At least six bodies have been recovered from Buffalo Bayou or its banks in 2026. The latest discovery happened Oct. 2.
Another body found in Buffalo Bayou is raising questions in Houston.
Houston police are investigating after firefighters recovered a man’s body from Buffalo Bayou Friday morning, October 2. The discovery happened near Hirsch Road and Clinton Drive in east Houston.
It is at least the sixth documented body recovered from Buffalo Bayou or its banks in 2026.
The cases stretch from downtown Houston to the Houston Ship Channel. Some victims have been identified. Other cases still have unanswered questions.
Man found in Buffalo Bayou on October 2
The latest discovery happened Friday morning.
Houston firefighters responded after someone spotted a body floating in Buffalo Bayou. Crews launched a rescue boat near the 7300 block of Clinton Drive.
Firefighters recovered the body of a man.
Houston police homicide detectives are investigating. Authorities have not released the man’s name or age.
The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences will determine his cause and manner of death.
January 6: First Buffalo Bayou body of 2026
The first reported Buffalo Bayou recovery of the year happened January 6 near downtown Houston.
A maintenance crew spotted a man’s body in the water near Commerce and Main streets.
Houston firefighters received the call around 1:46 p.m.
Police said the man was clothed and wearing a gray jacket. Authorities did not immediately release his identity.
The discovery came just days into the new year.
February 2: Fisherman found near Port of Houston
Houston police recovered another man from Buffalo Bayou on February 2.
The discovery happened at 8300 High Level Road near the Port of Houston.
HPD said the 62-year-old man wore several layers of clothing and appeared dressed for cold-weather fishing.
Detectives learned that a missing man had last been seen fishing at the same location on January 26. Investigators also found his vehicle and fishing equipment along the shore.
Police reported no obvious signs of foul play.
April 30: Kenneth Young found near Buffalo Bend Nature Park
Kenneth Young, 33, was found dead near Buffalo Bend Nature Park along Buffalo Bayou on April 30, 2026. Photo courtesy of Young’s family.
A cleanup crew found another body along Buffalo Bayou on April 30.
The crew spotted the badly decomposed body near Sgt. Macario Garcia Drive and Buffalo Bend Nature Park.
Authorities later identified the man as 33-year-old Kenneth Young.
Authorities identified Young through his fingerprints.
His family has continued searching for answers about what happened to him.
July 20: Workers find decomposed body near J.W. Peavy Drive
Workers made another discovery on July 20.
They found a man’s decomposed body along the banks of the Buffalo Bayou Ship Channel at 7220 J.W. Peavy Drive.
Houston firefighters pronounced the man dead at the scene.
HPD said investigators found no apparent wounds or trauma.
At the time of the initial investigation, authorities were waiting for an autopsy to determine the man’s cause of death.
August 11: Body later identified as Carl “Clint” Mueller
Carl “Clint” Mueller, 73, was found dead along Buffalo Bayou near Nance Street on Aug. 11, 2026. Photo courtesy of Texas EquuSearch.
Houston police responded to another Buffalo Bayou discovery on August 11.
Officers found a man’s body along the banks of the bayou in the 2200 block of Nance Street.
The body was in an advanced state of decomposition.
HPD reported no obvious signs of trauma.
Texas EquuSearch later identified the man as 73-year-old Carl “Clint” Mueller.
Mueller had been missing since July 30. He was last seen near the 1400 block of Saint Joseph Parkway in downtown Houston.
Another August case happened near Buffalo Bayou
Police also investigated a body found August 7 in a wooded area near Buffalo Bayou and Beltway 8.
Officers responded to the 10400 block of Deerwood Road.
Police said that investigators were handling that death as a suicide.
Because the body was found in a wooded area near the bayou, rather than confirmed in Buffalo Bayou or along its banks, it is not included in the six confirmed Buffalo Bayou recoveries listed here.
Bodies have also been recovered from other waterways across Houston and Harris County in recent years.
Those deaths do not all share the same circumstances.
Some involved accidents or medical issues. Others involved drugs, drowning, suicide or violence. In some cases, investigators could not immediately determine how the person died.
That distinction matters.
Finding several bodies in Houston’s bayous does not mean the deaths are connected.
More than 200 bodies recovered from Houston-area bayous
More than 200 bodies have been recovered from Houston-area bayous since 2017, according to Harris County medical examiner records.
The Buffalo Bayou cases are part of a much larger issue across Houston.
Records from the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office show that more than 200 bodies have been recovered from Houston-area bayous since 2017. By February 2026, the documented total had already reached 208.
The cases involve several Houston-area waterways, not just Buffalo Bayou. Causes of death have varied widely. Drowning has been the leading cause, while other deaths involved drugs, injuries or other circumstances. Some cases remain undetermined.
Authorities have also pushed back against speculation that the deaths are connected or the work of a serial killer.
What happens next?
The October 2 case remains under investigation.
Houston police have not announced the man’s identity or cause of death.
The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences will conduct the examination.
For now, Friday’s discovery adds another case to a troubling list of deaths involving Buffalo Bayou in 2026.
Investigative Reporter Tammy Rose will continue following the case as authorities release new information.
My new book, When Two Worlds Collide During WWII, follows two families on opposite sides of World War II and the remarkable events that eventually brought their lives together in Wisconsin.
Mitchell Wasek has another court date in Travis County.
Court records show Wasek will return to the 167th District Court on Nov. 10, 2026, at 1:15 p.m.
The hearing involves several criminal cases that I have followed for years.
One of Wasek’s original 2023 cases lists a writ hearing. His separate 2025 case lists a pretrial hearing at the same time.
The Nov. 10 setting is not a trial date.
Wasek’s original cases remain in court
Wasek faces six invasive visual recording cases filed in 2023.
Those cases carry cause numbers D-1-DC-23-500314 through D-1-DC-23-500319. Travis County previously listed all six for writ hearings in the 167th District Court.
The latest Odyssey record I reviewed on Oct. 2 shows a Nov. 10 writ hearing in case D-1-DC-23-500314.
The older cases have also gone through appellate proceedings.
Separate 2025 case heads to pretrial hearing
Wasek also faces a separate felony case filed in 2025.
That case carries cause number D-1-DC-25-500122.
The Travis County docket lists the 2025 charge as possession of child pornography.
The latest Odyssey record shows a pretrial hearing on Nov. 10 at 1:15 p.m.
The newer case and at least one of Wasek’s original cases now have hearings set for the same date and time.
Defense wants evidence suppressed
The 2025 case includes two major defense challenges.
Wasek’s attorneys filed a motion to suppress on April 14.
The docket describes it as a motion to suppress evidence obtained by theft and breach of computer security.
The public docket I reviewed does not show an order resolving that motion.
Defense also seeks dismissal
Wasek’s attorneys filed another motion on June 2.
That motion asks the judge to dismiss the indictment due to an expired statute of limitations.
The filing does not mean the court has dismissed the indictment.
The public docket I reviewed does not show an order granting that request.
Court records also show several subpoena applications filed in June.
What happens next in the Mitchell Wasek cases?
Mitchell Wasek faces felony charges in Travis County as his defense seeks to suppress evidence and dismiss the indictment.
The Nov. 10 hearings could provide answers about the pending legal challenges.
The 167th District Court handles felony criminal cases in Travis County. Judge Dayna Blazey presides over the court.
For now, Wasek’s cases remain pending.
I will continue reviewing the court records and report any new rulings before the Nov. 10 hearings.
My new book, When Two Worlds Collide During WWII, follows two families on opposite sides of World War II and the remarkable events that eventually brought their lives together in Wisconsin.
The story is based on my own family history, with real people, family photographs and stories passed down through generations.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Paul Taylor’s confession vs. forensic evidence. An exclusive investigation reveals new questions about drag marks, cadaver dog alerts, a shovel found beneath the house and court records referencing Becky Beard’s remains.
Did Paul Taylor tell investigators everything about what happened to Rebecca “Becky” Beard?
Nearly 40 years after the 22-year-old disappeared from Freeport, Texas, new questions surround her murder.
A comparison of Taylor’s confession and previously undisclosed investigative findings reveals significant differences.
In my exclusive interview, retired Freeport police captain Richard Miller described apparent blood evidence and drag marks inside a home linked to Becky’s murder.
Two cadaver dogs also alerted beneath the property.
Miller began digging and discovered unidentified white material. However, officials ordered him to stop before he could identify it.
Becky’s mother, Linda Barnes, also found a shovel and shoe beneath the house. According to the family, investigators never entered either item into evidence.
Newly uncovered court records raise even more questions. They reference Becky’s body and a Remington shotgun after Taylor’s guilty plea.
What really happened inside that house? And where are Becky’s remains?
The home linked to Becky Beard’s murder. Retired Freeport police captain Richard Miller says investigators found apparent blood evidence and drag marks inside. Two cadaver dogs also alerted beneath the property.
What Paul Taylor said happened to Becky Beard
Becky disappeared after visiting the Excalibur Club in Freeport on March 1, 1986.
Taylor admitted that Becky left the club with him. He said they drove to his home, where an argument eventually turned violent.
During a recorded interview with Becky’s mother, Taylor claimed an argument over cocaine led to the shooting.
He said he had promised to obtain cocaine but could not reach his supplier.
According to Taylor, Becky became angry and threatened to call police.
Taylor admitted that he grabbed a gun and tried to frighten her.
He then told Linda that he shot Becky between the eyes.
Taylor claimed Becky died immediately.
He later pleaded guilty to her murder in 1995. However, investigators never recovered her body.
Forensic evidence reveals apparent drag marks inside the home
The home linked to Becky Beard’s murder. Retired Freeport police captain Richard Miller says investigators found apparent blood evidence and drag marks inside. Two cadaver dogs also alerted beneath the property.
Taylor described wrapping Becky’s body in bedsheets before placing her in his car.
However, Miller’s account raises questions about how someone moved her body.
During his investigation around 1994, Miller returned to the home where investigators believed the murder occurred.
He removed wall paneling and conducted luminol testing.
Miller said the testing revealed apparent blood smears on the bedroom wall and floor.
He also observed what appeared to be drag marks.
Those marks extended from the bedroom, through a common area and toward the back door.
According to Miller, the marks ended at that door.
Could someone have dragged Becky through the house before placing her body in a vehicle?
Taylor’s account does not explain the apparent drag marks.
However, additional forensic testing would need to establish what caused them.
Two cadaver dogs alerted beneath the house
Another view of the home linked to Becky Beard’s murder, where retired police captain Richard Miller says investigators discovered apparent blood evidence and drag marks.
Miller’s investigation took another unexpected turn when a dog handler brought two cadaver dogs to the property.
The first dog searched the house and alerted beneath the kitchen area, near the back door.
The handler then brought in a second dog.
That dog searched from another direction and alerted at the exact same location.
Miller crawled beneath the house and began digging by hand.
A few inches below the surface, he discovered soft white material.
He immediately thought about the clothing Becky reportedly wore when she disappeared.
However, Miller never determined what he had found.
He said a district attorney’s investigator and the Clute police chief arrived at the property.
They ordered him to stop digging because Taylor’s trial was approaching.
Miller complied and left the excavation unfinished.
Officials never secured the home as a crime scene during that investigation.
Linda Barnes found a shovel and shoe beneath the house
Linda Barnes discovered this shovel beneath the Clute home linked to Becky Beard’s murder. The family says investigators never entered it into evidence.
Becky’s mother conducted her own investigation into her daughter’s disappearance.
During her search beneath Taylor’s former home, Linda discovered a short-handled shovel and a shoe.
Linda described burn marks on the shovel. She also claimed it carried dirt similar to soil at the suspected burial site.
According to the family, investigators never entered either item into evidence.
During her recorded interview with Taylor, Linda confronted him about the shovel.
Taylor said he could not remember leaving it beneath the house.
He suggested he might have obtained it from his father or mother.
Years later, Miller discovered apparent blood evidence and drag marks inside the same home.
Two cadaver dogs also alerted beneath the property.
Miller began digging and uncovered unidentified white material.
However, officials ordered him to stop before he could identify it.
Did Linda and Miller discover evidence connected to Becky’s disappearance?
Investigators never established that connection through the forensic testing documented in the available interviews.
Did Paul Taylor place Becky beneath the house?
Thumbnail for an article examining conflicting accounts regarding whether Paul Taylor Jr. declined legal representation in the Rebecca Beard murder case.
Taylor claimed he wrapped Becky in bedsheets and roofing paper before placing her body in his car.
He said he later drove to a remote location and buried her.
However, Linda confronted him about the shovel she had discovered beneath his home.
Taylor said he could not remember placing it there.
Miller’s discovery raises another question.
Why did two cadaver dogs alert beneath the home if Taylor immediately transported Becky to another location?
The alerts alone cannot establish that Becky’s body was beneath the house.
They also cannot determine whether someone moved her remains.
Investigators would need additional physical evidence to establish either possibility.
Did investigators recover evidence of a handgun or shotgun?
Two suspected bullet holes documented inside the Clute home. Retired Freeport police captain Richard Miller believes a large-caliber handgun, possibly a .357, could have caused them. He disputes the theory that they came from a shotgun.
Taylor admitted that he shot Becky but did not identify the firearm’s caliber during his interview with Linda.
He claimed he found a gun in his mother’s attic and brought it home.
Miller recalled discovering two holes through the bedroom floor, behind the baseboard.
He believed the holes appeared consistent with a large-caliber handgun.
During my interview, Miller examined photographs from the investigation.
He rejected the suggestion that the holes showed evidence of a shotgun blast.
Miller said he believed a handgun could have caused them. He mentioned a .357 as one possibility.
However, he did not identify a specific weapon.
Newly uncovered case records also reference a Remington shotgun.
Miller said he had never heard about that shotgun during his involvement in Becky’s case.
He also explained that investigators sometimes collect multiple firearms for elimination testing.
The available interviews do not establish whether investigators recovered bullets or conducted ballistics testing in Becky’s murder.
Did investigators ever identify the weapon that killed Becky?
Paul Taylor’s timeline raises additional questions
Linda Barnes confronts Paul Taylor about her daughter’s murder during a prison interview. Taylor claimed heavy drinking affected his memory of the night Becky disappeared.
Taylor repeatedly claimed that heavy drinking affected his memory.
He estimated that he and Becky left the Excalibur Club around 12:30 or 1 a.m.
He said he drank approximately 10 alcoholic drinks that night.
After the shooting, Taylor claimed he struggled to decide what to do with Becky’s body.
He described wrapping her in sheets and placing her in his car during daylight.
However, he also said he spent much of the following day recovering from the alcohol and cleaning the house.
Linda confronted him about another reported incident.
According to Linda, a tow-truck operator and a neighbor described Taylor backing his car into a ditch near his home.
Taylor claimed he could not remember the incident.
He also disputed whether it happened.
These details leave questions about when Taylor moved Becky’s body and what happened outside the home.
What happened to Becky’s missing remains?
A recreation of the outfit Becky Beard reportedly wore the night she disappeared from Freeport, Texas, on March 1, 1986. Her family continues searching for her remains nearly 40 years later.
Taylor maintained that he took investigators to the correct burial site.
He described parking near a tree to conceal his activities from a farmer working nearby.
He said he wrapped Becky in bedsheets and roofing paper before burying her.
However, investigators failed to recover her remains.
Taylor expressed surprise that they found neither her body nor the sheets.
He suggested wild animals, including feral hogs, might have disturbed the burial site.
That explanation remains unverified.
Meanwhile, Miller’s account introduces another location that investigators never fully examined.
The area beneath the house could hold answers about what happened to Becky after her death.
However, the available evidence does not establish that anyone buried her there.
Court records reference possible remains after Taylor’s guilty plea
Court records uncovered by Becky Beard’s family reference the discovery of her body and plans to establish positive identification after Paul Taylor’s guilty plea in 1995. Becky’s remains have never been recovered or positively identified.
Becky’s family has spent decades searching for answers.
Their investigation uncovered court records that reference her body and a Remington shotgun after Taylor’s guilty plea in February 1995.
The handwritten court notes also reference investigator Larry Bullard.
One entry describes plans for Bullard to testify about finding Becky’s body. It also references additional time to establish positive identification.
The family says it learned about these records decades later.
During my exclusive interview, Miller said he knew nothing about investigators recovering Becky’s remains.
He also said he had never heard about a Remington shotgun in connection with the case.
Miller questioned why the family would not have learned about such a discovery.
He explained that investigators would ordinarily seek identification through dental records, DNA testing or other forensic methods.
The court documents raise questions about what investigators recovered after Taylor’s guilty plea.
Did investigators discover possible human remains?
Where did those remains go?
Did anyone submit them for forensic identification?
Why did Becky’s family learn about these records decades later?
The documents do not establish that investigators positively identified Becky’s body.
Her family continues to search for her remains.
Why did officials stop the excavation?
The home linked to Becky Beard’s murder. Retired Freeport police captain Richard Miller says investigators found apparent blood evidence and drag marks inside. Two cadaver dogs also alerted beneath the property.
Miller’s account presents one of the most significant unanswered questions in this investigation.
Investigators had apparent blood evidence inside the home.
They observed possible drag marks leading toward the back door.
Two cadaver dogs independently alerted beneath the property.
Miller then discovered unidentified white material while digging at that location.
Yet officials ordered him to stop before he could identify it.
Miller said they cited concerns about the upcoming trial.
He never personally entered physical evidence from that excavation into the case.
Nearly four decades after Becky disappeared, her family continues to search for her remains.
Taylor’s confession established his involvement in her murder. However, it did not answer every question about what happened inside the home or where Becky’s body went.
The original forensic reports, evidence logs and sealed court records could help resolve those questions.
Did investigators overlook evidence that could finally lead Becky’s family to her remains?
For Becky’s mother, sister and daughter, the search for answers continues.
My new book, When Two Worlds Collide During WWII, follows two families on opposite sides of World War II and the remarkable events that eventually brought their lives together in Wisconsin.
The story is based on my own family history, with real people, family photographs and stories passed down through generations.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Retired Freeport police captain Richard Miller reveals evidence discovered inside a home linked to the Becky Beard murder case, including apparent blood evidence, drag marks and cadaver dog alerts.
Nearly 40 years after Rebecca “Becky” Beard disappeared, a retired Freeport police captain is revealing evidence investigators discovered inside a home believed to be connected to her murder.
In my exclusive interview, Richard Miller describes apparent blood evidence, drag marks and two cadaver dogs that alerted beneath the home. He also recalls finding unusual material while digging before officials ordered him to stop.
Despite those discoveries, investigators never secured the home as a crime scene.
Watch my exclusive interview with Richard Miller
Richard Miller reveals evidence discovered inside the home
Retired Freeport police captain Richard Miller speaks exclusively with Investigative Reporter Tammy Rose about evidence discovered inside a home linked to Becky Beard’s murder.
Miller spent 22 years with the Freeport Police Department. He was a rookie when Becky disappeared in March 1986. Years later, he revisited the investigation as a police captain.
During a search of the home, investigators used luminol to look for possible blood evidence. Miller describes apparent blood smears on a wall and floor, along with marks leading toward the back door.
Two cadaver dogs also alerted beneath the house.
Officials ordered Miller to stop digging
Miller says he began digging beneath the home after the dogs alerted. During that search, he discovered unusual white material.
Before he could determine what he had found, officials ordered him to stop.
The material has not been confirmed as human remains. However, Miller’s account raises questions about evidence investigators may have left behind.
Why wasn’t the home secured as a crime scene?
Inside the home investigators searched in connection with Becky Beard’s murder. Retired Freeport police captain Richard Miller describes evidence discovered during the investigation.
John Cone previously told investigators that Paul Taylor Jr. allegedly confessed to him about Becky’s death.
Cone reported that Taylor had removed a mattress and carpet from the home. He also offered authorities a key to the property.
Yet investigators did not immediately secure and process the residence following Cone’s report.
Miller’s account now provides additional details about what investigators discovered during a later search.
Newly uncovered records raise more question
Newly uncovered investigative notes reference finding Becky Beard’s body. Her family says they were never informed of such a discovery, raising questions about what investigators knew in 1995.
Becky’s family has spent decades searching for her remains. They have also reviewed investigative reports and court records in their effort to uncover what happened.
Records involving possible human remains have raised additional questions for the family.
Miller’s interview offers a new perspective on the evidence discovered beneath the house. However, it does not establish that investigators recovered human remains.
Paul Taylor Jr. pleaded guilty in connection with Becky’s death in 1995. Her body has never been recovered.
My new book, When Two Worlds Collide During WWII, follows two families on opposite sides of World War II and the remarkable events that eventually brought their lives together in Wisconsin.
The story is based on my own family history, with real people, family photographs and stories passed down through generations.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
I’m sharing my story in hopes it helps someone else recognize when it’s time to leave.
I was 51 when I entered a relationship that moved very quickly.
What began as a whirlwind romance eventually became something I never imagined I would experience: emotional and physical abuse.
I’ve debated whether to write this.
I’m not writing it to identify or publicly shame the person I was with. I won’t name him.
I’m writing because somewhere another woman—or man—may be explaining away things happening behind closed doors just as I did.
For a long time, I did exactly that.
I minimized the bruises and changed my behavior. Walking away from arguments became routine. Sometimes I slept in another room. I even recorded what was happening, hoping he could see for himself what I was experiencing.
Nothing worked.
If sharing my experience helps one person recognize that they don’t have to wait for something worse to happen before leaving an abusive relationship, then telling it is worth it.
The first time he put his hands on me
I photographed the bruising on my leg after the first time he physically hurt me.
Before this relationship, I had never had a man physically hurt me.
The first time it happened, I was stunned.
He kneed me and I fell to the ground.
But it wasn’t the last time.
He would jab his finger hard into my chest. He grabbed my neck. There were bruises, abrasions and other marks on my body.
One night, he grabbed me by the leg while I was lying in bed and dragged me into the living room because he wanted me to sleep in the guest room.
So the next time there was an argument, I tried something different.
I went to the guest room.
That didn’t work either.
He broke through the door.
There were other times he damaged or broke down doors when I went into another room because I was trying to avoid a confrontation.
That became one of the most frightening parts of the relationship.
There was nowhere I could go inside my own home to make an argument stop.
If I stayed, things could escalate.
Walking away meant he could follow me.
Even going into another room didn’t necessarily keep him out.
I kept changing what I did because I thought maybe I could prevent the next incident.
Nothing worked.
The physical incidents happened when he was drinking
I photographed the bruising on my shoulder after one of the physical incidents.
The physical abuse happened when he had been drinking.
The next day, there were times he couldn’t remember what he had done.
But I remembered.
I remembered everything.
He sometimes remembered nothing.
I was left with the bruises, damaged doors and memories of what had happened. Then I sometimes found myself trying to explain those events to someone who said he couldn’t remember them.
I even tried recording him.
It wasn’t to embarrass him. I hoped that if he could hear himself later, he might understand how bad things had become.
Maybe hearing his own behavior would change something.
It didn’t.
I kept moving the line for what counted as abuse
Then came the explanations.
I was told it was my fault.
One of the things I remember most was the justification that he had never punched me in the face.
For a while, I actually used that distinction myself.
He didn’t punch me.
Was this really abuse?
Was I making too much of it?
Had I done something to cause it?
Looking back, those questions show me how much my understanding of what was normal had changed.
Instead of asking why someone I loved was hurting me, I was asking whether I had been hurt badly enough for it to count.
Eventually, the line for what I considered abuse kept moving.
Why I documented the injuries but never called police
I photographed this abrasion after being dragged. I kept pictures of my injuries even though I never called police.
I photographed some of my injuries.
I took pictures of bruises, abrasions and marks on my body because somewhere inside me, I knew I needed to document what was happening.
But I never called police.
I worried about what an arrest could do to his career.
Even while I was documenting injuries I believed he had caused, part of me was worried about protecting him from the consequences.
That is difficult for me to admit now.
I don’t share it because I’m proud of that decision.
I share it because someone reading this may understand it.
Abusive relationships can make you question things that once would have seemed obvious.
I could look at bruises on my own body and still find reasons to minimize them.
There had been no punch to the face.
I never called police.
No trip to the hospital followed.
So maybe it wasn’t that bad.
At least, that is what I told myself.
Editor’s note: The photographs accompanying this story were taken by me at the time and document injuries I experienced during the relationship. I am sharing only a few of them.
It wasn’t only physical
There were accusations of cheating.
Arguments could somehow get turned around until I was defending myself against things I hadn’t done.
Over time, I felt smaller.
I felt ashamed.
I felt worthless.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline lists behaviors such as extreme jealousy, preventing someone from making their own decisions, intimidation, blaming a partner for abusive behavior and other controlling behaviors among warning signs of abuse.
At the time, I didn’t fully understand what was happening to me.
I was too busy trying to figure out how to stop the next argument.
I left once — and went back
I bought this RV and left. I went to a campground, but eventually I was convinced to return.
At one point, I bought an RV and left.
I went to a campground.
He found me there and convinced me to come back.
So I did.
For a long time, that embarrassed me.
Why would someone leave an abusive relationship and then return?
I understand that question differently now.
Leaving isn’t always a single moment.
Sometimes you leave and go back.
You may not be ready.
You may still love the person.
There can still be hope that things will change.
You may believe that changing your own behavior will change the relationship.
And sometimes you have to leave more than once before you stay gone.
The trip that changed everything
I became sick during our trip to Cozumel. What happened in that hotel room would ultimately change everything.
My trip to Cozumel happened in February.
I became extremely sick. At one point, I was passed out in our hotel room.
Someone apparently heard yelling and screaming coming from the room and became concerned enough to contact authorities.
People came to our room and insisted on checking on me to make sure I was breathing.
I learned about it the following morning.
That stayed with me.
Strangers had heard enough from outside our hotel room that they were worried about the person inside it.
But I still didn’t leave.
That’s important to me now because there wasn’t one dramatic moment when everything suddenly became clear.
The realization came slowly.
I had already tried changing my behavior. Walking away from confrontations didn’t work. Neither did going into another room or sleeping somewhere else. I even recorded what was happening, hoping he could hear and see his behavior afterward.
I had even left once before.
But I went back.
Months later, Lynette Hooker disappeared
Then, months after my Cozumel trip, Lynette Hooker disappeared on Easter Sunday.
As a reporter, I followed her story as it began receiving national attention.
But this time, I wasn’t experiencing a story only as a journalist.
After everything that had happened in my own relationship, her disappearance affected me personally.
Cozumel came back to me.
So did the bruises I had photographed.
I remembered the doors that had been broken when I tried to get away from confrontations.
Being dragged from my bed by my leg was impossible to forget.
Most of all, I remembered how many times I had convinced myself it wasn’t that bad because I had never been punched in the face.
And one thought kept coming back to me:
I don’t want to become another statistic.
I wasn’t comparing my circumstances to Lynette’s or claiming to know what had happened to her.
Her disappearance simply forced me to confront a question I had avoided for too long:
What was I waiting for?
My first trip without him. I traveled to Italy alone and began discovering what life on my own could look like.
I didn’t know whether my relationship would ever become more dangerous.
I didn’t need to know.
For months, I had been waiting for some unmistakable event that would finally give me permission to leave.
I finally realized I didn’t need one.
I already knew I didn’t feel safe.
That was enough.
This time, I just left
Why I’m telling my story now
I’m an investigative reporter.
I’ve interviewed victims and covered crimes throughout my career.
Much of my work has involved asking difficult questions.
Yet I found myself in a situation I once believed could never happen to me.
That realization carried a lot of shame.
But intelligence, education, age and professional success don’t make someone immune from an abusive relationship.
That is one of the reasons I’m sharing photographs I once kept private.
Another person may be looking at bruises on their own body tonight and making the same calculations I made.
“He didn’t really hit me.”
“It wasn’t that bad.”
If this sounds familiar, help is available
If you’re experiencing relationship abuse—or questioning whether what’s happening to you is abuse—you can speak confidentially with an advocate at the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
Call 800-799-SAFE (tel:800-799-SAFE) (7233), text START to 88788, or use the Hotline’s online chat. The service is available 24/7.
If you are in immediate or life-threatening danger, call 911 (tel:911).
My new book, When Two Worlds Collide During WWII, follows two families on opposite sides of World War II and the remarkable events that eventually brought their lives together in Wisconsin.
The story is based on my own family history, with real people, family photographs and stories passed down through generations.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
According to the Attorney General’s ruling, the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office told the state that the incident captured on the body camera “was not criminal in nature.”
The county also represented that the body camera recording “will not be used as evidence in a criminal prosecution.”
Based on those representations, the Attorney General determined the recording must be withheld under Texas Government Code Section 552.101 in conjunction with Article 2B.0112(c) of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure.
Texas law generally exempts body-camera recordings from the Public Information Act unless an exception applies. One of those exceptions involves information that is or could be used as evidence in a criminal prosecution.
Why the explanation raises questions
This is where I have questions.
Becky Beard disappeared from Freeport in March 1986.
Paul Taylor Jr. later pleaded guilty in connection with her death, but Becky’s remains have never been recovered.
Her family has continued searching for answers and for Becky.
The body camera video I requested is connected to those continuing efforts.
So the wording in this ruling stands out.
Brazoria County represented to the Attorney General that the incident recorded on the body camera was not criminal in nature and that the recording would not be used as evidence in a criminal prosecution.
That raises an obvious question:
If the recording is connected to efforts surrounding a decades-old homicide case, why is the incident being characterized as noncriminal?
The ruling itself does not answer that question.
It also does not independently determine whether the underlying Beard case is open or closed. It addresses whether this particular body-camera recording must be released under the Public Information Act.
Attorney General relied on county’s representations
There is another important distinction.
The Attorney General did not independently conclude from the ruling that nothing criminal occurred.
Instead, the decision specifically says it was “based upon these representations and our review” that the information must be withheld.
In other words, Brazoria County made representations about the nature and potential use of the recording, and the Attorney General applied the law to those facts.
The Attorney General’s Open Records Division also explains that these letter rulings apply only to the specific documents and circumstances involved. They are not precedent for other records requests.
The September 25 ruling makes that limitation explicit, stating that it applies only to the particular information and facts presented in this request.
The search for Becky continues
This ruling means I will not receive the body camera video through this particular Public Information Act request.
But it also adds another question to a case already filled with them.
Why was this incident described as noncriminal?
What exactly was the purpose of the law enforcement contact captured on the recording?
And how does that description fit with the continuing efforts to locate Becky Beard?
Those are questions I will continue asking.
Becky disappeared nearly 40 years ago.
Her family is still looking for her.
And I am continuing to investigate what happened to Becky Beard and the decades of decisions that followed.
My new book, When Two Worlds Collide During WWII, follows two families on opposite sides of World War II and the remarkable events that eventually brought their lives together in Wisconsin.
The story is based on my own family history, with real people, family photographs and stories passed down through generations.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
More than a year after the Patrick Wright killing in Galveston, his mother, Kim Lain, says she still has serious questions about the investigation.
Kim Lain was there when her son died. She says she saw the man involved in the confrontation. She spoke directly to him. Moments later, she watched her son collapse after he was shot.
The investigation took several unexpected turns. Police first arrested the wrong man on a murder charge. Investigators later acknowledged problems with gunshot residue testing.
Authorities eventually identified another man as the shooter. They said he admitted firing the shots but claimed self-defense.
Watch the full investigation
Investigative Reporter Tammy Rose sat down with Kim Lain to discuss her son’s death, the investigation and the questions she says remain unanswered. Watch the full report below.
A Galveston County grand jury later took no action in the case.
Patrick William Wright with one of his children. His mother, Kim Lain, remembers him as a devoted father who put family first.
Now Lain is questioning how investigators handled her son’s death and why no one faces charges.
Patrick Wright killed in Galveston
Patrick William Wright was 29 when he died on June 20, 2025.
Lain remembers her son for much more than the circumstances surrounding his death.
“He was a very pure soul, that is for sure,” Lain said. “Family was everything to him.”
She described Patrick as someone who held doors open for strangers and helped people who needed it.
“He’s the guy that would give the homeless a few bucks and something to eat, no questions asked,” she said. “I admired that about him.”
A confrontation on Avenue R
Police at the scene following the fatal shooting of 29-year-old Patrick William Wright in Galveston.The scene on Avenue R in Galveston following the fatal shooting of 29-year-old Patrick William Wright.
Lain says she and Patrick were traveling along Avenue R in Galveston when another vehicle made a wide U-turn and came close to them.
She says Patrick wanted the vehicle’s license plate number. He backed up until the two vehicles were next to each other.
“I heard my son say something to the effect of, ‘Hey, you know, what’s your problem? You almost hit me,’” Lain said.
Patrick eventually got out.
Lain says she repeatedly asked her son not to engage with the other driver. She also asked the other driver to leave.
Seconds later, she heard gunfire.
“It sounded like four shots to me,” Lain said. “It was more than two.”
Patrick then appeared at her window.
“He clenched his chest, and he said, ‘I’ve been shot,’” she recalled.
Lain called 911 at 10:14 p.m.
“He collapsed on the hood, and I lost him there,” she said.
Patrick had been shot twice in the chest.
Lain says less than three minutes passed between the U-turn and the shooting.
Police initially arrested the wrong man
The investigation soon took an unexpected turn.
Galveston police initially arrested Uber driver Sanddy Diaz Pino on a murder charge. Police later determined he was not the shooter.
Galveston police initially arrested Uber driver Sanddy Diaz Pino and charged him with murder.
Days later, police determined he was not the shooter.
Investigators said video evidence raised questions about his involvement. Police also acknowledged problems with preliminary gunshot residue testing that produced false-positive results.
Authorities dismissed the murder charge against Diaz Pino.
Investigators later identified another ride-share driver.
Emergency responders tend to 29-year-old Patrick William Wright after he was shot in Galveston on June 20, 2025.
Authorities said that man admitted shooting Patrick but claimed he acted in self-defense.
Lain disputes part of the shooting account
Early reports cited a witness and a probable cause affidavit. They said Patrick lunged toward the driver’s open window before the shooting.
Lain says she did not see that happen.
“It hurts immensely,” she said. “It also hurts how things have been characterized … because that is not what I witnessed at that scene.”
Lain also disputes the identity of the driver.
She says she looked directly at the man behind the wheel and spoke to him during the confrontation.
Lain says she later made a sworn identification of the man she saw that night. She says the man she identified was not the same person authorities identified during their investigation.
She later took her eyewitness identification to authorities.
Lain says authorities told her it did not qualify as new evidence.
Grand jury takes no action
Patrick William Wright was 29 years old when he was shot and killed in Galveston in June 2025.
The case went before a Galveston County grand jury. The grand jury returned no indictment.
Grand jury proceedings remain secret under Texas law. That means the public cannot independently determine all the evidence prosecutors presented or why jurors reached their decision.
Lain has also discussed her own involvement in the grand jury process. Before publishing, I would confirm with Kim that she personally testified and then add that fact here. Your package does not establish that point clearly enough for me to put it in as fact yet.
Lain questions evidence in the case
Kim Lain with her son, Patrick William Wright, years before his death in Galveston.
Lain says the prosecutor who presented the case later discussed the evidence with her.
According to Lain, the prosecutor said the case went before the grand jury without a firearm, ballistics evidence, eyewitness identification or physical evidence tying the person under investigation to the scene.
Lain says the prosecutor told her authorities did have a confession and information from Uber placing that person there.
Those statements reflect Lain’s account of what the prosecutor told her. Grand jury secrecy prevents the public from independently confirming everything jurors saw or heard.
Lain says authorities told her she would need new evidence before they could consider the case again. She says they gave a firearm as one example.
She also questions why authorities want her to produce new evidence while opposing the release of Patrick’s complete autopsy file.
Lain believes that file could contain forensic evidence relevant to the case.
A mother continues searching for answers
Patrick William Wright was a father of three. His mother, Kim Lain, says family meant everything to him.
Lain says she was also told that another grand jury would reach the same outcome even if she produced new evidence.
She questions how anyone could know what another grand jury would decide.
“I feel violated. I feel betrayed,” Lain said. “I feel pain for my son. I feel pain for myself. Every day is hell.”
More than a year after Patrick’s death, Lain wants authorities to take another look at the case.
She wants investigators to consider her eyewitness identification and her account of her son’s final minutes.
For Lain, Patrick is more than a name in an investigative file.
He was a 29-year-old father whom she remembers for his kindness and devotion to his family.
“Family was everything to him,” she said.
A grand jury’s decision not to indict does not determine guilt or innocence. Grand jury proceedings are secret, and the evidence presented to jurors generally remains outside public view.
My new book, When Two Worlds Collide During WWII, follows two families on opposite sides of World War II and the remarkable events that eventually brought their lives together in Wisconsin.
The story is based on my own family history, with real people, family photographs and stories passed down through generations.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Seven fatal aviation crashes across three countries have left at least 21 people dead in 11 days. Graphic created for Investigative Reporter Tammy Rose.
Update: September 16, 2026
Another fatal aviation crash occurred on September 15. It marked the seventh deadly crash in 11 days.
The seven crashes occurred across three countries. At least 21 people died.
The latest crash involved a news helicopter in Los Angeles. The crew was covering another deadly crash when the helicopter went down.
News helicopter crash kills three in Los Angeles
Eliana Moreno and George Marciniw pictured at Whiteman Airport in December 2025. Both were killed in the September 15, 2026, news helicopter crash in Los Angeles. Photo courtesy of George Marciniw/Facebook.
A news helicopter crashed Tuesday evening in the Chatsworth neighborhood of Los Angeles. Three people died.
The helicopter was covering a deadly collision involving an SUV and a Metro bus. NBC4 and Telemundo 52 said the aircraft crashed shortly before 7 p.m.
NBC identified two of those killed as aerial journalist and photojournalist Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw. Both worked for Angel City Air, which operated the helicopter.
A third person was killed on the ground. Two other people were taken to a hospital.
The helicopter crashed between commercial buildings and burst into flames, damaging vehicles and storage containers.
The cause of the crash has not been determined. The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating.
Tammy Rose aboard the KPNX news helicopter in Phoenix. Rose worked at KPNX when Chopper 3 and Chopper 15 collided while covering a police pursuit in 2007.
This tragedy hits close to home for me. I spent years aboard television news helicopters. I was working at KPNX in Phoenix when Chopper 3 and Chopper 15 collided. Our helicopter was also covering the police pursuit. I then had to report on the crash that killed four people.
Pilot killed in Alabama plane crash
File photo of a Van’s RV-4, the same aircraft model involved in the fatal Alabama crash. This is not the aircraft involved. Public-domain photo by Adrian Pingstone via Wikimedia Commons.
A Van’s RV-4 crashed near Albertville, Alabama, Tuesday morning. The crash killed the pilot.
The FAA said the aircraft crashed around 6:50 a.m. on September 15. The pilot was the only person aboard.
Local authorities identified the pilot as 62-year-old Douglas Emge of Whiton. The FAA and NTSB continue to investigate the crash.
Seven fatal aviation crashes occurred across three countries in 11 days. At least 21 people died.
The crashes occurred from September 5 through September 15, 2026. They involved several types of aircraft. Those included private planes, a cargo jet, a training aircraft and three helicopters.
Investigators have not linked the crashes. They have not identified a common cause.
Craig and Danna Eady and their two children were killed after their private airplane crashed near Sierra Sky Park Airport in Fresno, California, on September 5, 2026.
The deadly stretch began September 5 near Sierra Sky Park Airport in Fresno, California.
A single-engine Grumman American AA-5 crashed shortly after takeoff and caught fire near the San Joaquin River.
Two children died at the scene. Danna Eady, 41, and her husband, Craig Eady, 44, later died from their injuries.
Danna Eady was a certified flight instructor. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.
Amazon cargo jet overruns Miami runway
NTSB investigators examine the wreckage of 21 Air Flight 7598 after the Amazon Air cargo jet overran a runway at Miami International Airport on September 6, 2026. Photo courtesy: NTSB.
One day later, a Boeing 767-300 freighter overran a runway while landing at Miami International Airport.
The September 6 crash involved 21 Air Flight 7598, which was operating for Amazon Air after arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The jet crossed an airport road, struck vehicles and caught fire. Five people on the ground were killed. Five others were hospitalized, including the two pilots.
NTSB investigators said flight information indicates the jet landed at high speed. The pilots briefly appeared to consider taking off again after touchdown.
The investigation remains underway. Authorities have not announced a final cause.
A Cessna 172 crashed and caught fire September 7 at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport in San Diego.
The two people aboard were killed.
The privately operated aircraft crashed on airport property. No one on the ground was reported injured.
Federal investigators are working to determine what caused the airplane to go down.
Flying Doctor helicopter crashes in Malaysia
Five people died September 8 when a BO-105 helicopter crashed near Long Lellang STOLport in Sarawak, Malaysia.
The helicopter was conducting a Flying Doctor Service mission. Those aboard included the pilot and four medical workers traveling to serve remote communities.
Malaysia’s Civil Aviation Authority identified the helicopter as registration 9M-LLF. The country’s Air Accident Investigation Bureau is investigating.
Officials have not determined what caused the crash.
Pilot killed in remote Australian helicopter crash
A helicopter crashed September 12 on a remote pastoral property in South Australia.
Police said the helicopter crashed at Devonborough Downs, approximately 200 kilometers west of Broken Hill.
The 51-year-old pilot was the only person aboard. He died at the scene.
Authorities have not released the helicopter’s type or operator. South Australia Police notified aviation authorities, and investigators are preparing a report for the coroner.
The seven crashes involved different aircraft, missions, operators and locations.
One involved a large cargo jet. Three involved small airplanes. Three involved helicopters.
Investigators are examining the crashes independently. There is currently no evidence that the accidents are connected or share a common cause.
Investigators will examine factors including weather, maintenance, pilot actions, aircraft performance and operating procedures. Final findings in some of these investigations could take months or longer.
Tammy Rose Reports will continue following each investigation as authorities release confirmed information.
My new book, When Two Worlds Collide During WWII, follows two families on opposite sides of World War II and the remarkable events that eventually brought their lives together in Wisconsin.
The story is based on my own family history, with real people, family photographs and stories passed down through generations.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
John Gabriel Mendoza Jr., 18, was a Texas State University student who died following the June 1, 2026 shooting involving former Brazoria County deputy Kevin Daniel Tippit.
Months after the fatal shooting of John Gabriel Mendoza Jr., Brazoria County released an incident report printed two days after the shooting.
The sheriff’s office printed the report on June 3, 2026, at 7:39 a.m. The report warns that it only reflects the investigation as it existed at that time.
The county released the early John Mendoza report on September 14. However, it withheld the bodycam, dashcam and nearly the entire detailed narrative.
What the John Mendoza report shows
The Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office lists the incident under case number 2606-0001.
The report identifies the original allegation as evading arrest or detention with a vehicle. It lists the location as the 1100 block of FM 2004 in Lake Jackson.
The report identifies the vehicle as a red 2021 Dodge Challenger.
A short summary states that deputies attempted a traffic stop before the vehicle fled.
The report lists the State of Texas as the victim. It identifies Mendoza as the suspect in the alleged evading offense.
That classification only concerns the original pursuit report. It does not establish that Mendoza committed a crime.
County redacts Tippit’s narrative
Former Brazoria County Sheriff’s Deputy Kevin Daniel Tippit faces a charge of aggravated assault by a public servant in connection with the June 1, 2026 shooting of John Gabriel Mendoza Jr. Photo credit: Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office.
The detailed narrative contains one visible line about former Brazoria County Deputy Kevin Daniel Tippit.
The report states that Tippit advised he was in pursuit at about 12:09 a.m.
The county covered nearly every word that follows with black boxes. It also redacted the names of the assisting officers.
The visible line does not establish when the pursuit began. It only records when the report says Tippit advised that he was in pursuit.
Records do not contradict Ranger affidavit
Former Brazoria County Sheriff’s Deputy Kevin Tippit has been charged with first-degree felony aggravated assault by a public servant in connection with the fatal shooting of 18-year-old John Gabriel Mendoza Jr.
The new report does not contradict the timeline in the Texas Ranger affidavit.
The Ranger affidavit says Tippit observed the Challenger around 12:06 a.m. It also says he activated his emergency lights and siren.
The available scanner recording begins carrying pursuit traffic around 12:08 a.m. The sheriff’s report then places Tippit’s pursuit notification at about 12:09 a.m.
Those times describe different points during the encounter. They do not prove that investigators provided an incorrect timeline.
The newly released report also does not reveal the “accidental discharge” statement. The previously obtained scanner audio already captured Tippit making that report.
Rangers reviewed bodycam and dashcam
The Texas Ranger affidavit says investigators reviewed Tippit’s bodycam and dashcam.
According to the affidavit, the Challenger reached approximately 120 mph and ran six red lights. The pursuit ended inside the garage at Mendoza’s family home.
The affidavit says Tippit entered the garage and fired through the driver’s-side window.
Scanner traffic later captured Tippit reporting what he described as an “accidental discharge.”
The new John Mendoza report offers no additional account of the shooting. Brazoria County withheld the videos that could allow the public to examine the encounter independently.
Attorney General allows county to withhold records
The Texas Attorney General issued ruling OR2026-038106 on August 28, 2026.
The ruling covered eight public-information requests, including Brazoria County request number 26-1859.
Brazoria County argued that releasing the evidence could interfere with an active criminal case. The Attorney General allowed the county to withhold most of the investigative material.
However, the ruling required the county to release basic information.
Investigative Reporter Tammy Rose then requested the information covered by the ruling. Brazoria County assigned that follow-up request number 26-2947.
The county responded on September 14 with the early report and extensive redactions.
Report predates major developments
The sheriff’s office printed the released report on June 3.
That date matters because the report predates several major developments in the case.
Sheriff Bo Stallman fired Tippit on June 9. Stallman cited policy violations involving the handling and discharge of Tippit’s firearm.
A Brazoria County grand jury later indicted Tippit on aggravated assault by a public servant. Texas Rangers arrested him on August 11.
The court has scheduled Tippit’s trial for February 1, 2027. Court dates can change.
An indictment does not establish guilt. The law presumes Tippit innocent unless prosecutors prove the charge in court.
Release offers no updated shooting account
The records released in September provide an early account of the alleged evading offense. They do not provide a current summary of the shooting investigation.
The packet contains no updated narrative following Tippit’s firing, indictment or arrest. It also contains no bodycam, dashcam or complete radio record.
The release confirms that Tippit advised he was in pursuit at about 12:09 a.m. Beyond that entry, it adds little to the established public record.
The most important evidence remains outside public view.
Investigative Reporter Tammy Rose will continue seeking the bodycam, dashcam and other records as the criminal case moves forward.
Read the documents
The Attorney General ruling, Brazoria County’s response and the sanitized incident report appear below.
My new book, When Two Worlds Collide During WWII, follows two families on opposite sides of World War II and the remarkable events that eventually brought their lives together in Wisconsin.
The story is based on my own family history, with real people, family photographs and stories passed down through generations.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict in the Lindsay Clancy case.
Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial Friday in the Lindsay Clancy murder case after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict following seven days of deliberations.
The mistrial leaves the high-profile Massachusetts case without a verdict. Because the jury deadlocked, the charges were not resolved. Prosecutors must now decide whether to seek a retrial or pursue another lawful resolution.
Jury reports another deadlock
The jury deliberated for more than 38 hours. Jurors told the court three times that they could not agree on a verdict.
A note from the jury foreperson raised concerns about one juror. The foreperson claimed that the juror would not follow the judge’s instructions on reasonable doubt.
Defense attorney Kevin Reddington asked Sullivan to remove the juror. Sullivan denied that request. The judge said he could not resolve the jury’s internal disagreement by replacing a juror based on the foreperson’s account.
Defense sought emergency intervention
Caption: Lindsay Clancy watches the proceedings as her defense seeks emergency appellate intervention before the court declares a mistrial.
Sullivan announced his plan to declare a mistrial after the jury reported its final deadlock.
Reddington asked for time to seek emergency appellate intervention. Sullivan delayed the mistrial order for one hour.
No appellate ruling stopped the court from declaring a mistrial before the deadline. Sullivan then ended the trial without a verdict.
A mistrial based on jury deadlock generally does not decide the defendant’s guilt or innocence. It also does not ordinarily bar the government from retrying the case under the constitutional protection against double jeopardy, because the jury could not reach a verdict.
Case focused on criminal responsibility
Clancy faced three murder charges in the deaths of her children. Cora was 5, Dawson was 3 and Callan was 8 months old.
The defense did not dispute that Clancy caused the children’s deaths in January 2023. Instead, Reddington argued that postpartum psychosis left her unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of her conduct or to conform her conduct to the law.
Prosecutors argued that Clancy planned the killings and understood that her actions were wrong. Jurors had to decide whether the prosecution proved the elements of the charged offenses and whether Clancy was criminally responsible under Massachusetts law.
In Massachusetts, a defendant may be found not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility if a qualifying mental disease or defect substantially affected the defendant’s ability to appreciate the wrongfulness of the conduct or to conform conduct to the law. The defense bears the burden of proving that defense by a preponderance of the evidence.
The jury could have convicted Clancy of murder or a lesser offense, including manslaughter, if the evidence and instructions supported that verdict. Jurors could also have found her not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility. That finding is not the same as an ordinary acquittal and can lead to court-ordered psychiatric commitment and continuing judicial review.
What happens after the Lindsay Clancy mistrial?
The mistrial did not result in a conviction or an acquittal. The charges remain unresolved, and the court must address the case’s next procedural steps.
Prosecutors may seek a retrial with a new jury, subject to applicable court rules and constitutional requirements. They may also negotiate a plea agreement or decide not to pursue the charges. Any dismissal could be with or without prejudice, depending on the circumstances and the court’s order.
A retrial would not necessarily repeat every procedural step in exactly the same way, but the parties would select a new jury and present the case again. Evidence and rulings from the first trial could affect the proceedings, and the court would decide which issues remain open.
Clancy remains at a psychiatric hospital while the case continues. Officials have not announced a new court date or a decision about a second trial.
Outside the courtroom, I have also been working on a deeply personal project.
My new book, When Two Worlds Collide During WWII, follows two families on opposite sides of World War II and the remarkable events that eventually brought their lives together in Wisconsin.
The story is based on my own family history, with real people, family photographs and stories passed down through generations.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
