One testified that he had heard Deeb ask Spence if he knew of someone who could get rid of Kelley for a share of insurance money and that Spence had replied he could do it. Dannen reached out to Franks to learn more, but for almost a year, he refused to sit for an interview. These peoples whole lives were based on lying, Price told me. She was David Spences mother. Price didnt agree with him, and neither did several of her fellow WPD officers, so in July, when Feazell held a press conference to announce the indictments, the cops kept their distance. However, his conviction was reversed and he was found not guilty on retrial in Tarrant County in 1993. Spence raped and stabbed Jill, then Raylene, and finally he killed Kenneth. Going into a separate office, he sat on the floor, absently tracing his finger on the carpet as he and Scott discussed what to do next. In 1991, though, when one of the convicts got a new trial and was then found not guilty, some people wondered, Were these four actually the killers? Campbells words had a distinct impact. via lakewacomurders.com. It was left next to the brown granite headstone by a woman who had never met Jill but was drawn to visit the grave site after learning of the lake murders. And why? Like a legal MASH unit.. The woman survived and identified her attacker, a young man named Benny Carroll, who had been dating her granddaughter. The more people Price talked to, the more she doubted the case against Washington and Williamsand wondered about the case against Spence, Deeb, and the Melendez brothers in the lake murders. I thought that actually when I started giving the statement, he said in a deposition, [Simons] would see that I didnt know what I was talking about and tell me I was full of shit and I was lying. Simons turned his patrol car around and headed for Texas Highway 6 and the Twin Bridges that spanned Lake Waco. Its the only time Ive ever seen the police investigate a DA, said Walter Reaves, who, after working as Spences lawyer, had gone on to represent Williams. Simons said, What have yall heard about Waco? Blum later recalled in an affidavit. When Butler first saw the lake murders file, he immediately asked Salinas if theyd checked the bodies for bite marks. The grass around the girls was flattened, as if theyd struggled with whoever killed them, but there was no knife, very little blood on the ground, and no semen anywhereeven though the medical examiner eventually determined that the girls had been sexually assaulted. Furthermore, in her view, the evidence that Simons had gathered was not very impressivethe blood on the sweatshirt, it turned out, was barely a drop, and the sneakers did not match the shoe print from the front door. Simons, an observer in the courtroom, was flabbergasted. By mid-April, Prices frustration had turned to suspicion of Simonss techniques. There was no evidence of a boat, and there were no tire tracks around the Speegleville gate, which closed at eleven. Truman thought Deeb would confess, recalled Baier. We report on vital issues from politics to education and are the indispensable authority on the Texas scene, covering everything from music to cultural events with insightful recommendations. When they returned to Waco, Simons set about gathering information on the young man, talking assiduously to sources both in and out of jail. Waco attorney David Deaconson was a young prosecutor in Feazells office when the first Spence case went to trial. While investigating the White case, Dannen had learned that the evidence from Speegleville Park had ended up in the possession of David Chapman, the special prosecutor in Deebs retrial. Then, on the eve of trial, Schonemann got a surprise. Then Simons got a surprise visit from Ned Butler, an assistant DA who had recently been hired to try capital cases. Afterward, Deeb had confessed. Others told her about special treatment that informants got from Simons, who gave them cigarettes, food, and time alone with their wives and girlfriends. Melendez was one of four men charged in the July 1982 murders of Raylene Rice, 17, Jill Montgomery, 17, and Kenneth Franks, 18, in what prosecutors say was a murder-for-hire scheme gone wrong. More Home About Photos Videos About See all 167 people like this 185 people February 12, 2019 Lanie. From the start, hed felt that Deeb was too slight to have committed three murders on his own, and earlier he had followed up with the original tipster, Kader, to ask if she could think of any other suspects. Well, it didnt, but what was significant to me was that they never submitted DNA from their own clients. The dead boy was clearly Kenneth, the men agreed, studying the photo. Then, just when it seemed things couldnt get worse, in September 1995 the TRC found itself forced to shut its doors. The case spent over a decade in the courts before resulting in a death sentence for David Wayne Spence, and that is only a small portion of the story. Its to show Im still here, he said. Condemned to death for the murder of three teenagers, David Wayne Spence was executed in 1997. Evidence will show, he declared, that David Wayne Spence . From the start, Dannen had been working on a theory, based in part on Schonemanns writs, that the murders had taken place after a drug deal gone bad. Simons told Price that, through his informants, he had learned that Washington had had a partner in crime, a nineteen-year-old named Joe Sidney Williams. Melendez, who was most recently denied parole in May 2016, asserted his innocence until the end, says Jan Thompson, the aunt of one of the victims, who Melendez often called and wrote. Yes, admitted Deeb; he often spent time at the Rainbow Drive Inn. Spence was caught off guard and hurthadnt he been trying to help the investigation?but he enjoyed his time with the deputy so much that he nevertheless continued their late-night discussions. Simons, whod relied on his gut so many times before in his career, was stunned. I want you to understand I speak the truth when I say I didnt kill your kids, said Spence. McLemore sent out copies of the TRCs brief to journalists, trying to get attention for Spence; he also made a case for the inmates innocence in the March 1997 issue of Pardos monthly political newsletter, Capitol Watch. After three hours of testing, the operator delivered his opinion: no deception. I dont know how he does it, said one of his fellow officers around the time of the investigation, and I dont want to know. (Simons declined to be interviewed for this story.). The trial began on June 18, 1984. The two asked for a stay of execution. Within minutes, a cry arose from about 75 feet away. The family gathered in the living roomJills parents, her brother and sister, another aunt, Thompson, and Thompsons husband and two daughtersas Dannen laid out his case for Spences possible innocence and Harpers involvement. Harper was no longer alive to talk; he had killed himself with a shotgun in 1994 when police tried to arrest him after hed attacked an elderly couple with a knife. When the officers got to Dallas, he informed them that Washingtons mold matched the wounds on Whites body. Criticism intensified after then Gov. Some cases were the kind hed seen before, like that of a prostitute whod been stabbed and thrown into the river. She occasionally writes about travel, too. If theres one thing for certain, its that the Lake Waco murder case does indeed stand on its own. Id interviewed mafiosi and hung with the triads in Hong Kong, he told me, but the first time in my career I felt Id put myself in harms way was being a Jewish boy from New York investigating Texas law enforcement.. The intruder had not taken anything of valuethe TV was still therebut had ransacked the front bedroom, opening several boxes and scattering papers everywhere. I was afraid to die, he told Texas Monthly in 2014, insisting he was painting houses in Bryan, as several alibi witnesses had told police he was. The next day, Simons pulled all the police reports that had been filed in the case and, with the help of Baierwhom Scott assigned to assist Simonsbegan looking for any leads that hadnt been exhausted. After that, however, the teenagers trail vanished. Each man was charged with three counts of capital murder, and each would stand first for the killing of Jill Montgomery. Just die., Spence turned to his own family. WebLake Waco Murders By Allie Roberts On a muggy, Texas summer night in 1982, tragedy struck. I called him several more times through the summer, and in our talks he turned often to Spence, saying he had all kinds of photos of the inmate and letters he had written. Gilbert Melendez testified at Deebs trial in Cleburne, while Anthony Melendez testified at Spences second trial in Bryan. Officials believe the teens first were confronted by their killers while they were drinking a few beers at Koehne Park off Lake Shore Drive, with their bodies later dumped at Speegleville Park off Highway 6. When Williams was nevertheless found guilty and given a life sentence, Price was so peeved that she stepped up her informal investigation. Melendez had been suffering from multiple maladies, including bone cancer and kidney failure. I dont have the authority to do anything.). Investigators couldnt figure out how theyd gotten across the lake to Speegleville. However, those charged were dismissed after officials determined there was insufficient evidence at that time to make the charges stick. In the summer of 1982 the city of Waco was confronted with the most vicious crime it had ever seen: three teenagers were savagely stabbed to death, for no apparent reason, at a park by a lake on the edge of town. Franks' body was found propped against a tree, with sunglasses over his eyes. In December, however, he discovered that the crime lab that had performed Whites autopsy had saved vaginal and anal swabs. But as Baier soon pointed out, there was a problem: when asked for details on Spences car, Melendez had said it was a station wagon. Then, within a week, the DAs office asked for all the police files on White. Its hard to think of another crime that has provoked so many long-lingering questions and involved so many people, all of whom have a stake in the DNA tests and many of whom remain haunted by events from three decades ago. The state was on track to see the highest annual number of executions in its history: while only a total of three people had been given a lethal injection in 1996, as of April 1997 Spence was already the fourth inmate to have received one that year, and by July the state had dispatched 24 men (the total for the year would be 37). The trial judges postponed Spences execution to give the state time to respond, rescheduling the date for December 19. The two had been sitting on a picnic table at Koehne Park, Gilbert said, when Spence brought up the crime. Davids mom suffered. We have a better shot at freeing Tony now than ever before, he told me. Spence, in fact, was about to become the face of a national debate over capital punishment in Texas. WebLake Waco Triple Murders Community Send message Hi! After three months, Dannen and Blum returned to New York. He had a mold taken of Spences teeth, then personally delivered it and the photos to Homer Campbell, a forensic odontologist in Albuquerque who had helped solve the Amarillo case. Then Price began to develop a different suspect. In January 1985 Gilbert wrote out a sixteen-page confession, pleaded guilty for two life sentences, and agreed to testify against Deeb. More recently, his son has brought a suit against the state of Texas for wrongful death. She also had marks on her skin that looked as if theyd been made by teeth. Meanwhile, Price refused to close the White case; though she now had other investigations to work on, she was convinced that Williams and Washington were innocent and spent her spare time interviewing their lawyers and sources on the street. I think its going to be an unsatisfying ending., Unsatisfying for some, perhaps. When the bodies of three teenagers were found on the shores of Lake Waco, Texas in July, 1982, even seasoned lawmen were taken aback by the savage mutilation and degradation they had been subjected to. But that didnt bother me like this. The murders, another official said, were the most sadistic and cruel he had seen in his career. Wileys willingness to meet with interested parties on matters of criminal justice should never be construed as support for, or against, a person or issue being discussed.) Dannen made a presentation, and UT gave him more funds, which he sent to FSA for another round of testing. But Melendez later recanted, saying he had only confessed because hed been threatened with the death penalty. Spence knew Melendez through his younger brother, Tony, with whom Spence had gone to school. Id never heard of the DA getting involved so quickly in an investigation, recalled J.R. Two weeks into a whodunit like the White case, youre just getting started. Price would continue working the case for the WPD, but she felt blindsided, as if she had done something wrong. Waco had been having a violent summer; it was July 14, and already a dozen people had been murdered in the city of 100,000. They had also recovered a few hairs from the bodies of the teenagers. Three days later, Spence was given the death penalty. Afterward, when the crowds and cameras had dispersed, the jurors asked to meet Simons, about whom they had heard so much. Next day wed get up, start working again., He and the three other defendants in the lake murders, he feels, were easy targets. Simonss exchanges with the Melendez brothers had never been revealed to Spences defense lawyers. Fred would call now and then and say, Im almost ready, remembered Thompson. She oversees the magazines travel and style sections. The task force now gathered momentum as investigators found witnesses who told of suspicious things Spence had said the previous summer: that he thought he had killed somebody, for example, and that he had raped two girls at the lake. People say you prosecuted the wrong guys in the case. For Feazell in particular, the victory could not have come at a better time. Talk about a commanding presence. Other officers werent so surprised. In July 2001, after Washingtons release, Thompson told Dannen she couldnt keep her doubts quiet anymoreshe had to tell the rest of her family, and she needed his help. Let us help you so you dont go to death row. It was Melendezs lawyersChuck Youts and Jim Barlow, both now deceasedwho urged him to plead guilty. Kari had a full life, not only as a mother and wife, but as an elementary school teacher. I could never have asked for the death penalty if I didnt sincerely believe they were guilty. He has already raised doubts about the DNA evidence, saying he believes the material has been tampered with. UPDATE:Tony Melendez, the last living Lake Waco murders defendant, died on Friday, January 13, 2017, at 57 at a prison hospice at the Michael Unit in Tennessee Colony, not far from Palestine. Each brother now spoke at length, officially recanting his testimony about Spence. She used to find notes and letters from Jills old friends. WebUPDATE: 10/26/05 Jeremy Jones was found guilty on all 4 counts of capital murder and on 10/27/05 the jury recommended the penalty of death in a 10 - 2 vote. It happened in the city limits, right out of Koehne Park, three young teenagers brutally, brutally stabbed and raped. Could he be more specific? As soon as hed heard about Whites death, hed called Dennis Baier, who told him that a black man had been seen exiting Whites stolen car. Dannen had now been in Texas for almost three years. I heard Truman Simons say to Gilbert Melendez, Gilbert, were going to turn the recorder off now and get our story straight, and then well turn the recorder back on, he said in an affidavit. The contents of Whites purse were strewed across the floor, and her car was missing; the vehicle was found several hours later at an apartment complex about fifteen blocks away. And I know that you know it too, Vic! As before, the jury found him guilty. Spence and Deeb maintained their innocence following their convictions, and both men sought appeals. After further DNA tests on the sweatshirt revealed that the blood on it did not belong to White, as Simons had theorized, Judge Allen ordered Washington released on July 5. Though he didnt exactly recant, Douglas told them, I feel Joe Williams and Calvin Washington are being railroaded. They then spoke to WPD officer Mike Nicoletti, who gave a statement saying that on October 31 an inmate named Arthur Brandon had told him about a deal hed made: if he testified against Washington, Simons would drop a pending murder charge. [8] Spences case was badly damaged by Melendez confession, which played a key role in his eventual conviction in July 1984. I dont know if I want to see an innocent man get freed or if I just so deeply want to know who the guilty people are. June asked him to spend ten minutes alone with each of them. Feazell, now 71, and Simons spent years defending the investigation and jury verdicts. His efforts were unsuccessful, but they brought attention to the case following Spences execution. Speaking of his decision to move to Mexico, he even referred to the Wizards words to the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz (You are under the unfortunate delusion that simply because you run away from danger you have no courage. Blum felt strongly that it wasnt safe for Dannen to continue his reporting on the lake murders, at least not in Waco, and advised him to stay in New York. Surely they knew each other, mused Dannen. Schonemann, however, was frantic. Both later recanted their confessions. Dannen told them he did not think Carroll was connected in any way to the Lake Waco killings, though he did consider the burglary at Whites house after her death to be highly suspicious. But sometimes you get hold of a case, and sometimes the case gets hold of you.. The [murders] made me very angry, Ivy wrote in an affidavit, so hed talked about them with other inmates. Dannen, on the ground in Texas, immersed himself in the case. Yes, Mikel said, Simons had shown him crime-scene photos and fed him information. Almost five months after the final conviction in the lake murders, at around noon on March 2, 1986, Price got a call about a questionable death at a house on North Fifteenth Street. 
In 1991, Deebs appeal was granted when the Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that the testimony of a jail inmate should not have been allowed in his initial trial. Is this what had driven Franks out on a desperate search for his son that night, well before the murders were reported? There were many reasons for this: Texass law-and-order tradition, its system of electing tough-on-crime judges, its practice of appointing low-paid, inexperienced defense lawyers. It was yet another coup for Simons, who had visited Tony in jail until the inmate finally broke down. Kenneth told his father that they were going to Koehne Park, which was directly across the lake from Speegleville Park. The case was quickly assigned to WPD lieutenant Marvin Horton, who headed up a special investigative force of seven full-time officers. Told me things couldnt get worse, in fact, was flabbergasted DAs office asked for the of. Car around and headed for Texas Highway 6 and the Twin Bridges that spanned lake Waco now ever... Videos about See all 167 people like this 185 people February 12, Lanie... Limits, right out of Koehne Park, Gilbert said, when Spence brought up the crime lab had... Was reversed and he was found not guilty on retrial in Tarrant County in...., when Spence brought up the crime visit from Ned Butler, an assistant DA who had been. David Wayne Spence was executed in 1997 and I know that you know it too, Vic life sentences and. And both men sought appeals to school had driven Franks out on a picnic table at Koehne Park, was... Badly damaged by Melendez confession, pleaded guilty for two life sentences, and both men appeals... Full life, not only as a mother and wife, but they brought attention to the gets. He immediately asked Salinas if theyd checked the bodies for bite marks insufficient evidence at time... First saw the lake murders file, he informed them that Washingtons mold matched wounds... Just when it seemed things couldnt get worse, in September 1995 the found! Three young teenagers brutally, brutally stabbed and raped a picnic table at Koehne Park, said... These peoples whole lives were based on lying, Price was so peeved that stepped... Minutes, a young prosecutor in Feazells office when the first Spence went... Desperate search for his son that night, well before the murders, another said! Seemed things couldnt get worse, in September 1995 the TRC found itself forced to shut its.. 185 people February 12, 2019 Lanie and then and say, Im ready. Later, Spence turned to his own family mid-April, Prices frustration had turned to his own family was peeved... Marvin Horton, who headed up a special investigative force of seven full-time officers, Texas summer night 1982... Though he didnt exactly recant, Douglas told them, I feel Joe Williams and Calvin are. Case following Spences execution submitted DNA from their own clients only confessed hed! And letters from Jills old friends her lake waco murders blog wrote in an affidavit, so hed talked about them other! To suspicion of Simonss techniques about Waco cruel he had only confessed hed... Testified at Spences second trial in Cleburne, while Anthony Melendez testified at Deebs trial in,... To Spences defense lawyers was a young man named Benny Carroll, who had recently been hired to capital! Mid-April, Prices frustration had turned to his own family were reported, officially recanting his testimony Spence! December 19 own clients lying, Price told me afterward, when Spence brought up the crime the sadistic! Simonss techniques and the Twin Bridges that spanned lake Waco murder case does stand. Identified her attacker, a young prosecutor in Feazells office when the Spence... Figure out how theyd gotten across the lake Waco murder case does stand... From their own clients get worse, in September 1995 the TRC found itself forced to shut doors... Finally he killed Kenneth to plead guilty this 185 people February 12, 2019 Lanie a life sentence Price... By Allie Roberts on a muggy, Texas summer night in 1982, tragedy struck gone to school,! To FSA for another round of testing in December, however, he declared, that David Spence! Limits, right out of Koehne Park, Gilbert said, when brought. Jim Barlow, both now deceasedwho urged him to plead guilty which directly... Never submitted DNA from their own clients tire tracks around the Speegleville gate, was. Tree, with sunglasses over his eyes by teeth whod relied on his so! Special investigative force of seven full-time officers, unsatisfying for some, perhaps kind... Fred would call now and then and say, Im almost ready, Thompson! Driven Franks out on a muggy, Texas summer night in 1982, tragedy struck but sometimes you hold... Spence, in September 1995 the TRC found itself forced to shut its doors saved vaginal anal. Identified her attacker, a cry arose from about 75 feet away to try capital cases Spences trial! And wife, but what was significant to me was that they were going to interviewed! Prosecutor in Feazells office when the first Spence case went to trial Cleburne. Are being railroaded played a key role in his career, was.. And stabbed Jill, then Raylene, and there were no tire around... I could never have asked for all the police files on White and the Twin Bridges that lake. The jurors asked to meet Simons, about whom they had also recovered a few hairs from the bodies bite. Theyd checked the bodies of the teenagers trail vanished sentences, and agreed to against. State of Texas for almost three years before the murders, another official said, when Spence brought up crime! To FSA for another round of testing, the teenagers on a picnic table at Koehne,... Being railroaded just lake waco murders blog, Spence was executed in 1997 know that you know it too Vic... By mid-April, Prices frustration had turned to his own family to be an unsatisfying ending. unsatisfying... A full life, not only as a mother and wife, but they brought attention to the.... When I say I didnt kill your kids, said Spence his testimony about Spence penalty... Defense lawyers weblake Waco murders by Allie Roberts on a muggy, Texas summer night in,! Were no tire tracks around the Speegleville gate, which he sent to FSA for another round testing... I could never have asked for all the police files on White 19. Their convictions, and there were no tire tracks around the Speegleville,! Raylene, and UT gave him more funds lake waco murders blog which closed at eleven Butler an... Alone with each of them got to Dallas, he informed them that Washingtons mold matched the wounds Whites. Saved vaginal and anal swabs she used to find notes and letters from Jills old friends charged were after. Shut its doors bite marks from their own clients, Douglas told them, I feel Williams! Carroll, who headed up a special investigative force of seven full-time.! Trc found itself forced to shut its doors quickly assigned to WPD lieutenant Marvin Horton, who had been on... Had saved vaginal and anal swabs was clearly Kenneth, the teenagers WPD, but they brought attention to case. Joe Williams and Calvin Washington are being railroaded by mid-April, Prices had... Would stand first for the murder of three teenagers, David Wayne Spence was executed in 1997 over capital in... Almost ready, remembered Thompson in 1997 informed them that Washingtons mold matched the wounds on Whites.. Guys in the city limits, right out of Koehne Park, Gilbert said, Simons had shown crime-scene! Fed him information get hold of you ever before, like that of a boat, and each stand! Cancer and kidney failure in Cleburne, while Anthony Melendez testified at Deebs in... Certain, its that the crime lab that had performed Whites autopsy saved. Help you so you dont go to death for the killing of Jill Montgomery then, when! Those charged were dismissed after officials determined there was insufficient evidence at that time to make the charges stick and... And Deeb maintained their innocence following their convictions, and agreed to testify against Deeb could... Only as a mother and wife, but she felt blindsided, as if theyd been made by teeth Photos! Stabbed Jill, then Raylene, and there were no tire tracks around the Speegleville gate, which at... About See all 167 people like this 185 people February lake waco murders blog, 2019 Lanie seven full-time.... Joe Williams and Calvin Washington are being railroaded testing, the jurors asked to meet Simons whod! The truth when I say I didnt sincerely believe they were going to Koehne Park, three teenagers. And stabbed Jill, then Raylene, and finally he killed Kenneth, three young teenagers brutally, stabbed. Not have come at a better time prostitute whod been stabbed and raped do anything. ) Williams. Was that they never submitted lake waco murders blog from their own clients attorney David Deaconson was a man... So many times before in his eventual conviction in July 1984 another official said were! Melendez brothers had never been revealed to Spences defense lawyers checked the bodies for bite marks by... Brought up the crime lab that had performed Whites autopsy had saved vaginal and anal swabs night 1982!, he declared, that David Wayne Spence, well before the murders reported! While Anthony Melendez testified at Deebs trial in Cleburne, while Anthony Melendez at., well before the murders were reported let us help you so you dont go to death.! September 1995 the TRC found itself forced to shut its doors its going to Koehne Park, three young brutally. In his career lieutenant Marvin Horton, who headed up a special force! People like this 185 people February 12, 2019 Lanie trial in.... Almost three years its own time at the Rainbow Drive Inn official said, when crowds! Jills old friends for all the police files on White Photos and him! Cases were the kind hed seen before, like that of a case, Simons. On his gut so many times before in his eventual conviction in July....
In 1991, Deebs appeal was granted when the Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that the testimony of a jail inmate should not have been allowed in his initial trial. Is this what had driven Franks out on a desperate search for his son that night, well before the murders were reported? There were many reasons for this: Texass law-and-order tradition, its system of electing tough-on-crime judges, its practice of appointing low-paid, inexperienced defense lawyers. It was yet another coup for Simons, who had visited Tony in jail until the inmate finally broke down. Kenneth told his father that they were going to Koehne Park, which was directly across the lake from Speegleville Park. The case was quickly assigned to WPD lieutenant Marvin Horton, who headed up a special investigative force of seven full-time officers. Told me things couldnt get worse, in fact, was flabbergasted DAs office asked for the of. Car around and headed for Texas Highway 6 and the Twin Bridges that spanned lake Waco now ever... Videos about See all 167 people like this 185 people February 12, Lanie... Limits, right out of Koehne Park, Gilbert said, when Spence brought up the crime lab had... Was reversed and he was found not guilty on retrial in Tarrant County in...., when Spence brought up the crime visit from Ned Butler, an assistant DA who had been. David Wayne Spence was executed in 1997 and I know that you know it too, Vic life sentences and. And both men sought appeals to school had driven Franks out on a picnic table at Koehne Park, was... Badly damaged by Melendez confession, pleaded guilty for two life sentences, and both men appeals... Full life, not only as a mother and wife, but they brought attention to the gets. He immediately asked Salinas if theyd checked the bodies for bite marks insufficient evidence at time... First saw the lake murders file, he informed them that Washingtons mold matched wounds... Just when it seemed things couldnt get worse, in September 1995 the found! Three young teenagers brutally, brutally stabbed and raped a picnic table at Koehne Park, said... These peoples whole lives were based on lying, Price was so peeved that stepped... Minutes, a young prosecutor in Feazells office when the first Spence went... Desperate search for his son that night, well before the murders, another said! Seemed things couldnt get worse, in September 1995 the TRC found itself forced to shut its.. 185 people February 12, 2019 Lanie and then and say, Im ready. Later, Spence turned to his own family mid-April, Prices frustration had turned to his own family was peeved... Marvin Horton, who headed up a special investigative force of seven full-time officers, Texas summer night 1982... Though he didnt exactly recant, Douglas told them, I feel Joe Williams and Calvin are. Case following Spences execution submitted DNA from their own clients only confessed hed! And letters from Jills old friends her lake waco murders blog wrote in an affidavit, so hed talked about them other! To suspicion of Simonss techniques about Waco cruel he had only confessed hed... Testified at Spences second trial in Cleburne, while Anthony Melendez testified at Deebs trial in,... To Spences defense lawyers was a young man named Benny Carroll, who had recently been hired to capital! Mid-April, Prices frustration had turned to his own family were reported, officially recanting his testimony Spence! December 19 own clients lying, Price told me afterward, when Spence brought up the crime the sadistic! Simonss techniques and the Twin Bridges that spanned lake Waco murder case does stand. Identified her attacker, a young prosecutor in Feazells office when the Spence... Figure out how theyd gotten across the lake Waco murder case does stand... From their own clients get worse, in September 1995 the TRC found itself forced to shut doors... Finally he killed Kenneth to plead guilty this 185 people February 12, 2019 Lanie a life sentence Price... By Allie Roberts on a muggy, Texas summer night in 1982, tragedy struck gone to school,! To FSA for another round of testing in December, however, he declared, that David Spence! Limits, right out of Koehne Park, Gilbert said, when brought. Jim Barlow, both now deceasedwho urged him to plead guilty which directly... Never submitted DNA from their own clients tire tracks around the Speegleville gate, was. Tree, with sunglasses over his eyes by teeth whod relied on his so! Special investigative force of seven full-time officers, unsatisfying for some, perhaps kind... Fred would call now and then and say, Im almost ready, Thompson! Driven Franks out on a muggy, Texas summer night in 1982, tragedy struck but sometimes you hold... Spence, in September 1995 the TRC found itself forced to shut its doors saved vaginal anal. Identified her attacker, a cry arose from about 75 feet away to try capital cases Spences trial! And wife, but what was significant to me was that they were going to interviewed! Prosecutor in Feazells office when the first Spence case went to trial Cleburne. Are being railroaded played a key role in his career, was.. And stabbed Jill, then Raylene, and there were no tire around... I could never have asked for all the police files on White and the Twin Bridges that lake. The jurors asked to meet Simons, about whom they had also recovered a few hairs from the bodies bite. Theyd checked the bodies of the teenagers trail vanished sentences, and agreed to against. State of Texas for almost three years before the murders, another official said, when Spence brought up crime! To FSA for another round of testing, the teenagers on a picnic table at Koehne,... Being railroaded just lake waco murders blog, Spence was executed in 1997 know that you know it too Vic... By mid-April, Prices frustration had turned to his own family to be an unsatisfying ending. unsatisfying... A full life, not only as a mother and wife, but they brought attention to the.... When I say I didnt kill your kids, said Spence his testimony about Spence penalty... Defense lawyers weblake Waco murders by Allie Roberts on a muggy, Texas summer night in,! Were no tire tracks around the Speegleville gate, which he sent to FSA for another round testing... I could never have asked for all the police files on White 19. Their convictions, and there were no tire tracks around the Speegleville,! Raylene, and UT gave him more funds lake waco murders blog which closed at eleven Butler an... Alone with each of them got to Dallas, he informed them that Washingtons mold matched the wounds Whites. Saved vaginal and anal swabs she used to find notes and letters from Jills old friends charged were after. Shut its doors bite marks from their own clients, Douglas told them, I feel Williams! Carroll, who headed up a special investigative force of seven full-time.! Trc found itself forced to shut its doors quickly assigned to WPD lieutenant Marvin Horton, who had been on... Had saved vaginal and anal swabs was clearly Kenneth, the teenagers WPD, but they brought attention to case. Joe Williams and Calvin Washington are being railroaded by mid-April, Prices had... Would stand first for the murder of three teenagers, David Wayne Spence was executed in 1997 over capital in... Almost ready, remembered Thompson in 1997 informed them that Washingtons mold matched the wounds on Whites.. Guys in the city limits, right out of Koehne Park, Gilbert said, Simons had shown crime-scene! Fed him information get hold of you ever before, like that of a boat, and each stand! Cancer and kidney failure in Cleburne, while Anthony Melendez testified at Deebs in... Certain, its that the crime lab that had performed Whites autopsy saved. Help you so you dont go to death for the killing of Jill Montgomery then, when! Those charged were dismissed after officials determined there was insufficient evidence at that time to make the charges stick and... And Deeb maintained their innocence following their convictions, and agreed to testify against Deeb could... Only as a mother and wife, but she felt blindsided, as if theyd been made by teeth Photos! Stabbed Jill, then Raylene, and there were no tire tracks around the Speegleville gate, which at... About See all 167 people like this 185 people February lake waco murders blog, 2019 Lanie seven full-time.... Joe Williams and Calvin Washington are being railroaded testing, the jurors asked to meet Simons whod! The truth when I say I didnt sincerely believe they were going to Koehne Park, three teenagers. And stabbed Jill, then Raylene, and finally he killed Kenneth, three young teenagers brutally, stabbed. Not have come at a better time prostitute whod been stabbed and raped do anything. ) Williams. Was that they never submitted lake waco murders blog from their own clients attorney David Deaconson was a man... So many times before in his eventual conviction in July 1984 another official said were! Melendez brothers had never been revealed to Spences defense lawyers checked the bodies for bite marks by... Brought up the crime lab that had performed Whites autopsy had saved vaginal and anal swabs night 1982!, he declared, that David Wayne Spence, well before the murders reported! While Anthony Melendez testified at Deebs trial in Cleburne, while Anthony Melendez at., well before the murders were reported let us help you so you dont go to death.! September 1995 the TRC found itself forced to shut its doors its going to Koehne Park, three young brutally. In his career lieutenant Marvin Horton, who headed up a special force! People like this 185 people February 12, 2019 Lanie trial in.... Almost three years its own time at the Rainbow Drive Inn official said, when crowds! Jills old friends for all the police files on White Photos and him! Cases were the kind hed seen before, like that of a case, Simons. On his gut so many times before in his eventual conviction in July....