Scared Monkeys Discussion Forum

http://kxan.com/2015/02/05/woman-found-dead-in-bastrop-worked-for-kyle-police-department/
Woman found dead in Bastrop worked for Kyle Police Department
February 5, 2015

BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) — A woman found dead near the entrance of an upscale neighborhood in Bastrop was the Victim Services Coordinator for the Kyle Police Department. Bastrop investigators have identified the 29-year-old woman as Samantha Dean, who was pregnant. Still, officials couldn’t determine how far along she was.
 ::snipping3::
A Bastrop County Sheriff’s deputy patrolling the parking lot at 118 Stephen F. Austin Blvd. around 2 a.m. Wednesday found Dean’s body lying next to a late-model black Dodge Charger that had one of its doors open. The car was parked in the Shoppes at Colony Village shopping center, just west of the city border at the entrance to an upscale neighborhood. The shopping center has stood empty since it was built about seven years ago, deputies said. Neighbors of the upscale Colony community have been keeping on eye out around the stores and say they have noticed suspicious late-night activity.

“Our staff, city council and entire community is heartbroken as we’ve learned of the passing of one of our City of Kyle family,” said City Manager Scott Sellers. “In her role as Victim Services Coordinator, Samantha Dean helped a lot of people who otherwise might have been without her special kind of compassion and caring. Samantha’s loss leaves an enormous hole in our hearts and in our community. Please join us as we pray for her family and friends in this time of mourning.”

An autopsy confirmed Dean was shot to death, but officials are still conducting toxicology tests and other analysis. Bastrop County Sheriff’s officials are working with Kyle and Austin police, Texas Rangers and other Department of Public Safety technicians on this case.

http://www.kvue.com/story/news/local/2015/02/04/bastrop-homicide-officials-investigation/22846683/
Deputies: Woman found dead in Bastrop was pregnant, worked for Kyle PD
February 5, 2015

(http://i.imgur.com/ze7i9GT.jpg) (http://imgur.com/ze7i9GT)
(Photo:  City of Kyle)

BASTROP, Texas -- Investigators have identified the woman found dead in a Bastrop parking lot Wednesday as a 29-year-old Kyle Police Department employee.

Officials performed an autopsy on Samantha Elizabeth Dean on Thursday, determining that Dean died of a gunshot wound. Further analysis and toxicology needs to be completed before the final determination is made, according to deputies.

Dean was found dead in an empty parking lot at 118 Stephen F. Austin Blvd. in Bastrop around 2 a.m. Wednesday. A deputy at the scene reported a suspicious vehicle with its door open, then found Dean dead on the ground outside the passenger side of the vehicle.

The autopsy showed Dean was pregnant at the time of her death. Officials did not reveal details regarding her due date, but she posted pictures of a sonogram on Facebook in October.

Dean worked as the victim services coordinator for the Kyle Police Department.

Dean's coworkers described her as compassionate and excited to be pregnant with her first child.
 ::snipping3::

Sheriff's deputies said they are investigating Dean's death as a homicide and did not say if they have identified any suspects. They said they do not believe the public is in any danger.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/crime-law/woman-found-dead-in-bastrop-was-pregnant-worked-fo/nj5PP/
Kyle police mourning pregnant co-worker found fatally shot in Bastrop
February 5, 2015



 ::snipping3::
Kyle police Chief Jeff Barnett said Dean worked with hundreds of victims and their families by guiding them and always maintaining communication regards their cases even said that many depended on her.

Dean was the only person working at the victim services division, a position supported by a grant, Barnett said.

“She was quick to smile and always passionate,” Barnett said. “Victims felt her compassion and opened up to her. She helped the victims of Kyle through their most difficult times.”

Earlier: A woman found dead Wednesday in a parking lot in Bastrop was a victim services coordinator for the Kyle Police Department, according to the Bastrop County sheriff’s office.

Samantha Elizabeth Dean, 29, was also pregnant when she was apparently shot dead, authorities say. She lived in Austin.

A deputy was making a routine check of a parking lot at 118 Stephen F. Austin Blvd. when he saw a vehicle with the door ajar. A woman, later identified as Dean, was found lying on the ground next to it.

An autopsy performed Thursday by Central Texas Autopsy in Lockhart indicates a gunshot wound caused her death but a final determination is pending further analysis and toxicology tests, according to the sheriff’s office.

Authorities are investigating Dean’s death as a homicide but don’t think the community is in danger.

Kyle City Manager Scott Sellers said in a statement that city staff and council members were heartbroken to learn about Dean’s death.

“Dean helped a lot of people who otherwise might have been without her special kind of compassion and caring,” Sellers said.

A LinkedIn account for Dean shows that she volunteered with the city of Austin as a crisis counselor coordinator and earned a masters degree in forensic psychology from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

She received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and public policy from the University of Texas at San Antonio, according to the account.

On Facebook, photos show Dean beaming at the camera, in her graduation gown at the University of Texas or surrounded by friends.

In one photo posted in December she stands with women holding signs that said, “Team Dean” and “Team Girl.”

Two months earlier, she had posted another photo with the words “Hi Mom” over an ultrasound.

We don't have a lot of information yet.  I'm starting to wonder if perhaps this is possibly a suicide.  The articles indicate per autopsy Ms. Dean died from a gunshot wound, a final determination is pending "further analysis and toxicology tests..."

http://kxan.com/2015/02/05/woman-found-dead-in-bastrop-worked-for-kyle-police-department/
"Sheriff's deputies said they are investigating Dean's death as a homicide and did not say if they have identified any suspects. They said they do not believe the public is in any danger."

http://kxan.com/2015/02/05/woman-found-dead-in-bastrop-worked-for-kyle-police-department/
Pregnant woman found dead remembered by parents, friends
Published February 5, 2015, Updated February 6, 2015

(http://i.imgur.com/5y1XJLP.jpg) (http://imgur.com/5y1XJLP)
Crime scene tape surrounds Samantha Dean’s South Austin home.



 ::snipping3::
Her parents, Kelvin and Kimberly Dean, said Dean was diagnosed with cancer in her elbow at the age of 18, but went on to graduate from the University of Texas-San Antonio while undergoing chemo, radiation and multiple surgeries. However, even though cured of the cancer, her elbow prevented Dean from passing a police physical, so she went on to further her education in forensics psychology and criminal justice in New York, before returning to Texas, where she joined the Kyle Police Department as a coordinator of Victim Services.
 ::snipping3::
Dean’s parents, who live in San Antonio, proudly told KXAN their daughter was always active with charitable causes like Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), several cancer organizations, and various community projects through her sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha. They have not finalized any funeral arrangements yet, but do say they have some ideas about their daughter’s death — though they do not want to comment on that while the investigation is ongoing.

“I have no doubt the police are being very diligent and they will find the guilty very soon,” Kelvin said.

Police spent Thursday searching her South Austin home for any clues that could lead them to a suspect. An autopsy confirmed Dean was shot to death, but officials are still conducting toxicology tests and other analysis. Bastrop County Sheriff’s officials are working with Kyle and Austin police, Texas Rangers and other Department of Public Safety technicians on this case.

(My bold) I wonder if this is a typo. 

http://www.kvue.com/story/news/local/2015/02/05/killer-of-kyle-police-employee-will-face-capital-murder-charge/22961941/
Judge: Police employee killer will face capital murder charge
February 5, 2015

 ::snipping3::
Police are still looking for the suspect in Dean's death. She worked for two years as the Victims Services Coordinator for the Kyle Police Department.

"She's such a tremendous person that for anything to happen to her, it was a tragic loss and it was heartfelt by our staff at the police department and the city", said Kyle Police Chief Jeff Barnett.

Dean's body was discovered more than 30 miles from her home behind a closed Bastrop business. She was lying next to an abandoned car. Police say she was shot.

Last Fall, Dean posted a picture of her sonogram and was reportedly about 7-months pregnant.

In 2009, Texas lawmakers changed the laws to make the murder of a pregnant woman a capital murder offense.

"It becomes capital murder, meaning you could get the death penalty if you kill two people in one transaction, or if you kill a child under the age of 10," said Judge Jon Wisser, a senior judge working in the Travis County courts.
 ::snipping3::

Okay, I get it now...  Last fall, Ms. Dean posted a picture of her sonogram.  She wasn't 7 months pregnant last fall, she was seven months pregnant at the time of her death.  I think this is poor writing.  Not very clear.  JMHO 

http://kxan.com/2015/02/06/homicide-victim-will-receive-police-escort-to-san-antonio/
Kyle homicide victim receives police escort to San Antonio
Published February 6, 2015, Updated February 8, 2015

KYLE, Texas (KXAN) — The Kyle Police Department, as well as other law enforcement agencies, escorted the body Saturday of 29-year-old Samantha Dean. The escort traveled from Lockhart to her hometown of San Antonio.

The procession, which included Dean’s family, traveled through the City of Kyle around noon on Interstate 35. Dean’s family rode in the procession. Bystanders, which included area law enforcement stopped on I-35 to pay their respects.
 ::snipping3::
Dean, who was six months pregnant, was a victim services coordinator with the Kyle Police Department. On Wednesday, Dean was found shot to death next to her car in Bastrop. Her funeral services are set for 11 a.m. Friday, February 13 at Community Bible Church in San Antonio. Visitation is Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. at Porter Loring North Chapel in San Antonio.

The Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office said Saturday they are still following-up on leads but a suspect has not been arrested at this time.

when i first read about Samantha, i thought maybe a victims perp
prob shot her, but now that ive read the Obituary and no mention
of the father of Madeline ,the child,  i wonder if he is the perp

SAMANTHA ELIZABETH DEAN
1985 - 2015
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/statesman/obituary.aspx?n=samantha-elizabeth-dean&pid=174116461&fhid=15386

 ::MonkeyAngel:: ::MonkeyAngel::

http://www.kvue.com/story/news/local/2015/02/11/autopsy-reveals-details-of-samantha-dean-murder/23260735/
Autopsy reveals details of Samantha Dean murder
February 11, 2015

 ::snipping3::
The autopsy shows Dean died from three gunshot wounds to her head. Two shots, one fired from a very close range, struck the right side of her head. The third round came from what medical examiners called an "intermediate distance," hitting Dean under her chin.

The autopsy shows killer used small-caliber bullets, but did not reveal the exact type. The autopsy also does not identify the make or model of weapon.

Dean was seven months pregnant. Investigators believe an Austin police officer, currently on paid leave because of his ties to Dean, believe he is the father of Dean's unborn daughter. Police officials are waiting on the results of a paternity test before releasing the officer's name. In addition, officers from other departments are being questioned about their connections to the case

The Bastrop County Sheriff's Office is investigating the murder.

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/story/28085537/apd-officer-questioned-in-death-of-kyle-pd-victims-services-coordinator
APD officer questioned in death of Kyle PD Victims Services Coordinator
February 11, 2015

FOX 7 has learned that an Austin police officer has been questioned in connection with the death of Samantha Dean.

Dean was a Victims Services Coordinator for the Kyle Police Department.

Her body was found in Bastrop lying next to a car in a parking lot.

Dean was pregnant at the time of her death.

An autopsy showed she died from a gunshot wound.

Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo released this statement on the case:

"I will not discuss questions regarding specifics of this on-going criminal investigation or the employment status of any members of the department. Ms. Dean was involved with the law enforcement community in Central Texas, not only working for the kyle police department, but volunteering for the Austin Police Department. Investigation into the murder of Ms. Dean continues and no further comment will be made at this time."

When a suspect is arrested for Dean's murder, they could be charged with capital murder because Dean was pregnant.

They could also be given the death penalty.

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/crime-law/warrant-samantha-dean-found-with-plastic-bag-over-/nj9Sj/
Warrant: Samantha Dean found with plastic bag over her head
February 12, 2015

Samantha Dean, who was shot and killed last week, was found dead with a black plastic bag around her head, according to a warrant to search the 29-year-old’s Austin home.

The warrant provides new details about the investigation into Dean’s death, including that the rear seat of a vehicle Dean was found lying next to in Bastrop County had been removed.

Dean’s body also appeared to have been moved, leaving investigators unsure about where she was killed.

“It is currently believed that there was an attempt to modify or stage the crime scene,” the warrant says.

Authorities are seeking guns and clothing or cloth that was used to wipe off blood, among other pieces of evidence from the Austin home in the developing murder case.
 ::snipping3::

http://kxan.com/2015/02/12/new-details-emerge-in-samantha-deans-death/
Detectives believe pregnant woman’s body was dumped
February 12, 2015


AUSTIN (KXAN) — An autopsy report shows Kyle Police Department Victim Services Coordinator Samantha Dean, found dead last week, was shot in the head three times. She was also seven months pregnant with a girl she had already named Madeline. A Bastrop County Sheriff’s deputy found Dean last week, but no arrests have been made.

According to documents obtained by KXAN, detectives determined Dean was killed in a different location from where they found her body. Police say her car was found with the door ajar and without backseats. Officers found her body with a bag over her head.

An Austin police officer, who may have been seeing her socially, has been placed on leave, but neither Austin police nor lead investigators in Bastrop County will say anything more. Her co-workers there say they’re on the “outside looking in” on the investigation.
 ::snipping3::
Meanwhile, family members will have visitation for Dean from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at Porter Loring North Chapel in San Antonio. Her funeral is at 11 a.m. Friday at Community Bible Church, also in San Antonio.

http://www.kvue.com/story/news/local/2015/02/12/search-warrant-dean-murder-scene-appeared-staged/23299629/
Warrant: Dean murder scene appeared staged
February 12, 2015

BASTROP, Texas -- New details in a search warrant from a Bastrop County sheriff's deputy reveal that investigators believe the scene where Samantha Dean's body was found may have been staged or modified, and investigators do not know the exact location of the murder.

The warrant states Dean was found lying outside of her Dodge Charger in a Cedar Creek parking lot on Feb. 4. The paperwork states Dean had a black plastic bag around her head, where an autopsy revealed she was shot three times, and the body appeared to have been moved in an attempt to modify or stage the crime scene.

The warrant states the car's rear seat had been removed, "therefore the exact location of the murder is unknown."

A witness also reported hearing a scream around 1 am. on Feb. 4 in the area Dean's body was located, according to the warrant.

According to the search warrant, officers seized a Frost Bank card, mail, a flash drive, two address books, a baby book, documents, two journals, a laptop, blankets, sheets, a pillow and a comforter from Dean's home on Paces Mill Drive in Austin. Investigators also obtained fingerprints at her home.
 ::snipping3::
Investigators believe an Austin police officer, currently on paid leave because of his ties to Dean, is the father of Dean's unborn daughter. Officials are awaiting the results of a paternity test before releasing the officer's name.

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/crime-law/sources-name-apd-officer-with-ties-to-slain-samant/nkBMt/
Sources name Austin police officer with ties to slain Samantha Dean
February 13, 2015

Austin police officer VonTrey Clark has been placed on paid leave because of his ties to Samantha Dean, including the possibility that he might have been the father of her unborn daughter, the American-Statesman and KVUE-TV have learned.

Five law enforcement sources involved in the case in Travis and Bastrop counties confirmed his name, but the sources declined to be identified because of the ongoing investigation and because they aren’t authorized to speak.

The Statesman reported Tuesday that an unidentified officer had been placed on leave immediately after Dean’s Feb. 4 death — a decision made by Police Chief Art Acevedo. On Friday, officials still wouldn’t say if any other employees are on leave in connection with the case.
 ::snipping3::
Since joining the Austin Police Department in March 2012, Clark has received consistently positive reviews from his supervisors.

In the officer’s most recent evaluation, a sergeant touted Clark’s professionalism and respectfulness when interacting with his colleagues and citizens, saying that he doesn’t become “unnecessarily confrontational” and is honest and forthcoming, even when he has made a mistake.

The sergeant also noted his quick-thinking and innovation when responding to emergency calls.

In one case, when officers were trying to confirm if an armed suspect was hiding in an apartment, Clark used the cellphone of the victim involved in the incident to text the person. Clark pretended to be the victim and convinced the suspect to flick the lights of the apartment, which led authorities to make an arrest.

Clark also received an “excellent” rating in use of force, according to this 2013-14 evaluation. He had been involved in “multiple responses to resistance,” several of which were reviewed by officials, the evaluation says.

“In all instances, Clark was found to have used the appropriate amount of force and stayed within APD policy,” it says.

Clark was earlier involved in two on-duty collisions that were his fault, according to his 2012-13 evaluation. He received a written reprimand for one, which was minor, and was suspended for three days in February 2013 after he lost control of his car and crashed while trying to catch up with someone who ran a stop sign.

The Austin Police Department is the only law enforcement agency Clark has worked at in Texas since he was certified as a peace officer in the state three years ago, according to records from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.

He has attended Southern Nazarene University in Oklahoma, Navarro College in Corsicana and Austin Community College, the records show.

The Statesman requested Clark’s application to join the Austin police and other documents related to his hiring, but the department wouldn’t release them, citing privacy reasons.

http://kxan.com/2015/02/13/funeral-services-for-samantha-dean-in-san-antonio/
Samantha Dean laid to rest in San Antonio
February 13, 2015

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The funeral service for Samantha Dean was held Friday at Community Bible Church in San Antonio. Her family, members of the Kyle Police Department, and members from other local agencies remembered her life as well as her unborn baby Madeline. Asst. Austin Police Chief Jason Dusterhoft and other APD officers made the trip to San Antonio to honor Dean, who volunteered with the department’s victim’s services team.
 ::snipping3::

Video

http://www.sanmarcosrecord.com/obituaries/samantha-elizabeth-dean
SAMANTHA ELIZABETH DEAN
Wed, 02/11/2015 - 8:40am Sanmarcos1

Samantha Elizabeth Dean was born on May 12, 1985. She died with her seven month unborn child that she named Madeline in her womb on Feb. 4, 2015. Madeline was affectionately known as Maddie. Samantha and Madeline are survived by the father to Samantha and the grandfather to Madeline, Kelvin Dwane Dean; the mother to Samantha and grandmother to Madeline, Kimberly Anne Dean; and the sister to Samantha and the aunt to Madeline, Taylor Alexandra Dean.
 Samantha began her 29-year life journey when she was born on May 12, 1985 in Nurnberg, Germany. When she was six years old, Samantha traveled to the United States and lived at Fort Sill, Oklahoma with her mother and father until 1993. In that year the entire family was blessed with the birth of her sister, Taylor Alexandra Dean.  Samantha Dean loved her sister dearly.
 Samantha and her entire family moved to Fort Drum, New York in 1995 and stayed until the entire family moved to San Antonio in 1998. In 2003, she graduated from Judson High School where she participated on the varsity tennis team where she made many friendships that are a bond with her until this very day.
 After graduation from high school, she attended the University of Texas at San Antonio where she earned degrees in liberal arts and public policy. While earning her degree, she was a proud member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and was loved by all members in her charter. Samantha worked tirelessly volunteering her time with Alpha Kappa Alpha to many organizations for the children in the region of Texas (SKEWEE!!)
 In 2007, Samantha wanted to further enhance her skills in order to better serve our community. As a result of this drive and determination, she enrolled at John Jay University in New York and earned a master’s degree in forensic psychology.
 It is noteworthy to mention that during her time obtaining her degree at the University of Texas at San Antonio she battled sarcoma cancer in her elbow but continued going to class every day during radiation and chemotherapy treatment.  Despite all the adversities Samantha graduated on time. She wanted to serve as a police officer; however, the sarcoma cancer left her with a disability that forced her to do the next best thing.
 Samantha joined the Kyle Police Department as a civilian for over three years in order to pursue her dreams “to bring closure and comfort to victims of crime.” She loved all the people she worked with and received love in return from all that she knew in the police department to include the people that were survivors of violent crimes.
 We have lost a truly amazing woman who touched so many lives. She will be missed more and more each day, and will never be forgotten.
 Samantha’s grandfather once said when his mother died, “It feels as if all the stars have fallen from the sky.” This is indeed how we feel without Samantha. Her entire family, the Kyle Police Department, friends and relatives, have lost a bright star. We all love you, Samantha Elizabeth Dean.
 The family will receive friends from 5 to 9 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 12, at Porter Loring Mortuary North, 2102 North Loop 1604 East,  San Antonio.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/statesman/obituary.aspx?pid=174116461
SAMANTHA ELIZABETH DEAN
1985 - 2015

http://kxan.com/2015/02/13/lawyer-apd-officer-had-nothing-to-do-with-samantha-deans-death/
Lawyer: APD officer ‘had nothing to do with’ Samantha Dean’s death
Posted Februry 13, 2015, Updated Febuary 14, 2015

AUSTIN (KXAN) — An attorney for Austin Police Officer VonTrey Clark tells KXAN his client had nothing to do with Samantha Dean’s death. A Bastrop County Deputy found her dead last week, lying next to her car behind a shopping center. Dean was the Victim Services Coordinator for the Kyle Police Department.

Clark is the same officer KXAN told you about earlier this week who was placed on restricted duty in connection to the investigation. Clark was seeing Dean socially, sources tell KXAN.

In a statement Friday, attorney Bristol Myers said:

“Officer Clark had nothing to do with the death of Samantha Dean. If investigators believed so, they would have searched his home and his vehicles and obtained a DNA sample from him. None of that has happened, and at this point I don’t think investigators have any hard evidence pointing to any single suspect.”

Myers added there is no Internal Affairs complaint pending against Clark and says several other Austin Police Department employees have been questioned.

“I’ve been told by officials outside of APD that the investigation does include other officers and that placing Officer Clark on restricted duty was premature,” Myers said.
 ::snipping3::
VonTrey Clark Background

Clark’s has been with the department for three years. He is a patrol officer and part of the department’s Counter Assault Strike Team.

In his three years at APD, Clark was suspended one time – for three days – in February 2013.

An APD disciplinary memo says Clark was driving fast in December 2012 to catch up to a suspect who ran a stop sign. Clark lost control of his vehicle, damaging his unit and private property.

https://www.facebook.com/SamDean85?fref=ts
Samantha Dean

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1028462497169438&set=a.991726830843005.1073741826.100000170916787&type=1

(https://scontent-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/s720x720/10532349_1028462497169438_7721541979549684856_n.jpg?oh=d222429dd7d753d1a8629fde57613c75&oe=55928D0E)

http://www.kvue.com/story/news/crime/2015/02/19/fbi-joins-search-for-samantha-deans-killer/23703723/
FBI joins search for Samantha Dean's killer
February 20, 2015

AUSTIN -- More than two weeks since a Bastrop County sheriff's deputy found Samantha Dean's body in a Bastrop parking lot, the FBI has joined in the search as investigators from Austin, Kyle, Bastrop County Sheriff's Department and the Texas Rangers have been looking for her killer.

The agency is the latest to join a group of city, county and state law enforcement officials in tracking down whoever shot the crime victims counselor for the Kyle Police Department.

FBI spokeswoman Michelle Lee could not discuss the agency's specific role but admitted they are providing assistance to local investigators.
 ::snipping3::
Two APD employees received threats immediately after her death, prompting the department to set up round-the-clock security for them.

Investigators have named no suspects, and the attorney for an Austin police officer on paid leave because of his ties to Dean said his client had nothing to do with her death.

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/crime-law/sheriff-arrest-in-dean-case-likely-not-soon/nkMXm/
Bastrop sheriff: Arrest in Samantha Dean case likely not soon
March 2, 2015

As authorities begin their fourth week of investigating Samantha Dean’s death, Bastrop County Sheriff Terry Pickering said he does not expect an imminent arrest and that he is not prepared to name a suspect.

The search for the killer of the 29-year-old crime victims counselor could hinge on forensic testing results and ongoing interviews with dozens of people connected to her, Pickering told the American-Statesman and KVUE-TV on Monday.

“At this point, it truly is a whodunit-type case,” Pickering said. “We are putting forward all the resources that we possibly can.”
 ::snipping3::
On Monday, Pickering said investigators have questioned dozens of people about their relationship with Dean, including some who work in law enforcement and who were connected to her because of her job.

The American-Statesman reported the week after Dean’s death that Austin police officials had placed Officer VonTrey Clark on paid leave because of his close ties to Dean and were investigating whether Clark, who has a common law wife, is the father of Dean’s child.

The sheriff would not answer questions about Clark or his relationship with Dean, but Clark’s attorney has said his client had nothing to do with her death.

Sources also have said that two Austin police employees, including a crime victims counselor who had ties to Dean, were given 24-hour security by the department’s organized crime division after they received threatening texts following her death.

Pickering said detectives still have dozens more people to question.

“She obviously had contact with a whole lot of different people, either law enforcement professionals or people she provided services to,” Pickering said.

The sheriff added that they may obtain new leads after the Texas Department of Public Safety helps them collect and test forensic samples from the scene where Dean was found.

In addition to the Bastrop County sheriff’s office, several other law enforcement agencies also are involved in the case, including the Texas Rangers and the Austin and Kyle police departments. Last week, the Statesman reported that the FBI had joined the investigation.
 ::snipping3::

http://kxan.com/2015/03/05/fetus-in-dean-murder-sent-to-special-lab-for-dna-testing/
Fetus in Samantha Dean murder sent to lab for DNA testing
March 5, 2015


BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) — A DNA sample from the unborn child belonging to murder victim Samantha Dean was sent to the University of North Texas and its center for Human Identification, multiple officials told KXAN.

Bastrop County Sheriff Terry Pickering says “The fetus was taken to the University of North Texas…which is nationally recognized for their work in forensic DNA analysis.”
UNT scientists have the ability to test DNA to determine who an unborn child’s parents are. The lab would need DNA samples from Dean and a potential father to help make that determination.

The center has another division that looks at unidentified remains.The University of North Texas also analyzed DNA when investigators found the remains of 2-year-old Colton Turner. At the time, they needed to confirm the boy’s identity.
 ::snipping3::
The elected official responsible for releasing autopsy information in Bastrop County is the Justice of the Peace. Precinct One JP Donna Thomson says she is waiting on final results from the private medical examiner the county contracts with. But Thomson does confirm a DNA sample from the fetus was sent off.

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/crime-law/austin-police-open-inquiry-on-officer-connected-to/nkTx2/
Austin police open inquiry on officer connected to Samantha Dean
March 12, 2015

Austin police officials have formally opened an internal affairs investigation into the actions of an officer closely connected to a Kyle police crime counselor found dead last month.

The American-Statesman and KVUE-TV confirmed Thursday that the department recently gave officer Vontrey Clark a written notice informing him of the internal inquiry, but the status of the investigation remains unclear.

Undercover officers kept surveillance on VonTrey Clark immediately after 29-year-old Samantha Dean was found dead and reported seeing him driving recklessly. Officials said the internal affairs investigation will focus on those allegations.

Clark’s attorney said the investigation is an abuse of the internal affairs process by Police Chief Art Acevedo.

“Homicide investigators have no evidence and no idea who killed Samantha Dean and are desperately seeking someone to blame,” lawyer Bristol Myers said.

Myers also accused the department of trying to justify removing Clark from the force after the death of Dean, who was seven months pregnant.

“The chief is using a minor allegation to wash his hands of a problem he created by placing officer Clark on leave without any evidence of wrongdoing,” Myers said.

Officials would release no information about the reckless driving allegations against Clark.

The department said in a statement: “Austin police officers are governed by state civil service statute, and as such, the Austin Police Department cannot provide information as to whether or not an internal affairs investigation is ongoing.”
 ::snipping3::
The American-Statesman and KVUE reported the week after Dean’s death that the department had placed Clark on paid leave because of his ties to Dean and that detectives were looking into whether he was the father of her child.

http://www.kvue.com/story/news/local/2015/03/12/new-investigation-for-officer-connected-to-samantha-dean/70233912/
New investigation for officer connected to Samantha Dean
March 12, 2015

AUSTIN -- An Austin police officer with ties to Samantha Dean is now under an official internal affairs investigation concerning what officials said was alleged conduct in the days after the crime victims counselor's death.

KVUE News and the Austin American-Statesman confirmed for the first time Thursday that in the days after Samantha Dean's murder, the department kept undercover surveillance on VonTrey Clark because of his connections to Dean. It's what those officers witnessed -- Officer Clark allegedly driving recklessly -- that has lead to this new investigation.

Dean's killer shot her three times in the head. Her body left in a parking lot behind a vacant building in Bastrop. She was a victim's crime advocate for the city of Kyle, and was 7 months pregnant. 24 hours after her body was found APD put Clark on paid leave.

Bastrop County Sheriff Terry Pickering said in a recent interview that Dean's death remains mysterious.

"At this point in the investigation we are still looking at it as a whodunit type case," Pickering said.

Clark's attorney, Bristol Myers, said APD is now abusing the internal affairs process to unfairly target his client.

Myers told KVUE in a statement, "Homicide investigators have no evidence and no idea who killed Samantha Dean and are desperately seeking someone to blame."
 ::snipping3::

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/crime-law/investigators-search-austin-police-officers-home-i/nmF8X/
Investigators search Austin police officer’s home in Samantha Dean case
May 13, 2015

Investigators have served a search warrant on the Southwest Austin home of Austin police Officer Vontrey Clark in connection with the February death of Samantha Dean, a pregnant crime victims counselor who was found shot in the head in Bastrop County, Clark’s attorney said Wednesday.

On Tuesday, detectives took a DNA sample of Clark, several pairs of shoes, and “essentially every electronic device in the house,” attorney Bristol Myers wrote in an email.

Myers said State District Judge Julie Kocurek sealed the warrant for at least 30 days because of the ongoing investigation.

Bastrop County deputies found Dean’s body just off Texas 71 in February. She had been shot three times in the head.

Clark was placed on leave after Dean was discovered because of his connections to the 29-year-old woman. Investigators are trying to determine whether he was the father of the child she was carrying, according to multiple sources familiar with the case.

“The nature and number of items taken, and the things police were looking for but did not find, suggest Samantha Dean’s killer very much remains a mystery to them,” Myers said in an email.
 ::snipping3::

http://kxan.com/2015/05/13/search-warrant-executed-at-home-of-apd-officer-connected-to-samantha-dean/
Search warrant executed at home of APD officer connected to Samantha Dean
May 13, 2015

AUSTIN (KXAN) — It’s been three months since the death of Samantha Dean and authorities are still looking for details regarding her homicide case. On Tuesday, authorities carried out a search warrant on Austin Police Department Officer VonTrey Clark’s home and car, according to Clark’s attorney Bristol Myers. Bastrop County Sheriff Terry Pickering confirms his detectives executed a search warrant Tuesday.
 ::snipping3::
Sources say the Austin Police Department placed Clark on restricted duty shortly after Dean’s death and currently have an open internal investigation into his connection with Dean.

“APD will not discuss questions regarding specifics of the ongoing criminal investigation or the employment status of any members of the department,” the department said Wednesday when asked if Clark was still on restricted duty.

It has been reported Clark knew Dean socially before her death on Feb. 4. She was the victim service’s coordinator in Kyle. Bastrop County District Attorney tells KXAN Dean’s case is “very much an ongoing investigation.”
 ::snipping3::

This is so sad -- a mother and her child -- gone.

 ::MonkeyTears::

http://www.kvue.com/story/news/local/2015/06/02/3-in-custody-relating-to-samantha-dean-case/28379153/
3 in custody relating to Samantha Dean case
June 2, 2015

Three people are in jail with possible relations to Samantha Dean, a crime victims counselor found dead in Bastrop County in February.

Court documents obtained exclusively by KVUE News and the Austin American-Statesman reveal members of the group sent death threats to a second crime victims counselor and according to police engaged in a cover-up of Dean's murder.

Police have identified 31-year-old Kevin Watson from Houston as a key suspect in the murder of Dean, 29. Watson is now in jail in Harris County on unrelated drug charges and is one of three people police linked to the case.

Also arrested was Watson's girlfriend, 50-year-old Kyla Fisk, on a charge of evidence tampering. Police said she got rid of a sweatshirt they believe Watson wore the day of Dean's death.

Aaron Lamont Williams is in jail in Bastrop County on a retaliation charge. He is accused of sending a death threat to another crisis counselor, a woman who works for the Austin Police Department.

That threat, sent via text message five days after Dean's death, reads in part, "I got her ... I'm coming for you. I'll show you what a crisis is."

Right now no one is formally charged with killing Dean, and court documents do not mention a possible motive.

The case began in the early morning hours of Feb. 4 when Bastrop County sheriff's deputies found Dean's body in the parking lot of a vacant shopping center. The killer shot Dean three times in the head. She was seven months pregnant.
 ::snipping3::

http://kxan.com/2015/06/02/2-in-harris-co-jail-tied-to-samantha-dean-murder/
2 in Harris Co. jail tied to Samantha Dean murder
June 2, 2015

HOUSTON (KXAN) — Two people in the Harris County jail are connected to Samantha Dean’s murder investigation, court documents show. Dean, a victim service’s coordinator with the Kyle Police Department was found shot to death about 2 a.m. Feb. 4 by a Bastrop County Sheriff’s deputy patrolling a shopping center parking lot at 118 Stephen F. Austin Blvd. She was seven months pregnant.

Kevin Watson, 31, has been in jail since April 27 on drug possession charges. His girlfriend, 50-year-old Kyla Fisk, was booked on charges of tampering with evidence. Court documents show Watson asked Fisk to get rid of a hoodie police say he was wearing the day Dean was murdered.

Fisk told Watson she had “already taken care of it,” the warrant said. Court documents also claim Fisk lied to police about her relationship with Watson — and other key details– in an April 28 interview with investigators.

During the course of the murder investigation, detectives noticed someone contacted Dean from a prepaid phone several times just prior to the murder, the affidavit said. A text message sent later to Dean’s phone asked her to meet the person at the spot where she was found dead.

Detectives said Watson bought the prepaid phone at a Walmart near Stafford, Texas, the same day Dean was murdered, the document states. Police said surveillance video reviewed on Feb. 25 showed Watson, wearing a red hooded sweatshirt, sweatpants and black shoes, walk in and buy the phone. Tracking records show the phone was in the Bastrop-area at the same time Dean was believed to have been killed, the warrant added.

In an interview with police on May 4, Fisk admitted to taking some of Watson’s clothes to a friend’s home, the document said. Officers later found the red hooded sweatshirt, sweatpants and black shoes at the friend’s home.

Court documents did not mention VonTrey Clark, an officer with the Austin Police Department who reportedly knew Dean socially before her death. In May, authorities carried out a search warrant on Clark’s home and car. Clark’s attorney, Bristol Myers, said a DNA sample was also taken from Clark, along with several pairs of shoes and “essentially every electronic device in the house.”

Sources say the Austin Police Department placed Clark on restricted duty shortly after Dean’s death and opened an internal investigation into his connection with Dean.

No one has been charged with murder in Dean’s death.

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/autopsy-uncovers-new-details-in-samantha-dean-murd/nmTyy/
Autopsy uncovers new details in Samantha Dean murder investigation
June 3, 2015

A newly released autopsy report for Samantha Dean reveals hairs and fine fiber were found on her hands after she was shot and killed in February.

A June 2 final autopsy report, obtained by the Bastrop Advertiser on Wednesday through a Public Information Act request, states three hairs and a very fine fiber were collected from Dean’s hands and were introduced into evidence.

“On the right thumb is a very fine light fiber…” the report states. “… Three hairs are present on the left hand: a short slightly kinky hair is present stuck to the tip of the left thumb; a long straight dark hair is present between the 3rd and 4th fingers; a short straight hair is present on the tip of the 2nd finger.
 ::snipping3::
The June 2 autopsy affirms Dean was shot three times, with two gunshot wounds to the right side of the head and a third to the undersurface of the chin. One of the gunshots was a contact wound on the lower right temple, the report found.

Investigators were unable to determine the range of fire for the second gunshot to the right side of her head due to Dean’s thick hair. Dean’s gunshot under her chin was fired from an “intermediate range” with soot and powder found on her chin and neck, according to the report.

No other injuries were found on Dean’s body and a subsequent autopsy of her chest and abdomen revealed no internal trauma, according the final autopsy report.

Dean’s unborn child weighed two pounds and three-and-a-half ounces, appeared normal and had no evidence of trauma, the report stated. “The weight and measurements of the fetus are consistent with a 26-27 weeks gestational age.”

Dean’s father, Kelvin Dean, has said the unborn child was going to be named Madeline.

There have been no arrests in Dean’s murder, but authorities in Harris County have identified a potential suspect behind her killing.

The Austin-American Statesman reported Tuesday that 31-year-old Kevin Watson, from Houston, is in a Harris County jail on a drug charge and court documents identify him as a possible suspect in Dean’s murder.

Authorities have also arrested Watson’s girlfriend, Kyla D. Fisk, 50, on a tampering with evidence charge for allegedly concealing a sweatshirt Watson is believed to have been wearing the day of Dean’s death, according to an arrest warrant, the newspaper reported.

Investigators were able to connect Watson to a phone purchased at a Walmart just outside of Houston, which may have been used to send several text messages to Dean asking to meet up on the day of her death. That cell phone number was later traced as being near the crime scene “at the same time the victim was believed to have been murdered,” an arrest affidavit for Fisk said.

Store security video, obtained by police, showed a man, appearing to be Watson and wearing a red University of Houston sweatshirt, purchasing the phone the same day Dean was killed, the Statesman reported.

http://kxan.com/2015/06/03/cell-phone-tracking-leads-to-crucial-evidence/
Cellphone tracking leads to crucial evidence
June 3, 2015

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Television shows may lead one to believe by smashing a “burner” phone after a call, you will be able to eliminate any record of its use. But geolocation of cellphones has recently impacted two high-profile murder cases in Central Texas.
 ::snipping3::

On Tuesday, an affidavit filed by Harris County District Attorney’s Office indicated cellphone records show text messages were made to Samantha Dean’s phone the day she was killed asking her to meet the sender. Those messages were traced to a pre-paid cellphone investigators found was purchased at a Houston area Walmart. Surveillance video from the Walmart led to a possible suspect.

Greg Ledenbach is a digital forensics expert for E-Investigations, a private computer and cellphone investigations company. He said the GPS which comes equipped in many smartphones is one way to track cell location. Having “locations services” turned on can leave digital fingerprints when using the phone or its applications.

But that is not the only way to follow.

“Triangulating from cellphone towers requires cooperation from tower’s owner,” said Ledenbach. Triangulation is a locating process requiring at least three cell towers. Using the amount of time it takes for a phone to “ping” off a tower, forensic experts can identify an approximate location to where the phone is located. The more towers in range, the more accurately the phone can be placed. Cellphone companies have to grant access which is why private investigators are rarely involved in such a location technique, however, law enforcement with a search warrant can get access to such evidence.

Pre-paid phones do not provide as much protection as what television may lead you to believe according to Ledenbach. He said unless the actual memory chip is destroyed, data can still be retrieved. And even though the phone is prepaid, it can still be tracked like any other phone.

This feels like it will be a long wait for justice.

I truly hope not!

 ::MonkeyTears::

http://kxan.com/2015/07/13/search-warrants-unsealed-in-samantha-dean-case/
Warrants detail alleged conspiracy in Samantha Dean killing
July 13, 2015, Updated July 14, 2015

http://www.kvue.com/story/news/local/2015/07/13/search-warrant-for-apd-officers-home-unsealed-in-dean-murder-case/30076775/
Search warrant: Officer wanted Dean to abort child
July 14, 2015

An extensive search warrant of an Austin police officer's home in the Samantha Dean murder investigation was unsealed Monday, providing new details into what happened to the Kyle police crime victims counselor. The search warrant affidavit has been confidential for nearly two months.

According to the search warrant, Austin police officer VonTrey Clark wanted Dean to have an abortion.

An autopsy showed that Dean was seven months pregnant when she was found just off Texas 71 on Feb. 4 shot three times in the head, including once at close range.

The warrant is the first court document that publicly links Clark to Dean's death.

According to the warrant, Clark told Dean his life would be ruined if she had a baby. Dean told co-workers if she turned up dead "Clark would be responsible,"and she felt at one point "Clark was going to murder her," according to the warrant.

The Austin American-Statesman and KVUE News first reported in February that Clark had been placed on administrative leave because of his relationship with Dean, and in May, Clark's attorney confirmed that his home had been searched as part of the investigation.

Police have not yet filed any formal charges in Dean's death; however, the warrant does give details of a conspiracy to kill Dean that involved multiple people, including texts about selection of murder location.

In late May, investigators in court documents publicly named a Houston man, 31-year-old Kevin Watson, as a suspect in Dean's death. They also arrested his girlfriend, Kyla D. Fisk, on a tampering with evidence charge for allegedly hiding a sweatshirt Watson is believed to have worn the day of Dean's death.

A third person, Aaron Lamont Williams, was in the Bastrop County Jail on Tuesday on a charge of retaliation after investigators said he sent a threatening text message to an Austin Police Department counselor five days after Dean's death.

Clark's attorney, Bristol Myers, said after the search earlier this year of his client's home, police took several pairs of shoes and multiple electronic devices.

At the time, a judge sealed the search warrant of his home for at least 30 days.

Revelations about what happened to Dean have been slowly paced over several months after Bastrop County deputies found Dean's body.
 ::snipping3::

See statement by Austin PD regarding Clark at end of article.

Video

So Officer Clark felt his life would be "ruined" if Samantha Dean gave birth.  Samantha Dean and Baby Dean's lives were not only ruined, but taken and cannot be given back.   I shudder to think of the fear Samantha must have felt not only for herself, but also her unborn daughter before they were both murdered.   ::MonkeyNoNo:: ::MonkeyTears::

May justice prevail.

Because having a precious little baby will ruin your life so much more than murdering her and her mommy.

Low life disgusting monster cloaked in a human form.

May he rot.

Exactly!

http://kxan.com/2015/07/23/apd-officer-linked-to-samantha-dean-fired/
APD officer linked to Samantha Dean fired, currently in Indonesia
Published July 23, 2015, Updated July 24, 2015

AUSTIN (KXAN) — An Austin police officer who had a relationship with homicide victim Samantha Dean has been fired, according to the Austin Police Department.

VonTrey Clark, 32, was suspended indefinitely on Thursday. In a memo from Chief Art Acevedo, Clark refused to attend an in-person interview scheduled for July 18. When he didn’t respond, the Internal Affairs office scheduled a Dismissal Review Hearing for July 23, which he also failed to appear. According to the Department, Clark was required to report and get permission from his supervisors before leaving his home.

According to the memo, Clark flew to Indonesia—a country with which the U.S. does not have an extradition treaty—on July 17, without approval from his supervisors. The Department is now considering Clark absent without leave (AWOL) since they can’t get in contact with him.

“I am only imposing disciplinary action for administrative policy violations that do not involved possible criminal conduct by Officer Clark in order to maintain the integrity of and not jeopardize the criminal investigation,” continued Acevedo in the disciplinary memo.

During a news conference on Thursday afternoon, Acevedo sent a message directly for Clark: “If you have any dignity, any semblance of humanity, Mr. Clark, get back on that plane and come back to Austin.”

Acevedo says he’s also in contact with the Dean family. “At some point, I have told Mr. and Mrs. Dean, again my number one priority as a police chief is to bring those responsible for the death of that young woman with that beautiful smile and that unborn child to justice. We will continue to do everything we can as an organization to assist the Department of Public Safety. And now that he is overseas, I can assure at some point, our federal partners will be involved in this ongoing investigation as it relates to the criminal case.”

Clark’s attorney Bristol Myers issued the following statement in regards to his client and his whereabouts:

Today’s firing was inevitable as soon as Chief Acevedo pulled Officer Clark off the street and subjected him to constant surveillance back in February. The Chief’s slanderous remarks today confirm that. Over these last few months, his administration has alleged one trifling policy violation after another against Officer Clark, none of which merited a firing. These latest allegations are a stretch of both the facts and policy, and should be easy to overturn at arbitration, if we choose to proceed with it. Internal affairs already had the phone records they claim Officer Clark didn’t produce. The bank records at issue in the suspension memo were not records that he had legal authority to obtain. This firing would be much harder to reverse if the Chief had the political luxury to wait for Officer Clark to be charged with a crime. But based on everything in the internal affairs investigation, and everything made public thus far, there still doesn’t appear to be enough evidence to do so.

The confusion over his FMLA leave stems from Human Resources providing Officer Clark with an incomplete form for his doctor to fill out. That paperwork was amended and resubmitted as required to obtain FMLA leave, and Officer Clark is not AWOL. If Officer Clark truly intended to slip out of the United States undetected, there are more clandestine methods than booking an international flight in his own name and using his own passport.
Earlier this month, court documents revealed more details regarding the relationship between Dean, 29, and Clark. Clark told homicide investigators he had “a sexual relationship” with Dean that was “off-and-on over the last six or seven years, and that he believes he is the father of Dean’s unborn child, Baby Dean.”

The warrants indicate Clark “insisted Dean have an abortion.” After interviews and statements with Dean’s co-workers at the Kyle Police Department, investigators learned “Dean had communicated to these employees if she turned up dead, Clark would be responsible.”

 ::snipping3::

Video

(subscription)
http://www.statesman.com/news/news/crime-law/officials-austin-officer-wanted-in-connection-to-k/nnCdq/
Officials: Austin officer wanted in connection to killing is captured
August 4, 2015

Indonesian authorities have captured and are indefinitely detaining a former Austin police officer who police say is linked to a conspiracy to kill a pregnant crime victims counselor, the American-Statesman and KVUE-TV have learned.

VonTrey Clark is being held on a visa-related issue in that country, and a joint effort between Indonesia and U.S. is underway to orchestrate his return to Austin, said four law enforcement officials with knowledge of the operation.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.kvue.com/story/news/crime/2015/08/04/former-apd-officer-linked--dean-case-captured--indonesia/31100583/
Former APD officer linked to Dean case captured in Indonesia
August 4, 2015

Indonesian authorities captured and are now detaining a former Austin police officer in connection to the death of crime victims counselor Samantha Dean.

KVUE confirmed the capture Tuesday, which is the result of a highly secretive operation between federal authorities stretching from Texas all the way to Washington D.C. and the Indonesian government.

Indonesian authorities took VonTrey Clark into custody over the weekend, according to federal and local law enforcement officials. Police traced him late last month from Dallas to Tokyo, then onto Jakarta, Indonesia. Police Chief Art Acevedo fired Clark after learning that he left the country late last month. He is wanted in connection to the February death of Dean.

Although Indonesia has no extradition agreement with the United States, sources tell KVUE Clark is being held on a visa issue by Indonesia. Efforts are now underway to get him back into the United States, but that process could take several weeks.

The Dean family has been informed of his capture. As of Tuesday, no one has been formally charged in her murder.

The effort to bring Clark back remains sensitive, with one law enforcement source telling KVUE, we won't know he's back until we see him with our own eyes.

http://www.kvue.com/story/news/local/2015/08/12/warrant-clark-offered-5000-have-samantha-dean-killed/31549181/
Warrant: Clark offered $5,000 to have Samantha Dean killed
August 12, 2015

AUSTIN – A search warrant made public Wednesday stated that former Austin Police Officer VonTrey Clark offered to pay two men $5,000 to kill Samantha Dean.

According to KVUE’s partners at the Austin American-Statesman, the warrant said that Clark was present when Dean was killed Feb. 4 in a Bastrop County parking lot.

The warrant also provides statements from Aaron Williams, an associate of Clark’s who was arrested shortly after Dean’s murder after allegedly threatening an Austin police employee. Williams told investigators that Clark drove Dean to the site in Bastrop County where she was killed, and that it was set up to appear like a drug deal gone bad.

Authorities also obtained a search warrant for Clark’s locker at the police substation along Springdale Road in East Austin for evidence related to her murder.

Clark was fired from the Austin Police Department in July after leaving the U.S. for Indonesia without permission. His attorney, Bristol Myers, said Clark was traveling for a medical procedure. He was detained by Indonesian authorities for a visa violatio

Video

http://kxan.com/2015/08/12/vontrey-clark-tried-to-hire-a-hitman-records-reveal/
VonTrey Clark tried to hire a hitman, records reveal
August 12, 2015

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Authorities looked through former Austin Police Department Officer VonTrey Clark’s police locker for clues in the death of Samantha Dean. On Wednesday, a search warrant was issued for Clark’s locker located at APD’s east substation on Springdale Road. The warrant stated they were looking for firearms, clothing, receipts, maps, cellphones, computer hardware and other evidence related to the homicide, but no items were seized.

However, the paperwork for the warrant revealed new details into the investigation. On June 4, a Texas Ranger interviewed Aaron Williams regarding Dean’s homicide. Williams told detectives Kevin Watson, 31, told him Clark was looking “to pay someone $5,000 to kill Dean and her baby due to Dean wanting Clark to pay child support for the baby,” according to the warrant dated Aug. 12. Williams went onto say Watson told him he and Freddie Smith killed Dean for Clark and that Clark had driven Dean to the location in Bastrop County and the “murder had been set up to look like a drug deal,” continued in the warrant.

Police were able to link Williams, Watson, Watson’s girlfriend Kyla Fisk and Smith to the case from cellphone communication and surveillance video at various places where they purchased cellphones. The investigation revealed Clark and Watson have known each other for years and have a close friendship.

The warrant indicates between April 14-May 4, Clark, Watson, Fisk and Williams and other parties had conversations in which they discussed not talking to the police and distancing themselves from each other.

In a response to the to new search warrant, Clark’s attorney, Bristol Myers, said in a statement, “Unfortunately, there is no legal requirement that an investigator’s affidavit include any of the facts and details that might cut against the desire to search a given place. This affidavit for the locker was cut-and-paste from search warrants executed on Officer Clark’s home and car, and the result was essentially the same: investigators came up empty.”


Clark, 32, is currently in Indonesia, where he’s been since mid-July. A spokesperson for the Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office says VonTrey Clark, 32, was taken into custody in Indonesia by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the FBI will determine the timeline for his return. It is not clear when Clark was placed into federal custody.

Last month, Clark was suspended indefinitely when he refused to attend an in-person interview with Internal Affairs.

Austin police say Clark flew to Indonesia without approval from his supervisors. The Department classified Clark as absent without leave (AWOL) since they weren’t able to get in contact with him.

Clark’s attorney, Bristol Myers tells KXAN News Bastrop County “secretly issued an arrest warrant for Officer Clark after he left for Indonesia, and this is the likely cause of what officials are calling a Visa problem.” Myers goes onto say, “Officer Clark booked an international round trip flight in his own name, used his own passport, and was easily located. These are not the hallmarks of a fugitive.”

Court documents revealed in early July details the relationship between Dean, 29, and Clark. Clark told homicide investigators he had “a sexual relationship” with Dean that was “off-and-on ver the last six or seven years, and that he believes he is the father of Dean’s unborn child, Baby Dean.”

Dean was found shot to death on Feb. 4. No one has been charged with murder in connection to her death.

Can this really be about future child support?  The disrespect for human life still amazes me.
It is a sad time and unfortunately I am without a clue on how to make it better.

I think it had to do not only with future child support, but also Clark lived with his longtime GF in her home.  Life was going to get more complicated for him, I suppose.   ::MonkeyMad::   ::MonkeyNoNo:: 

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/crime-law/feds-headed-to-bali-to-retrieve-ex-austin-police-o/nnLY6/
Feds headed to Bali to retrieve ex-Austin police officer VonTrey Clark
August 17, 2015

Federal agents are expected to arrive in the Indonesian island of Bali on Tuesday to begin the process of bringing former Austin police officer VonTrey Clark back to Texas, authorities confirmed to the American-Statesman and KVUE-TV on Monday.

FBI agents will be using a government jet and are scheduled to leave Bali the next day, but it remains unclear when Clark is expected to arrive in Central Texas.

Court documents have said he is suspected as part of a conspiracy to kill Kyle police victims counselor Samantha Dean, whose body was found behind a vacant office building in early February. She had been shot three times in the head.

Austin police officials fired Clark last month after they said he traveled to Indonesia without permission. Authorities in Indonesia captured him two weeks ago and have been holding him on a visa issue.
 ::snipping3::

I wonder what lame brain excuse he will have?

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/crime-law/attorney-vontrey-clarks-girlfriend-is-as-shocked-a/nnM8J/
Attorney: VonTrey Clark’s girlfriend ‘is as shocked as anyone’
August 19, 2015

A woman who lived with VonTrey Clark, the former Austin police officer suspected of helping orchestrate the killing of crime victims counselor Samantha Dean, released a brief statement Wednesday through a newly hired attorney, making it the first time she comments publicly on the crime.

“My client was completely unaware of Mr. Clark’s and Ms. Dean’s relationship and is as shocked as anyone about the allegations being asserted by law enforcement,” said attorney Polo Gonzalez, who represents Laura Tuten. “At this time, her concern is focused on the well-being of her children.”

Tuten lived with Clark in a Southeast Austin home and they were raising two children – one of whom they had together, the other who Clark fathered with another woman.
 ::snipping3::
Tuten’s statement comes as authorities are working to return Clark to Central Texas from Indonesia, where he traveled last month without permission from the Austin Police Department, which fired him for doing so. He is expected to arrive in Texas in coming days.

Two monster tropical systems are churning in the Pacific, but it remains unclear how that might impact the operation to return Clark.

Court records accuse him of helping orchestrate Dean’s death because he feared his relationship with Tuten would be over if she learned Clark fathered a child with Dean. Court records say Clark wanted Dean to have an abortion and didn’t want to pay child support.

A previously released search warrant identified Tuten, who works for an Austin pharmaceutical sales company, saying that on the night Dean is thought to have been shot to death, Tuten and Clark had a fight and that he left home.

In her statement, Tuten asked for privacy for her family.

“Laura hired me for guidance during this difficult time and to handle any media inquiries,” Gonzalez said.

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/crime-law/vontrey-clark-appealing-firing-from-austin-police/nnPK7/
VonTrey Clark appealing firing from Austin police
August 21, 2015

Former Austin police officer VonTrey Clark has filed an appeal to his recent firing, saying he did not violate departmental policies and that his punishment is excessive.

The appeal comes almost a month after Clark was fired from the police department. Police Chief Art Acevedo has said Clark traveled to Indonesia without the department’s permission, associated with known criminals and did not supply records police required for an internal affairs investigation.

Clark’s attorney, Nadia Stewart, filed the two-page appeal and signed Clark’s name with his permission, the document said.

Court documents have said Clark is a suspect in the murder of crime victims counselor Samantha Dean, Clark’s off-and-on girlfriend for several years and the presumed mother of his unborn daughter.

Federal agents are working to return Clark from Indonesia.
 ::snipping3::

 ::MonkeyTears::

http://www.statesman.com/ap/ap/texas/indonesia-extradites-ex-police-officer-sought-in-u/nnWwy/
Indonesia extradites ex-police officer sought in US murder
September 2, 2015

BALI, Indonesia — A former Austin, Texas, police officer sought in the murder of his pregnant girlfriend was extradited Wednesday from Indonesia to the United States.

VonTrey Jamal Clark who entered in July was deported through Ngurah Rai airport in Denpasar, the provincial capital of Bali resort island.

Clark, 32, was handed over to 13 agents of the FBI and was flown to Texas on a specially chartered plane from the bureau.

Bali police spokesman Hery Wiyanto said Clark arrived in Indonesia on July 19 on an American Airlines flight through Jakarta. He was then arrested in Canggu neighborhood in Bali on July 30 based on a red notice from Interpol.

He said Clark had moved repeatedly to avoid arrest. He was to have been captured earlier in a hotel in Kuta neighborhood, but he managed to escape and hired a villa in Cangu, where he was arrested.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/vontrey-clark-charged-with-capital-murder-in-death/nnXND/
VonTrey Clark charged with capital murder in death of Samantha Dean
September 2, 2015

Fired Austin police officer VonTrey Clark has been charged with capital murder in the killing of Samantha Dean, a federal warrant said.

The charges were revealed in a federal warrant filed Wednesday charging Clark, 32, with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. It states a district judge in Bastrop County signed a warrant for Clark’s arrest on a charge of capital murder on July 21.

Federal authorities believe Clark fled the country on July 17 after he became aware of the level of evidence investigators had amassed against him after a search warrant was made public and reported widely in Austin media.
 ::snipping3::

http://kxan.com/2015/09/02/vontrey-clark-extradited-flown-to-texas/
VonTrey Clark charged with capital murder
September 2, 2015

ALI, Indonesia (KXAN/AP) — A former Austin police officer has been extradited from Indonesia to the United States to face trial in the murder of his pregnant girlfriend.

VonTrey Jamal Clark was deported Wednesday through Ngurah Rai airport in Denpasar, the provincial capital of Bali resort island in Indonesia.

The KXAN News team has identified the government owned jet that we believe is carrying Clark to Honolulu, Hawaii before landing in Texas. An update on the flight’s itinerary is putting Clark at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport just before midnight Wednesday.
 ::snipping3::
Late Wednesday afternoon, United States Magistrate Judge Mark Lane unsealed an unlawful flight to avoid prosecution (UFAP) arrest warrant, criminal complaint and probable cause affidavit for Clark. According to the federal documents, on July 21 a state district court in Bastrop Country issued an arrest warrant—which hasn’t been unsealed—for Clark based on a charge of capital murder. On July 22, the Bastrop County District Attorney requested the FBI’s assistance in apprehending Clark and returning him to Bastrop County.
Federal authorities asked records to be sealed because Clark “fled this jurisdiction in order to avoid prosecution.” The document goes on to say Clark “has already taken advantage of information that became available due to the unsealing of two state-court search warrant applications.
Clark, 32, was handed over to 13 agents of the FBI and was flown to Texas on a specially chartered plane from the bureau.

Bali police spokesman Hery Wiyanto said Clark arrived in Indonesia on July 19 on an American Airlines flight through Jakarta. He was then arrested in Canggu neighborhood in Bali on July 30 based on a red notice from Interpol
Clark is a suspect in the Feb. 4 murder of Samantha Dean in Texas. A search warrant revealed police believe Clark tired to hire a hit man.

On Wednesday morning, Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office said they couldn’t talk about Clark’s return but they do have a news conference scheduled on Thursday afternoon. The FBI confirms they will be in attendance at the briefing as well.

More...

I wonder if VonTrey Clark went to Indonesia because it didn't have an extradition treaty with the U.S.  It appears there was a workaround  ::MonkeyGavel::

http://kxan.com/2015/09/02/vontrey-clark-back-in-texas/
Bastrop County vows justice for Samantha Dean, unborn baby
September 3, 2015

AUSTIN (KXAN) — After being in Indonesia for more than a month, former Austin police officer VonTrey Clark is back in Texas. Federal agents extradited Clark on Wednesday through Ngurah Rai airport in Denpasar, the provincial capital of Bali resort island in Indonesia. After a brief stop in Honolulu, Hawaii, Clark landed at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport just before midnight on Thursday via a specially chartered plane from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Once the plane landed, several police vehicles could be seen leaving the tarmac. Clark was booked into the Bastrop County Jail before 1 a.m. Thursday on a capital murder of multiple persons charge in the deaths of Samantha Dean and her unborn child Madeline.
 ::snipping3::
Clark, 32, went to Indonesia—where there is no extradition treaty in place—in mid-July. A few weeks later, he was taken into custody by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“The Legal attaché program is very important,” says FBI Agent Dan Snow, “especially with countries that don’t have extradition treaties. We develop those relationships so we can capture fugitives.”

Since there isn’t a extradition treaty with Indonesia, Clark wasn’t technically extradited. “When the Indonesians reviewed the Interpol red notice, they decided to expel him. We had cancelled his passport, so he had nowhere to go, so they kept him until we came and got him,” explains Snow. Bastrop County District Attorney Bryan Goertz also thanked Indonesia for doing a great job.

During the news conference, Goertz answered questions about  why the warrants were sealed throughout the investigation process.

“The disclosure of the information in the probable cause affidavits in the search warrant or arrest warrants was sealed by a judge to not compromise the investigation. When you rush, mistakes are more prone to be made, so taking your time on this type of case – factually was extremely complicated – working the evidence was very important in this case,” says Goertz.

While the Samantha Dean homicide has received a lot of media coverage, Goertz says his office isn’t going to try this case in the media. “We’re not going to go back and try this case in the media, much less the strategy the state employs in the prosecution.”

Since Dean’s death, the agencies involved have been in close contact with the Dean family.

“Samantha dean was a wonderful individual. This should not have happened,” says Goertz. “We’ve worked closely with the Dean family and met with them many times throughout this process.”

Making accusations in affidavits and press conferences is much easier than proving accusations in a courtroom. Lets see what happens when investigators finally have to face cross-examination, procedural missteps are exposed, and evidence favorable to Officer Clark is brought to light. Officer Clark did not kill Ms. Dean, and he is not legally responsible for her death. — Bristol Myers, Clark’s attorney
The day of Clark’s arrival back into the country, United States Magistrate Judge Mark Lane unsealed an unlawful flight to avoid prosecution (UFAP) arrest warrant, criminal complaint and probable cause affidavit for Clark. According to the federal documents, on July 21 a state district court in Bastrop Country issued an arrest warrant—which hasn’t been unsealed—for Clark based on a charge of capital murder. On July 22, the Bastrop County District Attorney requested the FBI’s assistance in apprehending Clark and returning him to Bastrop County.

Federal court documents
Federal authorities asked records to be sealed because Clark “fled this jurisdiction in order to avoid prosecution.” The document goes on to say Clark “has already taken advantage of information that became available due to the unsealing of two state-court search warrant applications.”
Clark’s Connection to Samantha Dean

Court documents revealed in early July details the relationship between Samantha Dean, 29, and Clark. Clark told homicide investigators he had “a sexual relationship” with Dean that was “off-and-on ver the last six or seven years, and that he believes he is the father of Dean’s unborn child, Baby Dean.”

Dean was found shot to death on Feb. 4. No one has been charged with murder in connection to her death.

On June 4, a Texas Ranger interviewed Aaron Williams regarding Dean’s homicide. Williams told detectives Kevin Watson, 31, told him Clark was looking “to pay someone $5,000 to kill Dean and her baby due to Dean wanting Clark to pay child support for the baby,” according to the warrant dated Aug. 12. Williams went onto say Watson told him he and Freddie Smith killed Dean for Clark and that Clark had driven Dean to the location in Bastrop County and the “murder had been set up to look like a drug deal,” continued in the warrant.

As of Sept. 3, Watson is also charged with capital murder. He is currently in the Harris County Jail. Watson’s girlfriend, Kyla Fisk, is also in the Harris County Jail charged with felony tampering charge.

Clark Fired from Austin Police Department

In July, Austin Chief of Police Art Acevedo announced Clark was indefinitely suspended from the force after he says Clark failed to show up for an in-person meeting.

According to the memo, Clark flew to Indonesia—a country with which the U.S. does not have an extradition treaty—on July 17, without approval from his supervisors. The Department is now considering Clark absent without leave (AWOL) since they can’t get in contact with him.

“I am only imposing disciplinary action for administrative policy violations that do not involved possible criminal conduct by Officer Clark in order to maintain the integrity of and not jeopardize the criminal investigation,” continued Acevedo in the disciplinary memo.

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/crime-law/judge-dismisses-unlawful-flight-charge-against-von/nnbtn/
Judge dismisses unlawful flight charge against VonTrey Clark
September 9, 2015

A judge has dismissed a federal charge against former Austin police officer VonTrey Clark stemming from his trip to Indonesia in July, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office confirmed Wednesday night.

Clark is still charged with capital murder in the death of Samantha Dean and her unborn daughter. He remains in the Bastrop County Jail.

However, prosecutors will not pursue a federal charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, said spokesman Daryl Fields.

Officials said that the charge was originally filed to enlist the help of federal officials in the United States and Indonesia in getting Clark back to Texas. It has been dismissed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Lane.

The decision to not go forward with that case will allow prosecutors to focus on the more serious crime against Clark, who faces life in prison or possibly the death sentence, officials said.

Clark’s attorney has said his client never intended to outrun possible charges and traveled to Indonesia for medical treatment. He has said his client planned to return on his own.
 ::snipping3::

A man police have described as one of Clark’s longtime friends, Kevin Watson, also remains jailed in Houston on a capital murder charge.

http://kxan.com/2015/10/22/vontrey-clark-indicted-on-capital-murder-charge/
VonTrey Clark indicted on capital murder charge
Ex-Austin Police Officer charged in pregnant girlfriend's death
October 22, 2015

BASTROP COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Former Austin Police officer VonTrey Clark has been indicted on a capital murder charge in the death of his pregnant girlfriend, Samantha Dean. Bastrop County records show the Grand Jury indicted Clark on Oct. 21.

According to the indictment paperwork, Clark caused the death of Dean by “shooting Samantha Dean with a firearm, and intentionally or knowingly caused the death of another individual, Madeline Dean.”

Clark currently sits in the Bastrop County Jail, where he’s been since Sept. 3 when he was deported from Indonesia. Clark, 32, was handed over to 13 agents of the FBI and was flown to Texas on a specially chartered plane from the bureau.
More...

http://www.cbs19.tv/story/30464937/judicial-community-devastated-by-judges-shooting


Judicial community devastated by judge's shooting
Posted: Nov 08, 2015 8:14 AM CST
Updated: Nov 08, 2015 8:14 AM CST
By Risa Morris
Connect
 

AUSTIN (KVUE)- A loving wife, a caring mother, and a well-respected judge. It's the last person former State District Judge Jon Wisser thought would be involved in an attack.

The local legal community is rattled after the shooting of State District Judge Julie Kocurek Friday night. Kocurek is in serious condition, but she is expected to live after the incident which happened outside her West Austin home.

 ::snipping3::

Police have not determined if this was a targeted attack or random act of violence.

Kocurek has handled many high-profile felony cases. Most recently, she signed off on search warrants related to the Samantha Dean murder investigation involving an Austin police officer.  He doesn't believe her role in high-profile cases had anything to do with the attack.

I have seen any updates on Judge Wisser.

I believe it is within the realm of possibility this was a hit.

mmmmmmmmmm possibly

http://www.kvue.com/story/news/features/2016/02/04/kyle-pd-counselor-samantha-dean-honored-one-year-after-murder/79828110/
Kyle PD counselor Samantha Dean honored one year after murder
February 4, 2016

KYLE, Texas -- One year after Kyle police crime victims counselor Samantha Dean was found shot dead in her car, loved ones and law enforcement gathered to honor and remember her Thursday.
 ::snipping3::

It was Judge Julie Kocurek that was shot, and Judge Wisser commented in the article.  http://www.cbs19.tv/story/30464937/judicial-community-devastated-by-judges-shooting
Her shooting was brought up in this thread because she had signed off on warrants in the Samantha Dean case, which involves an Austin police officer.  Here is the latest on Judge Kocurek's case:

http://kxan.com/2016/01/27/over-60000-spent-on-security-for-judge-kocurek-by-travis-county/
Over $60,000 spent on security for Judge Kocurek by Travis County
January 27, 2016

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Travis County has spent nearly $70,000 in the past month to provide security detail for Judge Julie Kocruek, according to payroll reports, with no apparent end in sight. Since her shooting Nov. 6, Kocurek was protected first by Austin police at the hospital, and then Travis County deputies at her home.
 ::snipping3::
“Investigators absolutely believe the assault was an attempt to murder, an attempt on her life… she was targeted on that attack,” said Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo a few days after the shooting.

A person of interest in the case, Chimene Onyeri, is still in the Harris County Jail on an unrelated murder charge. Under a search warrant, APD discovered a woman told the Travis County District Attorney’s Office she observed a conversation between Onyeri and a man about a plan to kill a Travis County district judge before the shooting took place.

County Commissioners have been discussing courthouse security even before the November shooting, but guarding a family at their home is far different from a courthouse with limited access. District 4 Commissioner Gerald Daugherty says, “We can handle the courthouse a lot easier, than say, where’s the judge going to lunch, where is the judge going to vacation? Do you really want to get into that game?” Daugherty is quick to add however that a judge’s safety, any judge, will not be compromised because of cost, “We’re certainly going to take care of her, at least until she gets her feet back on the ground and feels secure enough, and she may never feel secure enough to get about her life.”

District 5 Commissioner Margaret Gomez also vows judges will get the security they need, but explains the complexity of the security issue, “We have to consider cost versus necessity. Right now we are considering all options but we will be sure to continue to protect Judge Kocurek.” Those options include such things as private security firms and high tech devices. There are some 30 judges, civil and criminal, in Travis County and the situation could get very expensive if further incidents arise.

Earlier this month, Kocurek, along with several other judges, met with Travis County Sheriff Greg Hamilton and District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg to discuss security concerns and how the departments assessed the threat made against the judge.

http://kxan.com/2016/02/24/former-officer-charged-with-capital-murder-heads-to-court-today/
Court hearing for VonTrey Clark, accused of killing pregnant girlfriend
February 24, 2016

BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) — The former Austin police officer, VonTrey Clark, charged in the death of Samantha Dean and her unborn baby will be in court Wednesday for a pre-trial hearing.

VonTrey Clark pleaded not guilty to the charge of capital murder at his arraignment in November 2015. Dean was seven months pregnant when she was found shot to death in a Bastrop County parking lot early last February.

Clark is accused of orchestrating the shooting death. Court documents revealed Clark told investigators Dean was a long-time girlfriend and the baby she was carrying was his.

In late July, former officer Clark traveled to Indonesia for what his lawyer described as medical reasons. This was around the same time the Austin Police Department’s Internal Affairs investigators said they wanted to interview Clark. Authorities escorted Clark from Bali back to Bastrop County in September.

Judge Carson Campbell signed a gag order preventing any attorney, witness or investigator from speaking to the media. He also agreed to seal the grand jury transcript from a hearing Oct. 21.

A second suspect in the case, Kevin Leo Watson was in the Harris County jail on unrelated charges when he was also charged with capital murder in Dean’s death.

http://kxan.com/2016/03/22/man-charged-with-samantha-dean-murder-transferred-to-bastrop/
Kevin Watson pleads not guilty in death of Samantha Dean
Published March 22, 2016, Updated March 23, 2016

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Kevin Watson, the man charged with capital murder in the death of Samantha Dean has pleaded not guilty in the Bastrop District Court. His pre-trial hearing has been set for May 25.

Watson, 32, was moved from Harris County to Bastrop County Tuesday. He was originally booked into the Harris County Jail in April 2015 on unrelated drug charges.

Dean’s body was found on Feb. 4, 2015 at a Bastrop shopping center located at 118 Stephen F. Austin Blvd. The scene was made to look like a drug deal that ended badly, according to court records. Dean’s body was found with multiple gunshot wounds; an autopsy revealed she was seven months pregnant.

Former Austin police officer VonTrey Clark is also charged in the case.

Search warrants revealed Dean was in a relationship with 32-year-old Clark. Paperwork indicated the two had been seeing each other on and off for about seven years. Clark told investigators he was “the father of Dean’s unborn child.”

Authorities recovered Dean’s journal during a search of her South Austin home. In it, she wrote she feared for her life that Clark was “going to kill her.”

A friend, Aaron Williams, told detectives Watson told him that Clark was looking “to pay someone $5,000 to kill Dean and her baby due to Dean wanting Clark to pay child support for the baby,” according to the warrant. Williams went onto say Watson told him he and Freddie Smith killed Dean for Clark and that Clark had driven Dean to the location in Bastrop County, and the “murder had been set up to look like a drug deal,” continued the warrant.

On Sept. 3, 2015, Watson was officially charged with capital murder. A Bastrop County grand jury indicted Watson just a few hours after Clark pleaded not guilty to capital murder at his arraignment. Clark’s next court appearance will be in May.

"Kevin Watson pleads not guilty in death of Samantha Dean"          ::MonkeyRoll::   ::MonkeyMad::

http://kxan.com/2016/05/04/former-austin-police-office-charged-with-murder-back-in-court/
Former Austin officer charged with capital murder appearance rescheduled
May 4, 2016

AUSTIN (KXAN) — VonTrey Clark will be back in court July 27 to face the capital murder charges against him. Clark was expected to make a court appearance Wednesday morning, but it has been rescheduled.

The former Austin police officer is accused of killing his girlfriend Samantha Dean and her unborn baby. Clark is believed to be the father of the child.
 ::snipping3::
Clark is accused of conspiring with another man, Kevin Watson, who also faces capital murder charges. Watson has plead not guilty; he is being held at the Bastrop County Jail.

Investigators discovered Dean’s journal in her South Austin home during their search for clues leading to her killer. She wrote that she feared for her life and that Clark was “going to kill her.”

The last time Clark was in court was in Match. His attorney’s are trying to throw out the Grand Jury indictment. They are arguing parts of witness testimony wasn’t recorded.

Watson is expected back in court May 25 for his pre-trial hearing.

Here is some information concerning the attack on Judge Julie Kocurek.  It doesn't appear to be connected with  anyone involved in Samantha Dean's case.

http://kxan.com/2016/09/23/3-indicted-for-judge-kocurek-shooting/
3 indicted for ‘diabolical scheme’ to kill Judge Kocurek
September 23, 2016
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Three men who federal investigators say were part of a detailed fraud and racketeering scheme who set out to kill Judge Julie Kocurek have been indicted by a federal grand jury; two are in custody and the third is considered armed and dangerous.

The indictment identified Chimene Onyeri, who has already been named as a suspect,  26-year-old Marcellus Antoine Burgin of Cypress, Texas and 24-year-old Rasul Kareem Scott of Marrera, Louisiana as suspects in the plot to kill Judge Kocurek.

Onyeri and Scott are currently in federal custody. Burgin is still on the run in Houston and is considered to be armed and dangerous. He fled from police Friday morning after a chase that ended with a crash A $5,000 reward is being offering for information leading to his arrest. Anyone with information about Burgin is asked to call 713-222-TIPS or the FBI San Antonio Field Office at 210-225-6741.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the trio were operating a multi-level fraud and racketeering scheme involving mail fraud, bribery of a public official, wire fraud, document fraud, access device fraud and money laundering as well as offenses involving murder. The indictment says Onyeri and his co-conspirators were stealing personally identifiable information by paying off people with access to the victims’ information and filing tax returns in the victims’ names and then bribing mail carriers to provide addresses that could be used to intercept the tax refund checks.

The three also captured credit card numbers using skimmers in the Houston area. The indictment alleges Onyeri would pay Houston retail workers to allow him to install a skimmer device at the stores and would hand over the numbers to load onto gift cards. They used those numbers to buy iPads and sell them for cash.

Onyeri and Burgin were initally arrested when they were stopped for speeding in Rollingwood, Texas. In their car, officers discovered a credit card reader and more than 70 gift cards. Onyeri was arrested on fraud charges and was set to go before Judge Kocurek.
More....

http://kxan.com/2017/09/19/wait-continues-for-trial-in-vontrey-clarks-capital-murder-case/
Wait continues for trial in VonTrey Clark’s capital murder case
Published September 19, 2017, Updated September 20, 2017

BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) — Two and a half years after the death of Samantha Dean, there is still no trial date set for the former Austin police officer charged in connection with her murder.

VonTrey Clark has pleaded not guilty in the capital murder of his one-time girlfriend. Court records suggest Clark offered to pay someone $5,000 to have her killed. Clark reportedly told investigators Dean was the mother of his unborn child.
 ::snipping3::
Dean was shot and killed in February 2015. Her body was found outside a Bastrop County shopping plaza.

According to court records, earlier this month, both prosecutors and defense lawyers in the capital murder case met about evidence that needs to be tested in the case. That evidence includes DNA testing on floor mats believed to be from Dean’s car, along with testing on underwear found during the investigation.

It’s the first and only action filed in the case so far in 2017.

KXAN spoke with retired Judge Charlie Baird Tuesday to understand why it’s taken so long to get to trial in this case.

“All capital murder cases take a long time because you want to make sure that it’s fair, and that the state is well-prepared and that the defense is well-prepared, as well,” said Baird. “It appears to me though that this case has taken an excessive amount of time to get ready for trial.”

Baird says DNA plays a critical role in a majority of capital murder prosecutions. Baird suspects it will also do so in Clark’s case, as well.

“The defense is entitled to an equal playing field. The state — which has virtually unlimited resources for testing of this material — the defense has to have those same resources,” explained Baird.

The Bastrop County Commissioners Court budgeted $200,000 in the next fiscal year for Clark’s case. So far this year, the county has spent more than $100,000 on the case.

Clark has been in the Bastrop County Jail since September 2015 after federal agents extradited him from Bali, Indonesia.

http://kxan.com/2017/10/11/trial-date-set-for-ex-apd-officer-accused-of-murdering-pregnant-girlfriend/
Trial date set for ex-APD officer accused of murdering pregnant girlfriend
October 11, 2017

BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) — By the time VonTrey Clark faces a jury for his capital murder trial in the death of Samantha Dean, it will have been three years since she was found shot to death in the parking lot of a strip mall in Bastrop County.

Bastrop County court records show Clark’s case will head to trial on March 19, 2018. Last month, KXAN reported that both prosecutors and defense lawyers in the case met to discuss evidence that needs to be tested in the case.

Clark, who has pleaded not guilty in the case, has been in the Bastrop County Jail since September 2015 after federal agents extradited him from Bali, Indonesia. According to an arrest warrant, Clark, who was an Austin police officer at the time of Dean’s death, is accused of offering to pay someone $5,000 to kill Dean and her unborn child because she wanted “Clark to pay child support for the baby.”

Court documents revealed Clark and Dean were in an ongoing romantic relationship. Clark told homicide investigators he had “a sexual relationship” with Dean that was “off-and-on over the last six or seven years, and that he believes he is the father of Dean’s unborn child, Baby Dean.” The documents detail that Clark wanted Dean to have an abortion.

Meanwhile, after an aggressive encounter with Clark, Dean told co-workers at the Kyle Police Department that Clark would be the prime suspect if she ever turned up dead. Dean’s body was found on Feb. 4, 2015.

http://kxan.com/2017/11/01/vontrey-clarks-defense-files-motion-for-continuance-in-capital-murder-trial/
VonTrey Clark’s defense files motion for continuance in capital murder trial
November 1, 2017

BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) — The defense team for the former Austin police officer charged with capital murder in the death of a woman he said was the mother of his unborn child is fighting for more time before trial.

Attorneys for Vontrey Jamal Clark filed a motion for continuance in the trial, set to be heard in Bastrop County. That motion will likely be taken up in open court and Clark is expected to appear in person Wednesday afternoon for the hearing.

At this time, not much is known about the motion but an order filed in earlier this month indicated both sides could discuss the status of the proposed jury questionnaires. The current docket shows jury selection would begin on Feb. 6, 2018 with opening statements in the case starting on March 19, 2018.

Clark has pleaded not guilty in the murder of his girlfriend, Samantha Dean. Court records suggest Clark offered to pay someone $5,000 to have her killed. Court documents also revealed Clark wanted Dean to have an abortion.

An autopsy showed Dean was seven months pregnant at the time of her death.

After an aggressive encounter with Clark, Dean told co-workers at the Kyle Police Department that Clark would be the prime suspect if she ever turned up dead. Dean’s body was found on Feb. 4, 2015 outside a Bastrop County shopping plaza.

No action had been taken in the case in 2017 until September when, according to court records, prosecutors and defense lawyers met about evidence that needs to be tested. That evidence includes DNA testing on floor mats believed to be from Dean’s car, along with testing on underwear found during the investigation.

The Bastrop County Commissioners Court budgeted $200,000 in the next fiscal year for Clark’s case. So far this year, the county has spent more than $100,000.

Clark has been in the Bastrop County Jail since September 2015 after federal agents extradited him from Bali, Indonesia.

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/exclusive-former-austin-officer-vontrey-clark-face-death-penalty/fLUdwRm7Vxdt8wW5WCkKrL/
EXCLUSIVE: Former Austin officer VonTrey Clark to face death penalty
November 1, 2017



The state will seek the death penalty for former Austin police officer VonTrey Clark, who is charged with capital murder in the 2015 shooting death of crime victims counselor Samantha Dean, court documents show.

Clark’s defense attorneys on Tuesday filed a motion for continuance, asking the Bastrop County court to delay the trial at least 11 months due to the extensive amount of discovery in the case and because the state would be seeking the death penalty.

On Wednesday, after the American-Statesman viewed the motion, it was sealed by Bastrop County District Judge Carson Campbell.

He also agreed in court to grant the continuance, pushing Clark’s trial back another year.

Clark was scheduled to go to trial March 19. He will now be tried beginning Feb. 5, 2019, Campbell said.

Prosecutors objected to the request for a continuance, urging Campbell to begin the trial as soon as possible.

“We do understand that there is a voluminous amount of discovery in this case,” Assistant Attorney General Jane Starnes said. “But we don’t believe that a year or 11 months is necessary. … We are very aware that the Dean family would like to get this going and get this behind them.”

On Wednesday, Dean’s family sat in the back row of the courtroom, as Clark took his seat next to defense attorneys, donning red and white jail stripes.

They declined to comment after the hearing about the judge’s decision to delay the trial.

Dean, who worked with the Kyle Police Department, was found dead behind a vacant office building a few miles west of Bastrop on Feb. 4, 2015. She was seven months pregnant. An autopsy showed she had been shot three times in the head.

Clark was charged with capital murder in September 2015, after authorities learned he and Dean had an on-and-off relationship. Witnesses in court documents said Clark offered $5,000 to have Dean killed when she wouldn’t end her pregnancy. He was apprehended by federal agents in Indonesia and extradited back to the United States.

In late 2015, he pleaded not guilty to Deans’s murder.

Kevin Watson, the alleged hit man in the crime, also has been charged with capital murder. His trial date has not been set.

YES!!!!

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/bastrop-county/former-apd-officer-murder-trial-delayed-until-2020/1517732432
Former APD officer murder trial delayed until 2020
October 11, 2018

BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) — Another big delay Thursday for the capital murder trial of a former Austin police officer Vontrey Clark. It’s now scheduled for February of 2020. 

“Once you know who the accused is, he’s been identified and placed into custody, five years seems to me a remarkable amount of time to get this case to trial,” said retired Travis County judge Charlie Baird.

Samantha Dean was found in a Bastrop parking lot in 2015, she was seven months pregnant. Clark has been in the Bastrop County Jail since September of 2015 after federal agents extradited him from Bali. 

Baird says he understands that a high-profile case like this could take a substantial amount of time due to the amount of evidence investigators and lawyers are having to go through. 

“It’s a lot of evidence to put your arms around and make sure you are prepared for trial on both sides,” said Baird. 

 ::MonkeyShocked:: ::MonkeyMad:: ::MonkeyMad::

https://www.statesman.com/news/20190918/third-man-arrested-in-harris-county-in-connection-to-samantha-dean-murder
Third man arrested in Harris County in connection to Samantha Dean murder
September 18, 2019

A man who has long been linked to the 2015 murder of Samantha Dean and her unborn child was booked in the Bastrop County jail Tuesday after a grand jury indicted him for capital murder earlier this month.

Freddie Lee Smith, 33, who arrested last week in Harris County on the capital murder charge and taken to the Bastrop County jail Tuesday, is being held without bail.

Smith is charged as one of two associates in a murder-for-hire scheme in which police believe VonTrey Clark, who was indicted for Dean’s murder in 2016, offered $5,000 for Dean’s death. Witnesses said Clark, who has a family, hired Smith and Kevin Leo Watson to kill Dean because she didn’t want to end her pregnancy, according to court documents. Watson was indicted for capital murder in 2016.

Dean, who was a Kyle Police Department crime victims counselor, was seven months pregnant with her and Clark’s child, Madeline, when she was shot and killed, court documents show. Clark, a former Austin police officer, was arrested and charged with capital murder five months after authorities found Dean’s body with three fatal gunshot wounds behind a vacant office building in Bastrop County.

Watson and Smith were both connected to the case through cell phone records of burner phones that police say were used to coordinate the killing. Both were arrested in Harris County, where they lived.

Clark was fired from the Austin police department in 2016 after he left to Indonesia without permission. His attorneys said at the time he was seeking medical attention for an undisclosed ailment. He was detained in Bali, Indonesia, and was flown back to Texas by FBI agents after he was charged with murder.

Bastrop County District Attorney Bryan Goertz was not able to comment on Smith’s arrest Tuesday due to a gag order placed on Watson’s and Clark’s murder case.

“The state is of the opinion that it’s virtually impossible to comment on Smith without talking about Watson and Clark,” Goertz said. “It’s the same fact pattern.”

Smith’s arraignment has not yet been set. Watson pleaded not guilty in 2016, then amended his plea to guilty earlier this month. Clark has plead not guilty; his trial is set for March.

The voir dire process is slated to begin Feb. 4 at the Bastrop school district’s Center for the Performing Arts due to the high number of jury summons that are likely to go out, county officials have said. No county courtroom has capacity to fit such a crowd, which officials have said could range in the hundreds.

The state is seeking the death penalty for Clark, court documents show.

Last year, Bastrop County District Judge Carson Campbell granted Clark’s defense attorneys’ request to delay the trial by over a year, citing voluminous discovery and cell phone data attorneys had to sort through.

Discovery turned up around 68,000 documents, a hard drive with five terabytes of data and DNA test results. Investigators also seized around 50 cell phones in the case and have said cell phone data will play a large role in the evidence presented at trial.

https://www.kxan.com/news/crime/former-apd-officer-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-2015-murder-of-girlfriend-unborn-child/
Former APD officer sentenced to life in prison for 2015 murder of pregnant girlfriend
December 16, 2019

BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) — On Monday, VonTrey Clark, a former Austin police officer, pleaded guilty to capital murder in the 2015 death of his girlfriend Samantha Dean and their unborn child — and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Dean, 29, was found shot to death in her car in a Bastrop parking lot in 2015. She was seven months pregnant. Clark was arrested and taken to the Bastrop County Jail in September 2015 after federal agents extradited him from Bali.
Search warrants revealed Dean was in a relationship with Clark. Paperwork indicated the two had been seeing each other on and off for about seven years. Clark told investigators he was the father of Dean’s child.

Dean was an employee of the Kyle Police Department in the victim services unit. At the time, investigators discovered Dean’s journal in her south Austin home during their search for clues leading to her killer. There, they found entries describing her fear for her life and that Clark was “going to kill her.”

Court documents also allege that Freddie Lee Smith, 33, helped kill Dean. According to court documents, a witness told investigators that Clark paid Smith and another man named Kevin Watson $5,000 to kill Dean. Investigators found Watson and Clark were using prepaid phones and PlayStation 4 gaming systems to communicate about the killing.

Back in September, Watson agreed to a plea deal — pleading guilty to murder in exchange for a sentence of 35 years. He agreed to testify if called for Smith’s or Clark’s trials. He has not yet entered that guilty plea. In September 2019, a grand jury indicted Smith on a capital murder charge, alleging he shot Samantha Dean and caused her and her unborn child’s death. On Dec. 16, special prosecutors were appointed to the case.

 ::snipping3::

https://www.fox7austin.com/news/former-apd-officer-vontrey-clark-pleads-guilty-to-capital-murder
Former APD officer VonTrey Clark pleads guilty to capital murder
December 16, 2019

BASTROP COUNTY, Texas - A former Austin Police Department officer charged with hiring a hitman to execute his girlfriend and unborn baby has pled guilty to capital murder.
VonTrey Clark, 36, was charged in the murder of Kyle Police crisis counselor Samantha Dean and her unborn child in 2015.

Clark was sentenced to life in prison with no parole.
Dean’s body was found behind a vacant shopping center along Highway 71 west of Bastrop on Feb. 3, 2015. She was shot three times in the head.

Dean was seven months pregnant with a baby girl whom she'd named Madeline. The baby did not survive.

Clark initially pled not guilty in 2015. Investigators say Clark conspired with several others to kill Dean because she refused to have an abortion.
In 2015 the hired hit-man told detectives that Clark paid him and another man $5,000 to kill Dean because she wanted Clark to pay child support for the baby. Clark then took Dean’s body to Bastrop and staged the murder scene.

Police also linked two others to Dean's death.
Clark was placed on restricted duty at APD in July 2015 due to the department's internal investigation into Dean's murder, then was fired after he failed to cooperate with the investigation and left the country without permission from the department. Clark's attorney says he went to Indonesia for health reasons.


Clark was extradited from Indonesia in 2015 after he arrived on an American Airlines flight through Jakarta. He was then arrested in Bali based on a red notice from Interpol.

I was so glad to see this guilty plea, finally!   ::MonkeyNoNo::

Justice for Samantha and Madeline!   ::justice2nj2:: ::MonkeyGavel::

Thanks for keeping us posted on this one, MuffyBee!  ::MonkeyKiss::  ::bee::