also, I'm posting an article that was posted on Porchlight about this case. there's apparently a suspect/POI, but they still don't know the identity (which always amazes me that they can find a suspect before they even know who the person is):
LONGVIEW - Authorities have identified a person of interest in the "sexual homicide" of a woman whose burned body was discovered near Kilgore in 2006, but the question remains - who is the woman?
The Gregg County Sheriff's Office hopes by releasing new information about a man they say is a sexual predator with a violent disposition will lead to the woman's identity.
A facial reconstruction done by a forensic artist of an unknown murder victim is displayed.They have also said the man, identified as 30-year-old Joseph Wayne Burnette, could possibly be responsible for the disappearance of a Brownsboro woman who has been missing for several years and the death of a local prostitute.
"This woman (whose burned body was found near Kilgore) was tragically murdered and we feel that someone out there knows who she is. We just hope anyone with information that could lead us to her identity will step forward," Lt. Mike Claxton said during a press conference Monday.
Staff photo by Tom TurnerJoseph Wayne Burnette is the owner of this Dodge pickup truck.Claxton said DNA is available to help match any missing woman. He said the victim is believed to be a white female between the age of 17 and 22, 5-3 to 5-5 in height, and weighed 100 to 120 pounds.
The woman was wearing a pair of size 7-8 "One Tuff Babe" jeans and a purple or mauve-colored shirt or sweatshirt. It is believed she had either blonde hair with red highlights or red hair with blonde highlights.
Courtesy Gregg County SheriffJoseph Wayne Burnette"We have spent a lot of time running down leads and we want to identify her," he said. We are asking for the public's help."
Claxton said based on information gathered in an interview with Burnette investigators are "very confident" he was with the victim when she died.
Burnette, who is currently in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for failure to comply with sex offender registration, was first convicted in Rusk County in 1997 of aggravated sexual assault. He was released on parole in July 2005. He was investigated by the Gregg County Sheriff's office for failure to comply with sex offender registration in August 2006 and was arrested in September 2006 but released from Upshur County Jail on bond the following day. Burnette was arrested in February 2007 on sex offender violations and was then sent to TDCJ in May.
Claxton said during the time Burnette was out of jail, the burned woman's body was found, Brandi Wells, 23, of Brownsboro went missing and the body of 40-year-old Deena Cedillio or Deena Garcia was found in Longview.
Ms. Wells was last seen at a Longview nightclub Aug, 3, 2006 and has not been heard from since. Ms. Cedillio's body was found Dec. 6, 2006 near East Whaley Street.
Claxton said Burnette has not been charged in any of the crimes and he stopped short of calling Burnette a serial killer. However, he said the man fits certain characteristics and that he found it odd that since Burnette was incarcerated in 2007 there have been no further reports of missing women in Longview.
Claxton said the crimes for which Burnette was convicted have an "element of brutality" to them, and said the man is a "continuing threat."
"We have two other cases that came up during this same time period and they could be connected," he said.
Claxton said during the time Burnette was out, he was caught in a New Diana neighborhood watching a high school girl perform cheerleading moves in her front yard. This act led to his arrest and subsequent return to prison.
Burnette is not scheduled for release for 10 years, but law enforcement wants him to remain behind bars. Claxton said Burnette's initial offense of aggravated sexual assault and his pattern of criminal activity "have elements of brutality," violence and of "conscious selection of victims."
Asked if Burnette is suspected of being a serial killer, Claxton said, "I can't say that, but I can say he is a sexual predator with a very violent temper, who under certain circumstances could escalate that violence."
Claxton would not say what specifically led authorities to Burnette in relation to the unidentified woman's body, but said there was evidence.
"I cannot get into that at this time," he said.
Claxton said he hopes photographs of the unidentified woman, Burnette and his green Dodge pickup might provide much needed information as to her identity.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Gregg County Sheriff's Office at 903-236-8400 or toll free at 800-765-2189.
"We know that this young woman belonged to someone out there, that someplace she has a family that loves her. We want to get her home," Claxton said.
