both of which look like they were fired from a larger caliber gun. Police send the casings off for ballistics testing, while the energy drink can and the cigarette butts are sent to be tested for DNA.

[06:56] The last critical clue at the scene that they find is something that they're hoping will give them their first insight into who their victims might be. It's a driver's license belonging to a woman named Mary Christine Chapa. [07:11] According to her driver's license, she's 18 years old, which does fit the age range police think the victims fall into. There's just one problem. Since both of the victims were shot in the head, their injuries are so severe that it's impossible to just look at them and be able to tell if either of them could be Mary. [07:30] Has anyone reported Mary missing? [07:32] That's not something I came across in my research, like if anyone had reported them missing yet. And since police don't even know if any of these two victims, again, even are married, there's no one for them to call and notify yet. Right. Right. [07:44] While technicians stay at the park to finish gathering everything they can, other members of law enforcement start canvassing the nearby neighborhoods for possible witnesses. Multiple people who live close by the park tell police that they actually heard loud bangs around midnight the night before, but they assumed it was just people setting off firecrackers. [08:06] Coupled with the time frame and where these young women were found, though, in such tall grass, they're thinking that their attacker or attackers could have made them walk down to the area and shot them around midnight. Right. [08:19] That would mean that the woman who somehow survived was out there for like... [08:24] At least eight hours after being shot in the head? I...

[08:27] I can't even imagine. Right? Now, listen, I don't care how long we do this show. I'll never not be amazed at the things the human body can do. How a matter of probably just like a few millimeters made the difference between this woman's life and her death. [08:43] As the morning wears on into the afternoon and the casework continues, police are still no closer to identifying either one of their victims. But then later that same day, they get a call that galvanizes their entire investigation. [08:57] A woman named Grace Chapa calls law enforcement and tells the dispatcher that her teenage daughter, Mary, who actually goes by her middle name, Christine, didn't come home last night. And Grace says she hasn't been able to get a hold of her to find out, like, what the heck is going on. [09:14] Enough time had passed without hearing from Christine. Like, she hadn't gotten a single call, not a single text, no response to any of Grace's messages, even when she threatened to call the police. And because of this, Grace tells law enforcement that she's so worried that she absolutely wants to report her daughter missing. But instead of letting Grace file a missing persons report, the person on the other end of the line tells her something terrifying. Christine isn't missing. [09:44] she is, in the hospital. [09:47] Faced with every parent's worst nightmare threatening to come true, Grace makes the longest car ride of her life. When she gets to the hospital, though, police have to ask this poor woman to do the hardest thing she's ever done in her life and try to identify her daughter.

[10:06] Wait, has Christine died? That's the thing. Police don't know. Because of how severe the women's head wounds were, Christine might be the girl who survived. The girl who's now in a coma fighting for her life. Or she might be the girl who police found dead at the scene. And they need Grace to tell them. [10:28] Summer's here, and whether you're traveling, shuttling kids to camp, or spending long days by the pool, staying healthy and on budget, is always top of mind. That's where GoodRx can help. GoodRx can help you save up to 80% on prescriptions for you and your family. [10:43] Even your pets, too. Just check GoodRx before every pharmacy run to find big savings on both brand name and generic medications. [10:50] I love seeing how many options they have to save. [10:53] GoodRx is free and easy to use. Just search for your prescription on the website or app, compare prices, and get a free coupon to show your pharmacist. Use GoodRx to save at over 70,000 pharmacies nationwide, including Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, Publix, Kroger, and many more. GoodRx is not insurance, but it works whether you have insurance or not, and it could even beat your copay price. Save time and money at the pharmacy this summer. Go to GoodRx.com slash CrimeJunkie. [11:19] That's goodrx.com slash crimejunkie or download the free GoodRx app. Grace can't face it. She just can't. And in the end, Christine's brother and sister are the ones who go to the hospital room to see the wounded girl. And even though they can't recognize her face, they're checking her hands and her feet. And they're able to tell police nothing.

[11:42] Yes, that's our sister. Mary Christine Chapa is still alive. [11:48] So then, who's the other victim? [11:50] Well, while some police on the case have been working on getting Christine identified by her family, other officers have been tracing the license plate number of the car at the park in the parking lot. And they finally got a name connected to that car. It is registered to a 19-year-old woman named Molly Olguin. [12:10] Right away, police call Molly's parents, and according to reporting from Miranda Leitzinger for MSNBC, Molly's dad Mario tells him something disturbing. Molly never showed up for work that day. Mario's able to give police a description of what Molly looks like, and he mentions a key detail. Molly's got a hummingbird tattoo on her neck. [12:32] Police then check their Jane Doe based on Mario's description, and while the dead woman's face is still unrecognizable due to her injuries, right there on her neck is a tattoo of a hummingbird. [12:46] Police break the terrible news to Molly's family that their daughter has been murdered. [12:52] Now, as news about the shooting starts to spread throughout Portland, the women's friends start flocking to the hospital. [12:59] All of them say the same thing about how everyone adored Molly and Christine. They were both super sweet, loving people who didn't have any enemies. Like, none of their friends can think of why anyone would want to hurt either of them.

[13:14] But police are wondering if maybe it wasn't the women individually that triggered the attack, but rather the fact that they were together. Because, you see, they learned from Molly and Christine's social circle that the two of them were more than just friends. They were a couple dating for about five months. [13:31] So police are thinking that this could be a hate crime? Well, that's a possibility, right? I mean, he's 100% on their radar now. And sometime, I'm not exactly sure when, but in the early days after the shooting, both Molly and Christine are found to have been sexually assaulted during the attack. Rape kits are performed, but according to the unusual suspect's deadly intent episode, the attacker didn't leave any semen behind, which leads police to think that he probably wore a condom during the assaults. [14:00] Julia Dahl reported for CBS News that the Texas Rangers joined the investigation a day after the shootings. And with the news of the crime making national headlines, law enforcement is hopeful that maybe someone will call in a tip or a new witness will come forward. Now, several people do approach police about what they saw that night, including one guy who says that he saw a white vehicle speeding past his parents' house, which was like near the park. [14:30] that night. [14:31] Did this couple see anything or were they just in the park too? Yeah, my source material doesn't really clarify. It just mentions that they were there. [14:40] So as this all is coming in, something incredible happens. Christine Lennon.

[14:45] regains consciousness. Oh my God. She can't move or talk or even open her eyes at first. And it's way too early to tell just how bad the permanent damage will be. But Christine is awake. Now, obviously, police want to talk to her since she is quite literally the best witness to the shootings. But they have to walk this super fine line of how to interview her without setting back her recovery. [15:13] They're absolutely in awe of her as she fights to do everything in her power to help them. I mean, every step of the way, Christine is there through the unimaginable fog of pain and some of the worst trauma a person can endure. And at first, all she can do is like blink and squeeze their hands, yes or no. [15:30] And as Miranda Leitzinger wrote for MSNBC, basically the left side of her body isn't moving yet. But after just a few days, Christine's able to use her right hand and she starts writing and signing to police. This same article is also the first time I see a mention anywhere about another witness, one who actually says that they saw the shooter. Now, it doesn't clarify if Christine is their witness. [16:00] It does give a description. A white man... [16:04] in his 20s with dark hair, about 5 foot 8 inches tall and 140 pounds. What I can tell you, though, is that as Christine continues to recover and regain more of her abilities, she is able to fill in more of police's blanks about their suspect. According to Aaron Trebes reporting for NBC News, Christine tells police that she and Molly had gone to the park so Molly could show Christine where she'd been baptized.

[16:34] into the park when a man walked past them. And then just a few moments later, the same man reappeared. This time, he was wearing a mask and Under Armour gloves. He then forced them down the grassy hill at gunpoint. [16:51] She communicates to law enforcement that he was a stranger, someone she'd never seen before. She noticed that he was a little taller than her and he smelled like cigarettes. And also he had this odd way of talking about the women when he was ordering them around. He referred to Molly as girl number one and Christine as girl number two. [17:11] So while she's still in the hospital, Christine actually meets with a forensic sketch artist to put together a composite of the suspect. But they actually don't push it out until Christine is released from the hospital that July after police arranged for her to meet with the sketch artist a second time and kind of refine their image. And here, Britt, I'm going to show you the final sketch that they come up with. And if you can just kind of like describe it for everyone. [17:35] Okay, so to me at least, he kind of looks like a Scottish actor named David Tennant. But he has this dark hair in kind of a sideswept faux hawk. And his eyes are kind of deep set with a heavy brow. It's just a pencil sketch, so I can't really tell what color his eyes are. But he does have kind of angular features and bone structure. And like a light scruffy beard, right? Like there's definitely facial hair. I was going to say, yeah, kind of scruffy facial hair.

[18:05] soul patch. I can't really tell from the shading, but I mean, it's facial hair, so that also could be changed really easily too. Yeah, and we're going to have this up on our website too, so anyone listening can check it out if they want. [18:14] Police release this sketch to the public as soon as it's ready to go, but it doesn't bring in any credible leads over the rest of the summer. The investigation continues into the fall with no breaks in the case. And by November, Crimestoppers has raised over $20,000 in reward money. But even that doesn't shake anything loose. It's not until over a year after the shooting that police make a stunning announcement. [18:40] According to 3 News, the physical evidence collected at the scene got sent out to multiple crime labs around the U.S. But now, again, this is like a year later, they're finally starting to get some results back. Court documents say that they got DNA off the cigarette butts and the energy drink can and... [19:01] It has led them to a person of interest. [19:05] Though police aren't saying his name publicly yet, they're quietly investigating a man named Dylan Spellman, who lives about three blocks away from the park. And get this. Remember how I told you earlier that there was a woman who told police that her and her boyfriend were there at the park that night of the shooting? Okay, well, her boyfriend is Dylan Spellman. Okay, but I go back to what I said earlier. Like, some litter doesn't prove murder. Like, murdering our planet, for sure.

[19:35] Totally. But... [19:36] They admit to being there. It's not even like they lied about being in that general vicinity. Does Dylan even match the description of the shooter or the composite sketch at all? [19:46] So let me show you a picture of Dylan that I found in the Las Vegas Sun, and then you can compare it to that sketch and see what you think. [19:54] I mean, the face shape could be considered similar, like more angular features. The hair is shorter, but again, that's obviously not super difficult to change. [20:05] maybe a little bit of facial hair, but... I was going to say, the thing that stuck out to me the most was, like, not having, like, he definitely doesn't have, to me, like, a full beard. Like, if he were to let his facial hair grow, it looks a little scruffy to me. Yeah. And listen, we, like, know that sketches can be kind of a toss-up when it comes to accuracy, but there is one thing that the sketch doesn't show, and that's Dylan's height. So remember how the description of the shooter that we got had him being around 5'8"? Yeah. Well, Dylan is 6 feet tall, [20:34] eight. Dude is tall. We're not talking a couple of inches. Six foot eight. An entire foot. You would recognize someone six foot eight as being like [20:44] abnormally tall, right? Like my husband's 6'6 and he stands out in a crowd. So in that sense, he doesn't really match. But police aren't ruling him out just yet. In fact, police have reason to think Dylan might be capable of more than just littering. [21:00] You see, according to Faris Sabawi's article in The Caller Times, at the time of the shooting, Dylan had recently pleaded guilty to a home invasion out in Nevada. And he was in Portland staying with some family friends while he waited for his sentencing.

[21:15] And I did some research about that case. And as Jackie Valli reported for the Las Vegas Sun, Dylan was one of five people arrested for robbing a public official's home. And that home invasion carried some eerily similar details to this crime. Not only were the victims duct taped, just like Molly and Christine, but I read in court records that apparently the five suspects that were arrested referred to themselves by numbers. [21:45] . [21:45] Wait, they referred to themselves by numbers, not the victims, like in Molly and Christine's case? Yeah, that's what the records say. And it turns out that this isn't the first time that Dillons showed up on Portland police's radar over the course of this investigation. [22:01] According to Unusual Suspect's Deadly Intent, as police go over his files, they find out that he had gotten a warning there at that very park just a month before the shootings after he and a woman were both found out there half-dressed. [22:16] As far as I read, like, again, this encounter was like totally consensual, nothing like untoward other than just like public friskiness. Yeah. [22:24] But what this does tell us is that he's clearly familiar with the area, which, again, does not prove he's a killer. But Dylan's movements and his records keep running in this like odd little parallel to the attack because police learned that he was at another park about five minutes away just a day after the shooting. And that park is a place where police responded to a shots fired call.

[22:49] When they interviewed him, Dylan does admit to being in Violet Andrews Park earlier on the night that the two women were shot, but he denies having anything to do with the attack. [23:00] Police give him a chance to prove his story with a polygraph test, which he fails. And then he asks police a very strange question. He asks, if he confesses, how long will he spend in jail? [23:17] Okay, I mean, there you have it, guys. Case closed. Episode over. We're done here. Not exactly. He asks what if, but he doesn't actually confess. So even though they can put him at the park, even though he's making these weird statements, even though he's had a record that is bizarrely similar to what they're looking at, they still can't conclusively tie him to the crime. Okay. [23:44] Law enforcement's last hope rests in Christine herself. A lot of the function on the left side of her body was impacted by the shooting, and she spent the past year in intensive physical rehab, relearning how to walk and talk and even sit up. [24:01] And on top of this, she's still grappling with the grief and emotional fallout of what happened, as well as being publicly outed as a lesbian in about the worst way imaginable. Oh, so did her family not know about her sexual identity before all this happened? The impression that I get from MSNBC and BuzzFeed News is that some of them did and some of them didn't.

[24:31] and Molly's family as she keeps moving forward. All they want for her is to be safe and happy and healthy. [24:39] And Christine is still as willing as ever to help police in their mission for justice. Even though Dylan doesn't match the description of the shooter, law enforcement are hoping that she can ID him. [24:51] But they get that hope. [24:53] dashed because Christine can't pick Dylan out of a photo lineup. And she remembers the shooter as being only a little bit taller than her. Whereas, like we mentioned before, Dylan is like a big dude. [25:06] But here's the thing, like, he may not match Christine's description, but officers are all too aware that she is fine. [25:14] quite literally coping with brain damage and multiple types of trauma. So, you know, they're thinking like, you know, we're taking her at her word, but her memory might not be as reliable as we'd like. And they're also considering the possibility that Dylan was maybe standing on like a different part of the hill. Like, you know, if he's like lower than her, most of the time you think of people like walking behind someone. So I'm not sure. But they're just thinking that based on this hill, it could have altered Christine's perception of his height. [25:43] Okay, but I feel like if Dylan is that tall, though, like, that's really hard to miss. You and I aren't very tall, so everyone is tall to us. Yes, that's true. But 6'8", that is a very tall person. Yeah, and that's the thing. Like I said, my husband is 6'6", and, like, I don't care if he's standing on a hill. I don't care if I'm standing on a step. Like, whatever it is, like, you don't miss that kind of tall. And this guy's even taller than that.

[26:13] Well, and even in that moment, you know, I've always heard that people tend to focus on, you know, the weapon or whatever it is they're being threatened with. So sometimes the person actually holding the gun or whatever kind of gets lost in the. [26:28] the fog of memory of that moment. Like, she even remembers the brand of the glove he was wearing because that's where her attention was focused, you know? Yeah, I mean, it's really hard for me to say. And it's even harder for police. So once again... [26:43] their case stalls. Another year passes and just as they're about to roll up on another anniversary of the crime with no justice to show for it, that's when something happens. Literally almost two years to the day after the shooting, a mysterious letter turns up at the Chapa's house. The letter is addressed to Christine's dad and it throws the investigation for a huge loop. [27:12] And no one was expecting where it takes them. [27:17] For decades, some cold cases have been reduced to files in a cabinet, but not anymore. I'm Ashley Flowers, and me and my team on the deck have been traveling across the country to report on these forgotten cases. And in some instances, it's resulted in these cases being solved after decades. [27:37] Join me every Wednesday as we revive these stories one card at a time. Listen to the deck now.

[27:44] wherever you get your podcasts. [27:47] According to Jonathan Munson's reporting for 3 News, the letter is dropped off at their house in a plastic bag with the words, quote, I was told to deliver this or die. I can't find her. [28:02] Please help. [28:04] End quote. And that's written right on it. So this letter is written from the perspective of a hitman who claims that someone recently tried to hire him to kill Christine Chapa. It is so baffling that you have to read more of it. So, Britt, I'm going to have you read it to all of us, OK? It says, quote, Mr. Chapa, my name is of no importance, but suffice to say, I have detailed information regarding what happened to your daughter. [28:34] There is a man who recently sought my services in problem solving. While it is typically a job requirement for a person like myself to never question a job or even possess a trace of conscience. [28:44] I'm a different sort, by no means a good man, but I prefer to screen my clients and their requests. Upon inquiring, these are the details given to me. Please excuse me for being blunt and to the point, but you're going to want to hear what he told me. [28:58] And the rest of this is, like, written in a conversation. Like, each line is a quote from... Yeah. Yeah. [29:04] the person and whoever is asking them. It sounds like, it looks like a conversation kind of. Yeah. Yeah. [29:10] There is this chick living in Sinton, Texas. I need her to disappear. He mentions two others, not relevant.

[29:16] Why do you need that? [29:18] I heard you wouldn't care as long as you got paid. Maybe you aren't the guy for this after all. [29:23] "'I just don't like going in blind.' [29:25] Answer a few questions and I will look into it. [29:28] Fine. [29:29] What do you want to know? [29:30] Who is she? [29:31] The name is Mary Chapa. She is a problem. I need to move back to the area soon, and if she sees me, I am dead. [29:39] "Why does she want you dead?" [29:41] Getting to the point now, skipping ahead. [29:43] I was having a bad night. [29:45] trying to hunt down my wife. She left with my kids in the middle of the night, [29:49] I chased her down to Texas. [29:51] I was in Corpus Christi. [29:53] I had some coke and then stopped to get some Taco Bell. This bitch working there was just giving me attitude. She fucked up my order and she was just asking to get fucked up. I don't really think killing a girl for messing up your taco is good business. [30:06] I prefer child molesters or violent felons, not taking no for an answer. [30:11] then you really are not the guy for this. I'm leaving. [30:14] I still haven't said no. [30:15] And can you really find another person in time? Tell me what happened that needs this kind of solution. Fine, but if you cross me, I want you to know what you have coming to you. [30:25] I followed her. She went to a park with her girlfriend. I pulled up next to them, pulled up my gun, made them walk down a hill. [30:32] I stacked them on top of one another. [30:34] f***ing lesbians. They are less than people and I wanted them to know that. Haha. They were just numbers to me. So I called them number one, [30:43] and number two. [30:44] And at this point, it gets even more homophobic and graphic in the details of the rapes. I'm just going to skip over that part and go directly towards the writer talking back to Mr. Chapa.

[30:57] We talked a while longer about the other two jobs. This would have been $15,000 in my bank account, but some things are worth more than money. [31:04] I researched your daughter. This is not a job that meets my requirements. I however do not work for free. [31:11] and I will not be handling him. [31:12] I will, however, give you the information for you to take care of matters yourself. You would give this information to the police, [31:18] but we know how that will turn out. In return for me giving this information, I only ask that you try not to find me nor give this letter to anyone. [31:26] destroy it when you are done. [31:28] I do not work alone, and an agreement like this should be binding. Knowledge of me would end badly for myself and many others. In return for silence, I give you the man that I had this meeting with— [31:38] His name is Cristobal Melcher. [31:40] also known as Sergeant Chris Melcher or Sergeant Mel. He lives in Layton, Utah at the corner of 2150 North and 50 West, works for the Army, [31:49] He is pretty well connected and from what I have seen, he is almost untouchable. [31:54] runs a minor drug operation, and the police turn a blind eye. [31:58] Soon, he will be returning to the area to be close to his children, but your daughter has seen his face and he is reaching out to make this problem go away. [32:05] If you decide to give this man over to the police, I ask that you do so in this manner. [32:09] Tell them that your daughter was web surfing on Facebook and came across his profile. He has made me believe that he did this to your daughter, but nothing is ever for certain. [32:18] Let your daughter decide if this is the man. [32:20] If it is not, then I am sorry. I tried to help. I will not be coming after your daughter, but this man was offering a lot of money for her life. She is not safe. His wife lives in Rufurio, so he will have to be close to her. After this message is delivered, the recording of my conversation will be burned, and I will disappear from the situation.

[32:39] The next move is yours. [32:40] but I urge you to respect my request on keeping me out of this. [32:43] Betraying a client carries certain consequences. I would hate to think I am killed for trying to do a good deed now and again. I expect to die for this, but perhaps it is time. End quote. [32:54] So as soon as they get this, the Chappas turn the letter over to police right away. Which, I mean, I get, but there's so much in here that's like threatening or scary. I don't... [33:06] I don't know what I would do. Well, yeah. And listen, on the surface, this letter might be super easy for someone to dismiss as total BS, right? Like we've seen... [33:14] hoaxes like this before and potentially even worse hoaxes. But here's the thing. Those details about calling the women by numbers and having them like duct tape each other. Police know that they've never made those details public. And so as bonkers as this whole thing might sound, they have to wonder if they might actually have something real here. [33:34] Okay, so you said some of that stuff wasn't known to the public. Did the parents even know about that? I don't know. So I don't know if they saw this and knew it was real and sent it off, you know, thinking like, we just need your help. And no matter what this guy is saying, we need law enforcement involved. Or... [33:51] Or if they were like, you know, we don't even know if this is a hoax or not. What is real and what isn't. Yeah, because I have to admit, like, if I got this, if I had known the details and I knew that this person was legit and they're saying, like, don't tell them. [34:02] I don't know. I don't know if I would. I don't know. I mean, at the same time, like this guy is saying, like, I know she survived, but she's still in danger. Like her life is being threatened. Right. Well, and that's what he's saying. He's not saying don't do anything, though. He was saying, like, listen, just like, don't tell them how you found me. Don't give them this letter. But they do. They turn the letter over right away. Now, the first thing that police do is find Cristobal Melcher, the guy this alleged hitman is claiming tried to hire him to kill Christine.

[34:32] Utah and, big shocker, Christobal denies any involvement. [34:38] According to another one of Faris Sabawi's articles in The Caller Times, he's got an alibi for the night of the shooting. He was out in California doing some military training, and he's got the paperwork to prove it. So law enforcement asked Cristobal if he has any idea who would name him in a letter like this, trying to frame him for murder. And Cristobal actually tells them, you know what? I think I might. [35:07] You see, [35:08] As Cristobal tells police, he had the roommate from hell a couple years back. This guy named David Strickland. They were friends for a little while, but their friendship deteriorated so badly that David's looking at a felony charge for breaking into Cristobal's house. [35:26] Oh, cool. But I mean, all this is out in Utah, right? Well, the roommate drama all happened in Utah, yes. But as police go through the case files with this new information, this chill goes down their spine. Because right there, from the earliest days of the investigation... [35:46] David Strickland's name. He is the man who told police that he saw a white car speeding away near his parents' house in Portland on the night of the murder. Now, he only moved to Utah after the shooting. [36:02] Oh, so...

[36:02] He inserted himself into the investigation from like day one. He totally did. Now, witnesses tell police that he was there at the scene talking to Christine and Molly's friends and like searching the grass. And the more police look into David, the more suspicious he becomes. They learn from Cristobal's mom that David's an odd dude. Like he used to brag to her about being a hitman and about killing people. [36:32] it off as like BS at the time, it doesn't seem so innocent now. [36:37] The police in Portland also get to look at the evidence from David's burglary charge there in Utah. According to the 3 News piece I mentioned earlier, that evidence includes a Glock .45, a Kimber .45, a pair of, wait for it, [36:52] Under Armour gloves and a backpack with a condom, lube, another single Under Armour glove, handcuffs, bolt cutters, pepper spray and even more stuff. Now, David and his wife Laura are now living in a small town in Texas just outside of San Antonio, about two and a half hours northwest of Portland. [37:22] find some marks that indicate it could be their murder weapon. [37:27] So on June 20th, 2014, David Strickland is arrested and charged with murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and aggravated sexual assault.

[37:39] But not a hate crime. [37:41] No. MSNBC quoted the local DA in 2015 as saying he didn't have any evidence that Molly and Christine were doing anything at the time of the attack to indicate that they were a couple. [37:55] But they were on a date. I know. Like, I don't know if he means, like, they... [37:59] You know, weren't like expressing any like PDA or something. But what I do know is that hate crimes are super tricky to prove. And so at the end of the day, all I know is no, David's never charged with a hate crime. [38:11] Even though clearly that letter that was sent is just like filled with homophobic hate. [38:17] Now, what's interesting is that his wife, Laura, is arrested at the same time, and she's actually charged with evidence tampering because police think that she may have actually been the person who wrote the letter and delivered it to the Chapa's house. But her charge is eventually dropped. [38:34] Ultimately, during his interrogation, David confesses to everything. The murders, writing the letter, all of it. But... [38:44] Then he recants immediately. He tells police he just told them what they wanted to hear. [38:49] Now, physically, David does match the suspect description more than Dylan Spellman does. And he's definitely not 6'8". So here, let me show you a picture of him from NBC News. [39:01] I mean, he's... [39:03] got the... [39:03] Dark hair, the deeper set eyes and heavy brow. I will say his face is kind of more round, not...

[39:11] that like sort of long and [39:13] angular look like the sketch, but I mean, I can definitely see some similarities. Right. Now, David pleads not guilty, and it comes out during trial that Christine actually couldn't identify him from a photo lineup either, just like she couldn't identify Dylan. But the jury ends up still finding David guilty. [39:34] In 2016, David is sentenced to life in prison. But the story doesn't end here. Because in November of 2016, a little after two months after David is convicted, there's some new evidence that emerges with the power to flip this case upside down. [39:56] For decades, some cold cases have been reduced to files in a cabinet, but not anymore. I'm Ashley Flowers, and me and my team on the deck have been traveling across the country to report on these forgotten cases. And in some instances, it's resulted in these cases being solved after decades. [40:16] Join me every Wednesday as we revive these stories one card at a time. Listen to the deck now. [40:23] wherever you get your podcasts. [40:26] It turns out there was a pubic hair found on Christine's clothes, and David's legal team has gotten a judge's approval to test the pubic hair for DNA. [40:39] Okay, hold on. This feels like a huge piece of evidence. Like, why didn't this come up during the trial or, I don't know, at any point before now? Well, that's what I want to know too, but nothing in my research gives a solid answer. And here is the real kicker. The reason his legal team is getting it retested is because it might not belong to David. So let me just read you this quote from Krista M. Torralva's article in The Caller Times.

[41:05] Before Strickland's trial, the hair underwent a less certain visual comparison and Strickland's hair was excluded. [41:15] So they knew all along that it didn't match him? It seems like it, but no one really made a huge deal of it at trial. Like... [41:24] I don't know if his defense lawyer, like, didn't know about it or, like, didn't think it was important. And I mean, it makes sense why the prosecution wouldn't want to bring it up. [41:33] Because it would open just this huge can of worms for them. Right. Well, whatever reason it wasn't brought up before, this time around, David's lawyers are pushing for a new type of DNA testing that wasn't available when the case first went to trial. According to Eleanor Dierman's reporting in The Caller Times, the new test will give a ton of details about who the pubic hair came from. Like basically they can get a physical description, they can get their national origin, even if they've got like freckles, like it's super detailed. [42:03] So the judge says, sure, like, go ahead with this new test. The testing process takes years, but when the results finally come in, it confirms what was suspected after the visual comparison, that the pubic hair isn't David's. [42:21] So... [42:22] Then whose is it? Well, according to Dateline, the hair belongs to police's original suspect, Dylan Spellman. [42:32] Oh [42:33] Oh my... [42:34] What is happening in this case? The DA and the police are still adamant that Dave is their guy, despite this new evidence, which to me, like...

[42:44] throws up like a crap ton of questions that no one can really answer. Like, first and foremost, how did one of Dylan's pubes get on Christine's clothes? You know, when the prosecutors are asked this, they're basically just like, look, it's totally possible that while Dylan Spellman was up there earlier in the day, a pubic hair could have just like, [43:03] fallen out of his shorts while he was standing around smoking his cigarettes or drinking his energy drink or whatever. So we're not worried that maybe we got the wrong guy. We're not [43:12] Which, like... [43:13] I have a lot of side eye in that. Like, my mind kind of goes right back to, like, the Little Jane Doe of St. Louis that we talked about. Right. And that's, like, not even the first time we've heard this. Like, in that case, like, the cops were like, well, maybe that was one of ours. Sorry. But, I mean, also, Dylan was in the park being, like you said, publicly frisky like a month before, too. Yeah. So that's the thing, right? Like, their explanation is, like, maybe it fell out on that day where he was there. [43:43] to me or frisky or whatever in that park like a while before. And since we're testing this like many months later, I don't know if they can tell like, [43:51] when the pube was dropped? I don't know. Right, right. So what I want to know is, do police or anyone look into any sort of connection between Dylan and David? Like, is there a chance that [44:04] They were both involved? Not that I found anywhere. Because, I mean, they could have even both been responsible but not worked together. Like, there doesn't need to be a connection. Say, if David killed them, Dylan found them later, and... Yeah, I mean, nothing in my source material suggests that either scenario was ever even looked into. So even with new DNA evidence, though, all of David's appeals and attempts to get a new trial have been rejected.

[44:34] has never been charged with a crime in relation to Molly Olgin's murder. [44:39] Christine Chapa will never be able to go back to the light that she had before that terrible night. She's spent almost 10 years rebuilding her life, her body, and her spirit from the rubble of that unimaginable trauma, carrying Molly's memory with her every step of the way. [44:57] Even with the incredible progress Christine has made, numerous physical challenges from the shooting and the cost of ongoing rehab remain big hurdles that she'll face forever. And we'll actually have a link to Christine's official GoFundMe up on our website so you can check it out and hear from Christine herself. Together with co-author Shevez Sandage, she's been working on a book about her experiences called The Wind Blew Through Us, Love, Murder and Justice in Texas. [45:27] Now, our listeners probably know this by now, but LGBTQ issues are some of the most like near and dear to our hearts. And I've been so excited how the two girls like us, Britt, who grew up the way we did, the where we did, could like rally our fans to make such an impact in people's lives directly and through these nonprofits and organizations that we support. But honestly, I was thinking about this today. I'm going to get emotional. I am. I just know it. [45:57] I'll fudge. It's the culture that we've created at our company and like, [46:02] I'll never forget that there was this moment when one of our employees was interviewing a future employee who's like Mike. Mike's actually sitting across from me. He's our coordinating producer. And I don't know if he even remembers this. But one of our employees was like, oh, you know, one of the best things out working here is like you can just really let your freak flag fly and like be yourself here. And I literally I get choked up. First of all, like none of our employees are freaks. Like I said, like at the top of this episode, they're beautiful. They have immense value. They are exactly who and where they need to be.

[46:32] their most authentic selves here. They feel so comfortable in being them there. Yeah. And this is like, this has become a really safe place to work, a really safe place to live and make connections. And I'm so, so proud of that every single day. And so... [46:46] You know, when we were thinking about ways to, like, make an impact during Pride Month, our team found a local organization called Indiana Youth Group. And they're here in Indianapolis. And their mission is to create safer spaces to foster community and provide programming that empowers LGBTQ plus youth and magnify their voices. [47:08] They do incredible work here and offer services like support groups, rapid rehousing, sexual health education. But what I found so interesting is that they offer LGBTQ plus competency training for businesses, professional groups, educational programs, religious institutions and other community groups. And so the goal of this training is to introduce what it means to be a member of this LGBTQ plus community. [47:38] And it helps others understand what the community needs, as well as barriers to care and what businesses can do to make their spaces more welcoming to LGBTQ plus people. Now, they customize all of their training to meet the needs of the participants. And so I decided, what if we could make 10 more companies like AudioChuck, 10 more places where someone can come into work every single day and feel safe and comfortable being exactly who they are?

[48:08] So what we're going to do is we are going to put up the money for that training for 10 more organizations. It will be first come, first serve. The training can be in person if your organization is here in Indiana, or it can be virtual if you're anywhere else in the world. So if you work at a company, if you own a company, whatever, if you are interested, we are going to have a direct contact email in our show notes and on the website blog post for this episode. [48:38] extended until the end of the year 2021. So again, the first 10 organizations to schedule the training will get it provided to them completely free, courtesy of AudioChuck. We love you LGBTQ fam. [48:53] I hope you have a great Pride Month. [49:06] If you guys want to learn more about the Indiana Youth Group, go to indianayouthgroup.org. Again, we'll link to that in our show notes and on our blog post. Our blog post is also where you can find all of the pictures and source material for this episode. That's crimejunkiepodcast.com. [49:23] And be sure to follow us on Instagram at Crime Junkie Podcast. And we'll see you next week for a brand new episode. [49:30] Thank you.

[49:49] you [49:50] you [49:51] you [49:54] Crime Junkie is an AudioChuck production. [49:57] So? [49:58] What do you think, Chuck? [49:59] Do you approve? [50:03] Okay, crime junkies, you know I absolutely love a twist and a turn, especially when it comes to people who turn out to be someone they're not. That's why I have been obsessed with the podcast Chameleon. Every Thursday, host Josh Dean deep dives into a scam so bizarre, it will leave you wondering, how did they get away with that? [50:22] It is truly one of my favorite podcasts right now and I've been listening for years. [50:26] I think you'll love it too. [50:27] Listen to Chameleon wherever you get your podcasts.