because he had owned ", "Until you get to know Colton," she continues, "you can't see on the surface that there's something wrong underneath.". she was still out with Pitonyak. Laura Hall was convicted of tampering with evidence and hindering the apprehension of Colton. was fried on drugs," he told police. The state's highest criminal court on Wednesday dismissed without comment the latest appeal from Colton Pitonyak, who is serving 55 years in prison for killing and dismembering an acquaintance . HarperCollins Publishers published the book. And he said, 'Yeah, I'm afraid it could be.'". Prosecutors noted that he specified He says the place looks like a wreck, as if there had been a struggle. 'Oh man, no, I wasn't with her. There is no doubt that Colton Pitonyak was solely responsible for the murder of Jennifer Cave, said Fugitt. trigger, but acknowledged that someone might We have many Hall is now 34 years old. 48 Hours In Too Deep: Laura Hall. "I had no idea he was going to do what he did," she says. His apartment "Did you have anything to do with the murder?". into a playpen belonging to Fernandez's value meal "out of habit." "It was just too soon. Support the Chronicle, Tinu Thomas and Haley Butler, hosts of true crime podcast, We were able to lean on each other emotionally, and know that we werent alone in talking to the victims family.. She called her family around 8:30pm and told her mother about her new job, then her ex-boyfriend relaying the same excitement about her new position. Sawyer.' ", "I definitely feel like my life is closing in on me right now," Laura says of her situation. Pitonyak's cell. "Dude, I am eating pizza with A deeply reported account of Cave's life and the fallout from her horrific death, it's regularly broken into the top 50 shows on Apple Podcasts, and into the top 10 for true crime. On March 15, 2018, she was released on parole from prison under mandatory supervision,[24] including GPS monitoring, and could not return to Travis County or to make any contact with the Cave family[25][26] until after the end of her prison sentence, which was in August of the same year. CBS News. was fried on drugs," he told police. ", "I think that people are going to look at this and they're going to see how articulate you are, and they're going to say, 'OK, either this girl is really stupid or she's a sociopath," says Maher. "I loved Colton Pitonyak.". district. Colton will remain in prison for most of his life after receiving 55 years. The only real blemishes on his record were the DWI and PCOS previously mentioned. "Area west of UT relatively safe, officials say. Panicked, he called Hall. Is Texas Education Agency Commissioner Undermining Public Schools. As Laura tells it, she had nothing to do with the horrific crime. The next afternoon, Jennifer's mother, Sharon Cave, got a phone call in Corpus Christi from Jennifer's new employer, who told her Jennifer had never arrived at work that morning. But the jury never heard Laura's side of the story. Who would commit such a depraved act of violence and murder? Maher asks Laura. After Cave's murder they escaped to Mexico where they were captured. young son. had more; a photo of Laura and Colton taken while they were on the run in Mexico. medication for depression. We can help. More specifically, the state claimed that Hall helped dismember Caves body and aided in Pitonyak s escape to Mexico. "Even looked like the floors had been mopped. I thought he was a very sexy guy. She could get more time or be let go permanently. Laura Hall is back in the lock-up she despises, while her family and lawyer scramble again to set her free. In the end, the verdict was unsurprising, although it unexpectedly took the jury two days to return with the convictions that could have brought Hall as many as 11 years of incarceration. The sentences, to be served concurrently, include 10 years for tampering with evidence and one year for hindering apprehension. began to suspect that Pitonyak was a fugitive. need your help for this. Nothing. She insisted he could not have purposefully "I think my life has been destroyed. All seven episodes of The Orange Tree are now available for download and streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. "I apologize to everybody here. Bishop says of the smiling couple, "She does not appear to be there against her will.". So after they left, Jim muscled his way in through a window. 1 of 35. Later, Travis County Deputy Medical Examiner Elizabeth Peacock (since retired) would discover that another bullet had been fired up through Cave's severed neck and into her brain a particularly gruesome detail that would remain unexplained. But Hall's trial, like Pitonyak's, in the end produced little understanding either of what really happened to young Jennifer Cave or, most especially, why her supposed friends ended her life with such brutal, emotionless, and unthinking cruelty. "I felt he was innocent. The police said they could not search the apartment without a warrant. The former charge originates from the dismemberment of Cave's body. Police also found a machete and hacksaw with blood on it nearby. The Investigators say Hall also helped him leave the country for a romantic trip to Mexico. his best friend, after a "Mistakes were made," he says. They have just created a fictional character and put my name on it. As of 2013, Colton Pitonyak is still imprisoned at the Robertson Unit, a maximum-security state prison in Abilene, Texas. stoic. into Pitonyak's apartment, Cave's Prosecutor Bill Bishop believes the evidence against Colton was very strong. Pitonyak had fled with Hall to Mexico, where the couple spent five days before they were picked up by U.S. marshals and returned to Austin. He ended up saying, 'Take me to Mexico,'" Incredulously, she adds, "So, I did.". Finally, they got through to Laura's cell phone. Episode 5: Tylar Witt & Steven Colver. Laura Hall's sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 2010. And I said, 'What? Police found a shell casing in the tub that matched the bullet "I know one of them involves dismemberment with a machete.". Colton testifies, "I can't remember exactly what I told her, but I showed her Jennifer's body.". [3] In 2002, she graduated from Mary Carroll High School in Corpus Christi and in August of that year she traveled to San Marcos, Texas, to attend Texas State University as a finance major. The book A Descent Into Hell by Kathryn Casey highlighted the trials. Langenbach said Hall told her that she didn't understand "what the big fuss was about. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. That made for a grueling combination: maintaining empathy for their subjects, immersing themselves in "an ocean of information" about the crime and its trials, and reopening the emotionally fraught chapter with the Cave and Pitonyak families alike. This was Colton's mess.". Who's gonna be next?" and Hall, who has since completed her prison sentence, even provides fresh insight to the reporters in a delicate, yet riveting, exchange over Facebook Messenger. comprehension that Colton would ever intentionally harm someone, Finally, she called her friend, Michael Rodriguez. "He was incoherent and in a sense, so was I. The mutilation was anger it wasn't any effort to hide the body or get rid of the body. but Fernandez kicked them out after Pitonyak became belligerent The ruling, in effect, tossed attorney Joe James Sawyer's defense out the window. A Connecticut woman says her two 10-year-old German Shepherds, Cimo and Lieben, were shot, beheaded, and killed by a hunter from New York. Still, last week's verdict left open the most crucial questions: What exactly happened to Cave in the wee hours of Aug. 17, 2005? Jennifer's stepfather, Jim Sedwick, also spoke with Colton. Laura Hall was sentenced to 10 years in prison for her part in the crime and has been released in 2018 after serving her time. Cave was buried in a private ceremony.[3]. It is not known if Hall helped with this gruesome task, but later the two fled across the Mexico border, leaving Jennifers partially dismembered corpse to decompose in his apartment. And the other thing you kind of think is, 'Well, there's one. An appeals court in Austin set Laura loose - upholding her conviction, but throwing out her five-year sentence. All rights reserved. Jail, Henrietta Langenbach, held on a fraud charge. Sharon began frantically calling around to find her daughter and discovered Jennifer had been out with Colton. Bridgett Pitonyak, the defendant's mother, wept as she testified He claimed he was strung out on drugs and alcohol. "The great challenge is to say to them, 'Feel any way you want. I didn't know who she was. [13], On August 16, 2005, Cave and Pitonyak went to Sixth Street in Downtown Austin to celebrate Cave's new job. "Did you have anything to do with the dismemberment of Jennifer's body?" He bought the items, he testified, but he did not cut up the body, and he claimed it was Hall's idea to flee to Mexico. [11] The two were in Mexico for five days. For Butler, the overwhelming popularity is still a little hard to comprehend. It was the post-murder behavior that made it so grotesque. But then, surprisingly, Laura says Colton just let her go. The dismembered body of a young woman exposes the dark side of two former honor students. Laura says she was afraid for her life, and that's why she drove him to Mexico. Prosecutor Bill Bishop was held accountable. Like so many reporters who have looked long and deep at a tragedy, the pair doesn't see the story of Jennifer Cave's murder leaving their radar anytime soon. There was nothing I could have done to save her life at that point. Jordan Smith of the Austin Chronicle said "The relatively light sentence, after an emotional appeal from Hall's father, suggests that the delay in reaching a verdict reflected some division in the jurors' judgment of Hall's culpability. 291136. In the end, Detective Mark Gilchrest finally gets Laura to give up the gruesome details. Cave's parents found her in a bathtub. apprehension. after the Am I guilty of being in love with him stupidly? At trial, this time with no cameras allowed, the prosecutor outlines Laura's ever-changing account of events. She was sentenced to ten years in prison. sisters and brother after Pitonyak was sentenced to 55 years in prison. Jennifer Cave Murder, Jennifer Cave, Laura Hall, Colton Pitonyak, Elizabeth Peacock, Joe James Sawyer, Information is power. And I was yelling, I said, 'Please don't hurt me. officers in Texas. He's got my daughter," Loren Hall recalls thinking at the time. Sharon says, "We start knocking on the door and we knock on the windows and we walk around the apartment seeing if there was a back door.". for murder in the fatal Aug. Pitonyak and Hall, who was 21 years old at the time, were later found in Mexico. 'Chrome Underground' Goes Classic Car Hunting, I Live Here I Give Here: Amplify Austin Day. Become an Oxygen Insider. But she admits she is guilty of falling in love with the wrong man. Case says he could not comment on Hall's upcoming sentencing hearing. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands. Pitonyak around midnight on Sixth Street, Austin's party criminally negligent homicide. Cave, the young woman he considered [13] On August 3, 2010, Hall was taken into the custody of the state prison system, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ). "It is beyond my He was also a small-time dealer. Lindell, Chuck. "He said he was gonna cut up the body and get rid of it," she told the detective. Karim said the gun did not "That's just a whole new set of nightmares coming at me that I'm not ready to deal with.". In August 2005, 21-year-old Cave was last seen with her close friend, UT finance major Colton Pitonyak, in Downtown Austin, on the eve of starting a new job at a local law firm. In 2007, a jury convicted Laura Hall, 34, for helping her boyfriend Colton Pitonyak dismember 21-year-old Cave's body in his apartment's bathtub at the Orange Tree condominiums in August of. "Part of Jennifer's nature," she explains, "is she had a real problem with stray dogs. After Jennifers body was found, investigators began mapping out the crime scene, hoping to shed some light on how the murder actually happened. The studio apartment was in disarray and Sedwick immediately 'Why yes,' he said, 'She's sitting right over there by Mr. "Oh, I loved the guy," she says. "Once we learned more about the victim and all of the different relationships at play, we just knew that it should be our mission to do this in a way that I don't think is typically done in true crime.". 'Cause in my mind that's not possible," she says of going back to jail. in court were her sisters, Vanessa. This was a brutal case; she was stabbed 29 times. Investigators began piling up clues: Colton's car was in its regular parking place. Around 1 am, Michael Rodriguez received a call from Jennifer, who said that her friend Colton was angry and wasted. Pitonyak's lawyer, Roy Minton, questioned Austin police firearms [16] Laura Hall was arrested in September 2005. I'm absolutely stupid with them," she says. She'd been shot, stabbed, and her body mutilated. ", CBS News. Her head and hands had been cut off and were in plastic bags on the bathroom floor. The jury finds Laura guilty of tampering with evidence, for cutting up Jennifer Cave's body and helping Colton to escape to Mexico. she was still out with Pitonyak. After not hearing from their daughter,Cave's parents drove to Austin from Corpus Christi and made the gruesome discovery. She was released in 2018 after serving time. "I was really attracted to Colton from the beginning. time Jennifer Cave is believed to have been killed. Jennifer Cave's family hopes Laura gets even more time behind bars. 35 in the Apple Podcast all-genre list and No. "The kitchen I think was the oddest room to me because it was sparkling clean," Bishop tells Maher. over to law enforcement And many say, so is Laura. The relatively light sentence, after an emotional appeal from Hall's father, suggests that the delay in reaching a verdict reflected some division in the jurors' judgment of Hall's culpability. Sawyer can only hope the jury sees it his way. "And he inquired, 'Oh, who is he accused of killing, Miss?' Jim had found Jennifer or what was left of her. He said Copyright 1981-2023 Austin Chronicle Corp. All rights reserved. Loren says. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. in Piedras Blancas, took a photo with his [14] A Mexican SWAT team[17] discovered the two in a Holiday Inn in Piedras Negras,[11] a city on the MexicoUnited States border across from Eagle Pass, Texas,[17] on August 23, 2005. custody by Mexican officials and handed. Police would soon learn the butchered victim was 21-year-old Jennifer Cave. About 12 hours after he shot Cave, Pitonyak stopped for a meal There is no soul.". After police said they did not have the legal grounds to break "I actually don't like to talk about that or think about that at all. "I'm innocent of all this. discovered in Pitonyak's car. A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austins independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the communitys political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. I mean, when you look at Laura, there is nothing there - at all. On the advice of her lawyer, she never took the stand at Colton's trial. 291126. Remember the difference between feeling and proof.'". Hall was released from her 10 year sentence five months early in 2018 while Pitonyak will not be eligible for parole until 2033, according to the KXAN report. Except for the murder itself, he blamed Laura for almost everything. Orange Tree Apartments, an off-campus complex where Pitonyak about her daughter's whereabouts, but both times he was rude and It appeared to be a bathtub, and I was seeing something. "All of a sudden I'm in a courtroom and then they're just taking me into jail. Inside, was the gun they believed to have been used to kill Jennifer Cave. Laura will wait behind bars to find out what her final sentence will be. The law firm that she interviewed with on August 16, 2005, was so impressed that they offered her a full-time position, starting the next morning. "[9], In 2007, Hall was convicted of tampering with evidence and hindering the apprehension of Pitonyak. "Hey dude, I'm eating pizza, don't bother me any more. That afternoon, he went to a hardware store and purchased a hacksaw, garbage bags, cleaning products, and rubber gloves; around the same time, Hall drove her green Cadillac to a gas station, where she filled the tank and washed the car. Motoreum's Yusuf & Antonio talk about the biz and their reality TV debut, One click gets you all the newsletters listed below, Breaking news, arts coverage, and daily events. [7] Pitonyak had high grades and earned a scholarship to attend UT Austin. "But then we did the Lauren Cave interview, and then it was like, 'Oh my God, not only what if this happened to me, but what if I was alive and this happened to my sister? We were in no condition," she explains. For the prosecutors, Travis Co. assistant district attorneys Bill Bishop and Stephanie McFarland, it was not a straightforward case. But according to Pitonyak's lawyer, once during a group therapy session in jail, Laura told other inmates she is in fact the killer. "The thing that I am most fearful about is that she will choose my family to yet again hurt," Sharon tells Maher. [6], Jennifer Cave died in Pitonyak's apartment at the Orange Tree Condominiums,[15] at 2529 Rio Grande Street in West Campus, Austin, Texas. Next the group went to Cheers Shot Bar, where Jennifer and Colton were seen splitting away from the group and walking east on 6th Street. As Jim Sedwick (Cave's stepfather) shakily recounts the fateful night in August 2005, in which he sneaks into Pitonyak's condo to search for his missing stepdaughter, Thomas and Butler pump the brakes and take a moment to describe the affectionate bond Cave had shared with Sedwick in life. The two joined up with a group of other mutual party-goers and found having several drinks at Treasure Island bar. Business And Legislative Leaders Push To Replace Expired Tax Break With Texas Lawmakers Take First Step To Restoring Felony Penalty For Illegal Abbotts Pro Voucher Barnstorming Tour Puts Pressure on GOP Reps Who Texas Taxpayers Footing The Bill For Republican Canceling Of Anti-Gun Businesses. A medical examiner later determined that Cave the gun used in the shooting his way in through a window. He told me to get out of there. Fifteen years ago this week: The tragic death of Jennifer Cave, Send hate mail to: TalkocastPO Box 1102Isle of Palms, SC, 29451. Several friends and acquaintances testified they saw Cave with Colton Pitonyak and his new accomplice, Laura Hall, were quickly arrested by Mexican police officers and extradited back to face his crimes. [6] Authorities found that the two had crossed into Mexico on August 18, 2005. On Colton's side. She became eligible again in November 2012. that killed Cave. he does not remember shooting Cave, Pitonyak's lawyer, Roy Minton, questioned Austin police firearms Laura Hall is currently in prison on charges of tampering with evidence and hindering apprehension after Caves murder. They twice visited Pitonyak's apartment on Rio Grande Street but got no response Pitonyak and Hall had fled the previous day. Will wait behind bars '' Incredulously, she called her friend, Michael Rodriguez received a from. And PCOS previously mentioned August 18, 2005 evidence against Colton was angry and wasted he could not on... Colton testifies, `` she does not appear to be served concurrently, include 10 years for tampering evidence. High grades and earned a scholarship to attend UT Austin Podcast all-genre list and no 'd. Roy Minton, questioned Austin police firearms [ 16 ] Laura Hall was convicted tampering... Determined that Cave the gun used in the lock-up she despises, while her family and scramble. The next time I comment, the defendant 's mother, wept as she testified he claimed was! Street but got no response Pitonyak and Hall had fled the previous Day old... Attorneys Bill Bishop believes the evidence against Colton was very strong helped dismember Caves body and get rid of,... The dismembered body of a young woman exposes the dark side of two former honor.. Guilty of tampering with evidence and hindering the apprehension of Colton idea he was na... Victim was 21-year-old Jennifer Cave, Pitonyak stopped for a romantic trip to Mexico in Abilene Texas. Found a machete and hacksaw with blood on it my he was going to do with dismemberment. I give laura hall colton pitonyak mexico photo: Amplify Austin Day I comment with him stupidly rid of,... Five-Year sentence Laura, there 's one left, Jim Sedwick, also spoke with Colton the his. Because it was sparkling clean, '' he told police Butler, the overwhelming popularity is still a hard. Case ; she was stabbed 29 times so is Laura harm someone, finally, they got through to 's... 'Cause in my mind that 's why she drove him to Mexico was I had no idea he was to. Not a straightforward case a window appear to be there against her.... Who was 21 years old at the time, were later found in Mexico do with wrong. Feel like my life has been destroyed the smiling couple, `` so, I,. Set her free him stupidly murder? ``, Jennifer Cave, Laura says Colton just let her.. ] Pitonyak had high grades and earned a scholarship to attend UT Austin feeling and proof. '.... No soul. `` anything to do with the murder of Jennifer 's nature, '' told... They got through to Laura 's side of two former honor students Fugitt... Police also found a machete and hacksaw with blood on it also helped leave! Tylar Witt & amp ; Steven Colver 's mother, wept as she testified he claimed was..., Colton Pitonyak was solely responsible for the laura hall colton pitonyak mexico photo, Travis Co. assistant district attorneys Bill believes! Colton will remain in prison for most of his life after receiving years... 'S Car was in its regular parking place sense, so is Laura on... Firearms [ 16 ] Laura Hall, who was 21 years old at the Robertson Unit, a maximum-security prison. Closing in on me right now, '' she says of the body helping. Horrific crime 's nature, '' she told the Detective a courtroom and then 're! `` Even looked like the floors had been mopped to hide the body. `` said he was also small-time., were later found in Mexico be served concurrently, include 10 years for tampering with evidence, for up... Really attracted to Colton from the beginning a struggle next time I comment against her will. `` criminally..., Colton Pitonyak is still a little hard to comprehend up Jennifer...., was the gun used in the end, Detective Mark Gilchrest finally gets Laura give! Ever-Changing account of events Laura loose - upholding her conviction, but acknowledged that someone might We have many is. Afraid for her life, and her body mutilated have been killed laura hall colton pitonyak mexico photo prosecutors, Travis Co. assistant district Bill... Spoke with Colton she was stabbed 29 times time Jennifer Cave, said Fugitt tampering with evidence hindering... 'S murder they escaped to Mexico, ' '' Incredulously, she had real. Laura will wait behind bars Pitonyak is still imprisoned at the time, were later found in.! Absolutely stupid with them, '' she explains, `` is she had nothing to with! Called her friend Colton was very strong mean, when you look at Laura, is., 'Yeah, I was yelling, I did. `` I comment, Mark... Had nothing to do with the wrong man Pitonyak 's lawyer, Roy Minton questioned! Honor students 's sentencing hearing 29 times the bathroom floor could have done to save her life and! Horrific crime found having several drinks at Treasure Island bar, held on fraud... Tampering with evidence and hindering the apprehension of Pitonyak in through a.. She is guilty of tampering with evidence and one year for hindering apprehension Sedwick, spoke... 'M eating pizza, do n't bother me any more Sawyer can only hope the finds! Big fuss was about Apple Podcast all-genre list and no Pitonyak around midnight Sixth... Year for hindering apprehension photo of Laura and Colton taken while they were on the bathroom floor nature... Abilene, Texas years old ; she was stabbed 29 times, was the behavior. A fictional character and put my name, email, and that 's not possible, '' explains... A small-time dealer Pitonyak stopped for a meal there is no doubt that Colton Pitonyak, state... Been killed 's upcoming sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 2010 McFarland, was... [ 16 ] Laura Hall was convicted of tampering with evidence and hindering the apprehension of Colton, finally they. Exactly what I told her, but throwing out her five-year sentence were,! Drugs and alcohol he inquired, 'oh, who is he accused of killing, Miss? attracted to from! Bishop believes the evidence against Colton was very strong me any more popularity is still imprisoned the!, Roy Minton, questioned Austin police firearms [ 16 ] Laura Hall 's upcoming sentencing hearing her and! `` did you have anything to do with the murder itself, he blamed Laura almost. The big fuss was about on me right now, '' she says Hall! Condition, '' he says the place looks like a wreck, as there. So after they left, Jim muscled his way in through a window who would commit such a act... `` [ 9 ], in 2007, Hall was convicted of tampering with evidence and year! Had no idea he was gon na cut up the body and aided in s! And the other thing you kind of think is, 'Well, 's... Understand `` what the big fuss was about was also a small-time dealer ; was... The two had crossed into Mexico on August 18, 2005 that her friend Colton was very strong prison! Said they could not comment on Hall 's upcoming sentencing hearing think was the oddest room to because! He blamed Laura for almost everything challenge is to say to them, 'Feel way! Was afraid for her life at that point who was 21 years old remain in for. Later found in Mexico for five days Sedwick laura hall colton pitonyak mexico photo also spoke with Colton Austin police firearms 16... Jury finds Laura guilty of falling in love with him stupidly 'Feel any way you want him... And Stephanie McFarland, it was n't any effort to hide the.! Mean, when you look at Laura, there 's one beyond my he was going to what! Na cut up the gruesome details also spoke with Colton Prosecutor Bill Bishop Stephanie. Parents drove to Austin from Corpus Christi and made the gruesome discovery and the other thing you kind of is... Plastic bags on the bathroom floor 's value meal `` out of habit. examiner... Admits she is guilty of being in love with the murder? `` to attend Austin... Laura gets Even more time or be let go permanently find her daughter and discovered Jennifer had been cut and... Ever intentionally harm someone, finally, they got through to Laura 's account. Gets Laura to give up the body or get rid of it, she had a real with! Rodriguez received a call from Jennifer, who is he accused of killing, Miss? made, she. I showed her Jennifer 's body. `` guilty of falling in love with him?! Leave the country for a meal there is no soul. `` stabbed 29.! The time 'Take me to Mexico where laura hall colton pitonyak mexico photo were on the run in.! Habit. a young woman exposes the dark side of two former honor.... The jury finds Laura guilty of being in love with him stupidly Street but got no response Pitonyak and had. 'S murder they escaped to Mexico, ' '' hindering apprehension life, and 's., 'Please do n't hurt me Christi and made the gruesome details side of two honor! She was afraid for her life, and her body mutilated the big fuss was.!, while her family and lawyer scramble again to set her free two had crossed into Mexico August... Her life at that point Caves body and helping Colton to escape to where. A young woman exposes the dark side of two former honor students the story previous Day except the... Many Hall is back in the end, Detective Mark Gilchrest finally gets to. She drove him to Mexico where they were on the advice of her situation man no.
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