The day before her death, however, she had Eric Goodman's Austin FC column, other soccer news. I felt that he didn't really do this. Submit yours now at austinchronicle.com/opinion. 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. "We still feel Jennifer in our lives," Sharon says. [14] Cave and Pitonyak went to dinner before Cave was murdered. Jennifer Cave's mother, Sharon, and her fiance, Jim Sedwick, "I'm still just so excited that the UT community seems to like it," she said. [1] In 2009, Chuck Lindell of the Austin American-Statesman called it the "most infamous West Campus crime". A jury found Pitonyak guilty and sentenced him to 55 years in prison for killing Cave. Hall's DNA was found on just three items: one of Cave's sandals, found near the bathtub; a blue shop towel, found on the coffee table; and the pistol used to shoot Cave. Karim said the gun did not "I'm ready to be acquitted," she says. Texas Rangers Promote First Women to Rank of Captain. Now an Austin podcaster is telling the personal stories behind that severing. "That was when it got big to us. Fernandez, to watch a pay-per-view professional fighting match, I mean, look, I didn't know what was gonna happen if I called the police, OK? It is that bad love that forever binds Laura to Colton, and brands her, right down to the tattoo of his name on her leg, which she got after that trip to Mexico. The only real blemishes on his record were the DWI and PCOS previously mentioned. "She gave a series of statements to the police," says Bishop. detailing his son's childhood and academic, After a jury sentenced him to 55 years in prison, Pitonyak said, Their project went live on July 14 and has since ranked No. He was convicted in 2007 of the murder and sentenced to 55 years in prison. 'Chrome Underground' Goes Classic Car Hunting, I Live Here I Give Here: Amplify Austin Day. Midway through The Orange Tree's first episode, there's a small moment that is instructive of their approach. "Like I already know. Police would soon learn the butchered victim was 21-year-old Jennifer Cave. And he says, 'Come here. This was Colton's mess.". "She told me, 'Dad, Colton's killed someone and they found a body.' Her battle with drugs and alcohol had been a constant struggle, but now the 21-year-old waitress was imbued with a new level of confidence she never felt before. time Jennifer Cave is believed to have been killed. Colton Pitonyak testified he has no memory of killing Jennifer "Part of Jennifer's nature," she explains, "is she had a real problem with stray dogs. But, as is usually the case with Laura Hall, that was not the end of this story.Colton Pitonyak's attorney, Joe Turner, says Colton did not shoot Jennifer Cave and he doesn't know who did. There was a shop towel out in the living room of the apartment that had both her DNA and Colton Pitonyak's DNA," Bishop says. Colton Pitonyak was fighting for a new trial and Laura Hall was now fighting the accusation of murder from Colton's attorney.The next legal chapter in Laura's life is about to be written. Law officers also accused her of helping to dismember Caves body. Next Gallery. Merit Scholar, is standing trial. 0:00. Bryan Case, with the Travis County District Attorney s office, said, We stand by our position and conviction of Colton Pitonyak. but Fernandez kicked them out after Pitonyak became belligerent victim's relatives. ", And the D.A. Because of the D.A. Pitonyak was sentenced to 55 years in prison for the murder; Hall was convicted of tampering with evidence in the case and of helping Pitonyak flee to Mexico to avoid apprehension. Loren and Carol Hall desperately tried to reach their daughter. Pitonyak's lawyer, Roy Minton, questioned Austin police firearms She was also a student at UT, a government major with hopes of becoming a lawyer. She insisted he could not have purposefully "I didn't want to hurt him, which sounds kind of sick Looking back, everything that came out of that man's mouth was a lie or a game or a trick. But Laura was in Colton's apartment dozens of times before the murder and she says the DNA - even the DNA on the gun - means nothing. Another person, Laura Hall, was convicted of tampering with evidence and hindering the apprehension of Pitonyak after the two fled to Mexico. In addition to the gun, Laura's DNA was also found in Colton's apartment. For Butler, the overwhelming popularity is still a little hard to comprehend. He told me to get out of there. There is no doubt that Colton Pitonyak was solely responsible for the murder of Jennifer Cave, said Fugitt. Am I guilty of being in love with him stupidly? Copyright 1981-2023 Austin Chronicle Corp. All rights reserved. [7] He was a National Merit Scholar,[9] and in 2000, Pitonyak was one of seven senior finalists at his high school and one of 166 senior finalists in the state. This is the only one in which the defendant recalled vivid detail about every event prior to and following, but claimed to have no recollection as to causing the death. after the Pitonyak is serving 55 years for the slaying. When he took the stand, Colton said he couldn't remember what happened that night. "So I kept going down this hallway, and then there was another door on my left which was closed. 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. She may have been Colton's friend, but the allegation is that Laura Hall was his accomplice.On Feb. 8, 2010, Laura reports to court to be given the date for her new sentencing hearing. Pitonyak around midnight on Sixth Street, Austin's party After just four hours of work, It was great," she says smiling. Sharon and Jim decided to head to Austin hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. Check out a scene from Episode 6: Laura Hall & Colton Pitonyak. "The kitchen I think was the oddest room to me because it was sparkling clean," Bishop tells Maher. ", "Until you get to know Colton," she continues, "you can't see on the surface that there's something wrong underneath.". It was Pitonyak a "sociopath" and a "beast" who destroyed everyone around him, Sawyer argued who mutilated Cave's body. Pitonyak was convicted in 2007 of Cave's murder and is still serving a 55-year prison sentence in Abilene. Located in the neighborhood of West Campus, Pitonyaks apartment turned into a crime scene on that day while Pitonyak along with his accomplice, Laura Hall, took off to Mexico. All seven episodes of The Orange Tree are now available for download and streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. Laura Ashley Hall [12] was a University of Texas at Austin student who at one time had been Pitonyak's girlfriend. Hall was "Oh, I loved the guy," she says. 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. "We were able to lean on each other emotionally, and know that we weren't alone in talking to the victim's family and the emotions that come up with that. "They've lost their child, and a lot of times their hearts are filled with hate," Laura's father, Loren Hall cries, "but that's no reason to convict the innocent.". I heard this rustling, like someone's grabbing the phone from you. This year, two University of Texas students, Haley Butler and Tinu Thomas, have a long-form documentary podcast called The Orange Tree Podcast, in which they dig through court filings and host interviews with the families of Cave, Pitonyak and Hall. All rights reserved. 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. Podcasts, True Crime, The Orange Tree, Podcast, The Drag Audio, Tinu Thomas, Haley Butler, Jennifer Cave, Colton Pitonyak, Laura Hall, Information is power. he does not remember shooting Cave, Pitonyak's neighbor, Nora Sullivan, testified that in the spring of 2006, Hall told her that after Pitonyak shot Cave, he sat in his living room drinking beer and watching TV instead of using the tools he'd bought at the hardware store. Sharon Sedwick says her daughter, Jennifer Cave, was on Colton's side, too. We were in no condition," she explains. left the courtroom with the victim's. The brown paper bag in Pitonyak's studio apartment led police to "Did I drive him across the border? Jennifer Cave's family hopes Laura gets even more time behind bars. This week marks the 15th anniversary of Caves death, a horrendous crime that still leaves questions: Why did this happen? She says Colton had that gun for weeks and that she had picked it up and can imagine that she had "touched the trigger at some point. "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.". "We did have the realization that this was going to be a different story from any other that's been told about this case," said Thomas. left the courtroom with the victim's Hall maintained her innocence for her part in the crime, saying she was in Pitonyaks home the night of the murder but did not help dismember the body and did not call police because she was afraid of Pitonyak. A Travis County jury convicted Hall of hindering apprehension and tampering with evidence in connection with Cave's murder. 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. Pitonyak's cell phone records reflect that he first contacted Hall via a text message just after 3:30am on Aug. 17 and again in a 13-minute phone call at 6am. And I'm like, 'Were you with Jennifer?' In 2004, police found cocaine, prescription sleeping pills that he had unlawfully obtained, and anxiety medication in his apartment. [7] Pitonyak had high grades and earned a scholarship to attend UT Austin. ", "Well it's neither," she replies. Prosecutor Bill Bishop was held accountable. The Chronicle welcomes opinion pieces on any topic from the community. "All of a sudden I'm in a courtroom and then they're just taking me into jail. "Laura Hall says she didn't have a plan on what to do next after getting to Mexico, and that she didn't know what Colton Pitonyak was planning. Menu. 48 Hours In Too Deep: Laura Hall. [11] Pitonyak had no previous record of violent crime. "How hard is it to go like this?" 's office will go up against Laura Hall. [10] Pitonyak had also once entered a rehabilitation program for drugs. Langenbach told the jury that during the three weeks the two shared a cell, Hall made several incriminating statements about her involvement including that she was in charge of the mutilation, devised (although aborted) in order to keep the police from identifying Cave's body. She is to be sent back to jail. Laura sighs before answering. I can't allow myself to think that way.". 's mistake, Laura will be sentenced again. Director Gregory Kohn Stars Robert Ivkovic Laura Fraker (uncredited) See production, box office & company info Watch on Bravo Now At some point after midnight, early on Aug. 17, he passed out, and when he woke, he said, he found Cave's body in the bathtub. Finally, she called her friend, Michael Rodriguez. However, the podcast also features extraordinary access to Pitonyak himself and his parents in their first interviews since his conviction in 2007. 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