August 11, 2023 • 36 mins
On October 13, 2022, 15-year-old Austin Thompson is alleged to have shot and killed his brother James Roger Thompson, Raleigh police officer Gabriel Torres, Nicole Connors, Mary Marshall and Susan Karnatz, in Raleigh, North Carolina; also on October 13, 2022, 17-year-old Tyler Roenz is alleged to have killed his mother Michelle Roenz in their Humble, Texas home.
Updates to Sierra Halseth and Abel Acosta’s cases.
Music: We Talk of Dreams
For sources, visit: https://murderousminors.onpodium.co/episodes/138-its-season-6-austin-thompson-tyler-roenz-sierra-halseth-abel-acosta-915
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Updates to Sierra Halseth and Abel Acosta’s cases.
Music: We Talk of Dreams
For sources, visit: https://murderousminors.onpodium.co/episodes/138-its-season-6-austin-thompson-tyler-roenz-sierra-halseth-abel-acosta-915
This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/2964579/advertisement
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/murderous-minors--2964579/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:09):
Just so you know, this showis about scary stuff. So don't say
I didn't warn you. Guys.I remember, don't be scared. M
(00:45):
m m m. Episode one thirtyeight. It's season six. War Baby,
(01:06):
here with another episode of Murderous Miners. Hey, levels, We're back
with an all new episode. SinceI've been away since October, we'll start
off this season there with two newcases and two updates. You may have
heard that back on October thirteenth,twenty and twenty two, a mass shooting
took place in northeast to Raleigh,North Carolina, that was perpetrated by a
(01:32):
juvenile. The teen stands accused ofstabbing and shooting his older brother to death
before running through his own neighborhood,shooting whomever he encountered. Motives still unknown.
It was a harrowing ordeal for thatcommunity and continues to be so.
Law enforcement even issued several updates asthe hours long saga carried into the night.
(01:53):
One of the last new details tocome out was that the alleged shooter
and only suspect, was indeed aminer, a teenage boy. Raleigh police
didn't immediately name him, but hisown parents quickly identified him. As fifteen
year old Austin Thompson. Early reportsdescribed him as living on Sahali Way in
(02:15):
the Headingham neighborhood of Raleigh with hismother, older brother, and handyman father,
whom he was known to help withjobs. One neighbor did tell reporters
that he would sometimes see the teenin the early hours of the morning when
it was still dark. He'd befully dressed and wearing a backpack outside,
even though school didn't begin for severalmore hours. He was in the tenth
(02:38):
grade at Nightdale High School, anda classmate shared his shock and disbelief,
telling the press that quote he wasvery calm, He wasn't like a mean
person. Local w R als ChrisLevengood was in contact with the Thompson parents
via text since the night of theshootings and said that they learned about the
(02:58):
events as they occurred to a Facebookgroup for their neighborhood. A neighbor soon
texted them directly as they were ontheir way home to let them know that
the shootings had taken place on theirvery street. Their shock and grief is
twofold, as their son's presumed firstvictim was his own big brother, sixteen
year old James Roger Thompson, whowas found de ceased inside their family home
(03:23):
with more than fifty stab wounds anda gunshot wound. The Nightdale High School
eleventh grader loved deep sea fishing andhad been an avid basketball player in his
church's league as a youth. Morerecently, he'd been dabbling in food,
recreating Gordon Ramsey dishes through tutorials onYouTube. Almost a week after the shooting,
(03:46):
on Tuesday, October eighteenth, theThompson parents released a statement on their
younger son's actions, which read,in part quote words cannot begin to describe
our anguish and sorrow. Our sonAustin inflicted immeasurable pain on the Raleigh community,
and we are overcome with grief forthe innocent lives lost. We pray
(04:09):
for the families and loved ones ofNicole Connors, Susan Karnats, Mary Marshall,
and Raleigh Police officer Gabriel Torres.We mourned for their loss and for
the loss of our son James.We pray that Marcel Lynn Gardner and Raleigh
Police Officer Casey Clark fully recover fromtheir injuries, and we pray for everyone
(04:31):
who is traumatized by these senseless actsof violence. We have so many unanswered
questions. There were never any indicationsor warning signs that Austin was capable of
doing anything like this. Two daysafter that statement, on Thursday, October
twentieth, the Raleigh Police released theirpreliminary report on the shootings, making it
(04:57):
clear that they didn't have any ideaof a motive or knowledge of any factors
that may have motivated the shooter togo on a rampage in the first place.
In North Carolina, a five dayreport is completed following a major incident
including officer involved shootings. According tothe official timeline in the five day report,
(05:18):
the first nine one one call camein at roughly five o nine pm
reporting numerous shots fired near the headingHand Neighborhood golf course. The second nine
one one call was received at fivetwelve pm, referencing the home two doors
down from the Thompsons. The callerindicated that they could see one person,
(05:40):
Nicole Connors, lying on the frontporch of her house in the fifty three
hundred block of Sahale Way with herdog, a Jack Russell Terrier named Sammy,
shot dead nearby. The fifty twoyear old was discovered by her husband
of five years upon his return froma home improvement store. He'd stopped to
buy a light bulb for the frontporch, where he found his wife mortally
(06:03):
wounded in a pool of blood withshotgun blast wounds to her head, hip
area, and legs. She wastransported to the hospital and soon pronounced dead.
A second shooting victim there across thestreet, neighbor and friend, marsil
And Gardner, was found lying inthe couple's driveway, where she'd been standing
(06:25):
and talking to Nicole when they wereshot. She was hospitalized in critical but
stable condition. The next one callreported soon after that, twenty nine year
old Raleigh Police officer Gabriel Torres,was the next victim, who was heading
to work. While waiting in hiscar for his wife to come kiss him
(06:46):
goodbye, he was mortally wounded bya camel wearing gunman. Officer Torres,
who joined Raleigh PD in March twothousand and twenty one, died at the
hospital. The New Jersey native andAvid New York jets And was a former
United States Marine sergeant who served atCamp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina.
(07:06):
He had received a Good Conduct Medal, a National Defense Service Medal, a
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal,a Humanitarian Service Medal, and a Sea
Service Deployment Ribbon. Over the courseof his military service. He left behind
a two year old daughter and awife who recalled trying to save him as
(07:27):
he took his last breaths. Athis funeral, she said quote, finding
you with your life slipping away isa pain too hard to deal with.
I gave my all to try andsave you. I'm glad you were still
with me long enough so that Icould kiss your skin while it was still
warm, while I could still feelthe pulse of your heart. The Raleigh
(07:48):
Police Department hadn't lost a member inmore than twenty years when Officer Charles Paul
crashed during a pursuit. Patrol carsentered the Headingham Name neighborhood at five nineteen
pm with lights blazing and sirens blaring. A subsequent caller who was biking reported
at five twenty one PM the heartbreakingdiscovery of two more shooting victims, the
(08:13):
first of whom was thirty five yearold Mary Marshall, who was chasing after
her rescue dog Scruff along the trail. She had called her fiance just minutes
before to tell him to get homebecause she had heard gunshots that had spooked
their dog, who had then slippedhis collar and taken off. She was
targeted after she hung up the phoneand ran to retrieve him. When her
(08:37):
fiance reached their house, a policeofficer was waiting to ask him identifying questions
about Mary, at which point hesaid he knew she was dead. Marshall
was a Navy veteran and also aculinary school graduate who adored the beach and
dearly loved Disney World. She wasmurdered one week before her thirty sixth birthday,
(09:00):
two weeks before her wedding, whichwas scheduled for October twenty ninth.
Instead, they held a celebration oflife in its place, especially since several
of her friends were coming into townfrom as far away as Japan for the
wedding. The same nine one onecaller also reported the discovery of forty nine
(09:20):
year old Susan Karnatz, who waskilled while out on a seven mile run.
The mother of three had already completedthe Boston Marathon four times and often
ran that trail adjacent to her neighborhood. Her family knew her route and they
checked her location through her phone whenthey learned that a potential mass shooting was
(09:41):
ongoing in the neighborhood, so theyknew she was out there in the middle
of it. They hoped she washiding. Her husband remembered her as quote
a very loving wife and amazing mother. By five forty nine pm, police
radio traffic indicated that officers had apreliminary description of the suspected gunman, and
(10:03):
we're looking for a quote six footwhite male, fifteen years old camo with
a long gun, with the inclusionof a specific age, leading us to
believe they knew exactly who they werelooking for. At five fifty five pm,
Raleigh Police tweeted quote, the RaleighPolice Department is currently on the scene
of an act of shooting in thearea of the News River Greenway near ausbrey
(10:28):
Cove Drive in Bay Harbor Drive.At six twelve pm, police radio traffic
indicated that their suspect was seen headinginto the woods approximately one mile north of
the neighborhood, and thirty minutes laterat six forty two pm, he was
tracked into a small barn like outbuildingin the woods near McConnell Oliver Drive.
(10:50):
As they searched and attempted to closein on their suspect, they reportedly began
to take fire, resulting and OfficerCasey Clark being shot in the knee.
Within two minutes, a volley ofgunfire took place. Two officers fired a
total of twenty three rounds, followedby them issuing commands for the gunmen to
(11:11):
come out unarmed with his hands up, which carried on with no response for
nearly three hours. During that time, the Selective Enforcement Unit deployed a drone
to visually monitor the suspect, andthen a bomb robot to try and separate
him from the shotgun and then fromhis backpack. At nine thirty two pm,
they fired three non lethal rounds atthe suspect and he put his hands
(11:35):
behind his head. At nine thirtyfour pm, police made entry, locating
the camel clad teen with one singlegunshot wound of then unknown origin to his
head. When the teen was apprehended, there was a shotgun and shells on
the ground near him, a handgunin his waistband, and a sheath attached
(11:56):
to his belt that was made tohouse a large hunting knife that officers located
outside the building. Inside the blackcamouflage backpack that Thompson was still wearing,
officers found additional ammunition, but nohand grenades were mentioned in the report,
although a tip had come in sayinghe may have had one. It was
(12:16):
later determined that his injury was anon lethal self inflicted wound. Officer Casey
Clark was treated and released from thehospital the same night, while Lynn Gardner,
who spent her sixtieth birthday in thehospital, was finally allowed to go
home after ninety eight days and multiplesurgeries on January eighteenth, two thousand and
(12:39):
twenty three. Austin Thompson was releasedfrom the hospital and into rehab in November
two thousand and twenty two, andis being represented by the Public Defender's Office,
with the Wake County District Attorneys statingthat she intends to charge him as
an adult should he ever recover enoughto be prosecuted. On the very same
(13:01):
day that the Raleigh mass shooting tookplace in the Headingham neighborhood, another homicidal
family drama began to unfold twelve hundredmiles away when forty nine year old Michelle
Rowans and her seventeen year old son, Tyler, were reported missing from their
Humble, Texas home near Houston.The criminal complaint out of Harris County indicates
(13:24):
that when Manfred Rowans arrived at thefamily's empty home at noon on October thirteenth,
two thousand and twenty two, hesaw that one of his cars,
a black two thousand and eleven mastTo three, was missing. Not only
that, but in the garage hemade a startling discovery a bloody human tooth,
and this was only the beginning.The complaint explains that he then followed
(13:48):
a quote trail of blood from thegarage to the master bedroom and found several
more teeth in a puddle of blood, as well as his wife's purse and
cell phone, prompting him to alertauthorities. He'd already tried to track his
wife's location using the Life three sixtyapp on her phone, which showed that
she had arrived home at ten fifteenthat morning, but all the data after
(14:11):
that had already been deleted and herphone was shut off. The home surveillance
system soon revealed that he'd missed theMazda leaving by only fifteen minutes, and
it had been captured pulling out ateleven forty four am. He told police
that his son was allowed to driveit, but only for certain situations and
(14:31):
only within their county. A Clearalert was issued by the Texas Department of
Public Safety, which is an alertused there to locate missing people who aren't
kids or the elderly, which aregenerally covered by Amber and Silver alerts.
When he checked on financials, hesaw that one of their credit cards had
(14:52):
been used at gas stations and Humbleand Richardson, Texas, as well as
in Atoka, Oklahoma, and inChitopa, Kansas. Not only that,
but the Mazda's license plate was capturedon a plate reader in Dallas, Texas,
and was then captured near Lincoln,Nebraska at around one forty five PM.
(15:13):
State troopers were on it and locatedRoans in the Mazda in under twenty
minutes. The team was alone inthe car near Grand Island, Nebraska,
a little over two hours from Omaha, and was driving west on Interstate eighty.
When the trooper tried to pull himover. He sped off, causing
the initiation of a nine mile longhigh speed pursuit that ultimately reached speeds of
(15:37):
more than one hundred and ten milesor one hundred and seventy seven kilometers per
hour. He ended up slowing,losing control of the car, and wrecking
after hitting the back of a semitruck and careening into a tree on the
side of the road near Aurora,Nebraska. Rowens was apprehended with severe injuries
(15:58):
determined not to be life threatening.However, the same couldn't be said for
his mother. Shockingly, the bodyof forty nine year old Michelle Rowans was
found in the Mazda's trunk, withpreliminary autopsy results indicating that she was murdered
by blunt force trauma to the headas well as strangulation. The mother of
(16:19):
two was born in Mullen, Nebraskain nineteen seventy three and has been remembered
as a passionate lover of animals whohad six cats that she adored. A
certified public accountant with an adventurous spirit, she had plans with her husband of
twenty three years to volunteer with animalrescue groups once both of their kids had
(16:41):
gone off to college. Their daughter, Tyler Rowan's older sister, was reportedly
valedictorian of their high school in twoand twenty, although her brother's record doesn't
appear as exceptional, reports indicate thatRowans was out on bail for an earlier
arrest. Those court documents alleged thatin April two thousand and twenty two,
(17:04):
he picked up an eighteen year oldgirl from school and took her phone,
after which she tried to get itback and was attacked. Rowans is accused
of kicking her in the face,biting her, punching her, groping her,
tearing her shirt and bra off,and trying to take her pants off
before throwing her out of his car. He was arrested and charged with attempted
(17:26):
sexual assault and was released after postingten thousand dollars bond Back in April,
and six months later, Rones wascharged with murder for allegedly killing his mother.
When investigators from Texas questioned him whilehe was hospitalized in Nebraska, they
reported that he refused to provide anydetails of the injuries, other than admitting
(17:49):
that he did not only use hishands and that she did not get into
the trunk of the vehicle on herown. He told them he'd felt no
emotion and just began driving north.Rowens was released from the hospital and remained
in custody in Nebraska until he wentbefore the judge on January eighteenth, two
thousand and twenty three, when hewas ordered to be extradited to Texas charged
(18:15):
with murder in addition to his previouscharge of attempted sexual assault. He was
booked into a Texas jail one weeklater, on January twenty fifth. On
February second, two thousand and twentythree, then now eighteen year old,
was granted bail of just over onemillion dollars, with release conditions stipulating that
(18:36):
he'd be placed on house arrests andstay away from his father. Basically,
the family's humble, Texas home,where the murder is thought to have taken
place, is off limits. Ifsomeone were to bail him out, he'd
have to find somewhere new to live. Rowen's remains behind bars in at Houston,
Texas area jail, awaiting his pretrial hearing, which was recently delayed
(19:00):
until September two thousand and twenty three. October also saw the sentencings of forty
five year old Daniel Halseth's murderers,his daughter Sierra and her boyfriend Aaron Guerrero.
If you'll recall the murder took placein Daniel's northwest Las Vegas, Nevada
home, which the team couple attemptedto burn down afterward. It was April
(19:22):
ninth, two thousand and twenty one, when the then sixteen year old and
her eighteen year old boyfriend stabbed Danielto death, leaving him with more than
seventy wounds, before they put hisbody inside a sleeping bag in the garage
and set it on fire. Theman's smoldering body would soon be discovered,
even after the team gave her grandmotherseveral excuses explaining why her father couldn't come
(19:48):
to the phone. By the timehe was found, the teams were long
gone and heading towards Salt Lake City, Utah, where they were apprehended four
days later. Police found cell phonevideos of the pair cuddling and kissing and
making mention of the fact that they'drecently committed murder. They were charged with
(20:08):
murder, conspiracy to commit murder,robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, arson,
and four counts of fraudulent use ofcreditor debit cards, and ultimately pled
guilty to all of the charges.On October twenty second, two thousand and
twenty two, they were each sentencedto life in prison. Halseth's parents had
(20:32):
endured a contentious divorce a decade beforeDaniel's murder, and the teen and her
siblings went to live with their motherin two thousand and twenty. However,
she didn't return to her mother's houseafter a visit, and the parents went
back to court to dispute custody ofthe team. The family court judge could
sense that something else was going on, telling them about a month before the
(20:56):
murders that quote this entire case discouragedme. It is possible that after taking
evidence, I just ripped the childout of dad's home and put the child
solely in mom's home. Sierra's mothertold the judge that she hadn't seen her
daughter in months, adding that quote, Daniel in his home isn't a healthy
(21:17):
one. He has clearly been bashingme and speaking negatively about me and lying
to Sierra, which has negatively impactedmy relationship with her. I want my
daughter back. I want her tobe healthy again, and emotionally, mentally,
spiritually, and physically healthy again.I want what's best for her,
and she deserves that. At aprevious hearing, the family court judge had
(21:41):
stated that quote, I saw alot of things with Sierra that caused me
concerned. It indicates to me thatsomething else is going on with Sierra,
and I don't know who at thispoint is to blame for that. But
I'm less concerned about placing blame thanI am with regard to this child and
the child relationship with a parent.We need to get therapy in place at
(22:03):
this point moving forward, The judgesaid, I haven't gotten to the bottom
of what is or isn't happening withSierra, but I am extremely concerned with
what is or is not happening withSierra. Hopefully this is not something one
of the two of you are promoting, because the lifetime damage to this child
is something you'll have to bear onyour conscience moving forward. The team was
(22:27):
dropped back off with her mother,but by the time the next hearing came
around, she would be back ather father's house. He contended that his
ex wife's home was a quote toxicenvironment and that quote the living arrangements are
perfect here, referring to his fourbedroom Las Vegas home. During this time,
(22:48):
she was dating Aaron Guerrero against theirparents' wishes once they learned the team's
plan to run away to Los Angeles, California together. Security camera footage from
home DPO captured the team's purchasing itemsused after the crime, including gloves,
lighter, fluid bleach, a circularsaw, and saw blades. Hall Seth
(23:11):
later said in court that her fatherhad physically and sexually abused her, allegations
that her attorney admitted he couldn't substantiate, but that her mother said she believed.
Daniel's side of the family disagreed,however, with several stating that they'd
wish she'd received the death penalty.I'm so glad to have you back.
(23:32):
And for those of you who arewondering, yes, Abel Acosta is still
on the run. The accused Garland, Texas, Texico shooter was an eighth
grader then and is now still hidingfrom police. Whereabouts unknown. They don't
know where the team is living orwith whom, according to their own statements.
(23:52):
Detective Lucas Shoop has stated though thatquote, I don't believe a mom
has no idea where her now fifteenyear old son is. I think she
knows where he is, and Ithink she had knowledge about how they got
him there as well. I thinkit's a very good possibility he's in Mexico,
having said before that, based oncell phone data from the night of
(24:14):
the murders, the teen's family appearsto have initiated his escape from the area.
It's now been more than a yearand a half since security cameras captured
the then fourteen year old gunning downfourteen year old Xavier Gonzalez, sixteen year
old Ivan Noyala, and seventeen yearold Raphael Garcia, and leaving one other
(24:36):
teen injured. The motive is thoughtto be retaliation for one or more of
the murdered teens allegedly taking Acosta's necklaceor knowing where it was. His father
claimed that he didn't even know ithad been stolen, as per our previous
coverage of this case, The videosalso show Acosta's thirty three year old father,
(24:57):
Richards, seemingly acting as the boy'stransportation, letting the shirtless, medical
masked team out in front of thestore before circling the gas pumps at the
Texico station. He peeled off assoon as his son jumped into the back
seat of their pickup truck. Aftercompleting the rampage. The elder Acosta walked
(25:18):
into a local police station one dayafter the shootings, saying he'd seen himself
on the news but didn't know anythingabout the murders, and was charged with
capital murder. Although detective Shop triedto question him, he invoked the Fifth
Amendment and asked for an attorney.He's never given a statement to police,
though they remained convinced that quote.He's trying to act like he didn't know
(25:42):
what was going on. He knowsfor a fact what he did, and
he's just taking the fall for itto save his son's life. Jury selection
for Richard Acosta Junior's capital murder trialbegan on February sixth, two twenty three.
Dallas County Prosecutor Stephanie Fargo said inher opening statement that quote, it
(26:06):
takes nine seconds for him to firetwenty rounds, shooting and killing those three
kids and injuring another. All thewhile this defendant has his foot on the
brake the truck and drive waiting.Actions speak louder than words. Accosta Junior's
attorney, Heath Harris, countered sayingthat quote, He's going to present credible
(26:30):
evidence that is going to clearly showhe is not guilty of being party to
this sort of an offense. Harriscontended that his client's prosecution is a ploy
to draw his son out, claimingthat quote, that's what this is all
about, charging this man with capitalmurder, trying to lure able out.
The uncle of sixteen year old victimIvanouala took the stand on the second day
(26:55):
of trial to describe what he sawfrom his vehicle in the parking lot as
he waited for his nephew and hisfriend, seventeen year old victim Rafael Garcia,
to buy tacos for dinner. Theman tearfully recounted how Acosta Junior's truck
actually tapped his before he drove offwith his son. He testified that quote,
(27:18):
the truck took off right away.It drives away fast. On February
ninth, two thousand and twenty three, Richard Acosta Junior actually took the stand
in his own defense. When y'allare going to textico di, y'all I
am Isavier and Rafael woun't best no, no, not at all, while
(27:42):
y'all riding around in their formula,y'all planning two amos and attack these years.
No, sir, is that somethingthat you rely or something that,
of course not. I wanted thebest for my son. Oh, my
sons, what do you make fromit? The most horrible thing. I
(28:07):
can't even imagine how the families feel. And we all lost his son that
day. I lost my son.I don't never get to see my son.
I get what you heard them saythat if he is brought back,
you will be prosecuted. Of course, point we all lost his son.
I lost my son regardless, he'sgonna spend the rest of his life.
(28:27):
And in the prayer the prison,would you prefer that over him? They
did? Yes, at least wewould know he's okay. I know what.
I know that sounds horrible, butat least we know he would be
okay. Did you participate in dissolfice, No, sir. Did you were
you to get away drive? Sir? When you played from that location?
(28:52):
Did you do so for a sisterson and committe dissolvee? No, sir,
when you played away from the didyou know this officer figure? Oh
sir, that's all the half.Thank you, this wilconsins, thank you.
You don't con the number two onefour six sixty one zero one two
(29:18):
five. Who does Bath belonged to? I don't know, ma'am. You
don't know. What would it surpriseyou to learn that you've had one hundred
and thirty seven text messages with him? On December twenty seventh, between eleven
thirty a m. And one twentyone year at work, Bath and fourth
(29:41):
maybe on my lunch break. Sowho has that ever belonged to? I
don't know, but I don't knowtwo on the twenty seventh orty year lunch
break. I really don't know hisname. I think his name was probably
a made up name. It wasuh on the offer up I had.
I've never had uh, what'd youcall it? A friendship with this person?
(30:03):
Okay? Then he had an hourphone call with this person at two
p M on the twenty seventh Isthat correct? Yes? Possibly I remember
talking to him uh to somebody elseoffer up like a tarot card reader.
Okay, okay, mis Terry classday, you just told this jury that
you had several text messages from thehours of eleven thirty a m. With
(30:30):
this phone number two one four sixsix one zero one two five, and
then an hour long phone call attwo pm you remember having that, yes,
ma'am. Can you remember talking aboutwhat happened in night before? No,
ma'am, I don't remember talking.I never. I never talked to
(30:51):
him about that. I had aa consultation a tarot card reading from him.
Okay, So you didn't tell himthat that situation was about your youngest
Marcus being bullied. My son,Marcus was never bullied and I never said
anything like that uh to him atall. It was nothing to do with
that man. You didn't send hima picture of rock Fael and never did,
ma'am. Never did. Wasn't finishingmy question? Do you never send
(31:15):
to him a picture of rock Faeland said that was a kid who was
golly and my son? Of coursenot, ma'am. You didn't tell him
that that this was because some drugmoney being out of course, not,
ma'am. And that you were takenable there to fight that kid, right.
I never told him that, ma'am. You didn't tell him that,
(31:37):
never, ma'am. And you didn'ttell him that Abel got be done from
Craig his still, no, ma'am. Never did. And then you saw
that kid at a store, sawwho rof Fael? I never, I
never told him that I've seen him, and then when you got back in
the truck, you told Abe andsaw Roy. Never did I don't even
know. I still too now goingthrough this process. I know who they
are now, but I've never atthat moment talking to him on the phone
(32:00):
and said anything to him about this, uh situation. Interesting. So this
person that you don't know, it'snot a friend of yours that he has
all this information, it's false,uh information. Okay, there's no text
messages with me with him saying anyof this, ma'am. So you've told
(32:24):
him that in this conversation. Let'sremember this conversation is at two pm on
the twenty seven, and we knowthat because it's in the Conrad Yes,
swam okay. And during this phoneconversation that you have with this person,
did you tell him that you neededto get rid of your phone and the
(32:46):
gun and you needed to move yourwife and you need to move able.
No, ma'am, you don't rememberthat. I never said that at all.
Never. You don't remember the cellphone records yesterday showing your cell phone
over at labor ever, Yeah,that was me in traffic. So that
explains that this was the church spileand this person you spoke to who you're
(33:14):
not friends. But his suggestion wasto turn yourself in. Right. He
never told me anything to do andthat type of problem that I was going
through or whatever. I never toldhim anything about about anything of it.
I didn't even know when I talkedto him. I didn't even know nothing.
(33:34):
And you told him that he pulledout the front door. I told
him nothing, ma'am. There's whateverhe's saying is lives. All I know
that he was around the victim's familyduring the funerals because I saw that in
the discovery packet that I was given. Okay, that's all I know is
what what? Of course not,ma'am. I didn't tell him nothing,
nothing of to do with anything ofthat, ma'am. All I know that
(33:57):
he was around the victims family.You didn't tell them that your gunshots and
when your son came out you drive. Of course not, ma'am. You
didn't tell him that they are goingto get your kids, ma'am. I
never said anything like that in aphone call with him. And there's no
text messages supporting all this lives.They're all lies, I understand, but
(34:22):
it was definitely not about that man. After deliberating for about three hours,
the jury found thirty four year oldRichard Accosta Junior guilty of capital murder,
resulting in an automatic sentence of lifein prison without the chance of parole.
(34:43):
His defense attorney said following the verdictthat quote, unfortunately, from the video
you can infer you can speculate thathe was watching. He said he wasn't.
They obviously did not believe him.That's why we try cases. I
hope and pray that they do catchable Acosta. Maybe he will really tell
them what happened that day. Itcan make a difference if Abel Acosta admits
(35:07):
that Richard Acosta did not know whathe was going to do, that when
he went to the car, RichardAcosta was cowering down in his seat.
The Dallas County District attorneys stated thatquote, this is half done. I'm
relieved of this guilty verdict and wereceived this amount of justice. I think
he deserves exactly what he got bythe law, which is he'll never come
(35:30):
out of prison. If and whenAcosta is apprehended. The state does not
hold out hope that his father willaid in his prosecution, with the DA
saying that quote. He could havedone that before now if he wanted to,
he chose not to. He rolledthe dice. A ten thousand dollar
reward remains for information leading to hisarrest, called nine seven two four eight
(35:53):
five four eight six nine if youhave any information on the whereabouts of fifteen
years old Abel Elias Acosta. Beback soon with another new episode, but
until then, Loveli's don't be scared.
Just so you know, this showis about scary stuff. So don't say
I didn't warn you. Guys.I remember, don't be scared. M
(00:45):
m m m. Episode one thirtyeight. It's season six. War Baby,
(01:06):
here with another episode of Murderous Miners. Hey, levels, We're back
with an all new episode. SinceI've been away since October, we'll start
off this season there with two newcases and two updates. You may have
heard that back on October thirteenth,twenty and twenty two, a mass shooting
took place in northeast to Raleigh,North Carolina, that was perpetrated by a
(01:32):
juvenile. The teen stands accused ofstabbing and shooting his older brother to death
before running through his own neighborhood,shooting whomever he encountered. Motives still unknown.
It was a harrowing ordeal for thatcommunity and continues to be so.
Law enforcement even issued several updates asthe hours long saga carried into the night.
(01:53):
One of the last new details tocome out was that the alleged shooter
and only suspect, was indeed aminer, a teenage boy. Raleigh police
didn't immediately name him, but hisown parents quickly identified him. As fifteen
year old Austin Thompson. Early reportsdescribed him as living on Sahali Way in
(02:15):
the Headingham neighborhood of Raleigh with hismother, older brother, and handyman father,
whom he was known to help withjobs. One neighbor did tell reporters
that he would sometimes see the teenin the early hours of the morning when
it was still dark. He'd befully dressed and wearing a backpack outside,
even though school didn't begin for severalmore hours. He was in the tenth
(02:38):
grade at Nightdale High School, anda classmate shared his shock and disbelief,
telling the press that quote he wasvery calm, He wasn't like a mean
person. Local w R als ChrisLevengood was in contact with the Thompson parents
via text since the night of theshootings and said that they learned about the
(02:58):
events as they occurred to a Facebookgroup for their neighborhood. A neighbor soon
texted them directly as they were ontheir way home to let them know that
the shootings had taken place on theirvery street. Their shock and grief is
twofold, as their son's presumed firstvictim was his own big brother, sixteen
year old James Roger Thompson, whowas found de ceased inside their family home
(03:23):
with more than fifty stab wounds anda gunshot wound. The Nightdale High School
eleventh grader loved deep sea fishing andhad been an avid basketball player in his
church's league as a youth. Morerecently, he'd been dabbling in food,
recreating Gordon Ramsey dishes through tutorials onYouTube. Almost a week after the shooting,
(03:46):
on Tuesday, October eighteenth, theThompson parents released a statement on their
younger son's actions, which read,in part quote words cannot begin to describe
our anguish and sorrow. Our sonAustin inflicted immeasurable pain on the Raleigh community,
and we are overcome with grief forthe innocent lives lost. We pray
(04:09):
for the families and loved ones ofNicole Connors, Susan Karnats, Mary Marshall,
and Raleigh Police officer Gabriel Torres.We mourned for their loss and for
the loss of our son James.We pray that Marcel Lynn Gardner and Raleigh
Police Officer Casey Clark fully recover fromtheir injuries, and we pray for everyone
(04:31):
who is traumatized by these senseless actsof violence. We have so many unanswered
questions. There were never any indicationsor warning signs that Austin was capable of
doing anything like this. Two daysafter that statement, on Thursday, October
twentieth, the Raleigh Police released theirpreliminary report on the shootings, making it
(04:57):
clear that they didn't have any ideaof a motive or knowledge of any factors
that may have motivated the shooter togo on a rampage in the first place.
In North Carolina, a five dayreport is completed following a major incident
including officer involved shootings. According tothe official timeline in the five day report,
(05:18):
the first nine one one call camein at roughly five o nine pm
reporting numerous shots fired near the headingHand Neighborhood golf course. The second nine
one one call was received at fivetwelve pm, referencing the home two doors
down from the Thompsons. The callerindicated that they could see one person,
(05:40):
Nicole Connors, lying on the frontporch of her house in the fifty three
hundred block of Sahale Way with herdog, a Jack Russell Terrier named Sammy,
shot dead nearby. The fifty twoyear old was discovered by her husband
of five years upon his return froma home improvement store. He'd stopped to
buy a light bulb for the frontporch, where he found his wife mortally
(06:03):
wounded in a pool of blood withshotgun blast wounds to her head, hip
area, and legs. She wastransported to the hospital and soon pronounced dead.
A second shooting victim there across thestreet, neighbor and friend, marsil
And Gardner, was found lying inthe couple's driveway, where she'd been standing
(06:25):
and talking to Nicole when they wereshot. She was hospitalized in critical but
stable condition. The next one callreported soon after that, twenty nine year
old Raleigh Police officer Gabriel Torres,was the next victim, who was heading
to work. While waiting in hiscar for his wife to come kiss him
(06:46):
goodbye, he was mortally wounded bya camel wearing gunman. Officer Torres,
who joined Raleigh PD in March twothousand and twenty one, died at the
hospital. The New Jersey native andAvid New York jets And was a former
United States Marine sergeant who served atCamp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina.
(07:06):
He had received a Good Conduct Medal, a National Defense Service Medal, a
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal,a Humanitarian Service Medal, and a Sea
Service Deployment Ribbon. Over the courseof his military service. He left behind
a two year old daughter and awife who recalled trying to save him as
(07:27):
he took his last breaths. Athis funeral, she said quote, finding
you with your life slipping away isa pain too hard to deal with.
I gave my all to try andsave you. I'm glad you were still
with me long enough so that Icould kiss your skin while it was still
warm, while I could still feelthe pulse of your heart. The Raleigh
(07:48):
Police Department hadn't lost a member inmore than twenty years when Officer Charles Paul
crashed during a pursuit. Patrol carsentered the Headingham Name neighborhood at five nineteen
pm with lights blazing and sirens blaring. A subsequent caller who was biking reported
at five twenty one PM the heartbreakingdiscovery of two more shooting victims, the
(08:13):
first of whom was thirty five yearold Mary Marshall, who was chasing after
her rescue dog Scruff along the trail. She had called her fiance just minutes
before to tell him to get homebecause she had heard gunshots that had spooked
their dog, who had then slippedhis collar and taken off. She was
targeted after she hung up the phoneand ran to retrieve him. When her
(08:37):
fiance reached their house, a policeofficer was waiting to ask him identifying questions
about Mary, at which point hesaid he knew she was dead. Marshall
was a Navy veteran and also aculinary school graduate who adored the beach and
dearly loved Disney World. She wasmurdered one week before her thirty sixth birthday,
(09:00):
two weeks before her wedding, whichwas scheduled for October twenty ninth.
Instead, they held a celebration oflife in its place, especially since several
of her friends were coming into townfrom as far away as Japan for the
wedding. The same nine one onecaller also reported the discovery of forty nine
(09:20):
year old Susan Karnatz, who waskilled while out on a seven mile run.
The mother of three had already completedthe Boston Marathon four times and often
ran that trail adjacent to her neighborhood. Her family knew her route and they
checked her location through her phone whenthey learned that a potential mass shooting was
(09:41):
ongoing in the neighborhood, so theyknew she was out there in the middle
of it. They hoped she washiding. Her husband remembered her as quote
a very loving wife and amazing mother. By five forty nine pm, police
radio traffic indicated that officers had apreliminary description of the suspected gunman, and
(10:03):
we're looking for a quote six footwhite male, fifteen years old camo with
a long gun, with the inclusionof a specific age, leading us to
believe they knew exactly who they werelooking for. At five fifty five pm,
Raleigh Police tweeted quote, the RaleighPolice Department is currently on the scene
of an act of shooting in thearea of the News River Greenway near ausbrey
(10:28):
Cove Drive in Bay Harbor Drive.At six twelve pm, police radio traffic
indicated that their suspect was seen headinginto the woods approximately one mile north of
the neighborhood, and thirty minutes laterat six forty two pm, he was
tracked into a small barn like outbuildingin the woods near McConnell Oliver Drive.
(10:50):
As they searched and attempted to closein on their suspect, they reportedly began
to take fire, resulting and OfficerCasey Clark being shot in the knee.
Within two minutes, a volley ofgunfire took place. Two officers fired a
total of twenty three rounds, followedby them issuing commands for the gunmen to
(11:11):
come out unarmed with his hands up, which carried on with no response for
nearly three hours. During that time, the Selective Enforcement Unit deployed a drone
to visually monitor the suspect, andthen a bomb robot to try and separate
him from the shotgun and then fromhis backpack. At nine thirty two pm,
they fired three non lethal rounds atthe suspect and he put his hands
(11:35):
behind his head. At nine thirtyfour pm, police made entry, locating
the camel clad teen with one singlegunshot wound of then unknown origin to his
head. When the teen was apprehended, there was a shotgun and shells on
the ground near him, a handgunin his waistband, and a sheath attached
(11:56):
to his belt that was made tohouse a large hunting knife that officers located
outside the building. Inside the blackcamouflage backpack that Thompson was still wearing,
officers found additional ammunition, but nohand grenades were mentioned in the report,
although a tip had come in sayinghe may have had one. It was
(12:16):
later determined that his injury was anon lethal self inflicted wound. Officer Casey
Clark was treated and released from thehospital the same night, while Lynn Gardner,
who spent her sixtieth birthday in thehospital, was finally allowed to go
home after ninety eight days and multiplesurgeries on January eighteenth, two thousand and
(12:39):
twenty three. Austin Thompson was releasedfrom the hospital and into rehab in November
two thousand and twenty two, andis being represented by the Public Defender's Office,
with the Wake County District Attorneys statingthat she intends to charge him as
an adult should he ever recover enoughto be prosecuted. On the very same
(13:01):
day that the Raleigh mass shooting tookplace in the Headingham neighborhood, another homicidal
family drama began to unfold twelve hundredmiles away when forty nine year old Michelle
Rowans and her seventeen year old son, Tyler, were reported missing from their
Humble, Texas home near Houston.The criminal complaint out of Harris County indicates
(13:24):
that when Manfred Rowans arrived at thefamily's empty home at noon on October thirteenth,
two thousand and twenty two, hesaw that one of his cars,
a black two thousand and eleven mastTo three, was missing. Not only
that, but in the garage hemade a startling discovery a bloody human tooth,
and this was only the beginning.The complaint explains that he then followed
(13:48):
a quote trail of blood from thegarage to the master bedroom and found several
more teeth in a puddle of blood, as well as his wife's purse and
cell phone, prompting him to alertauthorities. He'd already tried to track his
wife's location using the Life three sixtyapp on her phone, which showed that
she had arrived home at ten fifteenthat morning, but all the data after
(14:11):
that had already been deleted and herphone was shut off. The home surveillance
system soon revealed that he'd missed theMazda leaving by only fifteen minutes, and
it had been captured pulling out ateleven forty four am. He told police
that his son was allowed to driveit, but only for certain situations and
(14:31):
only within their county. A Clearalert was issued by the Texas Department of
Public Safety, which is an alertused there to locate missing people who aren't
kids or the elderly, which aregenerally covered by Amber and Silver alerts.
When he checked on financials, hesaw that one of their credit cards had
(14:52):
been used at gas stations and Humbleand Richardson, Texas, as well as
in Atoka, Oklahoma, and inChitopa, Kansas. Not only that,
but the Mazda's license plate was capturedon a plate reader in Dallas, Texas,
and was then captured near Lincoln,Nebraska at around one forty five PM.
(15:13):
State troopers were on it and locatedRoans in the Mazda in under twenty
minutes. The team was alone inthe car near Grand Island, Nebraska,
a little over two hours from Omaha, and was driving west on Interstate eighty.
When the trooper tried to pull himover. He sped off, causing
the initiation of a nine mile longhigh speed pursuit that ultimately reached speeds of
(15:37):
more than one hundred and ten milesor one hundred and seventy seven kilometers per
hour. He ended up slowing,losing control of the car, and wrecking
after hitting the back of a semitruck and careening into a tree on the
side of the road near Aurora,Nebraska. Rowens was apprehended with severe injuries
(15:58):
determined not to be life threatening.However, the same couldn't be said for
his mother. Shockingly, the bodyof forty nine year old Michelle Rowans was
found in the Mazda's trunk, withpreliminary autopsy results indicating that she was murdered
by blunt force trauma to the headas well as strangulation. The mother of
(16:19):
two was born in Mullen, Nebraskain nineteen seventy three and has been remembered
as a passionate lover of animals whohad six cats that she adored. A
certified public accountant with an adventurous spirit, she had plans with her husband of
twenty three years to volunteer with animalrescue groups once both of their kids had
(16:41):
gone off to college. Their daughter, Tyler Rowan's older sister, was reportedly
valedictorian of their high school in twoand twenty, although her brother's record doesn't
appear as exceptional, reports indicate thatRowans was out on bail for an earlier
arrest. Those court documents alleged thatin April two thousand and twenty two,
(17:04):
he picked up an eighteen year oldgirl from school and took her phone,
after which she tried to get itback and was attacked. Rowans is accused
of kicking her in the face,biting her, punching her, groping her,
tearing her shirt and bra off,and trying to take her pants off
before throwing her out of his car. He was arrested and charged with attempted
(17:26):
sexual assault and was released after postingten thousand dollars bond Back in April,
and six months later, Rones wascharged with murder for allegedly killing his mother.
When investigators from Texas questioned him whilehe was hospitalized in Nebraska, they
reported that he refused to provide anydetails of the injuries, other than admitting
(17:49):
that he did not only use hishands and that she did not get into
the trunk of the vehicle on herown. He told them he'd felt no
emotion and just began driving north.Rowens was released from the hospital and remained
in custody in Nebraska until he wentbefore the judge on January eighteenth, two
thousand and twenty three, when hewas ordered to be extradited to Texas charged
(18:15):
with murder in addition to his previouscharge of attempted sexual assault. He was
booked into a Texas jail one weeklater, on January twenty fifth. On
February second, two thousand and twentythree, then now eighteen year old,
was granted bail of just over onemillion dollars, with release conditions stipulating that
(18:36):
he'd be placed on house arrests andstay away from his father. Basically,
the family's humble, Texas home,where the murder is thought to have taken
place, is off limits. Ifsomeone were to bail him out, he'd
have to find somewhere new to live. Rowen's remains behind bars in at Houston,
Texas area jail, awaiting his pretrial hearing, which was recently delayed
(19:00):
until September two thousand and twenty three. October also saw the sentencings of forty
five year old Daniel Halseth's murderers,his daughter Sierra and her boyfriend Aaron Guerrero.
If you'll recall the murder took placein Daniel's northwest Las Vegas, Nevada
home, which the team couple attemptedto burn down afterward. It was April
(19:22):
ninth, two thousand and twenty one, when the then sixteen year old and
her eighteen year old boyfriend stabbed Danielto death, leaving him with more than
seventy wounds, before they put hisbody inside a sleeping bag in the garage
and set it on fire. Theman's smoldering body would soon be discovered,
even after the team gave her grandmotherseveral excuses explaining why her father couldn't come
(19:48):
to the phone. By the timehe was found, the teams were long
gone and heading towards Salt Lake City, Utah, where they were apprehended four
days later. Police found cell phonevideos of the pair cuddling and kissing and
making mention of the fact that they'drecently committed murder. They were charged with
(20:08):
murder, conspiracy to commit murder,robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, arson,
and four counts of fraudulent use ofcreditor debit cards, and ultimately pled
guilty to all of the charges.On October twenty second, two thousand and
twenty two, they were each sentencedto life in prison. Halseth's parents had
(20:32):
endured a contentious divorce a decade beforeDaniel's murder, and the teen and her
siblings went to live with their motherin two thousand and twenty. However,
she didn't return to her mother's houseafter a visit, and the parents went
back to court to dispute custody ofthe team. The family court judge could
sense that something else was going on, telling them about a month before the
(20:56):
murders that quote this entire case discouragedme. It is possible that after taking
evidence, I just ripped the childout of dad's home and put the child
solely in mom's home. Sierra's mothertold the judge that she hadn't seen her
daughter in months, adding that quote, Daniel in his home isn't a healthy
(21:17):
one. He has clearly been bashingme and speaking negatively about me and lying
to Sierra, which has negatively impactedmy relationship with her. I want my
daughter back. I want her tobe healthy again, and emotionally, mentally,
spiritually, and physically healthy again.I want what's best for her,
and she deserves that. At aprevious hearing, the family court judge had
(21:41):
stated that quote, I saw alot of things with Sierra that caused me
concerned. It indicates to me thatsomething else is going on with Sierra,
and I don't know who at thispoint is to blame for that. But
I'm less concerned about placing blame thanI am with regard to this child and
the child relationship with a parent.We need to get therapy in place at
(22:03):
this point moving forward, The judgesaid, I haven't gotten to the bottom
of what is or isn't happening withSierra, but I am extremely concerned with
what is or is not happening withSierra. Hopefully this is not something one
of the two of you are promoting, because the lifetime damage to this child
is something you'll have to bear onyour conscience moving forward. The team was
(22:27):
dropped back off with her mother,but by the time the next hearing came
around, she would be back ather father's house. He contended that his
ex wife's home was a quote toxicenvironment and that quote the living arrangements are
perfect here, referring to his fourbedroom Las Vegas home. During this time,
(22:48):
she was dating Aaron Guerrero against theirparents' wishes once they learned the team's
plan to run away to Los Angeles, California together. Security camera footage from
home DPO captured the team's purchasing itemsused after the crime, including gloves,
lighter, fluid bleach, a circularsaw, and saw blades. Hall Seth
(23:11):
later said in court that her fatherhad physically and sexually abused her, allegations
that her attorney admitted he couldn't substantiate, but that her mother said she believed.
Daniel's side of the family disagreed,however, with several stating that they'd
wish she'd received the death penalty.I'm so glad to have you back.
(23:32):
And for those of you who arewondering, yes, Abel Acosta is still
on the run. The accused Garland, Texas, Texico shooter was an eighth
grader then and is now still hidingfrom police. Whereabouts unknown. They don't
know where the team is living orwith whom, according to their own statements.
(23:52):
Detective Lucas Shoop has stated though thatquote, I don't believe a mom
has no idea where her now fifteenyear old son is. I think she
knows where he is, and Ithink she had knowledge about how they got
him there as well. I thinkit's a very good possibility he's in Mexico,
having said before that, based oncell phone data from the night of
(24:14):
the murders, the teen's family appearsto have initiated his escape from the area.
It's now been more than a yearand a half since security cameras captured
the then fourteen year old gunning downfourteen year old Xavier Gonzalez, sixteen year
old Ivan Noyala, and seventeen yearold Raphael Garcia, and leaving one other
(24:36):
teen injured. The motive is thoughtto be retaliation for one or more of
the murdered teens allegedly taking Acosta's necklaceor knowing where it was. His father
claimed that he didn't even know ithad been stolen, as per our previous
coverage of this case, The videosalso show Acosta's thirty three year old father,
(24:57):
Richards, seemingly acting as the boy'stransportation, letting the shirtless, medical
masked team out in front of thestore before circling the gas pumps at the
Texico station. He peeled off assoon as his son jumped into the back
seat of their pickup truck. Aftercompleting the rampage. The elder Acosta walked
(25:18):
into a local police station one dayafter the shootings, saying he'd seen himself
on the news but didn't know anythingabout the murders, and was charged with
capital murder. Although detective Shop triedto question him, he invoked the Fifth
Amendment and asked for an attorney.He's never given a statement to police,
though they remained convinced that quote.He's trying to act like he didn't know
(25:42):
what was going on. He knowsfor a fact what he did, and
he's just taking the fall for itto save his son's life. Jury selection
for Richard Acosta Junior's capital murder trialbegan on February sixth, two twenty three.
Dallas County Prosecutor Stephanie Fargo said inher opening statement that quote, it
(26:06):
takes nine seconds for him to firetwenty rounds, shooting and killing those three
kids and injuring another. All thewhile this defendant has his foot on the
brake the truck and drive waiting.Actions speak louder than words. Accosta Junior's
attorney, Heath Harris, countered sayingthat quote, He's going to present credible
(26:30):
evidence that is going to clearly showhe is not guilty of being party to
this sort of an offense. Harriscontended that his client's prosecution is a ploy
to draw his son out, claimingthat quote, that's what this is all
about, charging this man with capitalmurder, trying to lure able out.
The uncle of sixteen year old victimIvanouala took the stand on the second day
(26:55):
of trial to describe what he sawfrom his vehicle in the parking lot as
he waited for his nephew and hisfriend, seventeen year old victim Rafael Garcia,
to buy tacos for dinner. Theman tearfully recounted how Acosta Junior's truck
actually tapped his before he drove offwith his son. He testified that quote,
(27:18):
the truck took off right away.It drives away fast. On February
ninth, two thousand and twenty three, Richard Acosta Junior actually took the stand
in his own defense. When y'allare going to textico di, y'all I
am Isavier and Rafael woun't best no, no, not at all, while
(27:42):
y'all riding around in their formula,y'all planning two amos and attack these years.
No, sir, is that somethingthat you rely or something that,
of course not. I wanted thebest for my son. Oh, my
sons, what do you make fromit? The most horrible thing. I
(28:07):
can't even imagine how the families feel. And we all lost his son that
day. I lost my son.I don't never get to see my son.
I get what you heard them saythat if he is brought back,
you will be prosecuted. Of course, point we all lost his son.
I lost my son regardless, he'sgonna spend the rest of his life.
(28:27):
And in the prayer the prison,would you prefer that over him? They
did? Yes, at least wewould know he's okay. I know what.
I know that sounds horrible, butat least we know he would be
okay. Did you participate in dissolfice, No, sir. Did you were
you to get away drive? Sir? When you played from that location?
(28:52):
Did you do so for a sisterson and committe dissolvee? No, sir,
when you played away from the didyou know this officer figure? Oh
sir, that's all the half.Thank you, this wilconsins, thank you.
You don't con the number two onefour six sixty one zero one two
(29:18):
five. Who does Bath belonged to? I don't know, ma'am. You
don't know. What would it surpriseyou to learn that you've had one hundred
and thirty seven text messages with him? On December twenty seventh, between eleven
thirty a m. And one twentyone year at work, Bath and fourth
(29:41):
maybe on my lunch break. Sowho has that ever belonged to? I
don't know, but I don't knowtwo on the twenty seventh orty year lunch
break. I really don't know hisname. I think his name was probably
a made up name. It wasuh on the offer up I had.
I've never had uh, what'd youcall it? A friendship with this person?
(30:03):
Okay? Then he had an hourphone call with this person at two
p M on the twenty seventh Isthat correct? Yes? Possibly I remember
talking to him uh to somebody elseoffer up like a tarot card reader.
Okay, okay, mis Terry classday, you just told this jury that
you had several text messages from thehours of eleven thirty a m. With
(30:30):
this phone number two one four sixsix one zero one two five, and
then an hour long phone call attwo pm you remember having that, yes,
ma'am. Can you remember talking aboutwhat happened in night before? No,
ma'am, I don't remember talking.I never. I never talked to
(30:51):
him about that. I had aa consultation a tarot card reading from him.
Okay, So you didn't tell himthat that situation was about your youngest
Marcus being bullied. My son,Marcus was never bullied and I never said
anything like that uh to him atall. It was nothing to do with
that man. You didn't send hima picture of rock Fael and never did,
ma'am. Never did. Wasn't finishingmy question? Do you never send
(31:15):
to him a picture of rock Faeland said that was a kid who was
golly and my son? Of coursenot, ma'am. You didn't tell him
that that this was because some drugmoney being out of course, not,
ma'am. And that you were takenable there to fight that kid, right.
I never told him that, ma'am. You didn't tell him that,
(31:37):
never, ma'am. And you didn'ttell him that Abel got be done from
Craig his still, no, ma'am. Never did. And then you saw
that kid at a store, sawwho rof Fael? I never, I
never told him that I've seen him, and then when you got back in
the truck, you told Abe andsaw Roy. Never did I don't even
know. I still too now goingthrough this process. I know who they
are now, but I've never atthat moment talking to him on the phone
(32:00):
and said anything to him about this, uh situation. Interesting. So this
person that you don't know, it'snot a friend of yours that he has
all this information, it's false,uh information. Okay, there's no text
messages with me with him saying anyof this, ma'am. So you've told
(32:24):
him that in this conversation. Let'sremember this conversation is at two pm on
the twenty seven, and we knowthat because it's in the Conrad Yes,
swam okay. And during this phoneconversation that you have with this person,
did you tell him that you neededto get rid of your phone and the
(32:46):
gun and you needed to move yourwife and you need to move able.
No, ma'am, you don't rememberthat. I never said that at all.
Never. You don't remember the cellphone records yesterday showing your cell phone
over at labor ever, Yeah,that was me in traffic. So that
explains that this was the church spileand this person you spoke to who you're
(33:14):
not friends. But his suggestion wasto turn yourself in. Right. He
never told me anything to do andthat type of problem that I was going
through or whatever. I never toldhim anything about about anything of it.
I didn't even know when I talkedto him. I didn't even know nothing.
(33:34):
And you told him that he pulledout the front door. I told
him nothing, ma'am. There's whateverhe's saying is lives. All I know
that he was around the victim's familyduring the funerals because I saw that in
the discovery packet that I was given. Okay, that's all I know is
what what? Of course not,ma'am. I didn't tell him nothing,
nothing of to do with anything ofthat, ma'am. All I know that
(33:57):
he was around the victims family.You didn't tell them that your gunshots and
when your son came out you drive. Of course not, ma'am. You
didn't tell him that they are goingto get your kids, ma'am. I
never said anything like that in aphone call with him. And there's no
text messages supporting all this lives.They're all lies, I understand, but
(34:22):
it was definitely not about that man. After deliberating for about three hours,
the jury found thirty four year oldRichard Accosta Junior guilty of capital murder,
resulting in an automatic sentence of lifein prison without the chance of parole.
(34:43):
His defense attorney said following the verdictthat quote, unfortunately, from the video
you can infer you can speculate thathe was watching. He said he wasn't.
They obviously did not believe him.That's why we try cases. I
hope and pray that they do catchable Acosta. Maybe he will really tell
them what happened that day. Itcan make a difference if Abel Acosta admits
(35:07):
that Richard Acosta did not know whathe was going to do, that when
he went to the car, RichardAcosta was cowering down in his seat.
The Dallas County District attorneys stated thatquote, this is half done. I'm
relieved of this guilty verdict and wereceived this amount of justice. I think
he deserves exactly what he got bythe law, which is he'll never come
(35:30):
out of prison. If and whenAcosta is apprehended. The state does not
hold out hope that his father willaid in his prosecution, with the DA
saying that quote. He could havedone that before now if he wanted to,
he chose not to. He rolledthe dice. A ten thousand dollar
reward remains for information leading to hisarrest, called nine seven two four eight
(35:53):
five four eight six nine if youhave any information on the whereabouts of fifteen
years old Abel Elias Acosta. Beback soon with another new episode, but
until then, Loveli's don't be scared.
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