GUILTY TX - William Lewis Reece, Serial Killer - Laura Smither, 12, Kelli Cox, 20, and Jessica Cain, 17

[OkieGranny]

http://www.news9.com/story/31320512/texas-cold-case-could-be-linked-to-case-in-oklahoma

A man charged with murder for an 18-year-old cold case in Oklahoma may now be connected to a mystery unfolding down in Texas.

Police and Texas Rangers are digging up a field in Southeast Houston, and news crews there say it may be connected to some other cold cases in the area.

Convicted felon William Reece, 56, is currently serving time in prison in Texas. Last September, he was charged in connection with the disappearance and death of Tiffany Johnston.

 

[bessie]

Continuing from my previous post, and putting things in perspective, it appears Reece's 1997 crime spree coincides with warm months, when construction jobs are plentiful. He began with Laura Smither in April, and went right into May with an attack of an adult victim, Sandra Sapaugh. Then he lay low after the attempted abduction of Sapaugh, from which she managed to escape. Thus, no June incident. He likely fled for Oklahoma soon afterward. But even on the lam, he couldn't control his urges, and murdered Tiffany Johnston. With one near miss, and one acquaintance murder, when it came to Jessica, he took extra precautions, and hid her body where it wouldn't be found. JMO

 

[puddle]

For those in the Houston/Galveston area that might be interested, there will be a candlelight vigil held Sunday, March 6th, at the American Legion Hall at Ft Anahuac Park in Anahuac at 5:30pm. There is a Facebook page for this event, Prayers for Jessica. Jessica spent most of her childhood in Anahuac area and has many friends there that love and miss her.

If this post is inappropriate, or does not belong here, please accept my apologies and let me know where I CAN post it.

Thanks,
Puddle

 

[nutkin]

I don't believe he is responsible for Smither. She was only 12 at the time and that does not fit his victimology.

Reece does not want to go back to OK for some reason, so hopefully LE really does have something to go on other than his word.

 

[nutkin]

Reece was living on Fauna St. (about 3.7 mi from where they are digging right now) at the time he was arrested in October 1997.

 

[bessie]

I don't believe he is responsible for Smither. She was only 12 at the time and that does not fit his victimology.

Reece does not want to go back to OK for some reason, so hopefully LE really does have something to go on other than his word.

He doesn't want to go back to Oklahoma because he's facing murder charges there for killing Tiffany Johnston. I think this latest development is part of a deal to avoid extradition and/or the death penalty. It's surely not a coincidence that he was charged with murder in September, and suddenly got chatty. JMO

I disagree about Laura. Timing, location and history make him a prime suspect. He was driving a forklift at a nearby worksite. Then just a month later, he grabbed SS at knife point. Often opportunity overrides preference, and to him, Laura might have appeared a little older than her actual age.

Fauna Dr. is on the map posted earlier. Very close, indeed. I sure hope this search is successful. It's been much too long for those poor folks not to have answers.

 

[nutkin]

In his case, we have no evidence that opportunity motivated him more than victim preference. Every victim we know of was in their late teens, Sapaugh and Johnston were both 19, and if Jessica Cain is indeed a victim, she was 17. Look at the pictures of Laura Smither, she did not appear to be older than 12. She does not fit his preference and with serial killers, victimology is extremely important.

 

[nutkin]

Anjanette Sorrentino, 22, abducted from a Houston gas station in July 1997 but managed to escape.

http://abc13.com/news/jessica-cains-accused-kidnapper-returns-to-help-search-for-body/1222540/

 

[bessie]

In his case, we have no evidence that opportunity motivated him more than victim preference. Every victim we know of was in their late teens, Sapaugh and Johnston were both 19, and if Jessica Cain is indeed a victim, she was 17. Look at the pictures of Laura Smither, she did not appear to be older than 12. She does not fit his preference and with serial killers, victimology is extremely important.

We'll have to agree to disagree. SK's do not always stick to a single victim type. Bundy's victims ranged upward from 12-years-old. Same for John Norman Collins. Shawcross killed two little children -- a boy and girl, 8 and 10 -- was convicted, sentenced, and after his release, went on to kill numerous women, the eldest in her 50's. Those are a few that come to mind off the top of my head. I can add more names later because there are others.

The point remains that Reece can't be ruled out in the Smither murder because of Laura's age. He was working in the vicinity where Laura was jogging alone. The darn thing is that if the evidence hadn't been botched, her murder might have been solved long ago.

 

[bessie]

Anjanette Sorrentino, 22, abducted from a Houston gas station in July 1997 but managed to escape.

http://abc13.com/news/jessica-cains-accused-kidnapper-returns-to-help-search-for-body/1222540/

This isn't the first time I've heard of that incident, but it might be the first time the victim is named. More reason for him to flee to Oklahoma IF the attack preceded TJ's murder.

 

[margarita25]

Reece seems to be an example of the type of predator who does not have an age preference.

 

[nutkin]

Reece seems to be an example of the type of predator who does not have an age preference.

How is he an example? Name a known victim that was not in their late teens early 20s. There is a huge difference between 12 and 19.

I have always believed, however, that whomever is responsible for the murder of Amber Hagerman in Dallas could be responsible for the murder of Smither, as well.

 

[bessie]

TUESDAY

Crews continue search for remains of Jessica Cain
By Samantha Ptashkin - Reporter
Posted: 3:03 PM, March 01, 2016 Updated: 6:12 PM, March 01, 2016

HOUSTON - Crews returned to a field near Hobby Airport Tuesday morning to continue their search for the remains of a teenage girl who went missing in the late 1990s.

[...]

A childhood friend of Cain's stopped by the field Tuesday afternoon and placed some flowers on the fence, to honor her friend.

On Monday a woman who was on the search team for Cain almost 20 years ago showed up to the field to place red and yellow ribbons on the fence. The red ribbon is for Cain. The yellow is for a girl named Laura Smither, who went missing months before Cain.
2016 Click2Houston/KPRC2

TX Rangers: No evidence found yet in search for Jessica Cain
By Kaitlin McCulley
Tuesday, March 01, 2016 07:12PM

HOUSTON (KTRK) --
Investigators have not found a shred of evidence after a week of searching a southeast Houston field for the body of Jessica Cain, according to a DPS spokesman with the Texas Rangers.

[...]

James brought flowers and a card to the site and hung them on the fence.

"When you're looking for somebody and you don't know where they're at, you think, is she here, or is she there," James said. "I would go by Galveston, Tiki Island, looking for her, go sit at her bench, her memorial."

James is from Anahuac, where the community is coming together in support of the Cain family. They're planning a candlelight vigil Sunday, and a local t-shirt company is designing shirts in Cain's honor.



MONDAY

Monday, February 29, 2016 11:33AM
HOUSTON (KTRK) --

Search crews began its fifth day of searching for the body of Jessica Cain with a prayer.

The crews stood in a circle at a property on East Orem Drive in southeast Houston. They bowed their heads as Tim Miller of Texas Equusearch appeared to lead them with a few words.

The crime scene tape is back up after police taped off the only open area in the gate, and Cain's accused kidnapper, William Reece, is nowhere to be found today.
http://abc13.com/news/whispered-prayers-in-search-for-jessica-cains-body/1223807/

 

[Lyssav]

If we think he is scared to face murder charges in OK why would he fess up to killing Jess and help locate her body..wouldn't he be charged with her murder as well? sounds like he'd be okay with a death sentence in Texas and just fears being moved to an OK prison and having to start at the bottom of the prison ladder again. He's made a name for himself in Huntsville, probably hard for him to imagine having to start all over again in a different prison. jmo

 

[SurfieTX]

A North Texas mother hopes she may finally learn the whereabouts of her child, who has been missing for almost two decades.

Jan Bynum remembers the day her daughter, Kelli Cox, disappeared as if it was yesterday; even though it was 19 years ago. “That day is crystal clear,” she said reflecting. “My last words to Kelli was, ‘I love you, honey. Have a good day. I’ll talk to you this afternoon.’”

Cox was last seen on July 15, 1997. The 20-year-old University of North Texas student had stopped at a gas station in Denton, across the street from the police station near downtown, to make a call on a pay phone.

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2016/03/03/...ovide-answers-in-a-19-year-old-disappearance/

 

[bessie]

This has to be grueling for Jessica's family. My heart really goes out to them. I guess Reece is just loving this.

Barn demolished at Jessica Cain body search site in southeast Houston
Friday, March 04, 2016 01:05PM

HOUSTON (KTRK) --
A barn has been demolished at the site where authorities are searching for the body of missing teenager Jessica Cain.

When authorities first started digging on the site they were concentrating on an area just in front of the barn on the site. Now they are looking at the area where the barn used to stand.

[...]

Jessica Cain's accused kidnapper William Reece is back on the property today. We have seen him here over the last few days.

 

[nutkin]

If Reece knows he didn't murder Jessica, or knows he murdered her but buried her elsewhere, or has made a deal to avoid the death penalty if he leads LE to the body then he isn't necessarily concerned about the death penalty in TX.

 

[Foxfire]

If Reece knows he didn't murder Jessica, or knows he murdered her but buried her elsewhere, or has made a deal to avoid the death penalty if he leads LE to the body then he isn't necessarily concerned about the death penalty in TX.

All true, nutkin. This case is reminiscent of the prosecution strategy used in at least three other serial killers that come to mind; Green River Gary Ridgeway, Brandon Scott Lavergne, and Henry Le Lucas; Otis Toole's lover..

<Irony: Mickey Shunick case is on ID now>
http://www.nbcnews.com/dateline
Brandon Scott Lavergne&#8217;s Video Confession Mickey Shunick&#8217;s Murder

Read More: See Brandon Scott Lavergne&#8217;s Video Confession Mickey Shunick&#8217;s Murder &#8212; Also, Watch the Entire Dateline NBC Special [VIDEO] | http://gator995.com/see-brandon-sco...dateline-nbc-special-video/?trackback=tsmclip
http://gator995.com/see-brandon-sco...-watch-the-entire-dateline-nbc-special-video/

Henry Lee Lucas, the one-eyed drifter once considered among the nation's most prolific serial killers ever, was spared from the death chamber today after Gov. George W. Bush accepted a state parole board recommendation.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/bush-commutes-death-sentence/

Serial killer Gary Leon Ridgway, known as the Green River Killer, murdered at least 49 women in Washington state before he was caught in 2001
http://www.biography.com/people/gary-ridgway-10073409

 

[bessie]

Rain thwarted the search last week.
---------------

Authorities have been searching for her remains in a southeast Houston field off Orem Drive.

Authorities say they will place water pumps into the deepest holes hoping to keep the site as intact as possible until they can resume the search.

http://www.khou.com/story/news/local/2016/03/07/rain-dampens-search-jessica-cains-remains/81458904/

 

[bessie]

Finally! Will it be Jessica? Prayers for all loved ones who are awaiting answers.

Human skeletal remains found in search for Jessica Cain
Josh Chapin, KHOU 11 News
2 hours ago

HOUSTON – Authorities have dug up human skeletal remains in a field where they’ve been searching for a teenage girl who went missing for nearly 20 years.

The medical examiner’s office is investigating whether the remains belong to Jessica Cain, who went missing from Texas City in 1997.

http://www.khou.com/story/news/loca...l-remains-found-dig-site-se-houston/81989446/