The fact that this incident made the news and is being shared around is actually evidence that its incredibly rare. Why? Wondering if you might name the state park, so travelers can be cautious. And we will be looking over a shoulder for a long time to come. Multiple murders, a wrong verdict, and the execution of an innocent at the sheer cost of information make this documentary shockingly painful. O n Dec. 7, 1989, Carlos DeLuna, a young Latino man, was executed for the 1983 murder of Wanda Lopez, an employee at a gas station in Corpus Christi, Texas, despite maintaining his innocence. (So, if you are counting on a weapon, you had better have it in a holster on you, fully-loaded, and you are well-practiced in using it. Padre is still safe, yes there are bad people every where including this wonderful piece of paradise called the coastal Texas Riveria. Part of the enjoyment is being alone with just nature. Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from the Innocence Project: In 1989, Carlos DeLuna was executed for the murder of a gas station employee. As I stated before, I have camped on the beach in Texas a dozen times the last few years and have thoroughly enjoyed it. As the old saying goes: Id rather be judged by 12, than carried by 6. Never had a problem. I can carry but I dont. The details of the statement contradicted aspects of the crime scene and autopsy. The only country that thinks this way and yet the only country that has the issues with guns. Oh my gosh, all these scenarios where people think they are safe because of their concealed or displayed weapon is a little misguided. I am actually staying now in the Hatch RV park in Corpus Christi, and while Im fine with my pull-through space, the area around the park is pretty scary. The cops told me. Hannah Overton, a south Texas mother of five whose wrongful conviction for the 2006 death of her foster son was overturned last year, is expected to receive over $500,000 in . Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. We camped for years in the RG Valley, South Padre, the Texas Coast up to Galveston and with friends in La Fria. We have seldom boondocked, and then only in very public places (yes, it does require ear plugs and eye shades at times). Corpus Christi is a Texas city on the Gulf of Mexico, located 130 miles southeast of San Antonio. In "The Phantom," documentarian Patrick Forbes . Suddenly you realize its not like the movies. Times have certainly changes. Corpus Christi is a city located in Nueces County Texas.It is also the county seat of Nueces County.With a 2023 population of 321,658, it is the 8th largest city in Texas and the 63rd largest city in the United States. If you look vulnerable or have tendencies that you expose too much to strangers your more at risk of being taken advantage of. Carlos Hernndez Jr. was born on July 14, 1954, in Corpus Christi, Texas, the third child of Mexican parents, Fidela Gonzales and Carlos Hernndez Sr. Hernndez Jr. was raised in a two-bedroom apartment with his five siblings, his parents divorced in 1960 due to his father's conviction of rape.After the divorce, his mother found work at a local laundry in order to support her . This is that moment you trained for. Act like it. This world has changed so much, I grew up in an era when you could go to bed at night, leave windows open and not worry about someone coming in to do bodily harm to the family. The 15-year-old was prounounced dead at the scene on Spring Cypress Road this morning. Being former law enforcement, hubby is trained to scan the area, look for suspicious people, vehicles, etc. Period. Its another 150 miles to the border. Yet, as Mr. DeLunas case clearly illustrates, the death penalty, in fact, has been carelessly and unfairly applied. 3. CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for a man charged with capital murder in the killing of a New Hampshire couple whose bodies were found in a shallow grave on a South Texas beach. According to an arrest report, O'Donnell confessed to killing his mother, 83-year-old Omayra O'Donnell, at her home in Corpus Christi. My dad kept a loaded pistol under his pillow when we campedand this was in the 70s. It maybe that they werent even on the beach when this occurred. Crime. The LGBT community held vigils. Click to reveal She was charged with tampering with evidence, but the case was later dropped. What these tourist destinations rarely say is how dangerous it can be. The release of. There are million dollar homes further off the beach than I am when I am glamping. Can I eliminate risk? Myra Sanchez 9:44 PM, Feb 24, 2023 . Criminals and despots want you to support the ban of semi-automatic firearms in the possession of law abiding citizens. When on vacations, I typically spend one-third of nights in developed campgrounds; one-third in primitive campgrounds; and one-third in my own dispersed sites. Required fields are marked *. Its a million dollar view being 90 feet from the waters edge, watching the moon shine off the water, etc. Yeah sure you would have plenty of time to get your weapon and shoot me, but then after the fact its an argument about whether deadly force was necessary. The only ones who are armed are the criminals.. we drove the Alaska highway last summer, a week after we were there 3 people were murdered near Liard hot springs, right where we were. White Missouri officer found guilty of killing a Black man in 2019. and share your thoughts and reactions on social media. Well never know for sure what went through their minds when they picked that spot, but debate about their sad story is taking place all over the Internet, in places like the iRV2 Forum Topic, Caution for Texas Campers.. Whats your definition of close. San Antonio's property crime rate is 1.7 times greater the national average. This is compared to communities of all sizes, from the smallest to the largest. Ive been thinking more and wish we could stay in more RV parks, but we live on Social Security, and most charge $25-50 a night. Being alive is in itself a risk! No matter where we are going.. One time in the 1990s, I stopped and boondocked on a switchback in colorado. The result is the Murder Capitals of the Lone Star State for 2021: Beaumont ( Photos) Dallas ( Photos) Port Arthur ( Photos) Forest Hill ( Photos) Henderson ( Photos) Houston ( Photos) Pecos ( Photos) Corpus Christi ( Photos) The answer is as it always will be: they cant be everywhere. Less than two weeks after losing contact with relatives, authorities found their remains buried in the sand on October 27, 2019. We love to boondock and be off the grid as a matter of preference. Find a fellow camper or two and boondock together. That is a smear campaign put out by the NRA and our dufus president who says anything to get elected. I say open carry! liberals dont want to take guns away from law abiding citizens.most law abiding citizens dont walk around with AK 47s and plenty of ammo strapped on..we DO want to remove military assault type weapons for obvious reasons. I do not, however, park my rig anywhere that is isolated or off the beaten path. Mess with me, my kitties or my property, youre going down; NO IFS, ANDS OR BUTS! She is a full-time working mother and unwinds in the evenings by binge-watching and writing about reality tv. Mr. Jones conviction largely rested on a single piece of evidence a strand of hair that was found on the counter near Mr. Hilzendagers body. By Shubhabrata Dutta. It has changed our thoughts on boondocking. Go forward and seek adventure but do so armed and trained. Do you believe its safer to be in a class C than a travel trailer or 5th wheel sense of anything suspicious started happening around your campsite all you would have to move is from the living area to the drivers position you wouldnt have to go out and hook up I was thinking about starting the RV next year and just wondering if it is possible to reinforce the doors Windows Etc to make it harder for an intruder to break in. I carry every day when Im away from the rv in all of the 40+ states that allow it. The world is dangerous and you have to protect yourself and your loved ones. Her girlfriend, Kris Chapa, was left for dead. For Corpus Christi, we found that the violent crime rate is one of the highest in the nation, across communities of all sizes (both large and small). Knowing the area they were at it would not be a place where criminals would go looking to commit a crime. But we refuse to let it stress us out. I decided the beaches there stopped being safe at night back in the late 70s when my then-boyfriend and I ran into the drug runners with their uzis. We had a workcamping gig where we were the only ones in the campground for the first month. Williams and Noverr were arrested in Mexico less than two weeks after appearing on surveillance video. The thought is that thieves like these vehicles because they want the towing capacity for their utility trailers. A jailhouse informant had also claimed that Mr. Willingham had confessed to the crime. Having spent 30+ years visiting Corpus, Port Aransas & North Padre I have always felt safe on the beach or down town Corpus listening to music and going put to eat. The average national property crime rate is 24. . My wife and I stay exclusively at RV parks and/or other established campgrounds (State, federal, etc). Do not remember exactly where though. Since 1973,185 people who have been wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death in the U.S. have been exonerated, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, including Innocence Project clients Clemente Aguirre, Rolando Cruz, and Alejandro Fernandez. I hope there is always someone seconds away when you need help. Whether it be an Rv site Or Boondocking. Anyone can become a victim. I will recommend putting your faith and trust in the only one that has loved us just as we are regardless of our race, pedigree, sexual orientation or background. There are a few changes I hope to make, my wife had not previously carried but has training, now she will carry a percentage of time. Sickens meI pray for eternal peace for the murdered couple. Id rather face prosecution under some stupid state, city or county firearms law than be dead. If you are camping in out of the way places dogs will offer more security than cats. Go ahead, it sounds like a great, logical solution. Checking the crime statistics ourselves for an area that already seems safe just isnt something weve done. We encourage you to watch The Phantom and share your thoughts and reactions on social media. There is a TON of information about this case. Everyone is looking for cheap places to stay. Nothing is 100% assured, except your vulnerability when unarmed and facing armed evil people. James O'Donnell, 50,was arrested and booked into the Nueces County Jail. Yes, of course. But I wouldnt hesitate to do so again given the chance. If it does not smell right, so to speak, we wont go or stay there. The search engine finds the neighborhoods that are the optimum fit to the set of criteria you choose. The suspect were wanted in connection to a murder in Corpus Christi on Monday, September 20, 2021. I, a single female, traveled towing my travel trailer, from West Palm Beach, FL all the way into British Columbia, CAN to the state line of Alaska and returned. It is a very busy stretch of beach. Since this event occurred near the water, people go swimming etc. Sometimes its in parking lots, and other times youll find us in the same kind of scenic area where the Butlers were killed. Be careful where you stop and if things dont look or feel right move on. Every time we decide to boondock this couple will be in our thoughts. If this was a truly random event it is unfortunate but we should not be deterred from seeing some awesome places or letting it escalate to fear and paranoia about boondocking. Moreover, a witness description of the suspect did not match Mr. Alleys appearance. However, Kris regained strength on her left side and helped police create a composite sketch of the offender. Marshals Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Fugitive Task Force, including DPS . A new documentary about the case of Carlos DeLuna, a likely innocent man who was executed in Texas in 1989, premieres June 14, 2021 at the Tribeca Film Festival.. Missing My Baby - Selena. Now you know WHY you carry a gun, not because you think you will find trouble, but because trouble may find you! It would be shameful for us to depend for safety on the weapons of others and refuse to carry weapons for ourselves. The Education of Cyrus, Xenophon ca 370 BC. Being prepared to deal with it increases your chances of survival. As has already been mentioned, having a firearm can also help. Police followed the tip and found Mr. DeLuna, whom eyewitnesses later identified as Ms. Lopezs murderer during a highly suggestive identification procedure. we have been accosted in rv campgrounds from the beggers and homeless that get upset with you for not GIVING to them.. which makes you wonder if you will have problems the rest of the night AT the other end is the boondocking to which YOU are out their alone here a good little dog works for a intrusion alarm that and a good 12 ga shotgun become your first line of defense. That being the case you are liable to run into them everywhere, just hope and pray the outcome is not what these people pore loved ones are living with. Carlos DeLuna was convicted of a 1983 murder based on eyewitness misidentification. This way you have more eyes on the situation.. hope my suggestion helps all and please be safe. If your time is up its up. Compare Corpus Christi crime data to other cities, states, and neighborhoods in the U.S. on NeighborhoodScout. But deserted areas and Wal-Mart lots have not been a terribly safe choice for me. Others had limited access to adequate resources and quality representation. Importantly, we found that Corpus Christi has one of the highest rates of motor vehicle theft in the nation according to our analysis of FBI crime data. CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) -- Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for a man charged with capital murder in the killing of a New Hampshire couple whose . Is it possible to order a DVD of THE PHANTOM? The letter accuses a man in Layton, Utah, of the attack. Mr. DeLuna was one of three children raised by a single mother in a low-income neighborhood of Corpus Christi, where killings and fistfights were common and where poor residents were too readily charged with capital murder, convicted, and sentenced to death with little, if any, legal representation. You have time to aim your weapon. At the time of the crime, Spellman stayed with his fathers best friend just down the street from the attack. If he/she sees a weapon and is intending harm, dont you think he would move away and not confront you, knowing you arent an easy target? Her cause ofdeath hasnot yet been released by officials. Makes no difference. Choosing free sights especially boondocking is inherently dangerous. I believe the man had a gun but it was not within reach when he was ambused. Tammy Slatons Mom Shows True Colors: Dogs Before Daughters? Corpus Christi Crnica. Each day, RVers like myself travel all over the U.S. doing exactly what the Butlers did; we take advantage of free camping spots. Over $135 million has been infused into the water system to replace aging pipes. This isnt the first time Spellmans DNA matches Olgin and Chapas case. We often spend the night at Walmart, but never on the beach or in the woods. Life is too short and bad stuff (like the epidemic and these murders)happen. Samantha frequently refers to herself as a mompreneur. Your chance of being a victim of violent crime in Corpus Christi is 1 in 114 and property crime is 1 in 31. Murder doesnt even make the evening news anymore. Use of these names, logos, and brands does not imply endorsement unless specified. Plus couples who travel together using a couple of rigs are probably safter than one alone. The prosecutions description of Mr. Hernandez is now the title of a deeply disturbing documentary, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 14 and is set for release on Netflix on Sept. 30. A 50-year-old man is suspected of killing his mother over the weekend. Locking yourself in and calling 911 may work in a secure home, but a thin walled RV with cheap locks securing the door doesnt do much. Had testing been done, Mr. Alley would have had strong proof of his innocence. Netflix's The Phantom explores crime and how a miscarriage of justice can affect more than one life. The idea of even owning a rv is to get away from it all. Trust no one. One thing is certain, however. Help us advocate for the innocent by sharing the latest news from the Innocence Project. So, in other words, it wasnt the beach that was dangerous. We have joined boondockers welcome which is a website based group of fellow RVers who have graciously opened up their property to allow members to stay over night on our way to our final destination We have stayed at two different places and have felt very welcomed and safe. I suspect its always been that way., I live north of Houston. 18 talking about this. Wanda Lopez was a 24-year-old single mother who worked at a Sigmor Shamrock gas station. More: Corpus Christi Police need help identifying trio that stole vehicle, credit card, More: Officer-involved shooting leaves one dead in Aransas Pass, More: Authorities ID man arrested by SWAT, Corpus Christi police in Adams Drive disturbance, Ashlee Burns covers trending and breaking news in South Texas. Where were the police who you are supposed to depend on? See our subscription options and special offers at Caller.com/subscribe. According to, from the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, approximately 2,600 incarcerated people are currently on death row. As the saying goes: Better to be judged by 12, than carried by 6! My wife and I have never boon-docked, although we have thought about and discussed it and it is tempting; however this article only solidifys my belief we should should not. No matter where we RV, among the usual precautions, we go armed. People who live in Corpus Christi generally . This included Spring Break. Will you shoot first? Adam C. Williams, 35, is one of two people accused in the deaths of James and Michelle Butler, whose remains . Texas is not the only place where potential danger lurks..just a few miles from my location in Missouri, Ive seen tents poping up at a state park thats remote so, its hardly ever monitor by park officials, except on occasionial drive by. AUSTIN (KXAN) KXAN is keeping track of the number of homicides in the City of Austin. How many reading this have shot someone harassing them while camping? See our subscription options and special offers at Caller.com/subscribe. The New Hampshire residents were full-time RVers for just over a year when they took a break from a series of workamping jobs. Compared to the previous year, violent crime rate rose by 68.1% while property crime rate increased by 4.6%. Occasionally bad things happen to good people,that just the world we live in. Mr. Jones co-defendant also testified against him but later signed an affidavit claiming that he had testified after being threatened with the death penalty. I have begun to think that maybe we will need to stay monthly, or rent an apartment. Life Cast Members & Body Hair, Savannah Chrisley Gives Praise To Incredible Women Who Molded Her, Todd Chrisley Says To Stop Throwing Stones, Mykelti Padron Gets Taken Out, Blames Christine. Having just a small travel trailer with very limited fresh water, no generator to operate the a/c or microwave and wishing for a bit more security than a secluded beach, I would not boondock even before reading of these murders. The next time my husband and I choose to boondock in an out-of-the-way spot, the Butlers will definitely be in our thoughts. You do not! You need to be well lighted and armed. The criminals have done this before and knew exactly where to head to unload their booty. 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