1 00:00:08,285 --> 00:00:11,325 Speaker 1: School of Humans. 2 00:00:11,765 --> 00:00:14,685 Speaker 2: I had info on the Cass County three triple black 3 00:00:14,725 --> 00:00:19,285 Speaker 2: child murder case out of Atlanta, Texas, which is Cass County. 4 00:00:19,965 --> 00:00:22,725 Speaker 2: Three little black girls were murdered about a year ago 5 00:00:22,885 --> 00:00:26,165 Speaker 2: to cold case right now. Had some documentation from the 6 00:00:26,205 --> 00:00:29,325 Speaker 2: police and a judge in Texas also at points at 7 00:00:29,405 --> 00:00:32,285 Speaker 2: him and I have some information with the family, the 8 00:00:32,325 --> 00:00:35,125 Speaker 2: mother and some other witnesses to the murders of these 9 00:00:35,165 --> 00:00:35,805 Speaker 2: three girls. 10 00:00:36,805 --> 00:00:40,485 Speaker 3: It was July twenty ninth, twenty twenty two, just another 11 00:00:40,645 --> 00:00:44,485 Speaker 3: quiet summer night in Atlanta, Texas, a tiny town in 12 00:00:44,525 --> 00:00:49,005 Speaker 3: East Texas. Atlanta is about a twenty five minute drive 13 00:00:49,045 --> 00:00:52,365 Speaker 3: from Texarcana, which is right on the border with Arkansas. 14 00:00:52,805 --> 00:00:55,485 Speaker 3: The sun had just gone down when twenty eight year 15 00:00:55,525 --> 00:01:00,205 Speaker 3: old Shamanique Oliver got a panicked phone call. Shamanique is 16 00:01:00,205 --> 00:01:03,245 Speaker 3: a single mom and a certified nurses aid. She works 17 00:01:03,285 --> 00:01:07,405 Speaker 3: at a nursing home in Texarcana. She later told Nancy 18 00:01:07,485 --> 00:01:11,045 Speaker 3: Grace that it had been a totally normal day. She 19 00:01:11,205 --> 00:01:14,005 Speaker 3: was hanging out with her six children between the ages 20 00:01:14,045 --> 00:01:16,965 Speaker 3: of one and ten years old at home. They watched TV, 21 00:01:17,285 --> 00:01:20,285 Speaker 3: played and ate a meal together while Shamanique got ready 22 00:01:20,285 --> 00:01:24,365 Speaker 3: for a shift. When Shamanique went to work that afternoon. 23 00:01:24,605 --> 00:01:27,245 Speaker 3: She left her children in the care of their babysitter, 24 00:01:27,685 --> 00:01:31,565 Speaker 3: a thirty one year old cousin of hers named Paris Props. 25 00:01:32,165 --> 00:01:34,725 Speaker 3: She and the kids lived in a very rural area. 26 00:01:36,605 --> 00:01:40,885 Speaker 3: The one story home is pretty secluded. There are neighbors around, 27 00:01:41,085 --> 00:01:43,685 Speaker 3: but it's the kind of home where you can't really 28 00:01:43,725 --> 00:01:47,805 Speaker 3: see the neighbors, and it's pretty wild out there. There 29 00:01:47,845 --> 00:01:51,085 Speaker 3: are woods and fields behind the house, and the fields 30 00:01:51,085 --> 00:01:55,325 Speaker 3: are blocked by barbour fences. Shamanique was helping change a 31 00:01:55,405 --> 00:01:58,765 Speaker 3: patient later that evening. She was called to the nurses 32 00:01:58,765 --> 00:02:03,045 Speaker 3: station a little after nine pm, and that's when her 33 00:02:03,125 --> 00:02:07,605 Speaker 3: nightmare began. That's when she found out that three of 34 00:02:07,645 --> 00:02:12,125 Speaker 3: her children, her three middle daughters, nine year old Zayaril 35 00:02:12,245 --> 00:02:16,125 Speaker 3: Robinson Oliver, eight year old of Maya Hughes, and little 36 00:02:16,165 --> 00:02:19,205 Speaker 3: five year old to Mari Robinson Oliver, were all missing. 37 00:02:20,525 --> 00:02:25,765 Speaker 3: Law enforcement found the little girls a few hours later. Unfortunately, though, 38 00:02:26,005 --> 00:02:30,365 Speaker 3: this was not a happy ending. Divers dragged their lifeless 39 00:02:30,365 --> 00:02:35,685 Speaker 3: little bodies out of the neighboring pond. Initially, this was 40 00:02:35,765 --> 00:02:39,325 Speaker 3: described as a drowning in the local media, but months 41 00:02:39,365 --> 00:02:43,085 Speaker 3: later law enforcement in Texas said these three little girls 42 00:02:43,205 --> 00:02:48,165 Speaker 3: had been murdered. The cause of death was exphyxiation. All 43 00:02:48,205 --> 00:02:51,885 Speaker 3: three of these little girls had been strangled. There seemed 44 00:02:51,885 --> 00:02:55,245 Speaker 3: to be a lot of misconceptions about this case. Some 45 00:02:55,325 --> 00:02:58,445 Speaker 3: of them involved local rumors. Some of them involved politics, 46 00:02:58,805 --> 00:03:02,205 Speaker 3: charges of racism, and of police not doing their jobs. 47 00:03:02,925 --> 00:03:06,085 Speaker 3: If you listen to this podcast, you'll know that these 48 00:03:06,125 --> 00:03:08,045 Speaker 3: are a lot of the things that often come with 49 00:03:08,125 --> 00:03:13,085 Speaker 3: investigations in small towns. But once you look past all that, 50 00:03:13,245 --> 00:03:16,125 Speaker 3: at the heart of this case, you have three dead 51 00:03:16,165 --> 00:03:19,285 Speaker 3: little girls whose lives were over before they even started, 52 00:03:19,925 --> 00:03:23,445 Speaker 3: and you have a family and an entire town crying 53 00:03:23,445 --> 00:03:27,485 Speaker 3: out for justice and answers. I said back at the 54 00:03:27,525 --> 00:03:31,325 Speaker 3: beginning that shau Minick's nightmare began on July twenty ninth, 55 00:03:31,365 --> 00:03:32,445 Speaker 3: twenty twenty. 56 00:03:32,165 --> 00:03:34,365 Speaker 1: Two, but she never woke up. 57 00:03:35,085 --> 00:03:39,165 Speaker 3: It's still going on, and in East Texas, there's a 58 00:03:39,285 --> 00:03:43,365 Speaker 3: child killer still out there, and this person could strike 59 00:03:43,405 --> 00:03:48,925 Speaker 3: again at any time. I'm Catherine Townsend. This is Helen 60 00:03:49,005 --> 00:03:53,245 Speaker 3: Gone murder line. Over the past five years of making 61 00:03:53,285 --> 00:03:56,565 Speaker 3: my true crime podcast, Helling Gone, I've learned that there's 62 00:03:56,645 --> 00:03:59,965 Speaker 3: no such thing as a small town where murder never happens. 63 00:04:00,765 --> 00:04:03,725 Speaker 3: I have received hundreds of messages from people from all 64 00:04:03,765 --> 00:04:06,765 Speaker 3: around the country asking for help with an unsolved murder 65 00:04:06,805 --> 00:04:10,965 Speaker 3: that's affected them, their families, and their communities. If you 66 00:04:11,125 --> 00:04:13,165 Speaker 3: have a case you'd like me and my team to 67 00:04:13,245 --> 00:04:15,645 Speaker 3: look into, you can reach out to us at our 68 00:04:15,685 --> 00:04:18,565 Speaker 3: Hell and Gone Murder line at six seven eight seven 69 00:04:18,645 --> 00:04:22,205 Speaker 3: four four, six one four five. That's six seven eight 70 00:04:22,645 --> 00:05:13,085 Speaker 3: seven four four, six, one four or five. So to 71 00:05:13,165 --> 00:05:16,685 Speaker 3: find out what happened to Shamanique's daughters, we have to 72 00:05:16,725 --> 00:05:19,725 Speaker 3: make sense of the timeline. We need to go back 73 00:05:19,765 --> 00:05:22,365 Speaker 3: and find out exactly what was going on and who 74 00:05:22,445 --> 00:05:25,925 Speaker 3: was around that day. In her interview with Nancy Grace, 75 00:05:26,485 --> 00:05:29,645 Speaker 3: Shamnique said that while she was getting dressed and preparing 76 00:05:29,645 --> 00:05:33,565 Speaker 3: for her shift, the kids were behaving totally normally. She 77 00:05:33,685 --> 00:05:35,925 Speaker 3: made sure they had something to eat, and they were 78 00:05:35,965 --> 00:05:41,245 Speaker 3: playing and watching TV, just generally messing around. Shamanique said 79 00:05:41,325 --> 00:05:44,125 Speaker 3: that all of her children were close, but that her 80 00:05:44,165 --> 00:05:48,325 Speaker 3: three middle daughters, Syaril, Amaya, and Tamari were the best 81 00:05:48,325 --> 00:05:51,965 Speaker 3: of friends. They liked to do things that all little 82 00:05:51,965 --> 00:05:54,325 Speaker 3: girls like to do. They like to play outside and 83 00:05:54,405 --> 00:05:57,125 Speaker 3: ride bikes together. They also love to hang out in 84 00:05:57,165 --> 00:06:00,445 Speaker 3: the house and make TikTok videos. In the interview with 85 00:06:00,565 --> 00:06:04,165 Speaker 3: Nancy Grace, Shamanique clarified that the last time that she 86 00:06:04,245 --> 00:06:07,405 Speaker 3: spoke to her children was when she called them, and 87 00:06:07,405 --> 00:06:11,565 Speaker 3: that was sometime between five and six pm. She asked 88 00:06:11,605 --> 00:06:13,685 Speaker 3: them what they were going to do. They said they 89 00:06:13,685 --> 00:06:15,685 Speaker 3: were going to stay in the house and finish eating 90 00:06:15,845 --> 00:06:19,725 Speaker 3: and take a bath. Shamnique was adamant about the fact 91 00:06:19,765 --> 00:06:22,965 Speaker 3: that they would not go outside. She said, quote, they 92 00:06:23,085 --> 00:06:25,205 Speaker 3: know not to go outside when it gets dark because 93 00:06:25,205 --> 00:06:26,205 Speaker 3: there's no lights. 94 00:06:25,965 --> 00:06:28,685 Speaker 1: Outside end quote. 95 00:06:29,085 --> 00:06:31,645 Speaker 3: This is an important point because, at least in the 96 00:06:31,685 --> 00:06:35,605 Speaker 3: beginning of the investigation, everything that came out about these 97 00:06:35,645 --> 00:06:39,325 Speaker 3: little girl's disappearance made it sound like just a horrific accident, 98 00:06:39,965 --> 00:06:42,885 Speaker 3: like the three little girls had gone outside, maybe for 99 00:06:42,925 --> 00:06:46,445 Speaker 3: a summertime swim or something, and then somehow gotten into trouble. 100 00:06:47,045 --> 00:06:49,885 Speaker 3: But Shamnique insists it would have been totally out of 101 00:06:49,965 --> 00:06:52,685 Speaker 3: character for any of her children to go outside in 102 00:06:52,725 --> 00:06:55,885 Speaker 3: the dark to a dark field. She's been saying that 103 00:06:55,965 --> 00:06:59,845 Speaker 3: to anyone who would listen from the very beginning. Shamnique 104 00:06:59,885 --> 00:07:03,845 Speaker 3: said her shift normally ended around ten PM, and her 105 00:07:03,925 --> 00:07:07,165 Speaker 3: normal routine was that after she got off work, she 106 00:07:07,205 --> 00:07:10,285 Speaker 3: would drive from the nursing home from work back to Atlanta, 107 00:07:11,285 --> 00:07:14,245 Speaker 3: and again, just to clarify here, we're talking about a 108 00:07:14,285 --> 00:07:18,805 Speaker 3: small town in Texas, Atlanta, Texas, not Atlanta, Georgia. It 109 00:07:18,885 --> 00:07:22,285 Speaker 3: was only about twenty five minutes away, so normally she 110 00:07:22,285 --> 00:07:25,805 Speaker 3: would have gotten home at around ten thirty pm. But 111 00:07:25,925 --> 00:07:29,845 Speaker 3: that night she got that call, and when the call 112 00:07:29,925 --> 00:07:34,125 Speaker 3: came in, it was from her neighbor's home phone. When 113 00:07:34,125 --> 00:07:37,085 Speaker 3: Shamanique picked up her cousin, Paris, who had been staying 114 00:07:37,085 --> 00:07:38,925 Speaker 3: with her at her house and helping her out with 115 00:07:38,965 --> 00:07:43,365 Speaker 3: babysitting while she worked, told her that her kids were missing. 116 00:07:44,365 --> 00:07:48,125 Speaker 3: Shamanique didn't get many details at that point. She said 117 00:07:48,245 --> 00:07:51,085 Speaker 3: Paris didn't specify which kids were missing or exactly what 118 00:07:51,165 --> 00:07:54,285 Speaker 3: had happened. Once she heard that her kids were missing, 119 00:07:54,365 --> 00:07:57,365 Speaker 3: she jumped in the car and said she started driving fast. 120 00:07:58,325 --> 00:08:01,365 Speaker 3: Shamanique was panicking. She called nine to one one and 121 00:08:01,445 --> 00:08:03,925 Speaker 3: at the same time she was trying to call her aunt, 122 00:08:04,045 --> 00:08:06,725 Speaker 3: who she said live nearby. She was trying to see 123 00:08:06,725 --> 00:08:09,845 Speaker 3: if her aunt could meet her at her house. Shamanique 124 00:08:09,885 --> 00:08:12,405 Speaker 3: said at that point she was terrified. She was trying 125 00:08:12,445 --> 00:08:14,725 Speaker 3: to hold it together, trying to get home as quickly 126 00:08:14,765 --> 00:08:17,325 Speaker 3: as she could, and through it all she really had 127 00:08:17,365 --> 00:08:20,205 Speaker 3: no idea what was going on. She made it sound 128 00:08:20,325 --> 00:08:22,245 Speaker 3: like the next events were kind of a blur. 129 00:08:24,285 --> 00:08:24,645 Speaker 1: Now. 130 00:08:24,725 --> 00:08:27,605 Speaker 3: As we know from listening to this podcast, sometimes when 131 00:08:27,645 --> 00:08:31,325 Speaker 3: people go missing, police don't come right away. Sometimes even 132 00:08:31,365 --> 00:08:34,285 Speaker 3: when small children go missing, there's a delay. But fortunately 133 00:08:34,685 --> 00:08:38,005 Speaker 3: that was not the case here. By the time Schamanique 134 00:08:38,005 --> 00:08:41,725 Speaker 3: made it home, law enforcement was already there on the scene. 135 00:08:41,845 --> 00:08:46,285 Speaker 3: There were rangers from the Texas Wildlife Department, Emergency Services personnel, 136 00:08:46,405 --> 00:08:50,485 Speaker 3: and detectives from the Cass County Sheriff's Department. All of 137 00:08:50,525 --> 00:08:53,725 Speaker 3: these people in law enforcement were scouring those dark woods. 138 00:08:54,205 --> 00:08:58,765 Speaker 3: They were looking everywhere for those little girls. When Shamanique 139 00:08:58,805 --> 00:09:00,845 Speaker 3: got home, the first thing she did was check on 140 00:09:00,885 --> 00:09:04,685 Speaker 3: her three other children, who were fine and safe. The 141 00:09:04,725 --> 00:09:07,765 Speaker 3: Texas Game Warden's got the call at around ten pm. 142 00:09:08,125 --> 00:09:10,685 Speaker 3: They knew there were three children missing from a residence, 143 00:09:11,085 --> 00:09:13,365 Speaker 3: so when they got there, they brought the canine unit 144 00:09:13,405 --> 00:09:18,365 Speaker 3: with them. The dog alerted and started walking through those 145 00:09:18,405 --> 00:09:21,965 Speaker 3: backwoods toward a pond. It was a pond that was 146 00:09:22,005 --> 00:09:25,605 Speaker 3: back through the woods about two hundred yards away near 147 00:09:25,685 --> 00:09:29,485 Speaker 3: a neighboring property. Again, this is where it's so important 148 00:09:29,485 --> 00:09:32,285 Speaker 3: to try and clarify a location. And this is why 149 00:09:32,285 --> 00:09:35,085 Speaker 3: it's so important to understand both the dynamics of the 150 00:09:35,085 --> 00:09:38,485 Speaker 3: small town and of the crime scene, because just hearing 151 00:09:38,485 --> 00:09:41,285 Speaker 3: the details on the news, you might think this was 152 00:09:41,325 --> 00:09:44,325 Speaker 3: a local swimming hole or something. But I took a 153 00:09:44,325 --> 00:09:47,005 Speaker 3: look at the footage that was filmed from local news stations, 154 00:09:47,125 --> 00:09:51,445 Speaker 3: and that footage tells a very different story. Shamannique said 155 00:09:51,605 --> 00:09:54,285 Speaker 3: she had lived in that spot pretty much her whole life, 156 00:09:54,325 --> 00:09:56,245 Speaker 3: and she never knew there was a pond back there. 157 00:09:57,205 --> 00:09:59,125 Speaker 3: To get to it, you had to go through a 158 00:09:59,165 --> 00:10:02,845 Speaker 3: barbed wire fence and through a pretty dense wooded area. 159 00:10:04,085 --> 00:10:06,525 Speaker 3: Looking at the pictures, that looked more like a swamp. 160 00:10:07,405 --> 00:10:10,445 Speaker 3: Schamnique said her kids would not have known about that pond. 161 00:10:11,445 --> 00:10:15,125 Speaker 3: As it got later and later, shal Manique became more 162 00:10:15,165 --> 00:10:17,245 Speaker 3: and more frantic. She was focused on one thing and 163 00:10:17,285 --> 00:10:20,005 Speaker 3: that was finding her daughters. She was out back in 164 00:10:20,045 --> 00:10:23,005 Speaker 3: her yard while law enforcement continued their search, and then 165 00:10:23,725 --> 00:10:26,845 Speaker 3: one of the canine dogs alerted and they saw something 166 00:10:27,605 --> 00:10:31,725 Speaker 3: an overturned bike. In pictures in the news reports, you 167 00:10:31,765 --> 00:10:34,445 Speaker 3: can see that it's a purple kid's bike with pink 168 00:10:34,485 --> 00:10:37,085 Speaker 3: petals next to the bike was what looked like a 169 00:10:37,085 --> 00:10:40,645 Speaker 3: blue scooter kind of tipped over, leaning in on the bike. 170 00:10:42,005 --> 00:10:44,965 Speaker 3: After the dog alerted and the police found the bike, 171 00:10:45,325 --> 00:10:50,285 Speaker 3: they saw something else. The dogs were pulling toward that pond, 172 00:10:50,845 --> 00:10:53,165 Speaker 3: and police saw a pair of tennis shoes next to 173 00:10:53,205 --> 00:10:57,605 Speaker 3: the waterline. Then they saw footprints in the mud leading 174 00:10:57,645 --> 00:11:01,965 Speaker 3: down to the water, and the family confirmed a law 175 00:11:02,045 --> 00:11:05,445 Speaker 3: enforcement that that pair of little tennis shoes belonged to 176 00:11:05,525 --> 00:11:10,125 Speaker 3: Shamanique's five year old daughter Tomory. And there was something 177 00:11:10,125 --> 00:11:13,965 Speaker 3: else that was very strange about those shoes. On Nancy 178 00:11:14,005 --> 00:11:18,605 Speaker 3: Grace Shamanique said, Tomorri's shoes quote were found out there 179 00:11:18,685 --> 00:11:21,845 Speaker 3: stacked on top of each other, Chris Crossway, like you 180 00:11:21,885 --> 00:11:26,685 Speaker 3: would pack them in a suitcase end quote. She said emphatically. 181 00:11:27,005 --> 00:11:28,685 Speaker 3: My kids never do that. 182 00:11:29,125 --> 00:11:29,365 Speaker 1: Never. 183 00:11:31,885 --> 00:11:35,165 Speaker 3: Divers went into the water and then in the early 184 00:11:35,205 --> 00:11:39,085 Speaker 3: morning hours of July thirtieth, at around two am, they 185 00:11:39,205 --> 00:11:45,405 Speaker 3: found Shamanique's eight year old daughter, Amaya. Amaya was the first, 186 00:11:46,005 --> 00:11:50,685 Speaker 3: but unfortunately not the last. In the end, investigators found 187 00:11:50,845 --> 00:11:54,925 Speaker 3: all three girls dead in that pond. They pulled their 188 00:11:54,925 --> 00:11:57,685 Speaker 3: little bodies out of the water one by one and 189 00:11:57,765 --> 00:12:03,965 Speaker 3: sent them for autopsis. After hearing that Amaya's body had 190 00:12:04,005 --> 00:12:07,245 Speaker 3: been found. Shamanique had to be taken to the hospital. 191 00:12:08,485 --> 00:12:11,205 Speaker 3: She later learned that she was having a heart attack. 192 00:12:12,125 --> 00:12:14,525 Speaker 3: She had already had one hard episode after her mother 193 00:12:14,605 --> 00:12:18,485 Speaker 3: died from COVID, and now she had lost three daughters 194 00:12:18,765 --> 00:12:24,565 Speaker 3: in one night. After Shamanique's three daughters were found dead 195 00:12:24,605 --> 00:12:28,925 Speaker 3: in that pond, the story made local news. At first, 196 00:12:29,085 --> 00:12:32,725 Speaker 3: the media reports indicated that these deaths were being investigated 197 00:12:32,765 --> 00:12:37,245 Speaker 3: as a drowning, which, while horrific, is something that made 198 00:12:37,245 --> 00:12:39,925 Speaker 3: it sound like it might have been an unavoidable accident. 199 00:12:40,485 --> 00:12:44,485 Speaker 3: But that's not what happened here. Looking back in hindsight, 200 00:12:44,645 --> 00:12:47,405 Speaker 3: I think that these reports might have come out because 201 00:12:47,405 --> 00:12:49,965 Speaker 3: of some comments made early on by the Cass County 202 00:12:49,965 --> 00:12:54,765 Speaker 3: Sheriff's office. Cass County Sheriff Larry Rowe told a local newspaper, 203 00:12:54,805 --> 00:12:57,925 Speaker 3: The Gazette, quote, we have no idea what the girls 204 00:12:57,925 --> 00:13:01,365 Speaker 3: were doing there end quote. And then a lieutenant game 205 00:13:01,405 --> 00:13:05,325 Speaker 3: Warden named Jason Jones told a local news station KTL 206 00:13:06,045 --> 00:13:08,565 Speaker 3: that it was unknown whether the little girls were swimmers 207 00:13:08,645 --> 00:13:12,765 Speaker 3: or not. There was another comment made by someone in 208 00:13:12,845 --> 00:13:15,405 Speaker 3: law enforcement about none of the little girls having life 209 00:13:15,485 --> 00:13:20,565 Speaker 3: jackets on, so all of those comments taken together definitely, 210 00:13:20,645 --> 00:13:23,725 Speaker 3: in my opinion, led toward the story being reported as 211 00:13:23,725 --> 00:13:28,605 Speaker 3: a drowning, at least initially. Very quickly, this case was 212 00:13:28,645 --> 00:13:32,365 Speaker 3: turned over from the local police department to the Texas Rangers. 213 00:13:33,045 --> 00:13:37,565 Speaker 3: The officer assigned to that case was named Josh Mason. Now, 214 00:13:37,605 --> 00:13:42,565 Speaker 3: the Texas Rangers are unique organization. Officially, they're the Texas 215 00:13:42,565 --> 00:13:45,885 Speaker 3: State law enforcement units. So like Arkansas has the Arkansas 216 00:13:45,925 --> 00:13:49,405 Speaker 3: State Police, in Texas, they're a little bit unique because 217 00:13:49,525 --> 00:13:54,965 Speaker 3: they have the Rangers. The Texas Rangers originally actually defended 218 00:13:55,005 --> 00:13:58,245 Speaker 3: the frontier back in the eighteen hundreds, and they do 219 00:13:58,325 --> 00:14:03,245 Speaker 3: have a complicated and sometimes brutal legacy. Author Doug Swanson 220 00:14:03,285 --> 00:14:06,365 Speaker 3: wrote about the alleged war crimes that the Texas Rangers 221 00:14:06,405 --> 00:14:09,205 Speaker 3: committed back in the day in his book, which is 222 00:14:09,245 --> 00:14:14,205 Speaker 3: called Cult of Glory, and he told NPR that back 223 00:14:14,205 --> 00:14:16,965 Speaker 3: in the day they did murder a lot of Mexicans 224 00:14:16,965 --> 00:14:22,085 Speaker 3: and Mexican Americans and had a strange idea of frontier justice. 225 00:14:22,285 --> 00:14:26,205 Speaker 3: But over the years, the Texas Rangers have modernized. They've 226 00:14:26,245 --> 00:14:29,725 Speaker 3: actually become one of the country's most elite detective units. 227 00:14:30,245 --> 00:14:32,965 Speaker 3: The Texas Rangers have solved a lot of cold cases. 228 00:14:33,685 --> 00:14:36,285 Speaker 3: It was actually a Texas Ranger who got the notorious 229 00:14:36,285 --> 00:14:40,165 Speaker 3: serial killer Samuel Little to confess, but there have also 230 00:14:40,245 --> 00:14:43,565 Speaker 3: been allegations over the years that in some cases they 231 00:14:43,605 --> 00:14:47,765 Speaker 3: have coerce confessions. Samuel Little did confess to a lot 232 00:14:47,805 --> 00:14:50,605 Speaker 3: of murders, but some of those murders were based on 233 00:14:50,765 --> 00:14:54,405 Speaker 3: very little evidence, and a lot of people believe that 234 00:14:54,445 --> 00:14:58,845 Speaker 3: the Rangers let him confess to crimes even when there 235 00:14:58,925 --> 00:15:01,165 Speaker 3: was not necessarily evidence to back it up, because they 236 00:15:01,205 --> 00:15:04,285 Speaker 3: wanted to close those cases. I'm not going to go 237 00:15:04,365 --> 00:15:06,525 Speaker 3: too far into the weeds on them. If you're interested 238 00:15:06,525 --> 00:15:09,245 Speaker 3: in Texas Ranger history, you can see they've had a 239 00:15:09,245 --> 00:15:12,485 Speaker 3: lot of successes and some controversies, just like many law 240 00:15:12,565 --> 00:15:15,885 Speaker 3: enforcement organizations. I'm bringing this up to make the point that, 241 00:15:16,085 --> 00:15:18,765 Speaker 3: unlike some of the cases I cover, this was not 242 00:15:19,045 --> 00:15:21,725 Speaker 3: a case of just some small town police department with 243 00:15:21,805 --> 00:15:25,805 Speaker 3: no resources doing everything themselves. They did do the right thing. 244 00:15:25,885 --> 00:15:28,405 Speaker 3: They called for outside help, they brought in the Rangers. 245 00:15:28,765 --> 00:15:31,525 Speaker 3: The Texas Rangers were there from day one. When those 246 00:15:31,565 --> 00:15:35,885 Speaker 3: bodies were pulled out of the water. On August second, 247 00:15:36,045 --> 00:15:40,365 Speaker 3: the Texas Rangers released a statement they said, quote at 248 00:15:40,365 --> 00:15:43,365 Speaker 3: the request of the cass County Sheriff's Office the Texas 249 00:15:43,445 --> 00:15:46,885 Speaker 3: Rangers are investigating the drowning deaths of the three juveniles, 250 00:15:47,125 --> 00:15:51,285 Speaker 3: ages five, eight, and nine. The drowning occurred July thirtieth, 251 00:15:51,485 --> 00:15:54,765 Speaker 3: around two am at a private pond off State Highway 252 00:15:54,805 --> 00:15:58,405 Speaker 3: seventy seven. The three siblings had been reported missing around 253 00:15:58,445 --> 00:16:02,045 Speaker 3: ten pm the previous night. This is an ongoing investigation 254 00:16:02,285 --> 00:16:07,845 Speaker 3: and additional information will be released when it's available. Police 255 00:16:07,845 --> 00:16:11,165 Speaker 3: did not give out much information, which is totally normal 256 00:16:11,205 --> 00:16:14,725 Speaker 3: in cases like this. And remember this was two days 257 00:16:14,765 --> 00:16:18,565 Speaker 3: after the girl's bodies had been found. And that statement 258 00:16:18,605 --> 00:16:22,925 Speaker 3: did two things. Number one, it reinforced the public perception 259 00:16:23,165 --> 00:16:26,485 Speaker 3: that these had been drownings. And also, I'm noticing, in 260 00:16:26,485 --> 00:16:30,965 Speaker 3: my opinion, the wordings seemed strange. They said the drowning 261 00:16:31,045 --> 00:16:34,445 Speaker 3: occurred rather than saying the bodies were recovered at two am, 262 00:16:34,485 --> 00:16:38,045 Speaker 3: and whether it was on purpose or not, this later 263 00:16:38,165 --> 00:16:42,285 Speaker 3: caused a lot of confusion. This statement seemed to assume 264 00:16:42,445 --> 00:16:44,725 Speaker 3: a cause of death and also a time of death, 265 00:16:45,205 --> 00:16:51,205 Speaker 3: which is not normally standard protocol in these investigations. For 266 00:16:51,285 --> 00:16:55,365 Speaker 3: the next few months, there was basically nothing on the 267 00:16:55,365 --> 00:16:58,605 Speaker 3: news about these deaths. It was not until eight months 268 00:16:58,685 --> 00:17:03,245 Speaker 3: later that the Cass County District Attorney, Courtney Shelton, announced 269 00:17:03,405 --> 00:17:06,845 Speaker 3: that they were investigating the deaths as a high homicide. 270 00:17:07,005 --> 00:17:10,565 Speaker 3: On March twenty ninth, twenty twenty three, Courtney Shelton said 271 00:17:10,605 --> 00:17:14,885 Speaker 3: in a statement, quote autopsy reports concluded the manner of 272 00:17:14,965 --> 00:17:19,285 Speaker 3: death for all three girls with homicide, indicating evidence of strangulation. 273 00:17:20,085 --> 00:17:24,565 Speaker 3: The girls also suffered lacerations to their faces. Multiple witness 274 00:17:24,565 --> 00:17:28,125 Speaker 3: statements have been obtained, DNA testing is ongoing, and the 275 00:17:28,165 --> 00:17:33,485 Speaker 3: investigation will continue end quote. So now everyone knew that 276 00:17:33,645 --> 00:17:37,285 Speaker 3: three young girls had been strangled and put into that pond. 277 00:17:37,965 --> 00:17:42,165 Speaker 3: The rangers were now investigating the case as a homicide, 278 00:17:42,205 --> 00:17:48,125 Speaker 3: and there was a child killer on the loose in Atlanta, Texas. 279 00:17:49,565 --> 00:17:52,245 Speaker 3: It had been eight months since the all of her sisters' 280 00:17:52,245 --> 00:17:55,725 Speaker 3: bodies were found in a pond. The district attorney had 281 00:17:55,765 --> 00:17:59,045 Speaker 3: announced that the girls had not drowned, as everyone initially 282 00:17:59,085 --> 00:18:03,245 Speaker 3: thought that their deaths were being investigated as homicides, and 283 00:18:03,365 --> 00:18:07,805 Speaker 3: after months of silence, Shone Monique started speaking out. She 284 00:18:07,965 --> 00:18:10,885 Speaker 3: told The Daily Beast that strangers on social media had 285 00:18:10,925 --> 00:18:14,245 Speaker 3: put horribly abusive things. They were writing that she was 286 00:18:14,285 --> 00:18:16,725 Speaker 3: a deadbeat mom. Some of them writing that her kids 287 00:18:16,725 --> 00:18:20,085 Speaker 3: were better off dead. I think at this point a 288 00:18:20,165 --> 00:18:23,885 Speaker 3: lot of people were wondering why she had been silent 289 00:18:23,925 --> 00:18:27,605 Speaker 3: all this time, But it turned out according to Shamanique, 290 00:18:27,725 --> 00:18:31,445 Speaker 3: she told The Daily Beast she suspected foul play from 291 00:18:31,445 --> 00:18:35,125 Speaker 3: the jump. She also said, quote fuck everyone else's feelings, 292 00:18:35,485 --> 00:18:39,845 Speaker 3: I want answers end quote. She wondered, just like everyone 293 00:18:39,885 --> 00:18:43,645 Speaker 3: else did, why investigators had waited so long to tell 294 00:18:43,685 --> 00:18:47,525 Speaker 3: the public about these homicides. It's possible that they held 295 00:18:47,525 --> 00:18:50,245 Speaker 3: information back in the beginning because they were focusing on 296 00:18:50,365 --> 00:18:53,525 Speaker 3: a suspect, trying to make a case against someone, and 297 00:18:53,565 --> 00:18:56,125 Speaker 3: then after several months, maybe they hit a dead end. 298 00:18:57,165 --> 00:18:58,965 Speaker 3: Maybe they thought that they were going to get more 299 00:18:59,045 --> 00:19:01,845 Speaker 3: DNA or other types of physical evidence from the pond, 300 00:19:02,125 --> 00:19:05,125 Speaker 3: and because the little girl's bodies had been there for 301 00:19:05,165 --> 00:19:09,165 Speaker 3: several hours, they weren't able to. This is all just speculation, 302 00:19:10,045 --> 00:19:12,445 Speaker 3: but the bottom line is that there had been months 303 00:19:12,485 --> 00:19:16,285 Speaker 3: with no arrest, months where a child killer was on 304 00:19:16,325 --> 00:19:22,205 Speaker 3: the loose and the public was totally unaware. At the 305 00:19:22,325 --> 00:19:26,005 Speaker 3: end of the press release, the district Attorney asked anyone 306 00:19:26,085 --> 00:19:28,325 Speaker 3: with new information that would help lead to an arrest 307 00:19:28,405 --> 00:19:32,605 Speaker 3: to contact the Texas rangers. So to me, the fact 308 00:19:32,605 --> 00:19:34,805 Speaker 3: that the DA issued this press release and that the 309 00:19:34,845 --> 00:19:37,805 Speaker 3: police made a point of asking the public for information 310 00:19:38,885 --> 00:19:41,765 Speaker 3: means that somewhere there is a missing piece and they 311 00:19:41,885 --> 00:19:45,565 Speaker 3: know someone knows something. So now that we know that 312 00:19:45,605 --> 00:19:47,765 Speaker 3: those little girls did not walk out of that house 313 00:19:47,805 --> 00:19:51,285 Speaker 3: into that pond by themselves, we know that the crime 314 00:19:51,445 --> 00:19:55,685 Speaker 3: could have begun somewhere else, possibly inside the home. So 315 00:19:55,845 --> 00:20:00,605 Speaker 3: what could have happened inside that one story house. Let's 316 00:20:00,645 --> 00:20:03,245 Speaker 3: go back again to the night that the kids went missing, 317 00:20:03,645 --> 00:20:07,685 Speaker 3: July twenty ninth. Ana is at work, she's changing a patient. 318 00:20:07,765 --> 00:20:10,125 Speaker 3: She goes to the nursing station. She gets a call 319 00:20:10,205 --> 00:20:13,325 Speaker 3: from her cousin Paris. And now I'm just going to 320 00:20:13,365 --> 00:20:16,445 Speaker 3: point out something else that she told Nancy Grace, because 321 00:20:16,485 --> 00:20:20,725 Speaker 3: it seemed like even at this point, she wonders why 322 00:20:20,765 --> 00:20:24,565 Speaker 3: he's just now letting her know about this. She also 323 00:20:24,725 --> 00:20:28,405 Speaker 3: wondered why he was calling her from the neighbor's house, 324 00:20:28,485 --> 00:20:30,125 Speaker 3: why he hadn't first called. 325 00:20:29,925 --> 00:20:31,405 Speaker 1: Nine to one to one. 326 00:20:31,565 --> 00:20:34,165 Speaker 3: On July twenty ninth, according to the historical data I 327 00:20:34,205 --> 00:20:38,565 Speaker 3: found on the internet, on that date in Texarcana, sunset 328 00:20:38,605 --> 00:20:41,645 Speaker 3: was at eight eighteen pm. Remember this is the middle 329 00:20:41,685 --> 00:20:44,085 Speaker 3: of the summer, so it didn't get fully dark until 330 00:20:44,125 --> 00:20:48,365 Speaker 3: about thirty minutes after that. Still, it raises red flags 331 00:20:48,365 --> 00:20:51,485 Speaker 3: for me that a babysitter in a small house didn't 332 00:20:51,525 --> 00:20:56,805 Speaker 3: notice three kids were missing until after dark. Later, a 333 00:20:56,845 --> 00:21:00,565 Speaker 3: local news station interviewed a neighbor, a woman named Josephine Webster. 334 00:21:01,445 --> 00:21:05,085 Speaker 3: She told this local news station KTLA that the guy 335 00:21:05,125 --> 00:21:08,445 Speaker 3: presents summably, meaning Paris, who was staying in Shamanique's house, 336 00:21:09,125 --> 00:21:12,085 Speaker 3: came over and asked her for her house phone. So 337 00:21:13,085 --> 00:21:15,445 Speaker 3: I'm wondering the same thing that it sounds like sham 338 00:21:15,445 --> 00:21:18,805 Speaker 3: Minique was why did he get the neighbor to call 339 00:21:18,885 --> 00:21:20,845 Speaker 3: nine one one? Did he not have a cell phone? 340 00:21:21,165 --> 00:21:23,365 Speaker 3: Because the first thing that I would have done if 341 00:21:23,365 --> 00:21:26,965 Speaker 3: I was babysitting and someone's children were missing was call 342 00:21:27,045 --> 00:21:30,405 Speaker 3: their mom right that second. By the way, Josephine said 343 00:21:30,525 --> 00:21:32,885 Speaker 3: she was driving home at around nine point thirty when 344 00:21:32,925 --> 00:21:36,485 Speaker 3: she saw Paris. Now, remember, Shamanique said she got the 345 00:21:36,525 --> 00:21:37,725 Speaker 3: call a little after. 346 00:21:37,565 --> 00:21:38,285 Speaker 1: Nine p m. 347 00:21:38,805 --> 00:21:40,925 Speaker 3: Just a few minutes time difference, But as we know, 348 00:21:41,085 --> 00:21:45,085 Speaker 3: in cases like this, those few minutes, those tiny details 349 00:21:45,205 --> 00:21:49,285 Speaker 3: can be crucial. There are some indications that very early 350 00:21:49,325 --> 00:21:52,005 Speaker 3: on in the investigation. Police were asking some of the 351 00:21:52,045 --> 00:21:56,165 Speaker 3: same questions that Shamanique was, and that rather than focusing 352 00:21:56,365 --> 00:21:59,565 Speaker 3: on sex offenders who were passing through the area, they 353 00:21:59,685 --> 00:22:04,605 Speaker 3: might be focusing on someone much closer to home. Shamanique 354 00:22:04,605 --> 00:22:07,405 Speaker 3: gave Nancy Gray some more details that I believe could 355 00:22:07,405 --> 00:22:10,885 Speaker 3: be crucial to this case. She said that right after 356 00:22:10,885 --> 00:22:13,525 Speaker 3: the authorities told her they found her little eight year 357 00:22:13,565 --> 00:22:18,525 Speaker 3: old Amaya's body, she saw something else. She said that 358 00:22:18,565 --> 00:22:23,325 Speaker 3: the divers pulled some tangled clothes out of the pond. Later, 359 00:22:23,645 --> 00:22:27,485 Speaker 3: investigators showed her photos of what they found. She recognized 360 00:22:27,485 --> 00:22:31,285 Speaker 3: that clothing as jackets that belonged to her children. But 361 00:22:31,325 --> 00:22:35,405 Speaker 3: the strange thing was, according to Shamanique, these jackets were 362 00:22:35,645 --> 00:22:38,325 Speaker 3: ones that her kids had outgrown. She said they had 363 00:22:38,325 --> 00:22:41,845 Speaker 3: thrown them into the trash at home. This again raises 364 00:22:41,885 --> 00:22:45,485 Speaker 3: a huge red flag because that suggests that someone else, 365 00:22:45,645 --> 00:22:48,845 Speaker 3: probably the killer, had been inside the house because someone 366 00:22:48,885 --> 00:22:51,285 Speaker 3: had to fish those jackets out of the trash. I 367 00:22:51,325 --> 00:22:53,245 Speaker 3: don't think that's something the little girls would have done 368 00:22:53,245 --> 00:22:56,845 Speaker 3: on their own. Shamanique said something else that was chilling 369 00:22:56,885 --> 00:23:00,845 Speaker 3: to me. She said the jackets were quote tied together 370 00:23:01,205 --> 00:23:02,845 Speaker 3: like a rope end quote. 371 00:23:04,405 --> 00:23:06,045 Speaker 1: This is getting really dark. 372 00:23:06,205 --> 00:23:08,525 Speaker 3: But this is unfortunately where my mind has to go 373 00:23:08,645 --> 00:23:10,485 Speaker 3: to try and figure out what happened those little girls. 374 00:23:11,405 --> 00:23:14,885 Speaker 3: What were those jackets for? Were they put there to 375 00:23:15,005 --> 00:23:17,765 Speaker 3: tie the girls up, or to tie them together so 376 00:23:17,845 --> 00:23:22,005 Speaker 3: their bodies would sink? Or did whatever bad thing happen 377 00:23:22,045 --> 00:23:25,045 Speaker 3: to them happen first in the house and then somehow 378 00:23:25,405 --> 00:23:28,005 Speaker 3: the killer dragged the bodies out to the pond using 379 00:23:28,005 --> 00:23:34,165 Speaker 3: those jackets. The Cass County DA's press release referred to 380 00:23:34,205 --> 00:23:37,325 Speaker 3: the fact that the little girl's injuries were much more 381 00:23:37,365 --> 00:23:42,645 Speaker 3: extensive than had been initially reported. Local news stations had 382 00:23:42,685 --> 00:23:46,205 Speaker 3: reported that the little girl's spaces were bruised and that 383 00:23:46,245 --> 00:23:49,765 Speaker 3: they had lacerations on their faces, deep cuts and bruises. 384 00:23:51,405 --> 00:23:56,285 Speaker 3: Shamanique gave Nancy Grace more disturbing details. She said that 385 00:23:56,405 --> 00:24:01,405 Speaker 3: investigators had showed her photos of her daughter's bodies. Shamanique 386 00:24:01,405 --> 00:24:05,125 Speaker 3: said that Tamari had what she described as a busted lip, 387 00:24:06,005 --> 00:24:09,525 Speaker 3: but that her nine year old had extensive injuries and 388 00:24:09,565 --> 00:24:12,725 Speaker 3: were not just talking about a few cuts. She said 389 00:24:12,725 --> 00:24:16,405 Speaker 3: that they, presumably meaning the people who prepared her daughter 390 00:24:16,445 --> 00:24:20,965 Speaker 3: for burial, had to quote reconstruct one side of her face. 391 00:24:21,725 --> 00:24:24,045 Speaker 3: It looked like she took a beating on one side 392 00:24:24,085 --> 00:24:30,805 Speaker 3: of her face and it pulled her skin off end quote. 393 00:24:31,245 --> 00:24:35,045 Speaker 3: When the investigators talked to Shamanique, they also broke the 394 00:24:35,205 --> 00:24:38,525 Speaker 3: devastating news to her that they believed that all three 395 00:24:38,645 --> 00:24:43,285 Speaker 3: of her girls had been molested. Now, at this point, 396 00:24:43,325 --> 00:24:46,325 Speaker 3: a lot of people wondered why it took so long 397 00:24:46,365 --> 00:24:50,325 Speaker 3: to release autopsy results. There was some confusion here, and 398 00:24:50,365 --> 00:24:53,445 Speaker 3: I think it's really important to differentiate between what was 399 00:24:53,485 --> 00:24:56,445 Speaker 3: being told to the family and what was being made public. 400 00:24:57,405 --> 00:25:00,165 Speaker 3: Revolt Black News Weekly has been doing a lot of 401 00:25:00,205 --> 00:25:04,885 Speaker 3: reporting on this case. Urbienne said they contacted the cass 402 00:25:04,925 --> 00:25:08,525 Speaker 3: County DA office. They said that they were told the 403 00:25:08,565 --> 00:25:12,205 Speaker 3: autopsy had been delayed, but then when the press release 404 00:25:12,285 --> 00:25:15,685 Speaker 3: came out, it made it clear that authorities had known 405 00:25:15,805 --> 00:25:18,325 Speaker 3: from the beginning that homicide was the cause of death, 406 00:25:18,365 --> 00:25:20,965 Speaker 3: that they never thought this was some kind of accidental drowning. 407 00:25:22,045 --> 00:25:25,565 Speaker 3: Rolling Stone reached out to the District Attorney's office and 408 00:25:25,645 --> 00:25:29,725 Speaker 3: the DA. Courtney Shelton clarified a few things for Rolling Stone, 409 00:25:29,845 --> 00:25:34,485 Speaker 3: including the timeline. Courtney Shelton said that at least since 410 00:25:34,605 --> 00:25:38,045 Speaker 3: early August of twenty twenty two, just a few days 411 00:25:38,125 --> 00:25:40,565 Speaker 3: after the little girl's bodies were pulled out of that pond. 412 00:25:41,165 --> 00:25:44,325 Speaker 3: The DA's office had the autopsy results, and they knew 413 00:25:44,365 --> 00:25:48,405 Speaker 3: this had been a homicide. She said that investigators had 414 00:25:48,445 --> 00:25:51,285 Speaker 3: told Shamanique that it was a homicide from the beginning too. 415 00:25:52,645 --> 00:25:56,605 Speaker 3: Courtney Shelton said that on August fourth, Josh Mason, the 416 00:25:56,645 --> 00:26:00,725 Speaker 3: Texas ranger in charge of the investigation quote, met with 417 00:26:00,765 --> 00:26:03,405 Speaker 3: Shamanique Oliver, the mother of the children, and her father 418 00:26:03,805 --> 00:26:06,485 Speaker 3: and notified them that the deaths of all three children 419 00:26:06,645 --> 00:26:10,805 Speaker 3: were not accidents. Anne provided both of them with details 420 00:26:10,845 --> 00:26:14,285 Speaker 3: from the preliminary autopsy report, stating that the cause of 421 00:26:14,325 --> 00:26:19,325 Speaker 3: death was homicide end quote. Police got a lot of 422 00:26:19,365 --> 00:26:22,365 Speaker 3: criticism after that press release because a lot of people 423 00:26:22,405 --> 00:26:24,845 Speaker 3: wondered why it took them so long to make their 424 00:26:24,845 --> 00:26:28,085 Speaker 3: manner of death public and failed to warn the community 425 00:26:28,125 --> 00:26:31,005 Speaker 3: that there was a dangerous sexual predator and a child 426 00:26:31,125 --> 00:26:35,045 Speaker 3: killer at large, and a lot of people, including Shamanique 427 00:26:35,045 --> 00:26:38,485 Speaker 3: and the local Black Panther chapter, wondered if the investigation 428 00:26:38,645 --> 00:26:42,205 Speaker 3: would have unfolded differently if police were investigating the death 429 00:26:42,285 --> 00:26:48,645 Speaker 3: of three little white girls. Let's go back again. Let's 430 00:26:48,685 --> 00:26:51,325 Speaker 3: look at the victim's pattern of life and start with 431 00:26:51,365 --> 00:26:55,165 Speaker 3: the last people to see these little girls. We cannot 432 00:26:55,245 --> 00:26:58,205 Speaker 3: overlook the fact that these children were being looked after 433 00:26:58,285 --> 00:27:02,725 Speaker 3: by Paris Props. Paris was Shamanique's cousin. Her mother and 434 00:27:02,765 --> 00:27:07,245 Speaker 3: Paris's mother are sisters. Is a male cousin in his 435 00:27:07,325 --> 00:27:10,925 Speaker 3: early thirties. Shamanique said he had been staying with her 436 00:27:10,965 --> 00:27:15,045 Speaker 3: at her house and regularly babysite the children. Now, Shamanique 437 00:27:15,045 --> 00:27:18,245 Speaker 3: told urbn she had never had a problem with Paris 438 00:27:18,245 --> 00:27:22,045 Speaker 3: before when he was babysitting kids. But she also shared 439 00:27:22,125 --> 00:27:26,165 Speaker 3: something else that I found shocking, something she later repeated 440 00:27:26,205 --> 00:27:29,405 Speaker 3: to Nancy Grace. She said that her four year old 441 00:27:29,485 --> 00:27:33,805 Speaker 3: daughter told her and told police that her three sisters 442 00:27:33,925 --> 00:27:38,285 Speaker 3: walked into the woods with Paris Props. Yet, Shamanique said 443 00:27:38,325 --> 00:27:40,765 Speaker 3: police talk to Paris the day after the girls went 444 00:27:40,805 --> 00:27:45,165 Speaker 3: missing and never questioned him again. Now, I'm just being 445 00:27:45,205 --> 00:27:48,325 Speaker 3: logical here. I'm not trying to imply anything. I'm literally 446 00:27:48,365 --> 00:27:53,445 Speaker 3: just following the investigation's logical threat. We know that investigators 447 00:27:53,525 --> 00:27:56,925 Speaker 3: told Shamanique that they believed her daughters had been molested, 448 00:27:57,325 --> 00:27:59,685 Speaker 3: and we know that children are much more likely to 449 00:27:59,685 --> 00:28:02,445 Speaker 3: be molested by someone they know or by relative than 450 00:28:02,485 --> 00:28:07,045 Speaker 3: a stranger. So any mail, whether they were relative or not, 451 00:28:07,165 --> 00:28:09,925 Speaker 3: any male who was staying in that home with those 452 00:28:10,045 --> 00:28:13,645 Speaker 3: children would need to be closely looked at by law enforcement. 453 00:28:14,725 --> 00:28:17,365 Speaker 3: So let's take a closer look at Paris Props, because 454 00:28:17,365 --> 00:28:20,925 Speaker 3: there's been very little said about him. Most news reports 455 00:28:20,925 --> 00:28:24,165 Speaker 3: don't mention his name. There weren't any other males there 456 00:28:24,205 --> 00:28:27,205 Speaker 3: that night. We don't know a lot about the children's fathers, 457 00:28:28,045 --> 00:28:31,085 Speaker 3: but Shaminique has said that she was a single mom 458 00:28:31,325 --> 00:28:34,045 Speaker 3: and that the children's fathers had no contact with her 459 00:28:34,205 --> 00:28:38,765 Speaker 3: or with their children. I don't know if Chamanique was 460 00:28:38,925 --> 00:28:44,205 Speaker 3: ever suspicious of her cousin Paris, but it definitely seems 461 00:28:44,445 --> 00:28:47,725 Speaker 3: like by what she said publicly. Once the Texas Rangers 462 00:28:47,765 --> 00:28:50,005 Speaker 3: talked to her and her father, once they laid out 463 00:28:50,045 --> 00:28:53,085 Speaker 3: the case for her in early August, it seems clear 464 00:28:53,725 --> 00:28:57,925 Speaker 3: that something changed her mind. We don't know exactly what 465 00:28:57,965 --> 00:29:01,085 Speaker 3: the rangers told her, but we do know that after 466 00:29:01,125 --> 00:29:05,005 Speaker 3: they told Shamanique what they believed was going on, she 467 00:29:05,125 --> 00:29:08,525 Speaker 3: tried to run out the door. She said she remembers 468 00:29:08,605 --> 00:29:10,805 Speaker 3: thinking she was going to go out and hurt her cousin, 469 00:29:10,925 --> 00:29:15,725 Speaker 3: meaning Paris. Shamanique also had said something else that's crucial. 470 00:29:15,765 --> 00:29:19,245 Speaker 3: She said Paris has not been cooperative with the investigation. 471 00:29:19,845 --> 00:29:22,285 Speaker 3: She said Paris has not talked to her about it, 472 00:29:22,445 --> 00:29:24,685 Speaker 3: and that he moved out of her house and went 473 00:29:24,725 --> 00:29:28,645 Speaker 3: to live with his mom, Lemisha. She said he won't 474 00:29:28,645 --> 00:29:31,525 Speaker 3: talk to her and he won't talk to the police. 475 00:29:31,925 --> 00:29:35,725 Speaker 3: Neither Paris nor his mother have spoken publicly about this, 476 00:29:35,965 --> 00:29:39,045 Speaker 3: but if you look through his mother's social media, it's 477 00:29:39,165 --> 00:29:41,805 Speaker 3: obvious that she and her son have had issues before 478 00:29:41,845 --> 00:29:46,565 Speaker 3: with law enforcement. Back in twenty twenty one, Lemisha Paris's 479 00:29:46,605 --> 00:29:50,085 Speaker 3: mom was posting comments on Facebook that are public comments, 480 00:29:50,485 --> 00:29:53,045 Speaker 3: and she was talking about an incident in which she 481 00:29:53,205 --> 00:29:56,085 Speaker 3: referred to Paris having an altercation with the police and 482 00:29:56,125 --> 00:29:59,845 Speaker 3: getting his teeth knocked out. His mom said they meaning 483 00:29:59,925 --> 00:30:04,045 Speaker 3: the police hid Paris in another county, and she talks 484 00:30:04,085 --> 00:30:07,965 Speaker 3: about wanting to follow a lawsity against police. My source, 485 00:30:08,245 --> 00:30:11,805 Speaker 3: the person who called into this podcast to tell me 486 00:30:11,805 --> 00:30:15,045 Speaker 3: about the case, said that he believed that Paris had 487 00:30:15,085 --> 00:30:18,045 Speaker 3: filed a lawsuit against police. But I've been looking through 488 00:30:18,085 --> 00:30:20,325 Speaker 3: court records and I haven't found any record of that, 489 00:30:20,525 --> 00:30:22,725 Speaker 3: so I don't know if the suit was ever filed, 490 00:30:22,845 --> 00:30:25,685 Speaker 3: or if it's something they thought about doing. His mom's 491 00:30:25,725 --> 00:30:28,365 Speaker 3: comments just seemed to indicate they were looking for a lawyer, 492 00:30:28,485 --> 00:30:33,445 Speaker 3: but they hadn't found one yet. Shamanique said that since 493 00:30:34,125 --> 00:30:37,805 Speaker 3: Paris me back with his mother, that his mother and 494 00:30:38,085 --> 00:30:40,605 Speaker 3: he are both actively trying to keep a police away 495 00:30:40,645 --> 00:30:45,485 Speaker 3: and they are not talking. Paris does have a criminal record. 496 00:30:45,925 --> 00:30:49,005 Speaker 3: I found some gun charges and drug charges. They were 497 00:30:49,085 --> 00:30:52,405 Speaker 3: mainly for small amounts of marijuana, meaning less than two ounces, 498 00:30:53,045 --> 00:30:55,565 Speaker 3: And of course I must point out none of these 499 00:30:55,605 --> 00:30:59,245 Speaker 3: things indicate that he's a murderer. Obviously, everyone is innocent 500 00:30:59,285 --> 00:31:03,925 Speaker 3: until proven guilty. I'm just trying to understand Paris and 501 00:31:03,965 --> 00:31:06,725 Speaker 3: the family dynamics since they're there's been so little reporting 502 00:31:06,725 --> 00:31:10,045 Speaker 3: out there about it. Paris did have a brother named 503 00:31:10,085 --> 00:31:15,085 Speaker 3: Kevin Shepherd, and Kevin Shepherd is a convicted killer. Again, 504 00:31:15,285 --> 00:31:17,445 Speaker 3: I'm not going to go too far into the details 505 00:31:17,485 --> 00:31:20,965 Speaker 3: on Kevin's case, because, of course, anyone's family members crimes 506 00:31:21,365 --> 00:31:24,765 Speaker 3: are not a reflection of them. It's a completely separate issue. 507 00:31:25,045 --> 00:31:30,205 Speaker 3: But I think it's important because it might explain a 508 00:31:30,405 --> 00:31:32,565 Speaker 3: why Paris might not want to talk to the police 509 00:31:32,645 --> 00:31:35,765 Speaker 3: and beat. Some of his mother, Lasha's comments on social 510 00:31:35,845 --> 00:31:40,725 Speaker 3: media and her general attitude towards law enforcement. In twenty 511 00:31:40,805 --> 00:31:45,445 Speaker 3: twenty two, Paris's brother, Kevin Shepherd, got life in prison 512 00:31:45,645 --> 00:31:48,885 Speaker 3: for killing Donny Coombs and Cynthia Arnold, a couple who 513 00:31:48,885 --> 00:31:53,165 Speaker 3: went missing in September of twenty eighteen. Cynthia was a 514 00:31:53,245 --> 00:31:56,045 Speaker 3: mother who, at the age of forty, had a run 515 00:31:56,045 --> 00:31:58,405 Speaker 3: of bad luck. She lost her job, she got a divorce, 516 00:31:58,925 --> 00:32:02,125 Speaker 3: and she started getting into methamphetamines. That's when she met 517 00:32:02,125 --> 00:32:06,165 Speaker 3: her boyfriend Donnie Coombs. He was also into drugs. In 518 00:32:06,205 --> 00:32:09,925 Speaker 3: September of twenty eighteen, a sheriff's office investigator in a 519 00:32:09,925 --> 00:32:13,365 Speaker 3: neighboring county, Marion County, said that she responded to a 520 00:32:13,405 --> 00:32:15,965 Speaker 3: call and found a burning red truck on a remote 521 00:32:15,965 --> 00:32:19,525 Speaker 3: county road. By the time the flames had been extinguished, 522 00:32:19,925 --> 00:32:23,005 Speaker 3: that fire had burned so hot the truck rims had 523 00:32:23,045 --> 00:32:26,845 Speaker 3: melted to the road. That truck belonged to Kevin Shepherd. 524 00:32:27,485 --> 00:32:32,645 Speaker 3: Inside the truck, police found the bodies of Donnie and Cynthia. 525 00:32:32,925 --> 00:32:36,565 Speaker 3: When this first happened, it seemed like the police had 526 00:32:36,645 --> 00:32:40,125 Speaker 3: suspicions that Kevin might have been involved, but they didn't 527 00:32:40,165 --> 00:32:43,525 Speaker 3: have enough evidence until an eyewitness came forward in twenty nineteen. 528 00:32:44,365 --> 00:32:46,525 Speaker 3: This witness said she was hanging out with Kevin in 529 00:32:46,605 --> 00:32:49,845 Speaker 3: late September of twenty eighteen. She said Kevin took her 530 00:32:49,885 --> 00:32:53,725 Speaker 3: to an area with no running water or electricity. Donnie 531 00:32:53,765 --> 00:32:57,685 Speaker 3: and Cynthia were there too, and this person said that 532 00:32:57,765 --> 00:33:01,045 Speaker 3: all of them were doing drugs. Then she said she 533 00:33:01,245 --> 00:33:05,725 Speaker 3: was horrified when Kevin basically said watch this, and then, 534 00:33:05,805 --> 00:33:09,605 Speaker 3: according to this witness, Kevin shot both victims in the 535 00:33:09,645 --> 00:33:13,485 Speaker 3: head and then dragged their bodies to a fire pit 536 00:33:13,685 --> 00:33:17,565 Speaker 3: and burned them. The FBI and local law enforcement went 537 00:33:17,605 --> 00:33:20,485 Speaker 3: to that location. They checked the fire pit and they 538 00:33:20,485 --> 00:33:24,365 Speaker 3: found traces of human bone. Kevin got life without the 539 00:33:24,405 --> 00:33:28,485 Speaker 3: possibility of parole. He's currently behind bars serving out his sentence, 540 00:33:29,285 --> 00:33:32,565 Speaker 3: and prosecutors said the motive in that case was the 541 00:33:32,645 --> 00:33:36,045 Speaker 3: fact that Donnie, one of the victims, was supposedly going 542 00:33:36,085 --> 00:33:39,205 Speaker 3: to testify against Kevin's uncle, a man named Gary Shepherd, 543 00:33:39,245 --> 00:33:43,125 Speaker 3: in a felony theft case. Gary is also facing charges, 544 00:33:43,205 --> 00:33:47,765 Speaker 3: but his trial has not started yet. According to KSLA, 545 00:33:48,525 --> 00:33:52,445 Speaker 3: when Lemisha Parris's mother was asked about the jury's decision, 546 00:33:53,125 --> 00:33:55,725 Speaker 3: she said, quote, I kind of figured it was going 547 00:33:55,765 --> 00:33:58,085 Speaker 3: to go this way because we live in Cass County, 548 00:33:58,405 --> 00:33:59,525 Speaker 3: and that's how they operate. 549 00:34:00,285 --> 00:34:03,165 Speaker 1: End quote. Lemisia said that the. 550 00:34:03,125 --> 00:34:07,165 Speaker 3: Family planned to appeal the jury's verdict. I've not spoken 551 00:34:07,205 --> 00:34:12,925 Speaker 3: to Lemesha or to Paris, and obviously anyone has the 552 00:34:13,045 --> 00:34:15,885 Speaker 3: right to not speak to police without an attorney. In fact, 553 00:34:15,885 --> 00:34:18,645 Speaker 3: that's what I would advise most people to do. But 554 00:34:19,445 --> 00:34:21,565 Speaker 3: I can say that it's a red flag to me 555 00:34:21,845 --> 00:34:25,805 Speaker 3: that Lemisha seems to put all the blame on law enforcement. 556 00:34:27,005 --> 00:34:30,045 Speaker 3: I was looking through criminal records and I found something 557 00:34:30,085 --> 00:34:33,005 Speaker 3: else that I thought was interesting in Paris's criminal record. 558 00:34:33,765 --> 00:34:36,845 Speaker 3: In another case, he pleaded guilty to possession of a 559 00:34:36,925 --> 00:34:41,045 Speaker 3: dangerous drug called Gaba pinton. It's an anti epilepsy drug, 560 00:34:41,245 --> 00:34:44,365 Speaker 3: but it's a drug that has been used in some 561 00:34:44,565 --> 00:34:48,485 Speaker 3: cases as a date rape drug. So obviously my mind 562 00:34:48,525 --> 00:34:51,125 Speaker 3: goes back to that dark place, back to that house, 563 00:34:51,245 --> 00:34:54,165 Speaker 3: into the dark things that could have happened there. If 564 00:34:54,165 --> 00:34:56,725 Speaker 3: the house was the real crime scene and the bike 565 00:34:56,965 --> 00:35:00,245 Speaker 3: was put by the pond to stage something, then we 566 00:35:00,365 --> 00:35:03,685 Speaker 3: have to ask ourselves. Could the killer have tried to 567 00:35:03,725 --> 00:35:06,925 Speaker 3: put the girls to sleep? Was one of them more 568 00:35:07,005 --> 00:35:09,525 Speaker 3: badly injured than the others because she tried to wake 569 00:35:09,645 --> 00:35:15,765 Speaker 3: up and intervene. Remember Josephine, the neighbor who the local 570 00:35:15,765 --> 00:35:19,845 Speaker 3: news station talked to. The reporter who interviewed her, Rading 571 00:35:19,965 --> 00:35:24,885 Speaker 3: Edwards really seemed to care deeply about this case. Radin said, quote, 572 00:35:25,085 --> 00:35:26,725 Speaker 3: I would like to see it come to an end. 573 00:35:27,005 --> 00:35:30,325 Speaker 3: Somebody needs to go to jail for this end quote. 574 00:35:30,845 --> 00:35:32,605 Speaker 1: We see this story over and over. 575 00:35:32,765 --> 00:35:36,405 Speaker 3: The news organization contacts law enforcement, they ask for a comment. 576 00:35:36,965 --> 00:35:39,645 Speaker 3: Law enforcement says we're not giving out any details, and 577 00:35:39,765 --> 00:35:41,605 Speaker 3: often the news reports stopped there. 578 00:35:42,325 --> 00:35:43,045 Speaker 1: But in this. 579 00:35:42,965 --> 00:35:44,685 Speaker 3: Case, the reporters did a good thing. 580 00:35:44,845 --> 00:35:46,165 Speaker 1: They went that extra step. 581 00:35:46,205 --> 00:35:49,325 Speaker 3: They drove out to that area and they obviously started 582 00:35:49,365 --> 00:35:53,605 Speaker 3: canvassing and knocking on doors. That's when Raydin interviewed Josephine, 583 00:35:53,685 --> 00:35:57,925 Speaker 3: the neighbor. Josephine confirmed what had already been reported on 584 00:35:57,965 --> 00:36:01,325 Speaker 3: the news. She talked about Paris coming to her house 585 00:36:01,525 --> 00:36:06,685 Speaker 3: using her phone and calling Shamanique, and then she added 586 00:36:06,805 --> 00:36:10,845 Speaker 3: another crucial detail, one that threw a lot more shade 587 00:36:10,885 --> 00:36:15,365 Speaker 3: on Paris props. Josephine told the news channel quote, he 588 00:36:15,565 --> 00:36:18,405 Speaker 3: was wet, and I noticed that it looked like all 589 00:36:18,445 --> 00:36:21,525 Speaker 3: the way down, not sweat, it looked like water. 590 00:36:22,085 --> 00:36:24,365 Speaker 1: End quote. 591 00:36:25,045 --> 00:36:28,685 Speaker 3: So this, I have to say, blows my mind. The 592 00:36:28,805 --> 00:36:30,965 Speaker 3: sores who have been talking to about the case. The 593 00:36:30,965 --> 00:36:34,205 Speaker 3: one who called the podcast says that Shamanique is wondering 594 00:36:34,245 --> 00:36:36,725 Speaker 3: the same thing that a lot of people are. Why 595 00:36:36,845 --> 00:36:40,405 Speaker 3: hasn't Paris been questioned more thoroughly and why hasn't there 596 00:36:40,405 --> 00:36:45,925 Speaker 3: been an arrest. Paris's mother has posted something else that's 597 00:36:45,965 --> 00:36:49,205 Speaker 3: interesting on social media. She put a photo of a 598 00:36:49,285 --> 00:36:52,885 Speaker 3: warrant the police had compelling Paris to give his DNA 599 00:36:52,965 --> 00:36:55,925 Speaker 3: to law enforcement and allowing them to use force to 600 00:36:55,965 --> 00:37:00,605 Speaker 3: get the DNA if necessary. I would love to know 601 00:37:00,645 --> 00:37:03,885 Speaker 3: what happened without warrant, because my source says they believe 602 00:37:04,045 --> 00:37:07,085 Speaker 3: that the search warrant was never ex secuted. But Paris's 603 00:37:07,085 --> 00:37:10,325 Speaker 3: mother claimed in her post that Paris has voluntarily given 604 00:37:10,325 --> 00:37:14,605 Speaker 3: his DNA. So if the authorities were able to do testing, 605 00:37:14,605 --> 00:37:18,005 Speaker 3: and if they have Paris's DNA, why haven't. 606 00:37:17,685 --> 00:37:19,405 Speaker 1: They ruled anyone in or out. 607 00:37:20,445 --> 00:37:22,725 Speaker 3: Obviously I don't have access to the case file, but 608 00:37:22,765 --> 00:37:26,245 Speaker 3: there could be a few reasons why. One thought, again, 609 00:37:26,445 --> 00:37:28,405 Speaker 3: is that because the girl's bodies were in the water 610 00:37:28,485 --> 00:37:32,525 Speaker 3: for several hours, the DNA may have degraded. Maybe police 611 00:37:32,645 --> 00:37:34,805 Speaker 3: didn't have quite enough for an arrest and they needed 612 00:37:34,845 --> 00:37:38,965 Speaker 3: to push for a confession, but Paris and the people 613 00:37:39,005 --> 00:37:43,365 Speaker 3: around him are not talking. The Daily Beast asked Da 614 00:37:43,485 --> 00:37:47,165 Speaker 3: Shelton about Paris. She said that he had been questioned 615 00:37:47,165 --> 00:37:49,685 Speaker 3: and that quote, he was the last person known to 616 00:37:49,685 --> 00:37:52,725 Speaker 3: be with the children prior to their deaths. However, all 617 00:37:52,805 --> 00:37:54,285 Speaker 3: possible leads are being followed. 618 00:37:54,525 --> 00:37:55,005 Speaker 1: End quote. 619 00:37:57,525 --> 00:38:01,845 Speaker 3: The New Black Panthers leader Kwan Alex told Rolling Stone, quote, 620 00:38:02,725 --> 00:38:05,925 Speaker 3: we do believe that the root is racism. If these 621 00:38:05,925 --> 00:38:09,365 Speaker 3: were three beautiful, little, blond haired, blue eyed, white children 622 00:38:09,365 --> 00:38:12,365 Speaker 3: from a suburban community in Cass County, they would have 623 00:38:12,445 --> 00:38:18,965 Speaker 3: handled this entire investigation completely different. End quote. Whatever has 624 00:38:18,965 --> 00:38:21,845 Speaker 3: happened up to now, in my opinion, the focus should 625 00:38:21,845 --> 00:38:25,805 Speaker 3: be on what happens next because Shamanique's neighbors and everyone 626 00:38:25,805 --> 00:38:29,125 Speaker 3: else in Cass County is rightfully terrified there could be 627 00:38:29,125 --> 00:38:33,125 Speaker 3: a sexual predator and child serial killer hiding in plain sight. 628 00:38:34,365 --> 00:38:38,925 Speaker 3: Someone out there knows something. The Texas Rangers, the Cass 629 00:38:38,965 --> 00:38:42,365 Speaker 3: County Sheriff's Office, and the Cass County District Attorney's office 630 00:38:42,605 --> 00:38:44,845 Speaker 3: are asking for any new information that would lead to 631 00:38:44,885 --> 00:38:48,125 Speaker 3: an interest in this case. If you know something, if 632 00:38:48,165 --> 00:38:51,365 Speaker 3: you have any detail, no matter how small, that could 633 00:38:51,365 --> 00:38:54,325 Speaker 3: help this mother learn what happened to her three children. 634 00:38:55,125 --> 00:38:58,765 Speaker 3: Please call Texas Ranger Josh Mason. At nine o three 635 00:38:59,085 --> 00:39:03,205 Speaker 3: two five five five seven two seven, Shamanique told The 636 00:39:03,285 --> 00:39:07,285 Speaker 3: Daily Beast quote all on want is justice for my babies. 637 00:39:07,645 --> 00:39:08,325 Speaker 1: End quote. 638 00:39:16,245 --> 00:39:18,965 Speaker 3: Helen Gone Murder Line is a production of School of 639 00:39:19,005 --> 00:39:22,245 Speaker 3: Humans and iHeart Podcasts. It's written and narrated by me 640 00:39:22,445 --> 00:39:26,605 Speaker 3: Catherine Townsend and produced by Gabby Watts. Music contributed by 641 00:39:26,605 --> 00:39:29,685 Speaker 3: Ben Sale and this episode was scored and mixed by 642 00:39:29,725 --> 00:39:34,845 Speaker 3: Miranda Hawkins. Executive producers are Virginia Prescott, Brandon Barr, and L. C. 643 00:39:35,005 --> 00:39:35,365 Speaker 1: Crowley. 644 00:39:36,005 --> 00:39:37,725 Speaker 3: If you have a case you'd like me and my 645 00:39:37,765 --> 00:39:40,125 Speaker 3: team to look into, you can reach out to us 646 00:39:40,125 --> 00:39:42,725 Speaker 3: at our Helen Gone Murder Line at six seven eight 647 00:39:43,045 --> 00:39:46,645 Speaker 3: seven four four six one four five. That's six seven 648 00:39:46,685 --> 00:39:50,765 Speaker 3: eight seven four four six ' one four five. Please 649 00:39:50,805 --> 00:39:53,925 Speaker 3: subscribe and leave us a review wherever you listen to 650 00:39:54,005 --> 00:40:02,445 Speaker 3: your podcast, School of Humans