February 17, 2025 • 28 mins
Monday, April 8, 2024, between 1:27 pm and 1:30 pm, Cristian Rangel was seen on surveillance cameras at Walmart at 5017 Hwy 290 in Austin, Texas. Footage shows a white GMC Terrain entering the parking lot, a short time after a blue Mustang (or similar) parked nearby.
The Terrain is seen leaving the parking lot at a high speed, with the passenger door opening as the vehicle speeds away. Kamery Wooldridge, the driver of the Terrain, was arrested and charged with tampering and disposal of Cristian’s body. She is currently out on bail.
Cristian’s body was found 11 days later near the 5800 block of Spring Meadow Road in a greenbelt wooded area. April 8th, many people were outdoors at this time, specifically in the Austin area, due to the peak window of the solar eclipse.
If you or anyone you know has any information about Cristian, or the blue vehicle please contact Capital Area CrimeStoppers. 512.472.8477 OR AT AUSTINCRIMESTOPPERS.ORG
UP TO $10,000 REWARD AVAILABLE*
Follow Cristian's story: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1664376744458902
*for information leading to the arrest and conviction of all parties responsible for Cristian's murderer
The Terrain is seen leaving the parking lot at a high speed, with the passenger door opening as the vehicle speeds away. Kamery Wooldridge, the driver of the Terrain, was arrested and charged with tampering and disposal of Cristian’s body. She is currently out on bail.
Cristian’s body was found 11 days later near the 5800 block of Spring Meadow Road in a greenbelt wooded area. April 8th, many people were outdoors at this time, specifically in the Austin area, due to the peak window of the solar eclipse.
If you or anyone you know has any information about Cristian, or the blue vehicle please contact Capital Area CrimeStoppers. 512.472.8477 OR AT AUSTINCRIMESTOPPERS.ORG
UP TO $10,000 REWARD AVAILABLE*
Follow Cristian's story: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1664376744458902
*for information leading to the arrest and conviction of all parties responsible for Cristian's murderer
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Today we're sharing the story of Christian Rangel, a young
man whose life was filled with promise, love, and an
infectious personality. Christian story is one of tragedy, but also
one of resilience as his family fights to ensure justice
is served.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
I'm Melissa and I'm Whitney. We regularly have people reach
out to us, just in cases or a family sharing
their loved one story. Christian story came to us through
a mutual friend. I know that we are in this
industry every day working on these stories, but the thought
of a murder happening to someone that I'm one degree
away from knowing is heartbreaking. Actually, I don't believe that
(01:17):
heartbreaking is even an adequate description. Christian is intertwined in
both my history and my future, which is incredible. His
family is from where I used to live, where you
and I met, Melissa, and now we're navigating advocacy in Austin,
where I'm at currently. This is where Christian was murdered.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Christian Marcus Wrangell was born on June fourth, nineteen ninety nine,
in wichital Falls, Texas. He was raised in Burkburnett, Texas,
in a loving and supportive family. His parents Mark Ringel
and Misty Moon, along with his stepfather, Kenny Moon, where
the foundation of his up bringing. Christian also had sisters,
(02:04):
Kylie Rangel and stepsisters. Christian was a standout athlete. He
was a baseball star and in twenty seventeen, district coaches
unanimously voted him MVP. But beyond his athletic achievements, Christian
had a love for music and dancing.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
His sense of.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Humor and natural ability to connect with people made him unforgettable.
He had a gift for helping others and was incredibly empathetic,
always willing to lend a hand to those in need.
His family describe him as having an infectious personality.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
I had the opportunity to meet with his mom, Misty
on the phone, and then again in person when they
came to Austin. Misty told me that Christian was a
natural athlete, even at two years old playing basketball in
the living room, and he grew up playing just about
every sport you can imagine. He was always surrounded by
friends and had a way of making people laugh. The
(03:07):
way she described him to me, he was the class clown,
always full of personality, and would walk into a room
and really command the attention naturally. I'm sure you remember
someone from high school who always acted that way. I
can remember if you for my days in high school
when they would just walk in. It was always the
athletic guys, right, the jocks that had that big personality
and were just always joking around, making people laugh, to horseplaying.
(03:31):
Kind of a thing that was Christian. I also feel
like this would be our second board children, Melissa, the
way they have those silly personalities and are just jokesters.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Completely agree.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Misty also talked to me about how Christian was a giver.
He always put others before himself. If someone needed clothes,
he would literally give them the shirt off of his back.
In high school, he really excelled in baseball, just like
you said. I read many articles about his baseball career
and it was just stat after stat after stat. He
(04:05):
was a left handed pitcher, and during his senior year
he began to have quite a bit of pain from
the activities. He was introduced to pain pills to combat
the injury. According to the National Institutes of Health, twelve
percent of male high school athletes use prescription opioids. In
twenty twenty two. Attorney General Ken Paxton launched a campaign
(04:27):
called Friday Night Lights against Opioids in an effort to
educate student athletes about the dangers of addiction. Even with
these efforts, the NIH has consistently reported that adolescents continue
to misuse prescription medications. High school athletes also have between
a twenty six and forty eight percent chance of lifetime
(04:50):
use of opioids. The Truth Initiative issued an article in
twenty eighteen revealing that one can become addicted in as
little as five days to pain pills. Just five days.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
That blows my mind absolutely insane. I really never knew it.
I knew that there is this huge epidemic, this problem
in our country. This is insane how big of problem
it is.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
I just never realized the science behind it, and especially
if you add that into a mind, a brain that
is still forming and still trying to figure out what
it's supposed to do at such a young age, when
high school kids.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Are I don't know anyone ever that was addicted to
opioids or anything or would take them.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
I've never known that.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
So that's why I feel like I'm in this bubble
when it comes to this, and it's shocking that so
many people get addicted and they were doctors were given
them out like it was trick or treating Halloween time.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
I don't know that I've recognized people as being addicted
to it, but I remember athletes taking them in high school.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Consider that if you're taking them and they're not prescribed
to you, I don't know, that's where my mind goes. Okay,
if they're not yours, then maybe you don't have a
full blown addiction.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
But it's illegal.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Unfortunately, Christian fell victim to addiction. His family continuously helped
him battle the disease that addiction is over a period
of five to six years. His family helped him with
treatment options. Christian attended a few different rehabilitation programs. And
addiction is a lifelong illness and it comes with relapses
and remissions. It's a continuous cycle that you're constantly battling.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Yeah, every day you would wake up and have to
fight that that urge, that that thought and especially having
I just I can't imagine being in pain and then
taking the pill and it all goes away, almost goes
away to your feeling so much better.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
And you know that as soon as you take that
you won't have the pain anymore.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
I just I can't imagine what these people go through.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Christian moved to Austin and excelled in the rehabilitation program there.
He was able to move into a sober living facility
and was even hired at one of the rehab facilities.
He started dating his girlfriend, who were choosing to keep anonymous,
and the two ended up living together for approximately three months.
So this was a very new relationship. They were still
(07:23):
kind of in that honeymoon phase, if you will.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
That's amazing that he went through the whole program and
got hired.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
I feel like that's only like the top people.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
That go through it actually get a paying job out
of it.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
That's that's amazing.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
However, on April eighth, twenty twenty four, so this is
a very recent case, Christian left their apartment in Southwest
Austin at eleven fifteen am to walk to a nearby Walmart.
Surveillance footage from the Walmart at five zero one seven
West US two ninety shows him entering the front passenger
(08:02):
seat of a white GMC terrain at one thirty PM.
That was the last time Christian was seen alive. A
short time after entering the vehicle. The GMC exited the
parking lot at a high speed. Surveillance video later revealed
that Christian was trying to exit the moving car. Investigators
(08:26):
determined that the driver of the vehicle was thirty one
year old Camery Wooldridge. When Christian didn't return to the
apartment by around one, his girlfriend called law enforcement and
reported him missing. Christian's dad notified Misty that Christian was missing.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Christian's girlfriend and a fellow co worker had introduced Christian
to Camery from the ninth on. Christian's family struggled with
working with Austin PD. This is something we have seen before.
His family were in fact the ones that told law
enforcement about this surveillance video. Christian's girlfriend had talked to
the managers at Walmart and asked them to check the footage.
(09:10):
When she learned they had, she informed his family, who
then told detectives.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
I mean, gotta give her props for going to do that,
because who knows.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
I mean, Walmart's a large company.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
You would think that they would keep the surveillance footage
for a certain amount of times, but.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
If you one week, it could be lost forever.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
So I'm glad she was able to go in do that.
For ten agonizing days, Christian's family searched for him. On
April nineteenth, twenty twenty four, at approximately seven pm, Austin
Police Department officers responded to a call about a deceased
person in a field off of Spring Meadow Drive. They
(09:53):
would confirm through dental records that these remains were Christians.
His remains were covered with with grass clippings and weeds,
discarded just fifteen feet from a walking trail. An autopsy
confirmed several of Christian's ribs were broken, but due to decomposition,
medical examiners were unable to determine organ or tissue damage.
(10:18):
His family was left with more questions than answers. Medical
examiners were also unable to determine a cause of death.
Investigators worked quickly to piece together Christian's last moments. Location
data from her phone placed Waltridge at the Walmart at
(10:40):
one thirty three pm and the site where Christian's body
was found by one fifty pm on April eighth.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
So this is.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Literally corroborating everything that the surveillance footage said. One thirty ish,
he gets in the car there at the Walmart.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
Then it turns around and shows that she's where his
body was within twenty minute.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
Yes, and so.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
You're probably thinking, hey, navigating advocacy, don't you guys just
cover unsolved cases.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Why?
Speaker 3 (11:10):
Yes, yes we do.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
And this seems like a slam dunk. Like to me,
this is all the evidence, but it just it gets
worse from here.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
I want to take a second and talk about the
surveillance footage first that you mentioned just a second ago.
When the terrain pulls into the parking lot, it's towards
the end of a Walmart parking lot, you know, down
where all of the employees park, where all the trees
are those last I think they're yellow lines instead of
white lines. That's where the employees are supposed to park.
(11:40):
It's towards the end of the row, and they back
into the spot. This terrain backs into the spot well
shortly after on this surveillance video, a blue Mustang, maybe
a Mustang, maybe a Camaro, it's definitely a blue sports
car pulls in that same aisle and backs in next
to this terrain. Now it is on the opposite side
(12:02):
of the terrain, so you can't see it from the
surveillance video because the terrain's much larger, so obviously the
view is obstructed, so you can't really tell if someone
gets out of that car, maybe gets in the train,
maybe walks into Walmart. You don't really see what's happening
with this blue car, just that it backed in in
the same manner the white terrain did.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Well.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
Then the terrain speeds off and you see the passenger
door open. Seemingly Christian's trying to jump out of this
moving vehicle now, but you see the door slam back
close as the vehicle takes off, So he's trying to
get away, and that's all they see. They don't know
what's going on. Obviously you don't know what's happening inside
the vehicle, but seemingly he was trying to get away.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
I have a question about the surveillance footage. Was there
parking spots available around this, because it would be very
weird if there's other parking spots free, and then this
blue car happens to park in the way back of
the parking spot earth parking lot, right next to this
white terrain.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
If there were other spots, you know.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
I mean, if I'm going to park somewhere, if there's
a bunch of spots open. I'm not going to park
right next to another car if there's a bunch of
other spots open.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
Do you know if there were?
Speaker 1 (13:16):
I only I watched it, but I totally forget and
I didn't pay attention to that until you just were
talking about this.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
There were enough spots open that from the surveillance video,
so from the camera attached to the building of Walmart,
you can see the side of that white terrain. It
didn't pull into like at one spot, so there was
clearly open spots.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
Okay, so it is.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
A little bit abnormal that it would pull right next
into this. We want to make a note police have
never identified who this was. It could just be a
potential witness, someone that was going to shop at Walmart,
but it also could be someone involved. So if you
know anything about this particular vehicle, police alert authorities.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
And that's one of the biggest questions that Christian's family
has is and the way this car pulls in you
can almost see I can't I didn't check myself for
license plates? Did we run license plates? Did we not
run license plates on this surveillance footage to find out
who the owner of this blue vehicle is. So that's
a question they have for law enforcement also, like this
(14:21):
is strange, this could be a lead. And when the
white car pulls away, the white terraint pulls away, the
blue car is left there. Did they continue to watch
surveillance video or ask for video until someone comes back
for the blue car? Is was that person inside Walmart?
And you see them walk out later and get in
the car and had nothing to do with it? These
are all questions they have for law enforcement that no
(14:42):
one knows.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Yeah, yeah, And it seems like a pretty decent lead
as of now. If they will follow up on some
stuff when authorities sees Wooldridge's vehicle in Fort Worth, this
woman ended up leaving the Austin area going up towards
the Dallas area. What it's what a couple of hours?
Two to three hours? Yeah, difference between these two cities.
(15:05):
Just in case you don't live in the Texas area.
Police get her vehicle in Fort Worth on April seventeenth.
The license plate had been replaced with a temporary tag.
Inside the vehicle, investigators found bleach stained carpets and it
was also missing the front passenger seat, which is right
(15:30):
where Christian would have been sitting.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
Absolutely like so much evidence.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
I didn't ask and I didn't find out. I'm sure
I could find out. They may not even know. I'm
not sure how they found her vehicle on Fort Worth.
They do know that it was in Fort Worth. I
have lots of questions related to the temporary tag. I
have a history with the not a history like a
driving I don't have a bad driving record. I've worked
in an industry where I've needed to know tag information,
(16:01):
like how to process tags and give temporary tags for
my father's business, and you have to assign them legally,
you're supposed to assign them. Now, there are nefarious ways
to get them, as we all know, because they're changing
the system here in Texas. People were selling them for
like twenty five bucks on Craigslist, So there's ways to
get fake paper tags. And I'm wondering if this temporary
(16:22):
tag was real or fake. I want to know more
about this temporary tag and how how it was received.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Yeah, because if it was received legitly, let's say it's
it's you would know, like if she went in and
got a temporary tag, I don't what excused you?
Speaker 3 (16:39):
Oh sorry, I lost my license plate? Can I have
a temporary tag?
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Well, you can say that they were stolen, but you
would need police reports to say that those were stolen. Okay,
so it probably wasn't that you'd have to transfer ownership.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Okay, But if she.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
Did this the legal way, they would be able to
tell like, Okay, this was her life's plate, now it
is this temporary tag, and they'd be able to track
it by that if she did it a legal way, correct.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
Yeah, yeah, the state of Texas would be when she
did that. But that's and we may not ever have
that answer. And I don't know why I'm clinging to
this tag situation, but it's an interesting Why do you
have a temporary tag on it? Clearly you're trying to
hide this vehicle. You made the thought process of I
need to change something about this vehicle, not just bleaching
(17:27):
the carpet and taking the seat out. I need to
make it to where it's not as recognizable in potential
surveillance video where they might have got my tags.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
Yes, exactly.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
I think it's an interesting point about the process of
what these people do to cover up their potential crimes.
So now I think it's it's interesting, that's for sure.
On May fourteenth, an arrest warrant was issued for Camery Wooldridge,
charging her with tampering with the human corpse, which is
(17:58):
a second degree felony, which I absolutely hate saying that.
It's it's just a disgusting way to say it. I
don't know why we can't just change the name of
that to something else. It just sounds vulgar to me.
She was arrested by the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force
on June fourth, but she's already out on bond.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Here's what's scary about that. The bond that was set
for her was like fifty thousand dollars, so she only
had to pony up five hundred bucks.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
That's wild, wild, and I just there's to me, there's
so much more evidence in this case than there are
so many others we have discussed, and they still have
not They can't.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
Arrest her yet.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Well, I will say on verurter charges, I will say,
perhaps they are following the book of the law and
to make sure they have all of the evidence to
make sure the charge is stick because you can only
do it once, so perhaps they are truly trying to
do it correctly. Hate that it's taking this long.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
We're almost a year in agreed, Agreed, And would it
have been better to just let her remain free while
collecting all of this or is there a reason why
they charged her with this lower crime just to have
her on the books and maybe prevent her from doing
something else. I'm not I just I want to get
(19:22):
into the minds of not only the person that did this,
but the police officers and their their way of thinking
of why they're doing X, Y and Z, which is
we don't typically see this type of charge first and
forefront in a lot of.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
Cases, not the ones we've covered before. I think they
arrested her just what if she couldn't make bond? What
if she because when they arrest her, they don't know
what the judge is going to send the bond at
or the bail at. So maybe it was an attempt
to have her in a secure location while they're building
this case. If she is indeed the murderer, maybe they
maybe that's their reasoning behind it. And if so, the
(20:00):
at least they got her on something related to this
case while they're trying to upgrade the charges.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
Agreed, But I'm also thinking do they know more and
do they actually have a different person in mind to
actually have committed the murder, and they are trying to
get her to flip.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
I'm just speculating that because you just don't know, and
this case is so relatively new compared to a lot
of the other ones that we cover.
Speaker 3 (20:27):
I just have so many questions.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
I think there's a high probability she didn't do it alone,
and maybe that's what they're trying to build their case through.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
The investigation remains active, with authorities and Christian's family seeking
answers about what happened between the time Christian got into
that car and when his body was found. Christian's mother
has been vocal about the devastating loss of her son.
She described him as someone who would give the short
(20:57):
off his back to a stranger, someone who deeply loved
his family and had so many dreams ahead of him.
In her words, she stated, it is with devastation that
we are speaking about the tragic loss of Christian Wrangel.
He was our son, and he was a father, brother, nephew,
(21:17):
cousin and friend who is deeply missed. It is a
pain that words cannot adequately describe. But I stand before
you today not only in grief, but in hope that
justice will be served. Christian was only twenty four years
old when he was taken from us in an act
of senseless violence. He had his whole life ahead of him,
(21:41):
a life filled with promise, love, and many dreams yet
to be fulfilled. His smile would light up any room,
and he had such compassion for everyone. He would be
the first person to give his own shirt off his
back for a stranger. Family meant everything to him, and
without him, ours will never be the same. We will
(22:04):
never stop seeking justice for him. To anyone who may
be holding onto information, our family asks you, from the
depths of a broken heart, please come forward.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
You know it's one thing for family members to talk
about their loved one with such adoration, as they should.
But what speaks volumes about Christian and his personality and
his heart is that a ton of people attended his service.
They drove hundreds of miles, they even flew in to
(22:40):
attend his service, and I think that just speaks volumes
about who he was and how many people he touched.
They came in and they shared stories about how Christian
is the one that helped them through recovery and helped
them battle their own addiction, and it's just truly amazing
(23:02):
that someone who was so young and battling his own
cared about other people.
Speaker 1 (23:12):
The family is urging anyone with any information to come forward.
If you know anything about what happened to Christian, please
contact the Austin Police Department at five one two nine
seven four tips. You can also submit an anonymous tip
through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers program at Austin crimestoppers
(23:35):
dot org or by colleague five one two four seven
two eight four seven seven. There is a ten thousand
dollars reward for information leading to an arrest. Christian story
is a heartbreaking reminder that justice is not guaranteed, but
(23:55):
it is something that unfortunately we have to fight for.
His family will not stop until they have answers, and
neither should we.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
This story is a newer case than we usually share.
Like we said, the cases we usually cover are five, ten, twenty,
sometimes forty years old, so we are joining in to
help Misty, Mark Kinney and all of Christian's family navigate
their new roles as advocates for Christian. The investigation is
ongoing and there are some promising leads that I feel
(24:27):
are pointing detectives the correct direction, but the family is
in purgatory of weight and see. In the meantime, we
have come up with an advocacy plan. We're going to
start with the old faithful and do a flyer campaign.
With this being as recent of a case that it is,
people's memories are fresh, they remember stuff is happening. Christian
(24:52):
was found less than a mile from Wooldridge's apartment and
in a green belt where people did walk through. It
was not far from a way walking trail. People could
have saw something and they just don't realize what they saw.
I will say there is a bunch of other trash
and things that were dumped there, so maybe they're used
to seeing cars out there. They just didn't connect the two,
and maybe with that fire they'll connect the two and
(25:13):
remember something of importance. We're gonna target a few different areas.
Someone knows something, and the chances that a witness saw
something but doesn't realize it yet is very high. April
eighth was the day of the solar eclipse. Austin was
in the path, meaning everyone was outside during this timeframe.
(25:34):
Christian got in that car at one point thirty the
peak visibility times for the eclipse was one thirty two
pm until one forty one pm. So even those that
didn't care about the eclipse, but they were out running errands,
picking up their groceries whatever, they likely stopped and still
looked up, looked around because it did get so dark.
(25:55):
Heured it was a very memorable day to be outside.
In cases you hear about it being a significant moment
for you to remember it, you're not going to just remember,
you know, the same old, same old errands you do
every single day. You kind of get on autopilot throughout
your day. But because that is a significant moment in history,
(26:15):
a significant thing happened that day, you might remember something.
You just need to kind of unlock that memory. So
people were standing in a Walmart parking lot outside watching
at the exact time this happened to Christian. You just
might not realize it, and.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
You could actually have photo evidence of something if you
had your camera rolling or even dash cams. If you
frequently travel that road, please let authorities know check see
if you still have those videos.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
Yeah, we don't get to meet every single family member
we work with in person, but I had the opportunity
to for this story. I'm truly honored that we were
able to learn about Christian and hear his story, and
we thank his family for allowing us to help them
in their journey for justice. They recently started a Facebook
(27:06):
page called Justice for Christian Rangel. It's in our show
notes and of course we'll share it. Please please consider
joining it. They are just starting in this process and
they need all the support they can get. We of
course we'll share a digital version of the flyer, so
take time to share. Hundreds of thousands of people flocked
to the Austin area for this eclipse. So even if
(27:27):
you feel like you don't have a connection here, you
don't have a reach here. People were here and you
may not realize it, so share it. A friend of
a friend may have ventured to the Central Texas area
to witness this phenomenon and now know something about Christian,
but doesn't realize it. If you want to support the
(27:48):
work we do, please share this episode, follow us on
social media, and keep the conversation going. We will continue
navigating advocacy, sharing stories no matter where.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
No matter who.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
This episode is researched, written and produced by us. Please
consider leaving us a five star review. On your favorite
podcast platform or sharing us with a friend. You can
follow us on all social media outlets. If you would
like more information about the podcast, Advocacy con or our
nonprofit Impact Advocacy Foundation, head on over to Navigatingadvocacy dot com.
Today we're sharing the story of Christian Rangel, a young
man whose life was filled with promise, love, and an
infectious personality. Christian story is one of tragedy, but also
one of resilience as his family fights to ensure justice
is served.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
I'm Melissa and I'm Whitney. We regularly have people reach
out to us, just in cases or a family sharing
their loved one story. Christian story came to us through
a mutual friend. I know that we are in this
industry every day working on these stories, but the thought
of a murder happening to someone that I'm one degree
away from knowing is heartbreaking. Actually, I don't believe that
(01:17):
heartbreaking is even an adequate description. Christian is intertwined in
both my history and my future, which is incredible. His
family is from where I used to live, where you
and I met, Melissa, and now we're navigating advocacy in Austin,
where I'm at currently. This is where Christian was murdered.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Christian Marcus Wrangell was born on June fourth, nineteen ninety nine,
in wichital Falls, Texas. He was raised in Burkburnett, Texas,
in a loving and supportive family. His parents Mark Ringel
and Misty Moon, along with his stepfather, Kenny Moon, where
the foundation of his up bringing. Christian also had sisters,
(02:04):
Kylie Rangel and stepsisters. Christian was a standout athlete. He
was a baseball star and in twenty seventeen, district coaches
unanimously voted him MVP. But beyond his athletic achievements, Christian
had a love for music and dancing.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
His sense of.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Humor and natural ability to connect with people made him unforgettable.
He had a gift for helping others and was incredibly empathetic,
always willing to lend a hand to those in need.
His family describe him as having an infectious personality.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
I had the opportunity to meet with his mom, Misty
on the phone, and then again in person when they
came to Austin. Misty told me that Christian was a
natural athlete, even at two years old playing basketball in
the living room, and he grew up playing just about
every sport you can imagine. He was always surrounded by
friends and had a way of making people laugh. The
(03:07):
way she described him to me, he was the class clown,
always full of personality, and would walk into a room
and really command the attention naturally. I'm sure you remember
someone from high school who always acted that way. I
can remember if you for my days in high school
when they would just walk in. It was always the
athletic guys, right, the jocks that had that big personality
and were just always joking around, making people laugh, to horseplaying.
(03:31):
Kind of a thing that was Christian. I also feel
like this would be our second board children, Melissa, the
way they have those silly personalities and are just jokesters.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Completely agree.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Misty also talked to me about how Christian was a giver.
He always put others before himself. If someone needed clothes,
he would literally give them the shirt off of his back.
In high school, he really excelled in baseball, just like
you said. I read many articles about his baseball career
and it was just stat after stat after stat. He
(04:05):
was a left handed pitcher, and during his senior year
he began to have quite a bit of pain from
the activities. He was introduced to pain pills to combat
the injury. According to the National Institutes of Health, twelve
percent of male high school athletes use prescription opioids. In
twenty twenty two. Attorney General Ken Paxton launched a campaign
(04:27):
called Friday Night Lights against Opioids in an effort to
educate student athletes about the dangers of addiction. Even with
these efforts, the NIH has consistently reported that adolescents continue
to misuse prescription medications. High school athletes also have between
a twenty six and forty eight percent chance of lifetime
(04:50):
use of opioids. The Truth Initiative issued an article in
twenty eighteen revealing that one can become addicted in as
little as five days to pain pills. Just five days.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
That blows my mind absolutely insane. I really never knew it.
I knew that there is this huge epidemic, this problem
in our country. This is insane how big of problem
it is.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
I just never realized the science behind it, and especially
if you add that into a mind, a brain that
is still forming and still trying to figure out what
it's supposed to do at such a young age, when
high school kids.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Are I don't know anyone ever that was addicted to
opioids or anything or would take them.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
I've never known that.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
So that's why I feel like I'm in this bubble
when it comes to this, and it's shocking that so
many people get addicted and they were doctors were given
them out like it was trick or treating Halloween time.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
I don't know that I've recognized people as being addicted
to it, but I remember athletes taking them in high school.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Consider that if you're taking them and they're not prescribed
to you, I don't know, that's where my mind goes. Okay,
if they're not yours, then maybe you don't have a
full blown addiction.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
But it's illegal.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Unfortunately, Christian fell victim to addiction. His family continuously helped
him battle the disease that addiction is over a period
of five to six years. His family helped him with
treatment options. Christian attended a few different rehabilitation programs. And
addiction is a lifelong illness and it comes with relapses
and remissions. It's a continuous cycle that you're constantly battling.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Yeah, every day you would wake up and have to
fight that that urge, that that thought and especially having
I just I can't imagine being in pain and then
taking the pill and it all goes away, almost goes
away to your feeling so much better.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
And you know that as soon as you take that
you won't have the pain anymore.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
I just I can't imagine what these people go through.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Christian moved to Austin and excelled in the rehabilitation program there.
He was able to move into a sober living facility
and was even hired at one of the rehab facilities.
He started dating his girlfriend, who were choosing to keep anonymous,
and the two ended up living together for approximately three months.
So this was a very new relationship. They were still
(07:23):
kind of in that honeymoon phase, if you will.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
That's amazing that he went through the whole program and
got hired.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
I feel like that's only like the top people.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
That go through it actually get a paying job out
of it.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
That's that's amazing.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
However, on April eighth, twenty twenty four, so this is
a very recent case, Christian left their apartment in Southwest
Austin at eleven fifteen am to walk to a nearby Walmart.
Surveillance footage from the Walmart at five zero one seven
West US two ninety shows him entering the front passenger
(08:02):
seat of a white GMC terrain at one thirty PM.
That was the last time Christian was seen alive. A
short time after entering the vehicle. The GMC exited the
parking lot at a high speed. Surveillance video later revealed
that Christian was trying to exit the moving car. Investigators
(08:26):
determined that the driver of the vehicle was thirty one
year old Camery Wooldridge. When Christian didn't return to the
apartment by around one, his girlfriend called law enforcement and
reported him missing. Christian's dad notified Misty that Christian was missing.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Christian's girlfriend and a fellow co worker had introduced Christian
to Camery from the ninth on. Christian's family struggled with
working with Austin PD. This is something we have seen before.
His family were in fact the ones that told law
enforcement about this surveillance video. Christian's girlfriend had talked to
the managers at Walmart and asked them to check the footage.
(09:10):
When she learned they had, she informed his family, who
then told detectives.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
I mean, gotta give her props for going to do that,
because who knows.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
I mean, Walmart's a large company.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
You would think that they would keep the surveillance footage
for a certain amount of times, but.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
If you one week, it could be lost forever.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
So I'm glad she was able to go in do that.
For ten agonizing days, Christian's family searched for him. On
April nineteenth, twenty twenty four, at approximately seven pm, Austin
Police Department officers responded to a call about a deceased
person in a field off of Spring Meadow Drive. They
(09:53):
would confirm through dental records that these remains were Christians.
His remains were covered with with grass clippings and weeds,
discarded just fifteen feet from a walking trail. An autopsy
confirmed several of Christian's ribs were broken, but due to decomposition,
medical examiners were unable to determine organ or tissue damage.
(10:18):
His family was left with more questions than answers. Medical
examiners were also unable to determine a cause of death.
Investigators worked quickly to piece together Christian's last moments. Location
data from her phone placed Waltridge at the Walmart at
(10:40):
one thirty three pm and the site where Christian's body
was found by one fifty pm on April eighth.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
So this is.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Literally corroborating everything that the surveillance footage said. One thirty ish,
he gets in the car there at the Walmart.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
Then it turns around and shows that she's where his
body was within twenty minute.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
Yes, and so.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
You're probably thinking, hey, navigating advocacy, don't you guys just
cover unsolved cases.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Why?
Speaker 3 (11:10):
Yes, yes we do.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
And this seems like a slam dunk. Like to me,
this is all the evidence, but it just it gets
worse from here.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
I want to take a second and talk about the
surveillance footage first that you mentioned just a second ago.
When the terrain pulls into the parking lot, it's towards
the end of a Walmart parking lot, you know, down
where all of the employees park, where all the trees
are those last I think they're yellow lines instead of
white lines. That's where the employees are supposed to park.
(11:40):
It's towards the end of the row, and they back
into the spot. This terrain backs into the spot well
shortly after on this surveillance video, a blue Mustang, maybe
a Mustang, maybe a Camaro, it's definitely a blue sports
car pulls in that same aisle and backs in next
to this terrain. Now it is on the opposite side
(12:02):
of the terrain, so you can't see it from the
surveillance video because the terrain's much larger, so obviously the
view is obstructed, so you can't really tell if someone
gets out of that car, maybe gets in the train,
maybe walks into Walmart. You don't really see what's happening
with this blue car, just that it backed in in
the same manner the white terrain did.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Well.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
Then the terrain speeds off and you see the passenger
door open. Seemingly Christian's trying to jump out of this
moving vehicle now, but you see the door slam back
close as the vehicle takes off, So he's trying to
get away, and that's all they see. They don't know
what's going on. Obviously you don't know what's happening inside
the vehicle, but seemingly he was trying to get away.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
I have a question about the surveillance footage. Was there
parking spots available around this, because it would be very
weird if there's other parking spots free, and then this
blue car happens to park in the way back of
the parking spot earth parking lot, right next to this
white terrain.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
If there were other spots, you know.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
I mean, if I'm going to park somewhere, if there's
a bunch of spots open. I'm not going to park
right next to another car if there's a bunch of
other spots open.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
Do you know if there were?
Speaker 1 (13:16):
I only I watched it, but I totally forget and
I didn't pay attention to that until you just were
talking about this.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
There were enough spots open that from the surveillance video,
so from the camera attached to the building of Walmart,
you can see the side of that white terrain. It
didn't pull into like at one spot, so there was
clearly open spots.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
Okay, so it is.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
A little bit abnormal that it would pull right next
into this. We want to make a note police have
never identified who this was. It could just be a
potential witness, someone that was going to shop at Walmart,
but it also could be someone involved. So if you
know anything about this particular vehicle, police alert authorities.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
And that's one of the biggest questions that Christian's family
has is and the way this car pulls in you
can almost see I can't I didn't check myself for
license plates? Did we run license plates? Did we not
run license plates on this surveillance footage to find out
who the owner of this blue vehicle is. So that's
a question they have for law enforcement also, like this
(14:21):
is strange, this could be a lead. And when the
white car pulls away, the white terraint pulls away, the
blue car is left there. Did they continue to watch
surveillance video or ask for video until someone comes back
for the blue car? Is was that person inside Walmart?
And you see them walk out later and get in
the car and had nothing to do with it? These
are all questions they have for law enforcement that no
(14:42):
one knows.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Yeah, yeah, And it seems like a pretty decent lead
as of now. If they will follow up on some
stuff when authorities sees Wooldridge's vehicle in Fort Worth, this
woman ended up leaving the Austin area going up towards
the Dallas area. What it's what a couple of hours?
Two to three hours? Yeah, difference between these two cities.
(15:05):
Just in case you don't live in the Texas area.
Police get her vehicle in Fort Worth on April seventeenth.
The license plate had been replaced with a temporary tag.
Inside the vehicle, investigators found bleach stained carpets and it
was also missing the front passenger seat, which is right
(15:30):
where Christian would have been sitting.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
Absolutely like so much evidence.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
I didn't ask and I didn't find out. I'm sure
I could find out. They may not even know. I'm
not sure how they found her vehicle on Fort Worth.
They do know that it was in Fort Worth. I
have lots of questions related to the temporary tag. I
have a history with the not a history like a
driving I don't have a bad driving record. I've worked
in an industry where I've needed to know tag information,
(16:01):
like how to process tags and give temporary tags for
my father's business, and you have to assign them legally,
you're supposed to assign them. Now, there are nefarious ways
to get them, as we all know, because they're changing
the system here in Texas. People were selling them for
like twenty five bucks on Craigslist, So there's ways to
get fake paper tags. And I'm wondering if this temporary
(16:22):
tag was real or fake. I want to know more
about this temporary tag and how how it was received.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Yeah, because if it was received legitly, let's say it's
it's you would know, like if she went in and
got a temporary tag, I don't what excused you?
Speaker 3 (16:39):
Oh sorry, I lost my license plate? Can I have
a temporary tag?
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Well, you can say that they were stolen, but you
would need police reports to say that those were stolen. Okay,
so it probably wasn't that you'd have to transfer ownership.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Okay, But if she.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
Did this the legal way, they would be able to
tell like, Okay, this was her life's plate, now it
is this temporary tag, and they'd be able to track
it by that if she did it a legal way, correct.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
Yeah, yeah, the state of Texas would be when she
did that. But that's and we may not ever have
that answer. And I don't know why I'm clinging to
this tag situation, but it's an interesting Why do you
have a temporary tag on it? Clearly you're trying to
hide this vehicle. You made the thought process of I
need to change something about this vehicle, not just bleaching
(17:27):
the carpet and taking the seat out. I need to
make it to where it's not as recognizable in potential
surveillance video where they might have got my tags.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
Yes, exactly.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
I think it's an interesting point about the process of
what these people do to cover up their potential crimes.
So now I think it's it's interesting, that's for sure.
On May fourteenth, an arrest warrant was issued for Camery Wooldridge,
charging her with tampering with the human corpse, which is
(17:58):
a second degree felony, which I absolutely hate saying that.
It's it's just a disgusting way to say it. I
don't know why we can't just change the name of
that to something else. It just sounds vulgar to me.
She was arrested by the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force
on June fourth, but she's already out on bond.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Here's what's scary about that. The bond that was set
for her was like fifty thousand dollars, so she only
had to pony up five hundred bucks.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
That's wild, wild, and I just there's to me, there's
so much more evidence in this case than there are
so many others we have discussed, and they still have
not They can't.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
Arrest her yet.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Well, I will say on verurter charges, I will say,
perhaps they are following the book of the law and
to make sure they have all of the evidence to
make sure the charge is stick because you can only
do it once, so perhaps they are truly trying to
do it correctly. Hate that it's taking this long.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
We're almost a year in agreed, Agreed, And would it
have been better to just let her remain free while
collecting all of this or is there a reason why
they charged her with this lower crime just to have
her on the books and maybe prevent her from doing
something else. I'm not I just I want to get
(19:22):
into the minds of not only the person that did this,
but the police officers and their their way of thinking
of why they're doing X, Y and Z, which is
we don't typically see this type of charge first and
forefront in a lot of.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
Cases, not the ones we've covered before. I think they
arrested her just what if she couldn't make bond? What
if she because when they arrest her, they don't know
what the judge is going to send the bond at
or the bail at. So maybe it was an attempt
to have her in a secure location while they're building
this case. If she is indeed the murderer, maybe they
maybe that's their reasoning behind it. And if so, the
(20:00):
at least they got her on something related to this
case while they're trying to upgrade the charges.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
Agreed, But I'm also thinking do they know more and
do they actually have a different person in mind to
actually have committed the murder, and they are trying to
get her to flip.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
I'm just speculating that because you just don't know, and
this case is so relatively new compared to a lot
of the other ones that we cover.
Speaker 3 (20:27):
I just have so many questions.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
I think there's a high probability she didn't do it alone,
and maybe that's what they're trying to build their case through.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
The investigation remains active, with authorities and Christian's family seeking
answers about what happened between the time Christian got into
that car and when his body was found. Christian's mother
has been vocal about the devastating loss of her son.
She described him as someone who would give the short
(20:57):
off his back to a stranger, someone who deeply loved
his family and had so many dreams ahead of him.
In her words, she stated, it is with devastation that
we are speaking about the tragic loss of Christian Wrangel.
He was our son, and he was a father, brother, nephew,
(21:17):
cousin and friend who is deeply missed. It is a
pain that words cannot adequately describe. But I stand before
you today not only in grief, but in hope that
justice will be served. Christian was only twenty four years
old when he was taken from us in an act
of senseless violence. He had his whole life ahead of him,
(21:41):
a life filled with promise, love, and many dreams yet
to be fulfilled. His smile would light up any room,
and he had such compassion for everyone. He would be
the first person to give his own shirt off his
back for a stranger. Family meant everything to him, and
without him, ours will never be the same. We will
(22:04):
never stop seeking justice for him. To anyone who may
be holding onto information, our family asks you, from the
depths of a broken heart, please come forward.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
You know it's one thing for family members to talk
about their loved one with such adoration, as they should.
But what speaks volumes about Christian and his personality and
his heart is that a ton of people attended his service.
They drove hundreds of miles, they even flew in to
(22:40):
attend his service, and I think that just speaks volumes
about who he was and how many people he touched.
They came in and they shared stories about how Christian
is the one that helped them through recovery and helped
them battle their own addiction, and it's just truly amazing
(23:02):
that someone who was so young and battling his own
cared about other people.
Speaker 1 (23:12):
The family is urging anyone with any information to come forward.
If you know anything about what happened to Christian, please
contact the Austin Police Department at five one two nine
seven four tips. You can also submit an anonymous tip
through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers program at Austin crimestoppers
(23:35):
dot org or by colleague five one two four seven
two eight four seven seven. There is a ten thousand
dollars reward for information leading to an arrest. Christian story
is a heartbreaking reminder that justice is not guaranteed, but
(23:55):
it is something that unfortunately we have to fight for.
His family will not stop until they have answers, and
neither should we.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
This story is a newer case than we usually share.
Like we said, the cases we usually cover are five, ten, twenty,
sometimes forty years old, so we are joining in to
help Misty, Mark Kinney and all of Christian's family navigate
their new roles as advocates for Christian. The investigation is
ongoing and there are some promising leads that I feel
(24:27):
are pointing detectives the correct direction, but the family is
in purgatory of weight and see. In the meantime, we
have come up with an advocacy plan. We're going to
start with the old faithful and do a flyer campaign.
With this being as recent of a case that it is,
people's memories are fresh, they remember stuff is happening. Christian
(24:52):
was found less than a mile from Wooldridge's apartment and
in a green belt where people did walk through. It
was not far from a way walking trail. People could
have saw something and they just don't realize what they saw.
I will say there is a bunch of other trash
and things that were dumped there, so maybe they're used
to seeing cars out there. They just didn't connect the two,
and maybe with that fire they'll connect the two and
(25:13):
remember something of importance. We're gonna target a few different areas.
Someone knows something, and the chances that a witness saw
something but doesn't realize it yet is very high. April
eighth was the day of the solar eclipse. Austin was
in the path, meaning everyone was outside during this timeframe.
(25:34):
Christian got in that car at one point thirty the
peak visibility times for the eclipse was one thirty two
pm until one forty one pm. So even those that
didn't care about the eclipse, but they were out running errands,
picking up their groceries whatever, they likely stopped and still
looked up, looked around because it did get so dark.
(25:55):
Heured it was a very memorable day to be outside.
In cases you hear about it being a significant moment
for you to remember it, you're not going to just remember,
you know, the same old, same old errands you do
every single day. You kind of get on autopilot throughout
your day. But because that is a significant moment in history,
(26:15):
a significant thing happened that day, you might remember something.
You just need to kind of unlock that memory. So
people were standing in a Walmart parking lot outside watching
at the exact time this happened to Christian. You just
might not realize it, and.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
You could actually have photo evidence of something if you
had your camera rolling or even dash cams. If you
frequently travel that road, please let authorities know check see
if you still have those videos.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
Yeah, we don't get to meet every single family member
we work with in person, but I had the opportunity
to for this story. I'm truly honored that we were
able to learn about Christian and hear his story, and
we thank his family for allowing us to help them
in their journey for justice. They recently started a Facebook
(27:06):
page called Justice for Christian Rangel. It's in our show
notes and of course we'll share it. Please please consider
joining it. They are just starting in this process and
they need all the support they can get. We of
course we'll share a digital version of the flyer, so
take time to share. Hundreds of thousands of people flocked
to the Austin area for this eclipse. So even if
(27:27):
you feel like you don't have a connection here, you
don't have a reach here. People were here and you
may not realize it, so share it. A friend of
a friend may have ventured to the Central Texas area
to witness this phenomenon and now know something about Christian,
but doesn't realize it. If you want to support the
(27:48):
work we do, please share this episode, follow us on
social media, and keep the conversation going. We will continue
navigating advocacy, sharing stories no matter where.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
No matter who.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
This episode is researched, written and produced by us. Please
consider leaving us a five star review. On your favorite
podcast platform or sharing us with a friend. You can
follow us on all social media outlets. If you would
like more information about the podcast, Advocacy con or our
nonprofit Impact Advocacy Foundation, head on over to Navigatingadvocacy dot com.
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