June 22, 2025 • 29 mins
Between May and July of 2006, two women went missing from Jacksonville, Texas: Shaunte Coleman and Terri Reyes. According to an area newspaper, the women knew each other, but that wasn’t the connection that made foul play seem incredibly likely. It was their connection to a disgraced policeman – one accused of rape and assault many times over – that garnered the most suspicion. That suspicion, however, was felt far more by the public than the police, since both Terri and Shaunte roamed some and had known drug issues. Because of that, police seemed reluctant to investigate the disappearances properly. When their remains were found, the investigation shifted to another police agency entirely.
If you have any information about the deaths of Shaunte Mone Coleman or Terri Renee Reyes, please call the Nacogdoches county sheriff's office at 936-560-7794 or Texas Crime Stoppers at 800-252-8477.
You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast
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Sources: Court Documents, The Tyler Morning Telegraph, The Jacksonville Daily Progress, and KETK TV.
#JusticeForTerriReyes #JusticeForShaunteColeman #Jacksonville #JacksonvilleTX #TX #Texas #TrueCrime #TexasTrueCrime #ColdCase #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #ColdCase #Unsolved #Murder #UnsolvedMurder #UnsolvedMysteries #Homicide #CrimeStories #PodcastRecommendations #CrimeJunkie #MysteryPodcast #TrueCrimeObsessed #CrimeDocs #InvestigationDiscovery #PodcastAddict #TrueCrimeFan #CriminalJustice #ForensicFiles
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If you have any information about the deaths of Shaunte Mone Coleman or Terri Renee Reyes, please call the Nacogdoches county sheriff's office at 936-560-7794 or Texas Crime Stoppers at 800-252-8477.
You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast
Find us at https://www.gonecold.com
For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com
Follow gone cold on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and X. Search @gonecoldpodcast at all or just click linknbio.com/gonecoldpodcast
Sources: Court Documents, The Tyler Morning Telegraph, The Jacksonville Daily Progress, and KETK TV.
#JusticeForTerriReyes #JusticeForShaunteColeman #Jacksonville #JacksonvilleTX #TX #Texas #TrueCrime #TexasTrueCrime #ColdCase #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #ColdCase #Unsolved #Murder #UnsolvedMurder #UnsolvedMysteries #Homicide #CrimeStories #PodcastRecommendations #CrimeJunkie #MysteryPodcast #TrueCrimeObsessed #CrimeDocs #InvestigationDiscovery #PodcastAddict #TrueCrimeFan #CriminalJustice #ForensicFiles
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Gone Call podcasts may contain violent or graphic subject matter.
Listener discretion is advised. Deprivation of rights under color of
law is a federal statute that makes it a crime
for any person, acting under color of law, usually a
law enforcement officer, to wilfully deprive from any person the rights, privileges,
(00:24):
or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution and laws
of the United States of America. Even conduct that occurs
off duty can fall under the color of law statute.
The FBI is generally the lead investigative agency in such cases,
most of which fall into one of five categories, deprivation
(00:47):
of property, failure to keep from harm, false arrest and
or fabrication of evidence, excessive force, and sexual assault. In
March of two thousand five, thirty three year old Jacksonville,
Texas police officer Larry Pugh pulled his cruiser over and
offered a woman who was walking home from her friend's house,
(01:10):
a courtesy ride. The officer was on duty, he was
in uniform and armed. The woman accepted the ride Instead
of driving her home. However, officer Pugh drove the woman
to a dark, abandoned trailer house and raped her. Then
he drove her back to the neighborhood where he picked
(01:30):
her up because she wished to speak with Detective Tanya
Harris only. The woman's official statement wasn't given for months,
but a few days after it was on October twenty first,
two thousand and five, Pew was suspended with pay from
the Jacksonville Police Department pending further investigation. Pugh, a husband
(01:53):
and father of four young children, had been under scrutiny
since Police Chief Mark Johnson caught win if possible misconduct
in Jacksonville, a city of around fourteen thousand residents. At
the time, Rumors of Officer Pugh committing multiple sexual assaults
were rampant in certain circles. Chief Johnson contacted the Cherokee
(02:16):
County District Attorney's office, who then launched the investigation. After
collecting substantial evidence that Larry Pugh had committed several crimes,
crimes that fell under the deprivation of rights under Color
of Law statute, Chief Johnson turned over the investigation to
the FBI. Everything happened fast. Pew was indicted, arrested, and
(02:40):
arraigned on February eighth, two thousand and six. FBI Senior
Agent Peter Gowbrath announced the charges to reporters, stating that
while acting as a police officer, he is charged with
sexually assaulting five women. During his arraignment, Larry Pugh, dressed
(03:00):
in his civilian clothes and shackled at the ankles and wrists.
Requested a court appointed attorney, affirmed that he understood the
charges against him and entered a plea of not guilty.
I know there are rumors about me all over town,
but they're not true, he insisted. I know people say
that I stop people and then sexually assault them, and
(03:23):
that's not true. Because bodily harm could not be proven.
All five counts against him were considered misdemeanors, and after
the proceedings, Pew was released on an unsecured five thousand
dollars bond. If convicted at trial, the man faced a
steep monetary fine. Prison time was a possibility, a maximum
(03:47):
of one year per count, followed by a maximum one
year of supervision, but because the charges were only misdemeanors,
no one in town expected much more than a slap
on the wrist. Upon him arrest by the FBI, Police
Chief Mark Johnson terminated the disgraced policeman, effective immediately. The
(04:08):
following April, Officer Pugh was back before US Magistrate John Love.
Three of the original charges had been dropped, US District
Attorney Alan Jackson explained, but another charge for sexual assault
was added three counts of deprivation of rights under color
of law. All misdemeanors, however, weren't the only charges being pursued,
(04:33):
because they were alleging Pugh made a false statement when
he said he never had sex with anyone while on duty.
The federal charge of making a false statement to Federal
Bureau of Investigation officials was also added. For that, he
faced an even steeper fine and five years in prison. Again,
(04:54):
he pleaded not guilty to all charges. The case against
Officer Larry Pugh trudged forward as the Jacksonville Police Department
itself was the subject of an entirely different investigation, But
eventually the talk of the town, the whispers that echoed
through the piney woods, turned to the disappearances of two
(05:16):
women connected to the investigation of the policemen, Terry Renee
Reyes and Chante Monet Coleman. In early two thousand and six,
(05:51):
the city of Jacksonville hired independent contractor Bill Rathburn to
conduct a review of their police department. Was the second
such review of the department, and the first eventually led
to the suspension of the police chief. When the review
was complete. The report, released on May one, two thousand
(06:12):
and six, was scathing. Rathburn concluded that the department should
permanently oust Chief Mark Johnson, who he said has failed
to provide the necessary leadership and direction that the members
of the police department need to effectively protect and serve
the city of Jacksonville. The patrol Division officer Larry Pugh's
(06:35):
division lacked knowledge of any goals or priorities, Rathburn wrote,
as far as Pugh was concerned. The report added that
problems as alleged in that case can and do often
occur when there are the management and supervision failures and
weaknesses seen in the Jacksonville Police Department. Johnson was fired
(07:00):
as the legal team prepared. In the meantime, Larry Pugh's
lawyers filed to have the case moved to November instead
of July, and the judge allowed it. Pugh remained free
on bond, and on August sixth, two thousand and six,
he executed a plan a plan in which the intended
outcome was either severe intimidation or murder. While driving his
(07:25):
personal vehicle, a van, Pugh located the woman who had
reported he raped her the previous year. Like on the
night of the rape, he approached his victim while she
was walking and offered her a ride. Pugh apparently thought
his sunglasses were a sufficient disguise, but the woman recognized
(07:45):
his voice right away. She began moving away from him.
He stopped the van, exited and approached her from behind.
When he caught up, Pugh slung his belt around the
woman's neck. She struggled to break free but couldn't, and
he began dragging her toward his vehicle. The belt snapped,
(08:06):
and the woman sprinted to a nearby friend's house to
escape the former policeman. There she called the Jacksonville Police
to report the incident. Peugh, of course fled the scene,
but he was apprehended and arrested shortly thereafter. He was
charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and retaliation
(08:28):
against a witness. The following month, Larry Pugh entered into
a plea bargain for the federal charges. On September twenty eighth,
two thousand and six, he pleaded guilty to two counts
of rape on two separate occasions with two different women.
The charges fell under the color of Law statute. Pugh
(08:48):
also pleaded guilty to the retaliation charge. When US Magistrate
John Love asked, are you pleading guilty because you are
in fact guilty? Pew's reply was free from ambiguity, yes, sir,
he said. However, after the proceedings, Larry Pugh released the
(09:09):
following statement to the press. Quote, My decision to enter
into a plea agreement with the federal government has nothing
to do with guilt or innocence. If it did, I
would have readily accepted the prior offer of one year
presented six months ago. The media has previously and wrongly
reported that I was pulling over women and sexually assaulting them.
(09:31):
That does not resemble the accusations or the truth my accuser.
My accusers one and all are crack addicted prostitutes who will, undoubtedly,
even after my eventual release, remain as such, My decision
was based solely on the best interest and welfare of
my family, particularly my four young children. As a police officer,
(09:56):
I am presumed guilty until proven innocent plus in addition
to the thirty years to life sentence the prosecutors were seeking.
There were insinuations that I would continue to be investigated
as well as my family until I bowed to the
political pressure of the federal government to serve up an example,
signed Larry pew end Quote. The disgraced former police officer,
(10:22):
it seems, was unable to take responsibility for any of
his depraved acts, even with the knowledge that he'd be
spending the next twelve years behind bars, one year for
each of the color of law charges that stuck, and
another ten years for the retaliation against a witness charge.
(10:42):
Even his mother and sister flocked to the press with
proclamations of innocence and plea deal railroading. There's not a
violent bone in his body, his sister said. Not only
was he innocent of these charges, they believed, but he
also had nothing to do with the disappearances of two
women who were set to testify against him at trial.
(11:15):
Thirty seven year old Terry Renee Troublefield. Reyes had recently
relapsed back into drugs in May of two thousand and six.
Still she kept tabs on her three kids, ages eleven, fifteen,
and nineteen, and was described as a good mother on
May twenty sixth, two thousand and six. In fact, Terry
(11:37):
was due at her oldest child's high school graduation ceremony
in nearby Athens. May twenty first, two thousand and six, however,
was the last time anyone saw her, though she bounced
back and forth here and there. Terry was known to
have been in Jacksonville during that time, but she spent
(11:57):
plenty of her time in Athens. According to Terry's mother, Brenda,
the Athens police seemed uninterested in investigating her disappearance, citing
her lifestyle as the primary reason. Besides, police Chief Michael
Hill said Terry wasn't even living in Athens at the
time of her disappearance, and even though it was out
(12:20):
of their jurisdiction. They helped Terry's mother get her on
state and national missing persons databases. She was entered into
both the National Crime Information Center or NCIC and Texas
Crime Information Center or TCIC. On August eighth, two thousand
and six, Brenda put up missing persons flyers at places
(12:43):
she was known to frequent in both Athens and Jacksonville.
Aside from the fact that the Athens police were reluctant
to investigate Terry's disappearance due to her lifestyle. She was
involved in the case against former police officer Larry Pew
as a witness. In fact, in his first indictment, Pugh
(13:04):
was described as sexually assaulting someone with the initials TR,
but in later indictments and after Terry disappeared, those initials
are not used again. It's unclear if the Jacksonville police
were any more interested in investigating the case, even knowing
Terry Rayes was to be a witness against Pew in
(13:26):
the trial. The department is quoted as saying Terry didn't
have a Jacksonville address at that time. Whatever the case,
there is no evidence in the press that suggests anyone
was actively investigating. So Brenda went to the local newspaper,
the Jacksonville Daily Progress, with the hope that they could help.
(13:47):
She told them that Terry had mentioned being at Pugh's
house before Brenda told her daughter to forget about it,
she said, but added that Terry wasn't worried, presumably meaning
worried about testifying. The article, released on February seventeenth, two
thousand and seven, detailed the facts that Terry vanished and
(14:08):
that her family fears it has something to do with
Larry Pew, and also detailed the story of another missing
woman named Chante. Monette Tally Coleman. Twenty five year old
Chante grew up in Smith County, Texas, in the small
community of Saint Louis, there where she regularly attended the
(14:29):
local Baptist church and sang in the youth choir. She
was the mother of two children, but her story, according
to Chante's grandmother, Margaret, became complicated in Jacksonville. As an adult, Chante,
like Terry, Reyes, had issues with drug addiction. Chante was
(14:49):
last heard from on July second, two thousand and six,
when she spoke with her grandmother about bringing flowers to
her mom's grave for her birthday, which was the following day.
Her mother had just died the previous May. When Chante
didn't show up to collect her birthday gift on August fourth,
Margaret began believing that something was wrong. Chante was reported
(15:13):
missing to the Jacksonville Police Department on August seventh, two
thousand and six. Like Terry's mother, Margaret feared her granddaughter
was the victim of a retaliatory act by Larry Pugh.
Chante was a potential witness against the man. She's reported
as having made allegations of rape against him. In the
(15:36):
Daily Progress article, Jacksonville Chief of Police Rhyes Daniel brushes
off the notion that Pugh could be involved in Terry
or Chante's disappearances. He was aware of the speculation, he said,
but there exists no evidence that connects Pugh to either
of the cases. Chief Daniel told the reporter he was
(15:57):
concerned the public would jump to conclusion, but there was
simply nothing that indicated Pugh's involvement. However, he was out
on bond at the time of both disappearances, and neither
woman was reported missing until early August. After Pew had
assaulted his rape victim by wrapping a belt around her
(16:17):
neck and attempting to drag her to his van. Word
was put out in Jacksonville that if anybody testified, they'd
be dead. Those girls on the streets Chante was involved
with them. Her grandmother, Margaret, told the newspaper. One girl
he tried to apprehend by putting a belt around her neck.
I don't know if she knows that girl. According to
(16:40):
the Tyler Morning Telegraph. After he was suspended, Pew filed
a Freedom of Information Act request asking for more detailed
information on the thirty six women he'd arrested while an
active officer. Terry Rayes's name was on that list, though
the information request was denied by the department, apparently as
(17:02):
the cases were ongoing at the time. The connection that
Chante Coleman and Terry Rayes had to Pew, Chief Daniel
said certainly added a note of urgency to the missing
women's cases. He just worried that if folks continued to speculate,
the law man continued, it might make them hesitant to
(17:23):
come forward with more information. Both women also had a
connection to one another. After the disappearances, a man named
Alvin Boykin came forward and spoke to the newspaper in
nearby Tyler. According to the Tyler Morning Telegraph, Boykin said
his home was a sort of shelter that was offered
(17:45):
to anyone who needed a place to crash. Not only
was Chante Coleman a regular at Boykin's place, but Terry
Rayes was two the women, the Tyler Morning Telegraph said,
knew each other. The police were less than convinced there
was a connection between Chante and Terry. Both women, according
(18:07):
to police, were known to be out of sight for
a week or two at a time, though that didn't
explain the much longer time period that had elapsed since
they disappeared. It was Terry's addiction to drugs they seemed
to believe that led to her disappearance, while they blamed
Chante's so called transient lifestyle on hers. They'd heard she
(18:30):
had gone to Longview or possibly Louisiana. Truth was, she
was nowhere near either. On Saturday, September two, two thousand
and six, Labor Day weekend, in San Augustine County near Broadus,
two deer hunters came upon a human skull. They immediately
(18:51):
called authorities. The area, about one hundred and seventy five
yards north of Forest Service Road three hundred west, was
heavily wooded, a protected area of the Angelina National Forest,
not far from the town of Broadus, the town where
former Jacksonville policeman and convicted felon Larry Pugh is from There,
(19:14):
Saint Augustine County Sheriff's officials and Texas Rangers recovered more
remains about eighty percent of a human body. No clothing
was found on or near the bones. For that reason,
Lawman believed foul play was involved from the get go.
After examination, anthropologists determined the estimated date of death as
(19:38):
June first, two thousand and six. Though a forensic artist
built up the face around the skull, the body remained
unidentified until on June sixth, two thousand and seven, DNA
determined the body belonged to Terry Reyes on a cold
hit with Terry found her body left in a remote
(20:01):
area where whoever dumped her there knew she would not
be found for some time, if at all. It seemed
likely that Chante Coleman met the same fate. If the
two women were killed by the same person, law enforcement
surely wondered what were the chances they'd ever find Chante
(20:32):
as he looked into Officer Larry Pugh. Cherokee County District
Attorney's Office investigator Joe Evans spoke with at least two
dozen witnesses, which included both alleged victims of his and
those who substantiated their stories from pastors to police officers.
Pew purposely prayed on women who lived on the streets
(20:54):
and those who had legal issues or drug problems. He
prayed on the most vulnervnerable women he could find, Investigator
Evans said. According to one source, Pugh had even arrested
some women after he raped them. In addition to the
federal case against him, eight women had filed civil cases
(21:16):
against the thirty four year old former Jacksonville policeman before
two thousand and seven was over. All allegations were from
two thousand and five in two thousand and six, and
all women claimed Pugh raped them while he was on
duty or at least in uniform, and used things like
arrest warrants to make them comply. The rapes happened in
(21:37):
places like abandoned apartments, a cemetery, and the women's homes.
About one third of the victims had pending charges, one
third were on parole or probation, and the other third
had no criminal charges. Former police Chief Mark Johnson and
the city of Jacksonville itself were co defendants in the cases,
(22:01):
though US District Judge Michael Schneider found the plaintiff's evidence
insufficient to establish deliberate indifference. The charges against Johnson and
the City of Jacksonville were dropped on June thirteenth, two
thousand and seven. Pugh's final rape victim was awarded three
hundred thousand dollars in punitive damages. But that's not all.
(22:26):
He was also the defendant in two excessive force cases.
One was dropped in May of two thousand and seven.
The other came after an incident at the high school's
homecoming football game at the Tomato Bowl Stadium in two
thousand and four. That night, a fight broke out between
opposing spectators, and several folks were beaten and maceed by
(22:50):
Jacksonville police officers. As a man named Larry Hinton fled,
he turned to see his wife, Leslie, being handcuffed by officers.
When he asked what was happening, Hinton was immediately attacked
by the officers. He said Larry pew on the force
two years at that point, maced, tased, and then beat Henton,
(23:14):
knocking out two of his teeth. They were arrested, but
Larry Hinton was later acquitted of the charges of resisting
arrest and interfering with the duties of a public servant,
while the case against Leslie was dismissed by a judge
on April fourth, two thousand and seven, the Hintons agreed
to a settlement for an undisclosed amount. Civil issues weren't
(23:39):
the only problems Pew was up against. He had other
criminal cases against him. On Tuesday, August seventh, two thousand
and seven, already serving time at a medium security prison
in northern Florida, Larry Max Peugh pleaded guilty to one
count of aggravated assault. In this deal, the district attorney
(24:01):
apparently dropped two more counts of rape Pew had against
him at this time. He was given a slap on
the wrist a twelve year sentence to run concurrently with
a twelve year sentence he was already serving. As the
years passed, Larry Pugh slowly disappeared from the newspapers, as
did Terry Rayes and Chante Coleman, but in twenty fourteen
(24:26):
a discovery necessitated their return to print. On Wednesday, March twelfth,
twenty fourteen, a forester found human bones in a densely
wooded area in San Augustine County, east of the intersection
of Farm de Market Road eleven ninety six and County
Road three forty seven. The location was eighty five miles
(24:50):
southeast of Jacksonville and only three miles north of where
the body of Terry Rayes had been found. Shortly thereafter,
the San Augustine County Sheriff's Office recovered the skeletal remains
with help from the Angelina County Sheriff's Office, the Texas Rangers,
and the FBI. They were sent to a forensic anthropologist
(25:13):
at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville for examination, and
then to the University of North Texas Center for Human
Identification in Denton. There, DNA was extracted from the remains
and entered in Dakotis. On June fourteenth, twenty fourteen, the
body was identified as Chante Coleman. Police in Jacksonville told
(25:38):
the Tyler Morning Telegraph that the missing person's case was
now cleared and that the investigation into Chante's death belonged
to the San Augustine County Sheriff's Office. Chief Deputy Gary
Cunningham of that department announced that Larry Pugh was in
no way ruled out as a suspect in Chante's death,
(25:58):
nor had he been a lie eliminated in another one
of their cases, the death of Terry Reyes. Cunningham said
the cases would be treated in the most serious manner
and investigated as homicides until proven otherwise. On Friday May eleventh,
twenty eighteen, former Jacksonville policeman Larry Max Pew was released
(26:23):
from federal prison. He was immediately transferred from the Florida
facility where he served his time to the Cherokee County,
Texas Sheriff's Office jail. Pew was being held on aggravated
assault with the deadly weapon charges from two thousand and
six when he wrapped a belt around the neck of
the woman he'd previously raped in an attempt to drag
(26:45):
her into his van. But the federal convict would only
serve his time in Texas until August, when his concurrent
state sentence was up. When he was released to Nacadocus County,
many in that community rightfully panicked. Folks were up in
arms about a potential serial killer and serial rapist moving
(27:07):
into their area, and the sheriff's office attempted to quell
the emotions in a Facebook post while also acknowledging the
potential for danger. Nacadochus County Sheriff Jason Bridges wrote, quote,
Larry Pew was the prime suspect in the death investigation
of female victims that occurred in other counties. In my opinion,
(27:29):
he is very capable of being a dangerous man and
you should know who he is. I do not know
the whole background of why other charges were not brought
against him, but I can tell you that he has
done his time on the charges that he was convicted on.
Pew has not been convicted of murder or any sexual
assault case. End quote that sentence. That last sentence is
(27:54):
perhaps a little misleading because the charges against him were
classified under debt revation of rights under the color of law.
Apparently Pew did not have to register as a sex offender.
If you have any information about the deaths of Chante Monet,
Coleman or Terry Renee Reyes, please call the Nacadoches County
(28:18):
Sheriff's Office at nine three six five six zero seven
seven ninety four or Texas Crime Stoppers at eight hundred
two five two eight four seven seven. If you'd like
to join gon Cold's mission to shine a light on
unsolved homicides and missing persons cases, get the show at
(28:40):
free and have access to bonus content. You can at
patreon dot com. Slash Gone Cold podcast. You can also
support the show by leaving a five star rating and
written review on Apple Podcasts or wherever else you listen.
However you choose to support Gone Cold, we appreciate Hugh.
(29:01):
Thanks for listening, y'all,
Gone Call podcasts may contain violent or graphic subject matter.
Listener discretion is advised. Deprivation of rights under color of
law is a federal statute that makes it a crime
for any person, acting under color of law, usually a
law enforcement officer, to wilfully deprive from any person the rights, privileges,
(00:24):
or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution and laws
of the United States of America. Even conduct that occurs
off duty can fall under the color of law statute.
The FBI is generally the lead investigative agency in such cases,
most of which fall into one of five categories, deprivation
(00:47):
of property, failure to keep from harm, false arrest and
or fabrication of evidence, excessive force, and sexual assault. In
March of two thousand five, thirty three year old Jacksonville,
Texas police officer Larry Pugh pulled his cruiser over and
offered a woman who was walking home from her friend's house,
(01:10):
a courtesy ride. The officer was on duty, he was
in uniform and armed. The woman accepted the ride Instead
of driving her home. However, officer Pugh drove the woman
to a dark, abandoned trailer house and raped her. Then
he drove her back to the neighborhood where he picked
(01:30):
her up because she wished to speak with Detective Tanya
Harris only. The woman's official statement wasn't given for months,
but a few days after it was on October twenty first,
two thousand and five, Pew was suspended with pay from
the Jacksonville Police Department pending further investigation. Pugh, a husband
(01:53):
and father of four young children, had been under scrutiny
since Police Chief Mark Johnson caught win if possible misconduct
in Jacksonville, a city of around fourteen thousand residents. At
the time, Rumors of Officer Pugh committing multiple sexual assaults
were rampant in certain circles. Chief Johnson contacted the Cherokee
(02:16):
County District Attorney's office, who then launched the investigation. After
collecting substantial evidence that Larry Pugh had committed several crimes,
crimes that fell under the deprivation of rights under Color
of Law statute, Chief Johnson turned over the investigation to
the FBI. Everything happened fast. Pew was indicted, arrested, and
(02:40):
arraigned on February eighth, two thousand and six. FBI Senior
Agent Peter Gowbrath announced the charges to reporters, stating that
while acting as a police officer, he is charged with
sexually assaulting five women. During his arraignment, Larry Pugh, dressed
(03:00):
in his civilian clothes and shackled at the ankles and wrists.
Requested a court appointed attorney, affirmed that he understood the
charges against him and entered a plea of not guilty.
I know there are rumors about me all over town,
but they're not true, he insisted. I know people say
that I stop people and then sexually assault them, and
(03:23):
that's not true. Because bodily harm could not be proven.
All five counts against him were considered misdemeanors, and after
the proceedings, Pew was released on an unsecured five thousand
dollars bond. If convicted at trial, the man faced a
steep monetary fine. Prison time was a possibility, a maximum
(03:47):
of one year per count, followed by a maximum one
year of supervision, but because the charges were only misdemeanors,
no one in town expected much more than a slap
on the wrist. Upon him arrest by the FBI, Police
Chief Mark Johnson terminated the disgraced policeman, effective immediately. The
(04:08):
following April, Officer Pugh was back before US Magistrate John Love.
Three of the original charges had been dropped, US District
Attorney Alan Jackson explained, but another charge for sexual assault
was added three counts of deprivation of rights under color
of law. All misdemeanors, however, weren't the only charges being pursued,
(04:33):
because they were alleging Pugh made a false statement when
he said he never had sex with anyone while on duty.
The federal charge of making a false statement to Federal
Bureau of Investigation officials was also added. For that, he
faced an even steeper fine and five years in prison. Again,
(04:54):
he pleaded not guilty to all charges. The case against
Officer Larry Pugh trudged forward as the Jacksonville Police Department
itself was the subject of an entirely different investigation, But
eventually the talk of the town, the whispers that echoed
through the piney woods, turned to the disappearances of two
(05:16):
women connected to the investigation of the policemen, Terry Renee
Reyes and Chante Monet Coleman. In early two thousand and six,
(05:51):
the city of Jacksonville hired independent contractor Bill Rathburn to
conduct a review of their police department. Was the second
such review of the department, and the first eventually led
to the suspension of the police chief. When the review
was complete. The report, released on May one, two thousand
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and six, was scathing. Rathburn concluded that the department should
permanently oust Chief Mark Johnson, who he said has failed
to provide the necessary leadership and direction that the members
of the police department need to effectively protect and serve
the city of Jacksonville. The patrol Division officer Larry Pugh's
(06:35):
division lacked knowledge of any goals or priorities, Rathburn wrote,
as far as Pugh was concerned. The report added that
problems as alleged in that case can and do often
occur when there are the management and supervision failures and
weaknesses seen in the Jacksonville Police Department. Johnson was fired
(07:00):
as the legal team prepared. In the meantime, Larry Pugh's
lawyers filed to have the case moved to November instead
of July, and the judge allowed it. Pugh remained free
on bond, and on August sixth, two thousand and six,
he executed a plan a plan in which the intended
outcome was either severe intimidation or murder. While driving his
(07:25):
personal vehicle, a van, Pugh located the woman who had
reported he raped her the previous year. Like on the
night of the rape, he approached his victim while she
was walking and offered her a ride. Pugh apparently thought
his sunglasses were a sufficient disguise, but the woman recognized
(07:45):
his voice right away. She began moving away from him.
He stopped the van, exited and approached her from behind.
When he caught up, Pugh slung his belt around the
woman's neck. She struggled to break free but couldn't, and
he began dragging her toward his vehicle. The belt snapped,
(08:06):
and the woman sprinted to a nearby friend's house to
escape the former policeman. There she called the Jacksonville Police
to report the incident. Peugh, of course fled the scene,
but he was apprehended and arrested shortly thereafter. He was
charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and retaliation
(08:28):
against a witness. The following month, Larry Pugh entered into
a plea bargain for the federal charges. On September twenty eighth,
two thousand and six, he pleaded guilty to two counts
of rape on two separate occasions with two different women.
The charges fell under the color of Law statute. Pugh
(08:48):
also pleaded guilty to the retaliation charge. When US Magistrate
John Love asked, are you pleading guilty because you are
in fact guilty? Pew's reply was free from ambiguity, yes, sir,
he said. However, after the proceedings, Larry Pugh released the
(09:09):
following statement to the press. Quote, My decision to enter
into a plea agreement with the federal government has nothing
to do with guilt or innocence. If it did, I
would have readily accepted the prior offer of one year
presented six months ago. The media has previously and wrongly
reported that I was pulling over women and sexually assaulting them.
(09:31):
That does not resemble the accusations or the truth my accuser.
My accusers one and all are crack addicted prostitutes who will, undoubtedly,
even after my eventual release, remain as such, My decision
was based solely on the best interest and welfare of
my family, particularly my four young children. As a police officer,
(09:56):
I am presumed guilty until proven innocent plus in addition
to the thirty years to life sentence the prosecutors were seeking.
There were insinuations that I would continue to be investigated
as well as my family until I bowed to the
political pressure of the federal government to serve up an example,
signed Larry pew end Quote. The disgraced former police officer,
(10:22):
it seems, was unable to take responsibility for any of
his depraved acts, even with the knowledge that he'd be
spending the next twelve years behind bars, one year for
each of the color of law charges that stuck, and
another ten years for the retaliation against a witness charge.
(10:42):
Even his mother and sister flocked to the press with
proclamations of innocence and plea deal railroading. There's not a
violent bone in his body, his sister said. Not only
was he innocent of these charges, they believed, but he
also had nothing to do with the disappearances of two
women who were set to testify against him at trial.
(11:15):
Thirty seven year old Terry Renee Troublefield. Reyes had recently
relapsed back into drugs in May of two thousand and six.
Still she kept tabs on her three kids, ages eleven, fifteen,
and nineteen, and was described as a good mother on
May twenty sixth, two thousand and six. In fact, Terry
(11:37):
was due at her oldest child's high school graduation ceremony
in nearby Athens. May twenty first, two thousand and six, however,
was the last time anyone saw her, though she bounced
back and forth here and there. Terry was known to
have been in Jacksonville during that time, but she spent
(11:57):
plenty of her time in Athens. According to Terry's mother, Brenda,
the Athens police seemed uninterested in investigating her disappearance, citing
her lifestyle as the primary reason. Besides, police Chief Michael
Hill said Terry wasn't even living in Athens at the
time of her disappearance, and even though it was out
(12:20):
of their jurisdiction. They helped Terry's mother get her on
state and national missing persons databases. She was entered into
both the National Crime Information Center or NCIC and Texas
Crime Information Center or TCIC. On August eighth, two thousand
and six, Brenda put up missing persons flyers at places
(12:43):
she was known to frequent in both Athens and Jacksonville.
Aside from the fact that the Athens police were reluctant
to investigate Terry's disappearance due to her lifestyle. She was
involved in the case against former police officer Larry Pew
as a witness. In fact, in his first indictment, Pugh
(13:04):
was described as sexually assaulting someone with the initials TR,
but in later indictments and after Terry disappeared, those initials
are not used again. It's unclear if the Jacksonville police
were any more interested in investigating the case, even knowing
Terry Rayes was to be a witness against Pew in
(13:26):
the trial. The department is quoted as saying Terry didn't
have a Jacksonville address at that time. Whatever the case,
there is no evidence in the press that suggests anyone
was actively investigating. So Brenda went to the local newspaper,
the Jacksonville Daily Progress, with the hope that they could help.
(13:47):
She told them that Terry had mentioned being at Pugh's
house before Brenda told her daughter to forget about it,
she said, but added that Terry wasn't worried, presumably meaning
worried about testifying. The article, released on February seventeenth, two
thousand and seven, detailed the facts that Terry vanished and
(14:08):
that her family fears it has something to do with
Larry Pew, and also detailed the story of another missing
woman named Chante. Monette Tally Coleman. Twenty five year old
Chante grew up in Smith County, Texas, in the small
community of Saint Louis, there where she regularly attended the
(14:29):
local Baptist church and sang in the youth choir. She
was the mother of two children, but her story, according
to Chante's grandmother, Margaret, became complicated in Jacksonville. As an adult, Chante,
like Terry, Reyes, had issues with drug addiction. Chante was
(14:49):
last heard from on July second, two thousand and six,
when she spoke with her grandmother about bringing flowers to
her mom's grave for her birthday, which was the following day.
Her mother had just died the previous May. When Chante
didn't show up to collect her birthday gift on August fourth,
Margaret began believing that something was wrong. Chante was reported
(15:13):
missing to the Jacksonville Police Department on August seventh, two
thousand and six. Like Terry's mother, Margaret feared her granddaughter
was the victim of a retaliatory act by Larry Pugh.
Chante was a potential witness against the man. She's reported
as having made allegations of rape against him. In the
(15:36):
Daily Progress article, Jacksonville Chief of Police Rhyes Daniel brushes
off the notion that Pugh could be involved in Terry
or Chante's disappearances. He was aware of the speculation, he said,
but there exists no evidence that connects Pugh to either
of the cases. Chief Daniel told the reporter he was
(15:57):
concerned the public would jump to conclusion, but there was
simply nothing that indicated Pugh's involvement. However, he was out
on bond at the time of both disappearances, and neither
woman was reported missing until early August. After Pew had
assaulted his rape victim by wrapping a belt around her
(16:17):
neck and attempting to drag her to his van. Word
was put out in Jacksonville that if anybody testified, they'd
be dead. Those girls on the streets Chante was involved
with them. Her grandmother, Margaret, told the newspaper. One girl
he tried to apprehend by putting a belt around her neck.
I don't know if she knows that girl. According to
(16:40):
the Tyler Morning Telegraph. After he was suspended, Pew filed
a Freedom of Information Act request asking for more detailed
information on the thirty six women he'd arrested while an
active officer. Terry Rayes's name was on that list, though
the information request was denied by the department, apparently as
(17:02):
the cases were ongoing at the time. The connection that
Chante Coleman and Terry Rayes had to Pew, Chief Daniel
said certainly added a note of urgency to the missing
women's cases. He just worried that if folks continued to speculate,
the law man continued, it might make them hesitant to
(17:23):
come forward with more information. Both women also had a
connection to one another. After the disappearances, a man named
Alvin Boykin came forward and spoke to the newspaper in
nearby Tyler. According to the Tyler Morning Telegraph, Boykin said
his home was a sort of shelter that was offered
(17:45):
to anyone who needed a place to crash. Not only
was Chante Coleman a regular at Boykin's place, but Terry
Rayes was two the women, the Tyler Morning Telegraph said,
knew each other. The police were less than convinced there
was a connection between Chante and Terry. Both women, according
(18:07):
to police, were known to be out of sight for
a week or two at a time, though that didn't
explain the much longer time period that had elapsed since
they disappeared. It was Terry's addiction to drugs they seemed
to believe that led to her disappearance, while they blamed
Chante's so called transient lifestyle on hers. They'd heard she
(18:30):
had gone to Longview or possibly Louisiana. Truth was, she
was nowhere near either. On Saturday, September two, two thousand
and six, Labor Day weekend, in San Augustine County near Broadus,
two deer hunters came upon a human skull. They immediately
(18:51):
called authorities. The area, about one hundred and seventy five
yards north of Forest Service Road three hundred west, was
heavily wooded, a protected area of the Angelina National Forest,
not far from the town of Broadus, the town where
former Jacksonville policeman and convicted felon Larry Pugh is from There,
(19:14):
Saint Augustine County Sheriff's officials and Texas Rangers recovered more
remains about eighty percent of a human body. No clothing
was found on or near the bones. For that reason,
Lawman believed foul play was involved from the get go.
After examination, anthropologists determined the estimated date of death as
(19:38):
June first, two thousand and six. Though a forensic artist
built up the face around the skull, the body remained
unidentified until on June sixth, two thousand and seven, DNA
determined the body belonged to Terry Reyes on a cold
hit with Terry found her body left in a remote
(20:01):
area where whoever dumped her there knew she would not
be found for some time, if at all. It seemed
likely that Chante Coleman met the same fate. If the
two women were killed by the same person, law enforcement
surely wondered what were the chances they'd ever find Chante
(20:32):
as he looked into Officer Larry Pugh. Cherokee County District
Attorney's Office investigator Joe Evans spoke with at least two
dozen witnesses, which included both alleged victims of his and
those who substantiated their stories from pastors to police officers.
Pew purposely prayed on women who lived on the streets
(20:54):
and those who had legal issues or drug problems. He
prayed on the most vulnervnerable women he could find, Investigator
Evans said. According to one source, Pugh had even arrested
some women after he raped them. In addition to the
federal case against him, eight women had filed civil cases
(21:16):
against the thirty four year old former Jacksonville policeman before
two thousand and seven was over. All allegations were from
two thousand and five in two thousand and six, and
all women claimed Pugh raped them while he was on
duty or at least in uniform, and used things like
arrest warrants to make them comply. The rapes happened in
(21:37):
places like abandoned apartments, a cemetery, and the women's homes.
About one third of the victims had pending charges, one
third were on parole or probation, and the other third
had no criminal charges. Former police Chief Mark Johnson and
the city of Jacksonville itself were co defendants in the cases,
(22:01):
though US District Judge Michael Schneider found the plaintiff's evidence
insufficient to establish deliberate indifference. The charges against Johnson and
the City of Jacksonville were dropped on June thirteenth, two
thousand and seven. Pugh's final rape victim was awarded three
hundred thousand dollars in punitive damages. But that's not all.
(22:26):
He was also the defendant in two excessive force cases.
One was dropped in May of two thousand and seven.
The other came after an incident at the high school's
homecoming football game at the Tomato Bowl Stadium in two
thousand and four. That night, a fight broke out between
opposing spectators, and several folks were beaten and maceed by
(22:50):
Jacksonville police officers. As a man named Larry Hinton fled,
he turned to see his wife, Leslie, being handcuffed by officers.
When he asked what was happening, Hinton was immediately attacked
by the officers. He said Larry pew on the force
two years at that point, maced, tased, and then beat Henton,
(23:14):
knocking out two of his teeth. They were arrested, but
Larry Hinton was later acquitted of the charges of resisting
arrest and interfering with the duties of a public servant,
while the case against Leslie was dismissed by a judge
on April fourth, two thousand and seven, the Hintons agreed
to a settlement for an undisclosed amount. Civil issues weren't
(23:39):
the only problems Pew was up against. He had other
criminal cases against him. On Tuesday, August seventh, two thousand
and seven, already serving time at a medium security prison
in northern Florida, Larry Max Peugh pleaded guilty to one
count of aggravated assault. In this deal, the district attorney
(24:01):
apparently dropped two more counts of rape Pew had against
him at this time. He was given a slap on
the wrist a twelve year sentence to run concurrently with
a twelve year sentence he was already serving. As the
years passed, Larry Pugh slowly disappeared from the newspapers, as
did Terry Rayes and Chante Coleman, but in twenty fourteen
(24:26):
a discovery necessitated their return to print. On Wednesday, March twelfth,
twenty fourteen, a forester found human bones in a densely
wooded area in San Augustine County, east of the intersection
of Farm de Market Road eleven ninety six and County
Road three forty seven. The location was eighty five miles
(24:50):
southeast of Jacksonville and only three miles north of where
the body of Terry Rayes had been found. Shortly thereafter,
the San Augustine County Sheriff's Office recovered the skeletal remains
with help from the Angelina County Sheriff's Office, the Texas Rangers,
and the FBI. They were sent to a forensic anthropologist
(25:13):
at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville for examination, and
then to the University of North Texas Center for Human
Identification in Denton. There, DNA was extracted from the remains
and entered in Dakotis. On June fourteenth, twenty fourteen, the
body was identified as Chante Coleman. Police in Jacksonville told
(25:38):
the Tyler Morning Telegraph that the missing person's case was
now cleared and that the investigation into Chante's death belonged
to the San Augustine County Sheriff's Office. Chief Deputy Gary
Cunningham of that department announced that Larry Pugh was in
no way ruled out as a suspect in Chante's death,
(25:58):
nor had he been a lie eliminated in another one
of their cases, the death of Terry Reyes. Cunningham said
the cases would be treated in the most serious manner
and investigated as homicides until proven otherwise. On Friday May eleventh,
twenty eighteen, former Jacksonville policeman Larry Max Pew was released
(26:23):
from federal prison. He was immediately transferred from the Florida
facility where he served his time to the Cherokee County,
Texas Sheriff's Office jail. Pew was being held on aggravated
assault with the deadly weapon charges from two thousand and
six when he wrapped a belt around the neck of
the woman he'd previously raped in an attempt to drag
(26:45):
her into his van. But the federal convict would only
serve his time in Texas until August, when his concurrent
state sentence was up. When he was released to Nacadocus County,
many in that community rightfully panicked. Folks were up in
arms about a potential serial killer and serial rapist moving
(27:07):
into their area, and the sheriff's office attempted to quell
the emotions in a Facebook post while also acknowledging the
potential for danger. Nacadochus County Sheriff Jason Bridges wrote, quote,
Larry Pew was the prime suspect in the death investigation
of female victims that occurred in other counties. In my opinion,
(27:29):
he is very capable of being a dangerous man and
you should know who he is. I do not know
the whole background of why other charges were not brought
against him, but I can tell you that he has
done his time on the charges that he was convicted on.
Pew has not been convicted of murder or any sexual
assault case. End quote that sentence. That last sentence is
(27:54):
perhaps a little misleading because the charges against him were
classified under debt revation of rights under the color of law.
Apparently Pew did not have to register as a sex offender.
If you have any information about the deaths of Chante Monet,
Coleman or Terry Renee Reyes, please call the Nacadoches County
(28:18):
Sheriff's Office at nine three six five six zero seven
seven ninety four or Texas Crime Stoppers at eight hundred
two five two eight four seven seven. If you'd like
to join gon Cold's mission to shine a light on
unsolved homicides and missing persons cases, get the show at
(28:40):
free and have access to bonus content. You can at
patreon dot com. Slash Gone Cold podcast. You can also
support the show by leaving a five star rating and
written review on Apple Podcasts or wherever else you listen.
However you choose to support Gone Cold, we appreciate Hugh.
(29:01):
Thanks for listening, y'all,
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