December 16, 2025 • 23 mins
A 21-year-old student vanishes in Austin… and her family makes a horrifying discovery inside a condo just steps from campus. In August 2005, Jennifer Cave was days away from starting a new job and turning her life around when she went out to help a troubled friend.
Hours later, she was found murdered in a West Campus condominium near the University of Texas — her body brutally mutilated in an act that stunned investigators and traumatized her family.
In this episode of Murder U, we examine the killing of Jennifer Cave, the disturbing post-crime behavior of Colton Pitonyak and Laura Hall, and the unanswered questions that still haunt one of Austin’s most notorious college murder cases. From the frantic search to a shocking crime scene and a twisted cover-up, this case remains a chilling reminder of how empathy and trust can be exploited — with devastating consequences.
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Hours later, she was found murdered in a West Campus condominium near the University of Texas — her body brutally mutilated in an act that stunned investigators and traumatized her family.
In this episode of Murder U, we examine the killing of Jennifer Cave, the disturbing post-crime behavior of Colton Pitonyak and Laura Hall, and the unanswered questions that still haunt one of Austin’s most notorious college murder cases. From the frantic search to a shocking crime scene and a twisted cover-up, this case remains a chilling reminder of how empathy and trust can be exploited — with devastating consequences.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/murder-u--6152042/support.
Follow Murder U on:
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@murderupodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/murderupodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560484916041
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MurderUPodcast
Twitter/X: https://x.com/MurderUPodcast
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Abnormia. Hey everyone, we're back and we've got big news.
I'm mad at your host and I've missed you all
over the holidays. Your support means the world to me,
and I'm thrilled to say we're kicking off a brand
new season with a twist. That's right, Every Tuesday, you
can listen or watch every chilling case unfold. Two ways
to experience the same terrifying stories. Find us on YouTube
(00:25):
at Murder You Podcast. You won't want to miss what's
coming next. Let's dive in. Welcome to Murder You, an
Abnormia original. The story I have for you today is
(00:56):
the senseless and shocking two thousand and five murder of
twenty one year old Jennifer Cave. It happened in the
West Campus area of Austin, Texas, and involved two University
of Texas students named Colton Patoniac and Laura Hall. What
made this crime so horrific wasn't just the killing, but
the post mortem behavior of the killer and his accomplice.
(01:19):
On August eighteenth, two thousand and five, Jennifer's body was
discovered in the bathtub of a condo just off the
U of Texas campus in a complex called the Orange Tree.
She was shot twice and there were twenty nine post
mortem stab wounds on the face, chest, and hands. The
perpetrators also cut off the head and hands and put
(01:40):
the body parts in a garbage bag beside the bathtub.
They showed a complete disregard for human life by treating
the victim like trash. As students moved into their apartments
for the fall semester, police used crime scene tape to
section off one of the condo units in the upscale
complex just west of campus. Word quickly got around that
(02:01):
one of the worst crimes in Austin's history had taken
place in Unit eighty eight at the Orange Tree. With
no arrests made, West campus residents were worried a killer
was lurking among them. But before I tell you about
Jennifer's death, let's talk about her life. Jennifer Cave was
born to Charles and Sharon Cave on March twelfth, nineteen
(02:21):
eighty four. She and her three siblings grew up on
a farm in Bishop, Texas. Bishop is a small town
of three thousand people less than an hour from the
Gulf Coast. Jennifer's parents separated when the kids were still young.
Despite her biological father not making much effort to see
the kids, Jennifer maintained a relationship with him. Jennifer loved
(02:42):
animals and enjoyed taking care of the pigs on her farm.
Jennifer's younger sister, Lauren, spoke with podcasters Tenu Thomas and
Haley Butler for their seven part series The Orange Tree,
which tells the story of Jennifer's life. I urge you
to listen to it to learn more about Jennifer's life.
Lauren Cave said that when Jennifer was young, she helped
(03:04):
a sow struggling to deliver her piglets. At ten years old,
Jennifer jumped into action and assisted her mother as she
delivered the piglets. Helping others, whether pigs or people, came
naturally to Jennifer. Lauren described the family as very close knit.
They would attend high school football games on Friday nights.
(03:25):
Jennifer enjoyed riding her bike around the neighborhood with her siblings.
Jennifer's mother, Sharon, told the podcasters that Jennifer was the
prototypical middle child who didn't like the spotlight and let
her siblings take the lead most of the time. She
told another story about how Jennifer brought a classmate home
from school one day and asked if she could spend
(03:46):
the night with her. Sharon asked Jennifer if they were
even very good friends, and Jennifer replied, no, but she
doesn't have any friends. Jennifer seemed drawn to people in need,
but as you'll hear, that empathetic spirit might have played
a tragic role in how she died. Jennifer's mother was
commuting forty minutes daily to work in Corpus Christie. In
(04:09):
Corpus Christie, Sharon met an accountant named Jim Sedwick through
a mutual friend. They began dating, and when things got serious,
Sharon moved the family to Corpus Christie in two thousand.
Jennifer had a difficult time adjusting to a new town
in high school. She began her junior year at the
new school, which was much larger than her previous one. Eventually,
(04:32):
she found her confidence and started to thrive in Corpus Christie.
She was very bright, but didn't like attending school, so
she skipped many classes her senior year. Despite missing so
many days, Jennifer graduated in the top fifteen percent of
her class. She graduated from Mary Carroll High School in
two thousand and two and chose to attend college at
(04:53):
Texas State University in San Marcos, thirty miles south of Austin.
At San Marcos, she majored in finance, but was still
deciding on her professional path. Jennifer wasn't happy at Texas State,
as she only made a few friends there. She loved Austin,
so she decided to move there and attend Austin Community College,
(05:14):
which has a reputation as the best community college in
Texas and is also nationally ranked for several associate degree programs.
With the University of Texas just down the road, Austin
regularly ranks among the best cities for learning in the
United States. Jennifer hoped this educational atmosphere would help her
focus on her studies. However, Austin also has a vibrant
(05:37):
night life that some students find distracting. Jennifer got a
job as a waitress to make ends meet. She turned
twenty one in March two thousand and five and enjoyed
hitting the bars on Sixth Street with her friends. If
you've never been to Austin, it's a lot like New
Orleans or Nashville. With live music pouring out of venues
all along the main strip seven nights a week, you
(06:00):
can always find great entertainment and or an unwelcome distraction
from your studies. Jennifer's family describes her as a bit
rudderless after she moved to Austin. She was dealing with
the issue all young people face, figuring out what to
do with their lives. It was around this time she
met Colton Pataniac. He was a business major at UT
(06:22):
Originally from Bryant, Arkansas in Greater Little Rock like Cave,
he got caught up in the Austin party scene. He
was attending Texas on an academic scholarship, but due to
his drinking and drug problem, he was in and out
of school. He was arrested in two thousand and four
for possession of illegal drugs, including cocaine, and was rumored
(06:42):
to be a drug dealer. He entered a rehab program
in two thousand and four, but continued using and drinking.
When he got out, the once promising student was in
a downward spiral. Ever, the sympathetic friend Jennifer wanted to
help Colton, but on the advice of her friends and family,
she did didn't hang out with him as much. In
two thousand and five, Jennifer was living with her boyfriend,
(07:05):
but they broke up, so she moved in with a friend.
In August two thousand and five, Jennifer interviewed for a
part time position with a law firm in downtown Austin.
They called her back the same day and told her
she got the job. After one day working there, they
offered her a full time position. Jennifer was supposed to
begin her new full time position on August seventeen, two
(07:28):
thousand and five. She was ecstatic about her new job.
She called her mom and Jim to tell them the
good news. Jim had become like a father tour. She
looked up to him and they shared a special connection.
Jim helped her through some tough times. He was still
concerned about Jennifer, but hopeful she would refocus her life
and prepare for her future. On the night of August sixteenth,
(07:52):
two thousand and five, Jennifer had no plans of going out.
She was in her pajamas by eight thirty pm, according
to her roommate. She asked her roommate to make sure
she woke up in the morning. However, at nine thirty pm,
she spoke to a friend named Michael Rodriguez and said
she was going to hang out with her friend Colton
because he was having some problems. She picked up Colton
(08:16):
at the Orange Tree Condos and went to a restaurant
on Sixth Street. The restaurant was closed, so they just
ordered drinks. They met with a few of Jennifer's friends,
who later said she didn't seem drunk. However, Colton had
been drinking and doing xanax all day and was noticeably drunk,
according to later accounts by Jennifer's friends. One of them
(08:37):
learned that Colton was upset that night and reportedly told
Jennifer that the only people who could help him were
in jail. The friends testified that Colton was looking to
score some cocaine so he could keep the party going.
The friends left to go to another bar and thought
Jennifer and Colton were right behind them, but the two
never joined them. Later, around one am, Jennifer's friend Michael
(09:00):
to ensure she was okay. She told him Colton lost
his phone and that she was trying to help him
find it. While Jennifer was talking to Michael Colton attempted
to break a car window and then urinated on a
vehicle At one five am. Jennifer said she would call
Michael back, but he didn't hear from her. Nobody knows
what happened over the next few hours, but it would
(09:22):
forever alter the lives of all who knew and loved
Jennifer Cave. Jennifer should have shown up for her first
day of work the next day. The law firm called
her phone several times and then sent someone to leave
a note at her apartment. After waiting to hear from
Jennifer all day, around three thirty pm, Jennifer's boss called
her mother and told her Jennifer had missed work. Sharon
(09:46):
knew something was wrong. She knew how excited Jennifer was
about this job. She began calling Jennifer's friends. Sharon spoke
to Jennifer's ex, but he hadn't seen her. She reached
her friend Michael Rodriguez. While on the phone with Michael,
Colton called her cell phone back. Colton said he had
not seen Jennifer, and Michael told Sharon he was lying.
(10:10):
Jennifer's friend, Scott Ingle, called Colton at six thirty p m.
And confronted him about her whereabouts. Colton said he didn't
know where Jennifer was, then ended the phone call by
saying that bitch is going to get me arrested, meaning Sharon.
Sharon continued calling Colton until he finally called her back
at eight thirty four p m. And said, dude, I
(10:32):
am eating pizza with my friends and again claimed that
he hadn't seen Jennifer since the night before. Sharon said
she had called the police and they were going to
his apartment. Cell Phone records later revealed that right after
this call, Colton traveled south on Interstate thirty five, straight
to the Mexican border. Sharon was now panicking, so she
(10:53):
and Jim drove to Austin. A missing person detective informed
her that Jennifer's car was still parked in Colton's condo.
Jim and Sharon went to the apartment and banged on
the door, but no one answered. An officer from the
Austin Police Department arrived, but they explained to the worried
couple that there wasn't much they could do. It was
a privately owned condo and the police had no probable
(11:16):
cause to enter. Sharon and Jim called a locksmith who
couldn't open the door. So in desperation and fearing for
Jennifer's safety, Jim and Sharon unlocked one of the condo
windows by chipping out part of the glass. They contemplated
a possible trespassing charge, but all that mattered was finding Jennifer.
(11:36):
Jim called out to anyone in the condo, but no
one answered, so he climbed through the unlocked window. I'm
here to help, Jim called out. Please don't hurt me,
Please don't shoot me. I'm looking for you, Jennifer. Jim
used the flashlight from his car to look around the
dark studio apartment. The room was in disarray. No one
(11:57):
was on the couch, in the bed, or in the
kitchen area. Jim found a light switch and turned it on.
By that point, Jim had noticed a foul odor. He
walked down a short hallway to the bathroom. I opened
that door and the smell really hits me, Jim later testified.
I shine my light in there. I am seeing something.
(12:19):
I flipped the light on and there is a body
in the bathtub. I'm trying to figure out what I'm seeing. Here.
I started yelling, call the police, call nine one one.
I immediately identified that it was a decapitated body. I
was seeing that, and I saw the hack saw laying there.
So I went to the front door and I unlocked
(12:41):
the front door and I went out, and Sharon's yelling
is it her? Is it her? And that's when I said,
I think, so wow, that's beyond a parent's worst nightmare.
I feel so bad for Jennifer's family that they had
to discover her like that. Jim kept Sharon for entering
the condo as they waited for the police. APD officer
(13:04):
Richard Barbaria got to the Orange Tree Condos as firefighters
finished assessing the crime scene. Based on the information relayed
to him by dispatch, he thought the deceased had overdosed
on drugs. However, when he saw the reactions of the firefighters,
he knew something was off. However, he wasn't prepared for
what he saw. Speaking to The Orange Tree Podcast, Barbarias
(13:29):
said it was a female body with the head missing
and the hands missing, and it was propped up in
the bathtub facing the doorway. He also described seeing a
small hacksaw that was used for the partial dismemberment. It
has a small skinny blade and you can change it out,
Barbarias said, And it was lying right on her chest
(13:50):
and on the blade. I remember seeing portions of flesh
and blood, and it was used to cut the body.
He went on to add, there was a garbage bag there.
I didn't bother looking at it or touch it because
I knew just by the shape of the bag, I
knew what parts were in the bag. Such a grizzly
scene to witness, even for veteran police and first responders.
(14:13):
The autopsy of Jennifer's body revealed a single gunshot killed her.
The bullet passed through her right arm and re entered
her body through the ribs on her right side. The
bullet then passed through her right lung and punctured the aorta,
which caused her death within seconds. At least she didn't suffer,
but that's of little consolation to her family. The big mystery,
(14:36):
aside from the motive, was the condition of the body.
Travis County Prosecutor Bill Bishop spoke to forty eight hours
and described how Jennifer was found. As far as murders go,
this is a very clean murder. He shot her through
the arm. Bullet traveled into the chest through the heart,
pretty much killing her instantly. It was the post murder
(14:59):
behavior that made it so grotesque. The mutilation was anger.
It wasn't any effort to hide the body or get
rid of the body. It was just playing with it
like it was a toy, Bishop told correspondent Maureen Meyher.
In addition to the wound that caused her death, there
were eighteen stab wounds to the face and neck, and
another cluster of ten stab wounds on the left shoulder
(15:21):
and right breast. The medical examiner testified that these were
all post mortem wounds, but that wasn't all. X rays
revealed a second bullet in the severed cranium. The medical
examiner said the bullet entered through the severed neck and
traveled upward, lodging in the cranial vault. The two bullets
found in Jennifer's body were fired from a point three
(15:43):
eight zero semi automatic pistol that was found in Colton's car.
They also collected three cartridge casings from the suspect's apartment.
A knife and a machete stained with Jennifer's blood were
found in the unit as well. Investigators suspected Colton potoniacilled Jennifer,
but they were unsure if he acted alone. Evidence found
(16:05):
at the scene and cell phone records suggested a second
suspect helped cover up the murder. Colton called Laura Hall
at five point fifty nine a m. The morning of
the murder, and the call lasted for thirteen minutes. Laura
and Colton met at a party in the spring of
two thousand and five. She was also a ut student
majoring in government, hoping to become a lawyer. Colton called
(16:28):
Laura again at six fifty seven and seven twenty four.
Police were anxious to speak with Colton and Laura, but
the killer couple was nowhere to be found. Colton's phone
was traced to the Mexican border, so the authorities there
were notified about the arrest warrants for the couple. With
the two suspects on the run, detectives questioned Jennifer's friends
and Colton's neighbors about what they witnessed on August sixteenth
(16:51):
and seventeenth. Everyone reported that Jennifer did not appear to
be intoxicated, but Colton was high and drunk. Two of
Jennifer's friends revealed they overheard the troubled student talking about
buying cocaine. Investigators learned that Colton may have also been
addicted to speed. Colton either lashed out and killed Jennifer, or,
(17:11):
if you believe his unlikely story, it was a reckless accident.
Either way, he's responsible for her murder. Only Colton knows
what happened in Jennifer's final moments. However, he claims to
have no memory of that night. It's a convenient excuse,
but not very novel. I believe he recalls more than
(17:32):
he admits. Sometime after three am that morning, Colton knocked
on Nora Sullivan's apartment door. She lived a few doors
down from him. Colton told Nora a bizarre story about
being in a gunfight with at least two Mexicans. He
said he fired two shots and may have hit someone.
Nora noticed he had a gun on him. He removed
(17:55):
the magazine from the weapon and asked Nora if he
had blood on him. She pointed out a smear on
his arm that looked like blood. Colton was coherent enough
to lie about why he fired a gun, and he
was already trying to cover up Jennifer's murder. On August
twenty three, two thousand and five, a week after Jennifer
Cave was killed and mutilated, Colton, Pittagnac, and Laura Hall
(18:17):
were arrested by the authorities in Piedras Negra, Mexico. They
were expelled from Mexico and US Marshalls arrested Colton in
Eagle Pass, Texas. Laura was released to her father despite
being uncooperative with investigators. The following month, she was arrested
and charged with the felony offense of tampering with physical
evidence and the misdemeanor offense of hindering apprehension. We may
(18:42):
never know the whole story about Jennifer's murder. She was
shot through the arm and died instantly, just hours before
she was to start a new job. Colton and Laura
desecrated her body and escaped to Mexico. Jennifer's family discovered
her mutilated body in an apartment bathroom just blocks from
the UT campus. Although the perpetrators were brought to justice,
(19:04):
Jennifer's family never learned why Jennifer was killed. During his trial,
Colton said he had no idea what happened that night,
but his drug induced fog began to lift right around
the time Laura showed up at his apartment. On the stand,
he said, I can't remember exactly what I told her,
but I showed her Jennifer's body. And what did she say?
(19:27):
The attorney asked, she just said, what are we going
to do? Except for the murder itself? Colton blamed Laura
for almost everything. There's no honor among sociopaths, I guess.
In court, Colton said he didn't dismember Jennifer's body. There's
no way I would have done what was done, Colton
told the court. But he admitted to killing Jennifer, and
(19:50):
he showed zero remorse afterward. It seems Colton had an
excellent memory for things that incriminated Laura rather than himself.
As you you can imagine, the jury wasn't buying the
killer's temporary and selective amnesia. On Monday, January twenty ninth,
two thousand and seven, Colton, then twenty four, was convicted
(20:11):
of murder and sentenced to fifty five years in prison.
During her trial, Laura claimed she only helped Colton out
of fear, but her behavior proved otherwise. Prosecutor Bill Bishops
said of Laura, she had every opportunity in the world
to call the police, send them to Colton's apartment, and
certainly she would have been safe from Colton for a
(20:32):
long time had she done that. It's worth noting that
days after Jennifer's murder, Laura got a Colton tattoo. In
two thousand and seven, a jury convicted Laura Hall of
offenses that included tampering with physical evidence, namely mutilating the
body of a homicide victim. The jury imposed a five
year sentence. However, the Texas Third Court of Appeals ordered
(20:56):
re sentencing. The court ruled that her sentencing hearing was unfair,
and she was released on bond. During a new sentencing trial,
a new group of jurors heard Laura's damning statements about
her role in the cover up. Additionally, Laura's statements about
the victim, both before and during her incarceration, make you
wonder if she wasn't the true psychopath in the relationship.
(21:19):
I guess there doesn't have to be just one. Prosecutors
played several of Laura's prison conversations at the trial. Laura
speaking to her grandmother about Jennifer Cave's mother said she's
going down, adding I don't know how and I don't
know when, but she's going down. During closing arguments, Prosecutor
(21:40):
Christopher Baw listed off additional statements Laura made to fellow
jail inmates. The whore deserved to die. She was a
explitive bitch, Laura said of the victim, and speaking about
her participation in the mutilation, she reportedly said the only
eerie part about it was the sound of cutting through
the bone. Laura's father, Lauren Hall, took the stand and
(22:04):
said that his daughter was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. On
cross examination, Prosecutor Alison Wetzel opened her questioning by asking him,
did her bipolar disorder cause her to cut Jennifer Cave's
head off? I mean that sort of a mic drop.
Laura Hall was denied parole several times. On March fifteenth,
(22:25):
twenty eighteen, she was released on parole under mandatory supervision,
including GPS monitoring. She was ordered not to return to
Travis County or contact the Cave family. The two thousand
and five murder of Jennifer Cave is one of the
most notorious college murder cases. A callous drug addicted student
(22:45):
killed Jennifer and showed no remorse for his actions. His
jealous girlfriend then butchered Jennifer's body and later threatened to
harm her family. While the details of who did what
may never be fully known, we know enough to say
that Culti and Patoniac and Laura Hall were either sociopathic
or just flat out evil. That's it for this episode,
(23:07):
and please remember advocates at the National Domestic Violence Hotline
are available to talk confidentially with anyone in the United
States who is experiencing domestic violence, seeking resources or information,
or questioning unhealthy aspects of their relationship. Call one eight
hundred and seventy nine to nine safe
Abnormia. Hey everyone, we're back and we've got big news.
I'm mad at your host and I've missed you all
over the holidays. Your support means the world to me,
and I'm thrilled to say we're kicking off a brand
new season with a twist. That's right, Every Tuesday, you
can listen or watch every chilling case unfold. Two ways
to experience the same terrifying stories. Find us on YouTube
(00:25):
at Murder You Podcast. You won't want to miss what's
coming next. Let's dive in. Welcome to Murder You, an
Abnormia original. The story I have for you today is
(00:56):
the senseless and shocking two thousand and five murder of
twenty one year old Jennifer Cave. It happened in the
West Campus area of Austin, Texas, and involved two University
of Texas students named Colton Patoniac and Laura Hall. What
made this crime so horrific wasn't just the killing, but
the post mortem behavior of the killer and his accomplice.
(01:19):
On August eighteenth, two thousand and five, Jennifer's body was
discovered in the bathtub of a condo just off the
U of Texas campus in a complex called the Orange Tree.
She was shot twice and there were twenty nine post
mortem stab wounds on the face, chest, and hands. The
perpetrators also cut off the head and hands and put
(01:40):
the body parts in a garbage bag beside the bathtub.
They showed a complete disregard for human life by treating
the victim like trash. As students moved into their apartments
for the fall semester, police used crime scene tape to
section off one of the condo units in the upscale
complex just west of campus. Word quickly got around that
(02:01):
one of the worst crimes in Austin's history had taken
place in Unit eighty eight at the Orange Tree. With
no arrests made, West campus residents were worried a killer
was lurking among them. But before I tell you about
Jennifer's death, let's talk about her life. Jennifer Cave was
born to Charles and Sharon Cave on March twelfth, nineteen
(02:21):
eighty four. She and her three siblings grew up on
a farm in Bishop, Texas. Bishop is a small town
of three thousand people less than an hour from the
Gulf Coast. Jennifer's parents separated when the kids were still young.
Despite her biological father not making much effort to see
the kids, Jennifer maintained a relationship with him. Jennifer loved
(02:42):
animals and enjoyed taking care of the pigs on her farm.
Jennifer's younger sister, Lauren, spoke with podcasters Tenu Thomas and
Haley Butler for their seven part series The Orange Tree,
which tells the story of Jennifer's life. I urge you
to listen to it to learn more about Jennifer's life.
Lauren Cave said that when Jennifer was young, she helped
(03:04):
a sow struggling to deliver her piglets. At ten years old,
Jennifer jumped into action and assisted her mother as she
delivered the piglets. Helping others, whether pigs or people, came
naturally to Jennifer. Lauren described the family as very close knit.
They would attend high school football games on Friday nights.
(03:25):
Jennifer enjoyed riding her bike around the neighborhood with her siblings.
Jennifer's mother, Sharon, told the podcasters that Jennifer was the
prototypical middle child who didn't like the spotlight and let
her siblings take the lead most of the time. She
told another story about how Jennifer brought a classmate home
from school one day and asked if she could spend
(03:46):
the night with her. Sharon asked Jennifer if they were
even very good friends, and Jennifer replied, no, but she
doesn't have any friends. Jennifer seemed drawn to people in need,
but as you'll hear, that empathetic spirit might have played
a tragic role in how she died. Jennifer's mother was
commuting forty minutes daily to work in Corpus Christie. In
(04:09):
Corpus Christie, Sharon met an accountant named Jim Sedwick through
a mutual friend. They began dating, and when things got serious,
Sharon moved the family to Corpus Christie in two thousand.
Jennifer had a difficult time adjusting to a new town
in high school. She began her junior year at the
new school, which was much larger than her previous one. Eventually,
(04:32):
she found her confidence and started to thrive in Corpus Christie.
She was very bright, but didn't like attending school, so
she skipped many classes her senior year. Despite missing so
many days, Jennifer graduated in the top fifteen percent of
her class. She graduated from Mary Carroll High School in
two thousand and two and chose to attend college at
(04:53):
Texas State University in San Marcos, thirty miles south of Austin.
At San Marcos, she majored in finance, but was still
deciding on her professional path. Jennifer wasn't happy at Texas State,
as she only made a few friends there. She loved Austin,
so she decided to move there and attend Austin Community College,
(05:14):
which has a reputation as the best community college in
Texas and is also nationally ranked for several associate degree programs.
With the University of Texas just down the road, Austin
regularly ranks among the best cities for learning in the
United States. Jennifer hoped this educational atmosphere would help her
focus on her studies. However, Austin also has a vibrant
(05:37):
night life that some students find distracting. Jennifer got a
job as a waitress to make ends meet. She turned
twenty one in March two thousand and five and enjoyed
hitting the bars on Sixth Street with her friends. If
you've never been to Austin, it's a lot like New
Orleans or Nashville. With live music pouring out of venues
all along the main strip seven nights a week, you
(06:00):
can always find great entertainment and or an unwelcome distraction
from your studies. Jennifer's family describes her as a bit
rudderless after she moved to Austin. She was dealing with
the issue all young people face, figuring out what to
do with their lives. It was around this time she
met Colton Pataniac. He was a business major at UT
(06:22):
Originally from Bryant, Arkansas in Greater Little Rock like Cave,
he got caught up in the Austin party scene. He
was attending Texas on an academic scholarship, but due to
his drinking and drug problem, he was in and out
of school. He was arrested in two thousand and four
for possession of illegal drugs, including cocaine, and was rumored
(06:42):
to be a drug dealer. He entered a rehab program
in two thousand and four, but continued using and drinking.
When he got out, the once promising student was in
a downward spiral. Ever, the sympathetic friend Jennifer wanted to
help Colton, but on the advice of her friends and family,
she did didn't hang out with him as much. In
two thousand and five, Jennifer was living with her boyfriend,
(07:05):
but they broke up, so she moved in with a friend.
In August two thousand and five, Jennifer interviewed for a
part time position with a law firm in downtown Austin.
They called her back the same day and told her
she got the job. After one day working there, they
offered her a full time position. Jennifer was supposed to
begin her new full time position on August seventeen, two
(07:28):
thousand and five. She was ecstatic about her new job.
She called her mom and Jim to tell them the
good news. Jim had become like a father tour. She
looked up to him and they shared a special connection.
Jim helped her through some tough times. He was still
concerned about Jennifer, but hopeful she would refocus her life
and prepare for her future. On the night of August sixteenth,
(07:52):
two thousand and five, Jennifer had no plans of going out.
She was in her pajamas by eight thirty pm, according
to her roommate. She asked her roommate to make sure
she woke up in the morning. However, at nine thirty pm,
she spoke to a friend named Michael Rodriguez and said
she was going to hang out with her friend Colton
because he was having some problems. She picked up Colton
(08:16):
at the Orange Tree Condos and went to a restaurant
on Sixth Street. The restaurant was closed, so they just
ordered drinks. They met with a few of Jennifer's friends,
who later said she didn't seem drunk. However, Colton had
been drinking and doing xanax all day and was noticeably drunk,
according to later accounts by Jennifer's friends. One of them
(08:37):
learned that Colton was upset that night and reportedly told
Jennifer that the only people who could help him were
in jail. The friends testified that Colton was looking to
score some cocaine so he could keep the party going.
The friends left to go to another bar and thought
Jennifer and Colton were right behind them, but the two
never joined them. Later, around one am, Jennifer's friend Michael
(09:00):
to ensure she was okay. She told him Colton lost
his phone and that she was trying to help him
find it. While Jennifer was talking to Michael Colton attempted
to break a car window and then urinated on a
vehicle At one five am. Jennifer said she would call
Michael back, but he didn't hear from her. Nobody knows
what happened over the next few hours, but it would
(09:22):
forever alter the lives of all who knew and loved
Jennifer Cave. Jennifer should have shown up for her first
day of work the next day. The law firm called
her phone several times and then sent someone to leave
a note at her apartment. After waiting to hear from
Jennifer all day, around three thirty pm, Jennifer's boss called
her mother and told her Jennifer had missed work. Sharon
(09:46):
knew something was wrong. She knew how excited Jennifer was
about this job. She began calling Jennifer's friends. Sharon spoke
to Jennifer's ex, but he hadn't seen her. She reached
her friend Michael Rodriguez. While on the phone with Michael,
Colton called her cell phone back. Colton said he had
not seen Jennifer, and Michael told Sharon he was lying.
(10:10):
Jennifer's friend, Scott Ingle, called Colton at six thirty p m.
And confronted him about her whereabouts. Colton said he didn't
know where Jennifer was, then ended the phone call by
saying that bitch is going to get me arrested, meaning Sharon.
Sharon continued calling Colton until he finally called her back
at eight thirty four p m. And said, dude, I
(10:32):
am eating pizza with my friends and again claimed that
he hadn't seen Jennifer since the night before. Sharon said
she had called the police and they were going to
his apartment. Cell Phone records later revealed that right after
this call, Colton traveled south on Interstate thirty five, straight
to the Mexican border. Sharon was now panicking, so she
(10:53):
and Jim drove to Austin. A missing person detective informed
her that Jennifer's car was still parked in Colton's condo.
Jim and Sharon went to the apartment and banged on
the door, but no one answered. An officer from the
Austin Police Department arrived, but they explained to the worried
couple that there wasn't much they could do. It was
a privately owned condo and the police had no probable
(11:16):
cause to enter. Sharon and Jim called a locksmith who
couldn't open the door. So in desperation and fearing for
Jennifer's safety, Jim and Sharon unlocked one of the condo
windows by chipping out part of the glass. They contemplated
a possible trespassing charge, but all that mattered was finding Jennifer.
(11:36):
Jim called out to anyone in the condo, but no
one answered, so he climbed through the unlocked window. I'm
here to help, Jim called out. Please don't hurt me,
Please don't shoot me. I'm looking for you, Jennifer. Jim
used the flashlight from his car to look around the
dark studio apartment. The room was in disarray. No one
(11:57):
was on the couch, in the bed, or in the
kitchen area. Jim found a light switch and turned it on.
By that point, Jim had noticed a foul odor. He
walked down a short hallway to the bathroom. I opened
that door and the smell really hits me, Jim later testified.
I shine my light in there. I am seeing something.
(12:19):
I flipped the light on and there is a body
in the bathtub. I'm trying to figure out what I'm seeing. Here.
I started yelling, call the police, call nine one one.
I immediately identified that it was a decapitated body. I
was seeing that, and I saw the hack saw laying there.
So I went to the front door and I unlocked
(12:41):
the front door and I went out, and Sharon's yelling
is it her? Is it her? And that's when I said,
I think, so wow, that's beyond a parent's worst nightmare.
I feel so bad for Jennifer's family that they had
to discover her like that. Jim kept Sharon for entering
the condo as they waited for the police. APD officer
(13:04):
Richard Barbaria got to the Orange Tree Condos as firefighters
finished assessing the crime scene. Based on the information relayed
to him by dispatch, he thought the deceased had overdosed
on drugs. However, when he saw the reactions of the firefighters,
he knew something was off. However, he wasn't prepared for
what he saw. Speaking to The Orange Tree Podcast, Barbarias
(13:29):
said it was a female body with the head missing
and the hands missing, and it was propped up in
the bathtub facing the doorway. He also described seeing a
small hacksaw that was used for the partial dismemberment. It
has a small skinny blade and you can change it out,
Barbarias said, And it was lying right on her chest
(13:50):
and on the blade. I remember seeing portions of flesh
and blood, and it was used to cut the body.
He went on to add, there was a garbage bag there.
I didn't bother looking at it or touch it because
I knew just by the shape of the bag, I
knew what parts were in the bag. Such a grizzly
scene to witness, even for veteran police and first responders.
(14:13):
The autopsy of Jennifer's body revealed a single gunshot killed her.
The bullet passed through her right arm and re entered
her body through the ribs on her right side. The
bullet then passed through her right lung and punctured the aorta,
which caused her death within seconds. At least she didn't suffer,
but that's of little consolation to her family. The big mystery,
(14:36):
aside from the motive, was the condition of the body.
Travis County Prosecutor Bill Bishop spoke to forty eight hours
and described how Jennifer was found. As far as murders go,
this is a very clean murder. He shot her through
the arm. Bullet traveled into the chest through the heart,
pretty much killing her instantly. It was the post murder
(14:59):
behavior that made it so grotesque. The mutilation was anger.
It wasn't any effort to hide the body or get
rid of the body. It was just playing with it
like it was a toy, Bishop told correspondent Maureen Meyher.
In addition to the wound that caused her death, there
were eighteen stab wounds to the face and neck, and
another cluster of ten stab wounds on the left shoulder
(15:21):
and right breast. The medical examiner testified that these were
all post mortem wounds, but that wasn't all. X rays
revealed a second bullet in the severed cranium. The medical
examiner said the bullet entered through the severed neck and
traveled upward, lodging in the cranial vault. The two bullets
found in Jennifer's body were fired from a point three
(15:43):
eight zero semi automatic pistol that was found in Colton's car.
They also collected three cartridge casings from the suspect's apartment.
A knife and a machete stained with Jennifer's blood were
found in the unit as well. Investigators suspected Colton potoniacilled Jennifer,
but they were unsure if he acted alone. Evidence found
(16:05):
at the scene and cell phone records suggested a second
suspect helped cover up the murder. Colton called Laura Hall
at five point fifty nine a m. The morning of
the murder, and the call lasted for thirteen minutes. Laura
and Colton met at a party in the spring of
two thousand and five. She was also a ut student
majoring in government, hoping to become a lawyer. Colton called
(16:28):
Laura again at six fifty seven and seven twenty four.
Police were anxious to speak with Colton and Laura, but
the killer couple was nowhere to be found. Colton's phone
was traced to the Mexican border, so the authorities there
were notified about the arrest warrants for the couple. With
the two suspects on the run, detectives questioned Jennifer's friends
and Colton's neighbors about what they witnessed on August sixteenth
(16:51):
and seventeenth. Everyone reported that Jennifer did not appear to
be intoxicated, but Colton was high and drunk. Two of
Jennifer's friends revealed they overheard the troubled student talking about
buying cocaine. Investigators learned that Colton may have also been
addicted to speed. Colton either lashed out and killed Jennifer, or,
(17:11):
if you believe his unlikely story, it was a reckless accident.
Either way, he's responsible for her murder. Only Colton knows
what happened in Jennifer's final moments. However, he claims to
have no memory of that night. It's a convenient excuse,
but not very novel. I believe he recalls more than
(17:32):
he admits. Sometime after three am that morning, Colton knocked
on Nora Sullivan's apartment door. She lived a few doors
down from him. Colton told Nora a bizarre story about
being in a gunfight with at least two Mexicans. He
said he fired two shots and may have hit someone.
Nora noticed he had a gun on him. He removed
(17:55):
the magazine from the weapon and asked Nora if he
had blood on him. She pointed out a smear on
his arm that looked like blood. Colton was coherent enough
to lie about why he fired a gun, and he
was already trying to cover up Jennifer's murder. On August
twenty three, two thousand and five, a week after Jennifer
Cave was killed and mutilated, Colton, Pittagnac, and Laura Hall
(18:17):
were arrested by the authorities in Piedras Negra, Mexico. They
were expelled from Mexico and US Marshalls arrested Colton in
Eagle Pass, Texas. Laura was released to her father despite
being uncooperative with investigators. The following month, she was arrested
and charged with the felony offense of tampering with physical
evidence and the misdemeanor offense of hindering apprehension. We may
(18:42):
never know the whole story about Jennifer's murder. She was
shot through the arm and died instantly, just hours before
she was to start a new job. Colton and Laura
desecrated her body and escaped to Mexico. Jennifer's family discovered
her mutilated body in an apartment bathroom just blocks from
the UT campus. Although the perpetrators were brought to justice,
(19:04):
Jennifer's family never learned why Jennifer was killed. During his trial,
Colton said he had no idea what happened that night,
but his drug induced fog began to lift right around
the time Laura showed up at his apartment. On the stand,
he said, I can't remember exactly what I told her,
but I showed her Jennifer's body. And what did she say?
(19:27):
The attorney asked, she just said, what are we going
to do? Except for the murder itself? Colton blamed Laura
for almost everything. There's no honor among sociopaths, I guess.
In court, Colton said he didn't dismember Jennifer's body. There's
no way I would have done what was done, Colton
told the court. But he admitted to killing Jennifer, and
(19:50):
he showed zero remorse afterward. It seems Colton had an
excellent memory for things that incriminated Laura rather than himself.
As you you can imagine, the jury wasn't buying the
killer's temporary and selective amnesia. On Monday, January twenty ninth,
two thousand and seven, Colton, then twenty four, was convicted
(20:11):
of murder and sentenced to fifty five years in prison.
During her trial, Laura claimed she only helped Colton out
of fear, but her behavior proved otherwise. Prosecutor Bill Bishops
said of Laura, she had every opportunity in the world
to call the police, send them to Colton's apartment, and
certainly she would have been safe from Colton for a
(20:32):
long time had she done that. It's worth noting that
days after Jennifer's murder, Laura got a Colton tattoo. In
two thousand and seven, a jury convicted Laura Hall of
offenses that included tampering with physical evidence, namely mutilating the
body of a homicide victim. The jury imposed a five
year sentence. However, the Texas Third Court of Appeals ordered
(20:56):
re sentencing. The court ruled that her sentencing hearing was unfair,
and she was released on bond. During a new sentencing trial,
a new group of jurors heard Laura's damning statements about
her role in the cover up. Additionally, Laura's statements about
the victim, both before and during her incarceration, make you
wonder if she wasn't the true psychopath in the relationship.
(21:19):
I guess there doesn't have to be just one. Prosecutors
played several of Laura's prison conversations at the trial. Laura
speaking to her grandmother about Jennifer Cave's mother said she's
going down, adding I don't know how and I don't
know when, but she's going down. During closing arguments, Prosecutor
(21:40):
Christopher Baw listed off additional statements Laura made to fellow
jail inmates. The whore deserved to die. She was a
explitive bitch, Laura said of the victim, and speaking about
her participation in the mutilation, she reportedly said the only
eerie part about it was the sound of cutting through
the bone. Laura's father, Lauren Hall, took the stand and
(22:04):
said that his daughter was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. On
cross examination, Prosecutor Alison Wetzel opened her questioning by asking him,
did her bipolar disorder cause her to cut Jennifer Cave's
head off? I mean that sort of a mic drop.
Laura Hall was denied parole several times. On March fifteenth,
(22:25):
twenty eighteen, she was released on parole under mandatory supervision,
including GPS monitoring. She was ordered not to return to
Travis County or contact the Cave family. The two thousand
and five murder of Jennifer Cave is one of the
most notorious college murder cases. A callous drug addicted student
(22:45):
killed Jennifer and showed no remorse for his actions. His
jealous girlfriend then butchered Jennifer's body and later threatened to
harm her family. While the details of who did what
may never be fully known, we know enough to say
that Culti and Patoniac and Laura Hall were either sociopathic
or just flat out evil. That's it for this episode,
(23:07):
and please remember advocates at the National Domestic Violence Hotline
are available to talk confidentially with anyone in the United
States who is experiencing domestic violence, seeking resources or information,
or questioning unhealthy aspects of their relationship. Call one eight
hundred and seventy nine to nine safe
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