1 00:00:02,279 --> 00:00:15,960 Speaker 1: Campsite Media, third floor, going on. 2 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 2: It's a foggy morning in the winter of twenty twenty 3 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:23,120 Speaker 2: five on the Texas Gulf Coast. I'm at the Brazoria 4 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 2: County Courthouse in Angleton, the county seat. The courthouse is 5 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 2: in a big, brand new building, probably the nicest one 6 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:34,479 Speaker 2: in town, maybe the whole county. We're looking for a cop. 7 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 3: Lieutenant Jeff min Missouri County Sheriff's Department. 8 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:39,159 Speaker 2: You met him a few episodes back. 9 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:43,240 Speaker 3: Lord Teast case. I was the ranking supervisor in CID 10 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 3: over the case and helped work this case through. 11 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 2: We mentioned the first time you heard his voice that 12 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:53,640 Speaker 2: you'd hear more from Lieutenant Mink later. This is later. 13 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 2: Were you familiar with with with Larry? 14 00:00:56,600 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 3: I live next door for many years? Well, I don't know, 15 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 3: probably six seven years. 16 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 2: You live next door to Larry to the father Yip, Well, 17 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 2: of course he did. This is a small town. 18 00:01:09,959 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 3: You just come over my house and he several parties 19 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:15,959 Speaker 3: at my house. So job I was. I'm familiar with Gabe, 20 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:20,040 Speaker 3: you know, work in law enforcement. Larry the second I 21 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 3: had I didn't have a whole lot of dealings with him, 22 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:25,679 Speaker 3: but I you know, i'd see him coming around the hounds. 23 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 2: Okay, you can hear. Lieutenant Mink is a little nervous here. 24 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 2: Before we started recording, he reminded us that criminal investigators 25 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:37,000 Speaker 2: don't usually sit down with reporters to talk about their cases, 26 00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:40,760 Speaker 2: having a microphone propped in front of them, at least 27 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:43,720 Speaker 2: when someone else is asking the questions. It's not something 28 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 2: he's used to. That said, he knows this is not 29 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 2: a typical case, considering who the victim is and more 30 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 2: to the point, who the victim's brother is. Called a 31 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 2: professional courtesy. So could you start by just walking us 32 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 2: through the crime? You know what actually happened that night? 33 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:04,960 Speaker 3: How do you want me to start that? This was 34 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:12,239 Speaker 3: an Airbnb, Yeah, rented Aaronbnb rented by the Orties's family. 35 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:16,440 Speaker 3: They were staying out, staying out there. The next day, 36 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 3: the cousin was going to have a Mi king scenario. 37 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:21,920 Speaker 3: They were going to be attending. 38 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:24,960 Speaker 2: Stay with us. Lieutenant Mink is going to get more 39 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 2: comfortable with the microphone. But I should note before we 40 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 2: continue that another reason why this interview is a little 41 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:35,600 Speaker 2: unusual is that Lieutenant Mink is talking about an ongoing case. 42 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 2: Two of the suspects, Richard Horn and Guadalube Navarro have 43 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:42,400 Speaker 2: already pleaded guilty to murder and have been sentenced to 44 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 2: forty and seventy five years, respectively, but the other four 45 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 2: have pleaded not guilty, and as of this recording, they 46 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 2: are all still waiting for their day in court. We've 47 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:54,720 Speaker 2: reached out to all of their lawyers and all of 48 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 2: them declined to comment. The police and prosecutors have a 49 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:01,120 Speaker 2: narrative that links all six to the crime. This was 50 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:05,239 Speaker 2: a poorly planned drug rip off gone horribly wrong. No 51 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 2: one was supposed to die, and Lieutenant Mink is going 52 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 2: to break it down beat by beat how investigators identified, tracked, 53 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 2: and got murder warrants for six suspects accused of being 54 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:37,840 Speaker 2: involved in the killing of Larry or tees from Campsite 55 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 2: Media and iHeart Podcasts, This is a Brothers Ortiz bonus episode. 56 00:03:43,400 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 3: I'm Sean Flynn, So it was really early Saturday morning 57 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 3: we got the call. I was the supervisor on call. 58 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:17,160 Speaker 2: Ford SEID is the Criminal Investigation Division, and we're fast 59 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:19,760 Speaker 2: forwarding through things that if you've gotten this far you 60 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:23,640 Speaker 2: already know to recap. On the last weekend in January 61 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:27,080 Speaker 2: twenty twenty three, Larry Ortiz rented a beach house to 62 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:30,840 Speaker 2: spend time with his family. They arrived on Friday. Early 63 00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:34,920 Speaker 2: the next morning, Larry's adult son, Larry their returns to 64 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:37,320 Speaker 2: the beach house with his friend Lucas and two women. 65 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 2: A few minutes later, three people with guns and masks 66 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 2: kicking the door and demand money and drugs. They allegedly 67 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:48,160 Speaker 2: pistol whip third Larry confronts the intruders and Larry gets shot. 68 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 2: Lieutenant Mink picks it up from here. 69 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:55,240 Speaker 3: I get the call being notified by patrol sergeant that hey, 70 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 3: we've had a home invasion with the homicide. I got up, 71 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:02,280 Speaker 3: started getting dressed, and then I started making phone calls 72 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:04,839 Speaker 3: to get additional investigators in route. 73 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:08,640 Speaker 2: Lieutenant Bank already knows just from dispatching the radio chatter 74 00:05:08,839 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 2: that there are a lot of people out at the 75 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 2: beach house. 76 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:14,040 Speaker 3: With that many people on seeing, I would rather have 77 00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:18,680 Speaker 3: more investigators there. I arrived on seeing, I get a 78 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 3: description from patrol you know of what has taken place 79 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:28,480 Speaker 3: so far. Me and investigator Aguilar, we do a walk through, 80 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:31,880 Speaker 3: kind of got the lay of lay of the of 81 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:36,920 Speaker 3: the airbnb and then what kind of broke it up? 82 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:41,000 Speaker 3: My investigator Aglar would work the scene, and myself and 83 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:46,960 Speaker 3: investigator Vargus would be conducted. In the interviews with the family. 84 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:49,960 Speaker 2: They find out pretty quickly that Lucas and third brought 85 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:53,000 Speaker 2: two women back to the house. Investigators also found out 86 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 2: pretty quickly that those two women had driven there in 87 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:59,160 Speaker 2: a white sedan and that they're already gone. Every witness 88 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 2: there told them that the women left right after the intruders. 89 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:06,000 Speaker 3: You know, this being in an airbnb way out and 90 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:10,120 Speaker 3: pretty much in the middle of nowhere in our county, 91 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:14,920 Speaker 3: it's not a typical robbery spot. 92 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:16,120 Speaker 1: So. 93 00:06:17,760 --> 00:06:20,279 Speaker 3: It had to be some connection there. 94 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:24,120 Speaker 2: Quick detour, Can you tell me about Brazoria County because 95 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:28,920 Speaker 2: I've written about crime in a lot of places, and 96 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:33,560 Speaker 2: in talking with Gabe's family, it seems a little more normalized. 97 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:38,560 Speaker 3: The crime stads have actually gone down this year, I 98 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 3: believe it or not. The last couple of years, crime 99 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:44,800 Speaker 3: stats have gone down for our county. We've upped our patrol. 100 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:48,159 Speaker 3: We've got a special unit now we'll swamp swamp an 101 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:52,040 Speaker 3: area that's you know, if it's hidden, we show link 102 00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:55,159 Speaker 3: kind of marks. It's all data driven now. Of course, 103 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:59,599 Speaker 3: you know, we're a fly through County two Highway thirty five. 104 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:03,239 Speaker 3: We got traffickers that are you know, they're running stuff 105 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:06,600 Speaker 3: because I don't want to run the main roads going 106 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:10,640 Speaker 3: through Houston because I know DPS and everybody's watching those roads, 107 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:13,280 Speaker 3: so they try to take the take the back roads. 108 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:16,119 Speaker 3: And when we've got some back roads coming through our county. 109 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:20,720 Speaker 3: Has there ever been a murder on Treasure Island, Not 110 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:23,840 Speaker 3: that I can remember. Now. We've had some shootings on 111 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 3: the beach over the years during you know, big holiday weekends, 112 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 3: those kind of those kinds of issues. But for most part, 113 00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:40,080 Speaker 3: there's some nice beach houses, nice boats over there. There's 114 00:07:40,120 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 3: a county park that's well used. You know, it's a 115 00:07:43,840 --> 00:07:47,680 Speaker 3: it's a favorite fishing spot, and you know, it's a 116 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:48,480 Speaker 3: nice little area. 117 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:50,760 Speaker 2: And that's one of the things that made this case 118 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:54,120 Speaker 2: so unusual. Treasure Island does not get a lot of crime. 119 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:58,040 Speaker 2: But back to the night Larry was killed. When Lieutenant 120 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:02,120 Speaker 2: Mink gets there, third Larry so is a mess. Of course, 121 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:05,000 Speaker 2: he has his father's just been shot to death. So 122 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:07,160 Speaker 2: Mink's zero's in on third friend Lucas. 123 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 3: We thought they would let's pull Lucas out of this 124 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:13,360 Speaker 3: situation and getting away. Maybe we can get some clearer 125 00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:16,239 Speaker 3: information on these girls. 126 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:19,560 Speaker 2: For the record, and just to be super clear, Lucas 127 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:22,240 Speaker 2: was never charged or implicated in any way in the 128 00:08:22,280 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 2: death of Larry or Tease. If anything, he is a 129 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:28,200 Speaker 2: victim here. But when Lieutenant Mink is interviewing him at 130 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:30,880 Speaker 2: the Sheriff's office away from the chaos of a murder scene, 131 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:35,920 Speaker 2: Mink doesn't believe he's being as forthcoming as perhaps he 132 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:38,360 Speaker 2: could be, but he gives up enough. 133 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:44,760 Speaker 3: We got the user name from the Instagram that kind of. 134 00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:49,160 Speaker 2: Us got us rolling down that track. That Instagram handle 135 00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:52,480 Speaker 2: was the key that unlocked everything else once. 136 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:55,320 Speaker 3: We got the user name. There's a group of us 137 00:08:55,679 --> 00:08:58,360 Speaker 3: sitting at a conference stable like this in our CID 138 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:03,240 Speaker 3: that were as information was coming in, we were running 139 00:09:03,280 --> 00:09:06,920 Speaker 3: it and one of the rangers got on the on 140 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:12,360 Speaker 3: social media, found her user name, was able to get 141 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:13,240 Speaker 3: her identified. 142 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:17,280 Speaker 2: The real name of this suspect is Alena. But a 143 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:20,800 Speaker 2: funny thing happened while that ranger was scrolling through her Instagram. 144 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:25,760 Speaker 3: Stuff was being deleted and removed from Instagram on Lina's Lina's. 145 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:28,400 Speaker 2: Site, stuff in fact, that appeared to link her to 146 00:09:28,520 --> 00:09:32,199 Speaker 2: Lucas in third so investigators know they're following the right trail, 147 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:35,000 Speaker 2: and that trail, it turns out, is very well marked 148 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:39,680 Speaker 2: between social media, ubiquitous private security camera footage, a couple 149 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:43,640 Speaker 2: of lucky breaks, and arguably some stupidity, making the rest 150 00:09:43,679 --> 00:09:45,960 Speaker 2: of the team are able to reconstruct the entire night. 151 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:50,000 Speaker 2: Let's start with the social media. Did Lucas I mean 152 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:52,080 Speaker 2: he must have had some contact with her, at least 153 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:53,480 Speaker 2: online prior to that night. 154 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:58,199 Speaker 3: I mean Lena and Lucas had kind of ran into 155 00:09:58,200 --> 00:09:59,840 Speaker 3: each other at the clubs up in Houston. 156 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:02,800 Speaker 2: Ansley, that's Selina's friend, Ainsley. 157 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:07,240 Speaker 3: Ansley, in an interview, relayed you know that she had 158 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:09,600 Speaker 3: been at a couple of beach parties a new. 159 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:13,200 Speaker 2: Third so that night, the night Larry was killed. Third 160 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:17,239 Speaker 2: and Lucas connect with Alena on Instagram by complete happenstance. 161 00:10:17,679 --> 00:10:19,600 Speaker 2: Those women are very close by. 162 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:24,560 Speaker 3: They set up a meet at bar and grill in Freeport, 163 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:28,679 Speaker 3: so they went to bar and grill in Freeport. A 164 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:35,679 Speaker 3: short time later, Lina and Ansley arrived there. Barber was 165 00:10:35,679 --> 00:10:40,560 Speaker 3: about to close, so the bar owner wouldn't sell him alcohol, 166 00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:45,120 Speaker 3: so they left that location. They were going to to 167 00:10:45,160 --> 00:10:50,680 Speaker 3: an apartment to smoke some weed, but the apartment only 168 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:55,600 Speaker 3: had a couch and no furniture, so they decided, let's 169 00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:56,719 Speaker 3: take him out to their B and B. 170 00:10:57,280 --> 00:11:00,280 Speaker 2: So he takes two girls an idiot friend back to 171 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:01,400 Speaker 2: the family beach house. 172 00:11:01,679 --> 00:11:05,559 Speaker 3: Yeah, well, alcohol played the alcohol played a part in that. 173 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:09,679 Speaker 3: You know, you get it gets late at night, you're 174 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:15,040 Speaker 3: not you've always been drinking, and then you know, girl 175 00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:20,680 Speaker 3: they know, hits them up on Instagram. Oh yeah, hey, okay, 176 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:23,120 Speaker 3: well now we're going to finish our night good, you know, 177 00:11:23,280 --> 00:11:27,240 Speaker 3: I think that's what the thinking was. And then went 178 00:11:27,280 --> 00:11:28,839 Speaker 3: out to their B and B, which was that on 179 00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:31,160 Speaker 3: Treasure Island. It's like, it's a pretty good drive. 180 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:31,600 Speaker 1: Yeah. 181 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:35,520 Speaker 3: When they left Freeport, they actually Lena had to stop 182 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:37,520 Speaker 3: and get gas for her car, so they pulled into 183 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:42,920 Speaker 3: a BUCkies and got and got gas, which gave us 184 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:46,559 Speaker 3: some surveillance video on that and got us a timeline. 185 00:11:50,920 --> 00:11:54,280 Speaker 2: People don't realize, or they forget, just how many cameras 186 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:57,800 Speaker 2: are constantly watching, silently making a record of everything that 187 00:11:57,880 --> 00:12:00,680 Speaker 2: happens in their fields of view, and that allows people 188 00:12:00,760 --> 00:12:03,680 Speaker 2: like Mink to go back after the fact and recreate events. 189 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:06,679 Speaker 2: And that BUCkies tape gave them more than just a 190 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:08,280 Speaker 2: possible timeline when. 191 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:10,920 Speaker 3: They were when they pulled into a gas station. Third 192 00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:17,040 Speaker 3: and Lucas both they turned around and came back, and 193 00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:20,160 Speaker 3: so we saw them there together. 194 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:24,120 Speaker 2: They video of the car, a white Toyota Corolla. They 195 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:27,480 Speaker 2: have the plate number. It's not registered to Alena, but 196 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:29,640 Speaker 2: it is registered to a woman who lives at the 197 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:33,559 Speaker 2: same address as Alena. Third pulls out of the BUCkies, 198 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:35,079 Speaker 2: the white Toyota follows. 199 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:38,959 Speaker 3: They went down the highway. There was the circle k 200 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:43,079 Speaker 3: right there at Bluewater Highway. In three thirty two, we 201 00:12:43,240 --> 00:12:46,640 Speaker 3: got that surveillance video. So we have the vehicles pulling 202 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:49,280 Speaker 3: a and making the turn onto Bluewater Highway going to 203 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:55,199 Speaker 3: Treasure Island, and then not too far behind them was 204 00:12:55,600 --> 00:12:56,319 Speaker 3: the silver car. 205 00:12:56,840 --> 00:12:59,480 Speaker 2: This is now a third car. The car the intruders 206 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:03,160 Speaker 2: drove a two thousand and seven Silver Buick. And this 207 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:05,080 Speaker 2: is where some luck sped things up a bit. 208 00:13:05,280 --> 00:13:09,720 Speaker 3: When we ran the plate that that car was pulled 209 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:15,640 Speaker 3: over that night by Clute PD, approximately an hour before 210 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 3: the homicide. Oh so in that Horn was identified. 211 00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:26,040 Speaker 2: That would be Richard Horn Junior, who later pleaded guilty 212 00:13:26,160 --> 00:13:28,719 Speaker 2: to shooting Larry. There was a record of his name 213 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:31,520 Speaker 2: as the driver and the traffic stop, but the Klute 214 00:13:31,559 --> 00:13:34,880 Speaker 2: police were wearing cameras too, making a visual record. 215 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:40,400 Speaker 3: And then we saw the female passenger and she had 216 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:43,000 Speaker 3: a tattoo and she was identified. We were able to 217 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:44,920 Speaker 3: get her identified as Ball would be Navarro. 218 00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:47,439 Speaker 2: There's also a passenger in the back who would later 219 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:49,960 Speaker 2: be identified as a guy named Marvin. So you got 220 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:51,840 Speaker 2: these two girls and then you got this other car 221 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:52,400 Speaker 2: following them. 222 00:13:52,679 --> 00:13:57,319 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's a hunting pot scheme, you know, the you 223 00:13:57,400 --> 00:14:01,719 Speaker 3: send two pretty girls in and the case I give 224 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:05,319 Speaker 3: inside information and then the crew comes in behind them. 225 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:08,400 Speaker 2: This is the point where the stupidity comes into play. 226 00:14:08,679 --> 00:14:12,160 Speaker 2: So they were pulled over by Clute PD correct before 227 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:16,800 Speaker 2: the murder, correct, and they still went through with it correct. 228 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:20,680 Speaker 2: Even more bizarre, more amateurish really, is that this crew 229 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:24,040 Speaker 2: wasn't from Brassooria County. They'd come in from parts West 230 00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:27,640 Speaker 2: that night. Based on the text thread, investigators believe that 231 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:30,560 Speaker 2: Third and Lucas weren't even the original targets that night. 232 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:35,200 Speaker 3: I think the original plan kind of fell apart, and hey, 233 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:37,000 Speaker 3: this was our backup. 234 00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:39,680 Speaker 2: In other words, they were making this up on the fly, 235 00:14:40,440 --> 00:14:43,640 Speaker 2: winging it very late at night, with very little information 236 00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:48,440 Speaker 2: and ignoring some of the important information they did know. Remember, 237 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:52,280 Speaker 2: Elena was texting from inside the beach house about who 238 00:14:52,400 --> 00:14:53,000 Speaker 2: she saw. 239 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:59,440 Speaker 3: In the group thread. Lena even talks about the kids 240 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:02,360 Speaker 3: being in there. I would have thought, you know, they 241 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:04,480 Speaker 3: would have probably called it off at that point, but 242 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:09,640 Speaker 3: they didn't. Their their decision making that I was, to 243 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:15,400 Speaker 3: say the least, extremely poor. I just don't think they 244 00:15:15,520 --> 00:15:20,600 Speaker 3: understood who was in that house. Larry was going to 245 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:24,600 Speaker 3: protect his family. I mean, who's gonna sit there and 246 00:15:24,640 --> 00:15:29,560 Speaker 3: watch their kid in B and B or have have 247 00:15:29,720 --> 00:15:30,880 Speaker 3: this go down in your house? 248 00:15:33,120 --> 00:15:33,440 Speaker 2: He was. 249 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:37,920 Speaker 3: Going to protect. 250 00:15:54,360 --> 00:15:56,280 Speaker 2: At this stage, they have the names of most of 251 00:15:56,360 --> 00:15:59,160 Speaker 2: their suspects, and they already have probable cause to get 252 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:02,880 Speaker 2: warrants for two of them, Elena and Ainsley, who again 253 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:07,200 Speaker 2: have both pleaded not guilty. Remember when that Texas ranger 254 00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:10,520 Speaker 2: was scrolling Alena's Instagram and stopped post being deleted. That 255 00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:14,600 Speaker 2: could suggest a few possible things like maybe she left 256 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:17,600 Speaker 2: a murder scene without reporting a crime, or maybe she 257 00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:20,520 Speaker 2: was tampering with evidence. Now the cops just have to 258 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:21,240 Speaker 2: track them all down. 259 00:16:22,040 --> 00:16:27,840 Speaker 3: Once we got Horn's name and ran Horn, I found 260 00:16:27,880 --> 00:16:30,920 Speaker 3: out he was on parole in Victoria. I'll call his 261 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:34,560 Speaker 3: parole officer. Well this Pearls said, well, he just moved 262 00:16:34,640 --> 00:16:38,640 Speaker 3: to it's agin. You'll need to call here. Call here, 263 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:42,000 Speaker 3: And it just so happened. When I was talking to him, 264 00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:48,160 Speaker 3: he was he was there to register his new address, 265 00:16:49,560 --> 00:16:52,440 Speaker 3: insagein and his new point of contact. 266 00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:55,240 Speaker 2: While at Navarro, he's there when you call correct. 267 00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:58,800 Speaker 3: When I called the pearl officer, I told him to 268 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:03,480 Speaker 3: slow role is as much as you possibly can and 269 00:17:04,320 --> 00:17:05,440 Speaker 3: see if you can go out there and tell me 270 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:08,840 Speaker 3: what vehicle he's in, because I wanted the car. I 271 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:09,640 Speaker 3: needed that car. 272 00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:14,320 Speaker 2: Mink is really hoping Horn is driving that silver Buick 273 00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:17,920 Speaker 2: picked up in the surveillance tape. The Pro officer checks 274 00:17:17,960 --> 00:17:21,680 Speaker 2: the parking lot, No silver buick. But now they know 275 00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:22,680 Speaker 2: where Horn is living. 276 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:26,479 Speaker 3: We have his address. Now we'll do some surveillance. Now 277 00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:30,320 Speaker 3: we've got Navarro identified, we got Horne identified, we got 278 00:17:30,359 --> 00:17:33,080 Speaker 3: an address, we've got PaperWorks, and we got the search warrants. 279 00:17:33,960 --> 00:17:37,639 Speaker 3: We had a search warrant for the trailer that Navarro 280 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:43,560 Speaker 3: and lived in, and Sageine a search warrant for the car. 281 00:17:44,280 --> 00:17:47,160 Speaker 2: Yes, the car, the silver Buick that Horn didn't drive. 282 00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:50,520 Speaker 2: To the Pro office, police had found it a license 283 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:53,680 Speaker 2: plate reader picked it up in San Marcos, Texas. As 284 00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:56,639 Speaker 2: for Elena, the Toyota she was driving was registered to 285 00:17:56,680 --> 00:17:59,879 Speaker 2: an address in Richmond, Texas. Local police were keeping an 286 00:17:59,880 --> 00:18:03,199 Speaker 2: eye on that too. In late January, when they had 287 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:06,119 Speaker 2: a warrant for Elena for not reporting a felony, police 288 00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:09,400 Speaker 2: pulled the car over. Inside what Alena was her boyfriend, 289 00:18:09,520 --> 00:18:12,680 Speaker 2: a fellow named Kirsten. He was twenty one years old 290 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:14,720 Speaker 2: and he was wearing an ankle monitor because he was 291 00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:18,720 Speaker 2: on probation for robbery. He said he knew nothing about nothing. 292 00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:23,840 Speaker 3: We had no idea that at that point that Kirsten 293 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:27,320 Speaker 3: was going to be as pivotal in this as he 294 00:18:27,440 --> 00:18:27,800 Speaker 3: ended up. 295 00:18:28,920 --> 00:18:30,960 Speaker 2: We do you know that at that time, the night 296 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:33,920 Speaker 2: of the killing, Alena had been texting throughout with two 297 00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:38,119 Speaker 2: people Big three E, later identified as Richard Horn, the shooter, 298 00:18:38,840 --> 00:18:42,600 Speaker 2: and Baby Ape, who turned out to be Kirsten. But 299 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:45,760 Speaker 2: police don't know that yet. They don't have anyone's phones, 300 00:18:47,040 --> 00:18:49,320 Speaker 2: and this is just a guess that probably none of 301 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:53,399 Speaker 2: them Kirsten, Elena, none of them were worried about that. 302 00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:58,119 Speaker 2: After all, Baby Ape's last text that night was delete 303 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:03,080 Speaker 2: group chat. If only it were that easy, digital information 304 00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:06,800 Speaker 2: doesn't vanish just because you hit the leap. This is 305 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:10,080 Speaker 2: a complicated investigation with a lot of moving parts in 306 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:15,239 Speaker 2: several different counties, but for investigators, their ducks are all 307 00:19:15,280 --> 00:19:18,680 Speaker 2: in a row now, so to speak. On February fifth, 308 00:19:18,760 --> 00:19:22,679 Speaker 2: search ones are executed simultaneously on two locations, the trailer 309 00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:26,359 Speaker 2: in Sagein where Richard Horn and Guadalupe Devarro live and 310 00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:29,480 Speaker 2: in San Marcos about twenty miles north where that silver 311 00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:30,800 Speaker 2: buick is still being watched. 312 00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:34,359 Speaker 3: And we need to know everybody was in these locations 313 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:38,040 Speaker 3: when we pulled the trigger, we got it. We e 314 00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:41,680 Speaker 3: skewted the search form on the trailer which I was at. 315 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:44,399 Speaker 3: They were taking the car down in Sant Marcos. We 316 00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:48,960 Speaker 3: just hooked the car up, but got a record flybed 317 00:19:49,040 --> 00:19:51,760 Speaker 3: record and said we need to drive it to three 318 00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:53,960 Speaker 3: and a half hours back to Missouri County because and 319 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:55,480 Speaker 3: when we had a unit following. 320 00:19:55,520 --> 00:20:00,000 Speaker 2: We collected that car back in Sageen. They're securing the trailer. 321 00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:03,720 Speaker 3: Called them out one by one, handcuffed them and then 322 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:05,159 Speaker 3: we split them up. 323 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:10,040 Speaker 2: Lieutenant Mink interviewed Guadeloupe while another investigator focused on Richard 324 00:20:10,080 --> 00:20:13,960 Speaker 2: and Marvin Marvin, who again has pleaded not guilty and 325 00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:15,200 Speaker 2: has not been convicted. 326 00:20:16,240 --> 00:20:20,400 Speaker 3: There was some dope trying to be flushed some evidence. 327 00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:23,560 Speaker 3: The three were all arrested for tambora with evidence and 328 00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:31,320 Speaker 3: placed in jail. There we found gun boxes in the trailer. 329 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:34,760 Speaker 3: So those gun boxes had serial number tags on them, 330 00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:40,240 Speaker 3: so we started running the serial numbers. Teal Blue, the 331 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:44,920 Speaker 3: little handgun was a standout, standout weapon. The sky blue 332 00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:49,600 Speaker 3: handgun was purchased by Gudalappe Navarro at an academy store. 333 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:52,800 Speaker 2: That had been a curious detail from the crime scene 334 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:55,520 Speaker 2: reports that the short woman with the mask had a 335 00:20:55,800 --> 00:20:58,359 Speaker 2: blue handgun like Tiffany Blue. 336 00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:03,480 Speaker 3: So with that information that got us a little bit further. 337 00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:08,520 Speaker 3: We dropped a search warrant for Kirsten's phone to get 338 00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:15,240 Speaker 3: into Kirsten's phone. He had given us the code, and 339 00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:18,760 Speaker 3: once we got into Kirsten's phone and saw the deleted texts, 340 00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:24,760 Speaker 3: all the texts this chat, then that put pieces together, 341 00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:29,400 Speaker 3: so that gave us warrants on everybody. 342 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:33,000 Speaker 2: Marvin, the third person allegedly in that car of intruders, 343 00:21:33,320 --> 00:21:35,840 Speaker 2: he was already in jail, having been arrested for tampering 344 00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:39,040 Speaker 2: with evidence during that February fifth search. Not quite three 345 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:41,840 Speaker 2: weeks later, police had warrants for the other five suspects 346 00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:45,600 Speaker 2: that they executed all at once. Kirsten and Ainsley were 347 00:21:45,680 --> 00:21:49,040 Speaker 2: picked up near Houston, and again they both pleaded not guilty. 348 00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:53,120 Speaker 2: Guadaloupe was arrested at the trailer and sagein. Richard wasn't there, 349 00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:56,199 Speaker 2: but they knew where he worked, tattoo parlor where they 350 00:21:56,520 --> 00:22:00,439 Speaker 2: held him until gaybor Tees, Larry's cop brother could put 351 00:22:00,480 --> 00:22:01,639 Speaker 2: his own handcuffs on him. 352 00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:05,240 Speaker 3: The only one that slipped through was Lena. Lena slipped 353 00:22:05,280 --> 00:22:08,800 Speaker 3: through on us that night, but they went to the media. 354 00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:11,000 Speaker 3: We released it to the media that she was wanted for. 355 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:14,000 Speaker 2: Murder night of Brissooria County Sheriff's office is looking for 356 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:15,800 Speaker 2: a woman connected to a deadly shooting. 357 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:18,719 Speaker 3: She ended up turning herself in that Sunday. 358 00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:38,200 Speaker 2: So six people are now in jail. Five of them 359 00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:42,240 Speaker 2: are charged with murder, everyone except Marvin. They don't have 360 00:22:42,359 --> 00:22:44,760 Speaker 2: quite enough to connect him. They think he was in 361 00:22:44,840 --> 00:22:47,080 Speaker 2: that buick when it was pulled over by police the 362 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:49,000 Speaker 2: night of the killing, and they think he might be 363 00:22:49,080 --> 00:22:51,920 Speaker 2: connected to a gun that was used that night, but 364 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:54,080 Speaker 2: he wasn't on that group chat and no one's made 365 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:59,520 Speaker 2: a proper id Unfortunately for the police. Guadeloupe was mad 366 00:22:59,560 --> 00:23:03,600 Speaker 2: at her boy, Richard Horn. On March sixth, she sent 367 00:23:03,680 --> 00:23:05,760 Speaker 2: a message from jail that she wanted to talk to Mink. 368 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:08,680 Speaker 2: She was worried about being away from her daughter. She 369 00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:12,080 Speaker 2: wanted to cooperate. Mink asked her to start from the beginning. 370 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:16,359 Speaker 2: The beginning for her was that she and Richard had 371 00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:17,480 Speaker 2: been fighting a lot lately. 372 00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:20,879 Speaker 3: They got here and you know, she had absolutely no 373 00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:23,400 Speaker 3: trust in him, and it set back there and simmered, 374 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:29,680 Speaker 3: and Navarrol came in and talked, and she talked and 375 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:31,000 Speaker 3: laid it all out. 376 00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:34,440 Speaker 2: She put Marvin and the silver Buick with them, put 377 00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:36,200 Speaker 2: him in the beach house, put a gun in his hand, 378 00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:38,760 Speaker 2: told Mink that Horn kicked in the door, wrestled with 379 00:23:38,840 --> 00:23:41,840 Speaker 2: a shirtless man. And when it's over, she alleges that 380 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:44,159 Speaker 2: all three of them got back in that silver buick, 381 00:23:44,359 --> 00:23:46,560 Speaker 2: and she tells Mink that Richard and Marvin kept saying 382 00:23:47,280 --> 00:23:52,200 Speaker 2: we fucked up. She either didn't understand, or more likely 383 00:23:52,359 --> 00:23:55,520 Speaker 2: was too mad to care that she was implicating herself 384 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:56,600 Speaker 2: to This. 385 00:23:56,800 --> 00:24:01,040 Speaker 3: Was probably one of the craziest case is that I've worked, 386 00:24:01,119 --> 00:24:05,880 Speaker 3: just just how fast it worked and what we gathered. 387 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:10,520 Speaker 3: No from being able to identify people that had no 388 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:15,560 Speaker 3: dealings in our county, case moved faster with the assistance. 389 00:24:15,600 --> 00:24:18,119 Speaker 3: I mean half of my office was on the case. 390 00:24:18,840 --> 00:24:22,800 Speaker 3: So as information was coming in and we were we 391 00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:27,879 Speaker 3: type stuff out, you get approved, judged, handwright the you know, 392 00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:30,760 Speaker 3: those first warrants were you'll see we're handwritten. 393 00:24:32,119 --> 00:24:34,800 Speaker 2: There's no reason to think that this case, a home 394 00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:38,040 Speaker 2: invasion murder in a beach community, would have been handled 395 00:24:38,119 --> 00:24:42,399 Speaker 2: with any less urgency, any less professionalism if the victim 396 00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:46,879 Speaker 2: hadn't been Major Gay Ortiz's brother. But the fact is 397 00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:51,680 Speaker 2: Larry was, and that made this almost personal. 398 00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:55,880 Speaker 3: As police officers, you know, I say it's a courtesy, 399 00:24:56,560 --> 00:25:01,800 Speaker 3: but it's a satisfaction that, hey, just this is getting served. 400 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:04,840 Speaker 2: But it was more than that. There was a moment 401 00:25:05,040 --> 00:25:07,399 Speaker 2: right at the end when Richard Horn was already in 402 00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:10,640 Speaker 2: the handcuffs outside that tattoo parlor and the cops kept 403 00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:12,879 Speaker 2: him there until Gabe could show up and put his 404 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:15,440 Speaker 2: own handcuffs on the man who killed his brother. 405 00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:18,199 Speaker 3: I mean, how would you feel if somebody killed one 406 00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:20,120 Speaker 3: of your family members and you were able to put 407 00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:24,800 Speaker 3: those cuffs on that person that pulled that trigger, Bring 408 00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:25,640 Speaker 3: this tear to my eye. 409 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:15,359 Speaker 2: The brothers Orties is a production from Campside Media in 410 00:26:15,440 --> 00:26:20,520 Speaker 2: partnership with iHeart Podcasts. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 411 00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:25,040 Speaker 2: or wherever you get your podcasts. The brothers Orties was written, reported, 412 00:26:25,119 --> 00:26:28,560 Speaker 2: and hosted by me Sean Flynn. Lane Rose is our 413 00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:33,440 Speaker 2: senior producer. Story editing by Audrey Quinn, sound design, mix 414 00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:37,560 Speaker 2: and engineering by Garrett Tiedeman, original music by Garrett Tiedeman, 415 00:26:38,240 --> 00:26:42,399 Speaker 2: fact checking by Savannah Wright. iHeart Podcasts executive producers are 416 00:26:42,480 --> 00:26:46,879 Speaker 2: Lindsay Hoffman and Jennifer Bassett. Campside Media's executive producers are 417 00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:51,280 Speaker 2: Josh Deen, Vanessa Grigoriatis, Adam hoff and Matt Cher. A 418 00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:54,880 Speaker 2: special thanks to our operations team Doux Laywyn, Ashley Warren 419 00:26:54,960 --> 00:26:58,520 Speaker 2: and Sabina Mara. If you enjoyed The Brothers Ortiz, please 420 00:26:58,640 --> 00:27:01,240 Speaker 2: rate and review the show where wherever you get your podcasts, 421 00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:02,280 Speaker 2: and thanks for listening.