Assumed Deceased:Tynesha Stewart - TX - 03/15/2007

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College Student Missing Since Spring Break - Local News

College Student Missing Since Spring Break

March 20, 2007

HOUSTON -- A 20-year-old Texas A&M student from Houston is missing, KPRC Local 2 reported Tuesday.

Tynesha Stewart was home for Spring Break when she disappeared.

She was last seen by her boyfriend at 3 a.m. Thursday leaving the Red Oak apartments, located at 17710 Red Oak Drive. She left the complex after she and the boyfriend got into an argument.

Her family is frantic and passed out fliers along Red Oak near FM 1960.

"We've called her cell phone. Her cell phone is off. All of her friends have been trying to call her. She has not called anybody and that's not like her," mother Gale Shields said.

The former Nimitz High School honor student was a 2005 recipient of the Linda Lorelle Scholarship Foundation.

Stewart is a freshman studying civil and chemical engineering.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Harris County Sheriff's Office at 713-755-7427.

[Guest Kathylene]

Search continues for missing A&M student 4:52 PM CST | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Texas Southwest

Police led to crime scene in search for missing Aggie

Detectives put crime scene tape up around a dumpster in an apartment complex parking lot in north Harris County after a dramatic scene in which Tim Shepherd, the man believed to be the ex-boyfriend of missing coed Tynesha Stewart, led deputies and activist Quannel X to the area.

It was unclear at the time if Stewart's body was there. Deputies were waiting for crime scene investigators to arrive. Shepherd was also at the scene, sitting in a car driven by Quannel X, talking to the activist.

After approaching the dumpster and talking, Shepherd and the activist exchanged what appeared to be tearful hugs.

Police had interviewed Stewart's ex-boyfriend several times and had searched his car and apartment, but they never named him a suspect in the 19-year-old's disappearance.

The ex-boyfriend was the last person to see Stewart before she disappeared on March 15.

He said she left his apartment around 3 a.m. in her pajamas with a cell phone on foot and has not been seen since.

As the search continued, other reports are surfaced. Another resident is certain she saw Stewart in her ex-boyfriend’s car early Friday morning.

Then hours later, heavy smoke from the boyfriend’s porch prompted an emergency call. Several neighbors shared the same story.

They said it was not a barbecue, but rather burning clothes and hair. Neighbors reported seeing the barbecue pit in the trash with a strong smell of bleach.

Stewart’s mother said the couple had a volatile relationship. About a year and a half ago, the boyfriend refused to let Stewart leave his apartment. So, her parents came with police.

The disheartening development came just as another apparently fruitless day of searching was coming to an end.

Homicide detectives had joined the effort to find Stewart earlier in the day, so did her uncles, both players in the NFL.

The search was centered in a wooded area, miles away from the apartment in Red Oak where she was last seen, but a dive team was called in Wednesday to look in Cypress Creek.

It was the same area searched yesterday by deputies.

“Right now, I’m just prepared for whatever,†Tynesha’s mother, Gale Shields said.

Shields has not left her post at the command center since the search began, but she admits her patience and hope are wearing thin.

“I just was hoping something was going to happen yesterday. I had my hopes filled that they were going to find her yesterday,†she said.

Tynesha’s family believes that ex-boyfriend may be involved in her disappearance.

“If he’s not, I’ll apologize to him. If he is, just let me know where she is. Just tell me – he doesn’t even have to bring her home. I’ll go get her. I don’t care what state she’s in, if she’s beat up or even if she is dead. Let me know so I can go and get her,†Shields said

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[Guest Kathylene]

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Search for missing A&M student expands | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

March 21, 2007, 6:51AM

Search for A&M student expands

The Harris County sheriff's homicide division has joined an investigation into the disappearance of a missing Texas A&M University student last seen nearly a week ago.

Deputies and volunteers on Tuesday searched the area around her mother's northwest Harris County home.

"We want to push this investigation a little harder to come to some conclusion," said sheriff's Lt. John Denholm.

Tynesha Stewart, 19, was last seen March 15, spending spring break at her mother's apartment in the 17700 block of Red Oak when she left with her boyfriend, authorities said.

Deputies later questioned Stewart's boyfriend, whom they have characterized as "cooperative."

"He said they had a disagreement about her seeing another guy. There was no altercation or no fight," said Lt. John Martin. "She left on foot (and) he hasn't seen her since."

Stewart's boyfriend, who lives in the same complex, allowed deputies to search his apartment and car. They found no signs of Stewart or any indication of foul play, Martin said.

Volunteers with Texas EquuSearch also joined Tuesday's effort to find Stewart.

The case has been assigned to the sheriff's missing persons unit. "They're out on the scene right now," Martin said Tuesday.

Although authorities said there is no evidence of any criminal activity, they remain concerned.

"Especially if that's not (her) normal behavior," Martin said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Harris County Sheriff's Department at 713-755-7427.

[Guest Kathylene]

Ex-boyfriend charged in A&M student's death | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Ex-boyfriend charged in A&M student's death

March 22, 2007,

The ex-boyfriend of a missing Texas A&M student was charged with murder Wednesday after leading investigators and community activist Quanell X to a garbage bin where he said he dumped her body.

Timothy Wayne Shepherd, 27, has not made a formal confession and is no longer cooperating with investigators, but he is charged in the death of 19-year-old Tynesha Stewart, said Lt. John Denholm of the Harris County Sheriff's Office homicide division.

Although no body was found in it, investigators hauled away the dumpster, located behind an apartment complex in the 14600 block of Ella in northwest Harris County. "We are exploring whether it's even possible to search for her remains at this point," Denholm said. She could be buried under 50 feet of trash at any number of landfills, he said. "It's the literal needle in the haystack."

Stewart, last seen March 15, was spending spring break at her mother's apartment when she left with Shepherd, authorities said.

Investigators said Shepherd had been "cooperative" in previous interviews, allowing them to search his car and apartment. Although the two had recently disagreed about her seeing another man, he said, there had been no argument or fight. She had left his place on foot March 15th, Shepherd said, and he hadn't seen her since.

After questioning Shepherd late Tuesday, investigators gave him a ride home at about 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, Denholm said.

'He led us all the way'

Later in the day, Quanell X met and talked with Shepherd. Quanell then contacted Harris County homicide investigators, who met them in Quanell's car near Shepherd's apartment in the 17700 block of Red Oak, Denholm said. At about 5 p.m. Wednesday, he led Quanell X and investigators to the dumpster.

"He told me, with the investigator in the car, where to go. He led us all the way, and when he stood before the dumpster, he broke down, and he said, 'This is where I put her,' " said Quanell X.

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Cowboys player's niece murdered 6:26 AM CDT | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Texas Southwest

Cowboys player's niece murdered

March 22, 2007

The search for the missing niece of Dallas Cowboys defensive back Aaron Glenn ended tragically. Police said Tynesha Stewart, 19, was murdered.

A murder charge was filed against the ex-boyfriend of the missing Texas A&M student after the ex-boyfriend led investigators to a trash container where he allegedly put her body, authorities said.

Timothy Wayne Shepherd, 27, was charged with murder Wednesday, said Lt. John Denholm of the Harris County Sheriff's Office homicide division.

Stewart, a 19-year-old college freshman, was last seen with Shepherd on March 15 while she was home for spring break visiting her mother.

Authorities said it will be difficult to find Stewart's body because the trash bin has been hauled off at least twice since last week and taken to different locations.

“We are exploring whether it's even possible to search for her remains at this point,†Denholm said. “It's the literal needle in the haystack.â€Â

Shepherd had allowed investigators to search his car and apartment and had been cooperative during interviews through early Wednesday morning, Denholm said.

Shepherd met with community activist Quanell X on Wednesday. Denholm said Quanell X then arranged a meeting with Shepherd and Harris County authorities in the activist's car.

“He told me, with the investigator in the car, where to go. He led us all the way, and when he stood before the dumpster, he broke down, and he said, 'This is where I put her,â€Â' said Quanell X.

Denholm said Shepherd had not made a formal confession. A Sheriff's Office communications official wouldn't release information on Shepherd's bond amount or whether he had a lawyer early Thursday morning.

Gale Stewart, mother of Tynesha Stewart, said Shepherd wouldn't let her daughter go after their relationship ended.

“He was older, and older men tend to be possessive,†she said.

Kendria Smith, a longtime friend of Tynesha Stewart, said Stewart and Shepherd quit dating at the beginning of this school year.

[Guest Kathylene]

Deputies: A&M student killed over another man | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Deputies: A&M student strangled over another

The 27-year-old man charged in the killing of a Texas A&M student told authorities late Wednesday night that he strangled the 19-year-old during a fight over another man.

Timothy Wayne Shepherd told investigators around 11 p.m. what happened to Tynesha Stewart, 19, who had been missing since March 15.

"They had a fight about their relationship, and her relationship with a new boyfriend," said Lt. John Denholm with the Harris County Sheriff's homicide division. "He said he choked her...He said he put her in a large plastic tote, and then put her in his car and took her to the Dumpster."

Denholm said Shepherd at first refused to cooperate but later changed his mind and confessed.

Authorities are investigating whether Shepherd physically abused Stewart in the past, Denholm said.

Stewart's body, which could be buried under an estimated 50,000 tons of waste and dirt, probably never will be recovered, he said.

Excavating the two landfills where Stewart's body may be  one in the Atascocita area and the other in Brazoria County  could run at least $350,000, Denholm said.

And, he said, it would take time and would probably require approval from county officials because taxpayers would likely have to pay for it.

"Any expenditure like that would most likely have to be approved by commissioner's court," Denholm said.

Such approval, he said, could delay the search and drive excavation costs up further, as 5,000 to 6,000 tons of waste are hauled to the two sites per day.

Private companies charge $6 to $7 per ton to excavate.

"Even as we speak, hundreds of tons of trash have been dumped, just during this conversation," he said.

Further complicating the recovery of the body are landfill regulations.

Denholm said Stewart's family has been told the body probably will not be recovered.

"They seem to be understanding," he said. "Everybody who has had contact with this family is impressed with their faith."

Stewart, last seen March 15, was spending spring break at her mother's apartment when she left with Shepherd, authorities said.

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[Guest Kathylene]

DallasCowboys.com - News

Tragedy Strikes Aaron Glenn's Family

Tragedy has struck Aaron Glenn's family during his 13th NFL off-season.

Harris County authorities said a murder charge has been filed against Timothy Wayne Shepherd, 27, the ex-boyfriend of missing Texas A&M student Tynesha Stewart, KHOU-TV in Houston reported on its Web site.

Stewart, the 19-year-old niece of Cowboys cornerback Aaron Glenn, had been missing since March 15 while home for spring break. Authorities said Shepherd confessed to strangling Stewart and led police to where he allegedly placed her body in a trash container, KHOU.com reported.

Cowboys spokesman Rich Dalrymple said, "Our thoughts and prayers are with Aaron Glenn during this extremely difficult time."

Harris County officials said it could be difficult to find Stewart's body because the dumpster had been picked up at least twice since March 15.

"We want her body so that we can give her a proper burial," Stewart's mother, Gale Shields, told KHOU.

According to the station, Shields is the sister of Aaron Glenn and Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jason Glenn, who flew in Wednesday to help search for his niece.

Aaron Glenn has provided a veteran presence as a nickel corner in Dallas the last two seasons and signed a one-year extension with the Cowboys last September. Glenn, who also attended Texas A&M and played three years with the Texans, has five interceptions over the past two seasons.

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Decision not to seek teen's body fuels agony | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

March 23, 2007, 1:52AM

Agony, anger over decision not to hunt for teen's body

Location of landfill Faced with the "virtually impossible" task of excavating 40,000 tons of landfill waste to find Tynesha Stewart's body, Harris County sheriff's officials made the agonizing decision Thursday night that the odds of success were too remote to try.

Sheriff's officials met with the slain Texas A&M University student's mother, Gale Shields, shortly before a scheduled 7 p.m. candlelight vigil to inform her there would be no search for her daughter's body.

"Oh my God!" a sobbing Shields said later. "It just broke my heart that they could put a dollar amount on my, on a person's life, especially if they probably know where she is. ... And they just want to leave her out there. They just want us to leave her out there in the trash because of a dollar amount. I just can't understand that."

A crowd of about 300 was packed into pews at Abiding Word Lutheran Church when community activist Quanell X took the pulpit, with Shields at his side, and announced officials would not be searching for the body.

Jason Glenn, one of Stewart's two uncles who play football in the NFL, responded with an angry outburst.

"What?" he shouted, then stormed out of the church.

Sheriff's officials say the man charged in the slaying, Stewart's ex-boyfriend Timothy Wayne Shepherd, confessed to investigators Wednesday night that he choked her, stuffed her body in a large plastic storage container and placed her body in a Dumpster in northwest Harris County on March 15. Authorities found no body in that bin, which had been emptied at least twice since.

By day's end, officials with Waste Management and the sheriff's office had estimated that there is a 65 percent chance that Stewart's body is at the Atascocita Recycling and Disposal Facility, 3623 Wilson Road.

There is a smaller chance the body is in a landfill in Clute, which is in southern Brazoria County.

The 504-acre landfill in northeast Harris County receives about 3,500 tons of nonhazardous residential, commercial and industrial waste every day. Although officials have narrowed their search area to a 2- to 3-acre section at the landfill, they said the body could be buried beneath as much as 40,000 tons and 50 feet of refuse.

"It's not 100 percent impossible, but it's very, very very rare to find what you are looking for," said Chuck Rivette, senior district manager for Waste Management, which owns the Atascocita landfill.

He added, "It's virtually impossible."

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[Guest Kathylene]

ustonist: No search for Stewart's body, county says

March 23, 2007

No search for Stewart's body, county says

The latest development in the murder of Texas A&M student Tynesha Stewart: Yesterday, Harris County sheriff's officials announced that they will not search area landfills for her body, saying that finding the body would be "virtually impossible." Meanwhile, sheriff's investigators did finally get a confession from Stewart's ex boyfriend, Timothy Wayne Shepherd, who on Wednesday had led police to a Dumpster where he told activist Quanell X he disposed of Stewart's body after killing her. "They had a fight about their relationship, and her relationship with a new boyfriend," Lt. John Denholm with the Harris County Sheriff's homicide division told the Chronicle. "He said he choked her. ... He said he put her in a large plastic tote, and then put her in his car and took her to the Dumpster."

The issue was that the Dumpster had been emptied at least twice since Shepherd put Stewart's body there, which means no one's really sure where the body is. Sheriff's and Waste Management officials said there's a 65 percent chance that Stewart's body is at the Atascocita Recycling and Disposal Facility at 3623 Wilson Road in Humble, and they even know a two- or three-acre area in which the body is likely located. But even that information doesn't help much because Stewart's remains could be buried beneath 40,000 tons of waste. "It's not 100 percent impossible, but it's very, very, very rare to find what you are looking for," Waste Management senior district manager Chuck Rivette said.

As you might expect, the news that the county won't look for the body didn't sit well with Stewart's family. "We want her body so that we can give her a proper burial," Gale Shields, Stewart's mother, told KHOU. "She wasn't trash! She was not trash! She was a human being. She was an Aggie." Stewart's family members told KTRK that they'll look for the body if the county gives them permission: "If we have to get the clearance and take the shot to do what we need to do, and go check that trash, then by all means, my sister will be found," Stewart's sister Gayla Taylor said.

[Guest Kathylene]

KWTX | Houston Officials Do About Face On Landfill Search

Houston Officials Do About Face On Landfill Search

March 23, 2007)--Authorities in Houston have approved spending up to $500,000 to search area landfills for the remains of a Texas A&M student whose ex-boyfriend confessed to killing her.

The request comes after angry complaints about the decision not to search for the remains of 19-year-old Tynesha Stewart, who disappeared last week.

Investigators say Timothy Wayne Shepherd confessed on Wednesday to strangling Stewart.

Shepherd evidently was angry that Stewart had begun seeing someone else.

Officials first thought that Shepherd had disposed of the body in a large commercial trash bin that had since been emptied.

But they now believe Stewart's body was dismembered, placed in various containers, and scattered in several trash bins.

Stewart was the niece of NFL players Aaron and Jason Glenn.

Sheriff's officials had decided against searching a landfill for any of Stewart's remains, triggering anger from Stewart's family and friends.

Investigators reconsidered after several high-profile complaints from US Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, state Representative Sylvester Turner and community activist Quannel X.

A candlelight vigil was scheduled Friday night on campus for Stewart.

Interim A&M President Eddie J. Davis issued a statement expressing sadness.

“Everyone who knew Tynesha is obviously distraught by this unthinkable tragedy. Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to her family and friends,†Davis said.

[Guest Kathylene]

MyFox Houston | County Agrees to Continue Search for Student's Remains

County Agrees to Continue Search for Student's Remains

HOUSTON -- Law-enforcement officials reversed themselves Friday, saying they probably would launch a search of Houston's overflowing landfills in hopes of finding the remains of a local Texas A&M University student whose ex-boyfriend confessed to killing her, FOX 26 News reported.

Investigators say Timothy Wayne Shepherd, 27, confessed Wednesday to strangling 19-year-old Tynesha Stewart, who disappeared last week. Shepherd, who is charged with murder and being held on $250,000 bond, apparently was angry that Stewart had begun seeing someone else.

Officials first thought that Shepherd had disposed of the body in a large commercial trash bin that had since been emptied, but they now believe Stewart's body was dismembered, placed in various containers, and scattered in several trash bins, making recovery even more difficult.

Lt. John Martin, a veteran spokesman for the Harris County Sheriff's Department, struggled to discuss the case Friday.

"That's the belief now, that she was most likely dismembered and that her, um ..." Martin said before pausing. "This is extremely difficult. We're trying very hard to talk about this in a manner that conveys some dignity and some measure of respect, and this is something that just is utterly without dignity and without respect."

Sheriff's officials had decided against launching a costly and time-consuming search of a landfill for any of Stewart's remains, triggering anger from Stewart's family and friends.

After several high-profile complaints from U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, state Rep. Sylvester Turner and community activist Quannel X, among others, department officials reconsidered.

By Friday afternoon, Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas decided to take the decision to an emergency meeting of Commissioners Court, which approved spending as much as $500,000 in the effort to recover Stewart's remains.

Investigators are considering excavating and searching as much as 40,000 tons of trash as much as 20 feet deep at a local landfill in hopes of finding Stewart's remains.

Speaking of Stewart's family, Thomas said, "They are aware of the odds we are up against."

Martin said the department had met several times with officials at Waste Management Inc. about how they might find Stewart's body. They then quarantined a two- to three-acre section of a massive landfill in the Houston suburb of Atascocita, but estimated there was only about a 65 percent chance that Stewart's body was there. With the news that Stewart's body may have been dismembered and dispersed, those odds dropped much further.

"Now we're faced with the possibility that she may have actually gone to different facilities," Martin said.

Martin said Waste Management personnel have told the department they will need time to clear a search area and a path for the manpower and equipment needed to sort through tons of household and commercial waste. Martin said he suspected a search could begin no earlier than Sunday, and he was unable to estimate how many people might be needed for such an effort.

Stewart has two uncles playing football in the National Football League -- Aaron Glenn of the Dallas Cowboys and Jason Glenn, who played for the Minnesota Vikings last year

[Guest Kathylene]

The ex-boyfriend of a missing A&M student has been charged with murder. Tynesha Stewart's body hasn't been found, but police say they will start searching for landfills. Stewart was one of many Linda Lorelle's scholarship fund recipients. She talked about her memories of Stewart on FOX 26 Morning News.

Click on the link below to watch the news video..

Linda Lorelle Remembers Student

MyFox Houston | Linda Lorelle Remembers Student

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Aggies mourn slain freshman | The Bryan-College Station Eagle

Aggies mourn slain freshman

Saturday, March 24, 2007

Just days before Spring Break on the Texas A&M University campus, Aggie freshman Tynesha Stewart was in the midst of yet another fight with her ex-boyfriend.

The telephone screaming matches between Stewart and Timothy Shephard weren't uncommon, recalled her roommate, Lindsay Steichen. But this time, Steichen said, Stewart seemed to feel threatened enough to question whether she should make the trip home to see her mom, who lived in the same apartment complex as the 27-year-old Shephard.

"She was scared he was going to follow her around and she wouldn't be able to do anything with her friends," Steichen said Friday, recalling what would turn out to be the last conversation she had with her roommate.

The 19-year-old Regents Scholar went missing March 15, just eight days after the roommates' conversation. Six days later, Shephard confessed to strangling Stewart on the day she went missing and then discarding her body in an apartment complex trash container. Shephard, who is under suicide watch, remains held in the Harris County Jail on $250,000 bail.

Despite the confession, Harris County sheriff's officials have questioned the likelihood of finding Stewart's body, which they said could be buried in a landfill beneath more than 35,000 tons of refuse.

Late Thursday, department officials announced they had all but ruled out a recovery effort, saying such an undertaking would be nearly impossible, logistically. A public outcry ensued, as did an offer from Texas A&M University former students to help foot the bill for the search, which could cost upward of $350,000 in excavation costs alone.

By Friday afternoon, sheriff's department officials appeared to have reversed their position. At the request of Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas, the county commissioners earmarked $500,000 in seized drug funds to pay for a potential search, a department spokesman said. Republic Waste - the garbage collection service for the trash container in question - was told to begin preparing the site, a process expected to take three days.

The sheriff then provided a rather cryptic message as he explained investigators were continuing to follow leads that could make the search unnecessary. He declined to comment further.

"Obviously, we've tried to be as respectful as possible and we've tried to talk about these events in a matter that conveys some sort of dignity to Ms. Stewart and her family," sheriff's department spokesman Lt. John Martin said Friday afternoon. "It has been extremely difficult. We're talking about an act that is utterly lacking in dignity and completely without respect."

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[Guest Kathylene]

abc13.com: Harris County Sheriff says missing student's body was burned on grill

Harris County Sheriff says missing student's body was burned on grill

(3/24/07 - HOUSTON) - Law-enforcement officials said Saturday that there are no remains to be found in the killing of a 19-year-old Texas A&M University student last week because the suspect in the case burned the woman's body in a grill at his home.

"We have determined through this investigation that the defendant dismembered Tynesha Stewart and . . . he burned the body parts," Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas announced. "There are no remaining body parts."

The announcement closed a heated debate in the Houston area over whether law-enforcement officials should launch a massive and expensive search of the area's overflowing landfills in hopes of finding any of Stewart's remains.

That debate was triggered Friday when the Sheriff's Department announced there would be no search because there was little chance of success. Thomas said he knew then, but could not disclose, that there were no body parts to find. He said investigators were unable to release that information to the public or to Stewart's family at the time because of the ongoing investigation. Stewart's family has since been advised, and understands why there will be no further search, Thomas said.

Investigators say Timothy Wayne Shepherd, 27, confessed Wednesday to strangling Stewart, his former girlfriend, because he was angry she had begun a new relationship. Shepherd, who is charged with murder, is being held on $250,000 bond. His attorney, Chip Lewis, has not returned calls for comment.

Officials first thought that Shepherd had disposed of the body in a large commercial trash bin that had since been emptied, but they now say Shepherd dismembered the body at his home and burned it in a grill on his patio.

Although human remains generally require extremely high temperatures to destroy, Thomas said nothing remains of Stewart. He would not discuss how the body could be entirely destroyed.

[Guest Kathylene]

Experts say controlling behavior in mates a red flag for violence | LOCAL NEWS | KHOU.com | News for Houston, Texas

Experts say controlling behavior in mates a red flag for violence

March 25, 2007

On Friday, the faces of the friends of Tynesha Stewart showed firsthand the tragedy of domestic violence.

Stewart’s friends said Timothy Shepherd was stalking the young Aggie coed, characterizing him as jealous, controlling and obsessive.

According to experts, that kind of behavior is a classic red flag of a relationship in a state of peril.

Kelly Young, a vice president with the Houston Area Women’s Center, ran down the list of troubling trends.

“He has a lot to say about what you wear, where you go, who you talk to …â€Â

Stewart’s friends insist Shepherd did all those things. And now he’s charged with her murder.

“When you’re in a healthy relationship, people have respect for each other. If that’s not happening, it’s not gonna change,†Young said.

And tragically, the number of Texas victims is on the rise.

Just last Friday, north Harris County deputies said a jealous ex-boyfriend showed up at his former flame’s home and shot her new boyfriend.

State University reveals that 35.2 percent of stalking victims have received repeated unwanted phone calls and 24.3 percent have been spied on at home.

“I know people are hoping there’s some magic to this, and there isn’t. You just need to trust your instincts,†Young said.

Trust your instincts and get out before it is too late.

[Guest Kathylene]

Student Slaying Suspect's Family Shows Support - Local News

Student Slaying Suspect's Family Shows Support

March 26, 2007

HOUSTON -- A man suspected of killing his ex-girlfriend and destroying her body appeared in court on Monday, KPRC Local 2 reported

"It's clear that the family believes the best place for Mr. Shepherd right now is the safety of the Harris County Jail," defense attorney Chip Lewis said.

Shepherd, 27, was booked into the Harris County Jail on Thursday and his bond was set at $250,000. He has been placed on suicide watch.

Shepherd's family and friends were in the courtroom to support him.

"The least we can do is support our family members," family friend Rev. Tommie Phillips said. "Even if they are wrong, we're not asking for justice to be overturned."

Shepherd was upset that Stewart had begun a new relationship, deputies said.

Detectives first thought that Shepherd had dumped Stewart's body in a Dumpster. They later learned that Stewart's body had been dismembered and possibly disposed of in several trash bins.

On Saturday, investigators revealed that Stewart's remains had been burned on a grill at Shepherd's apartment.

Shepherd's aunt said he is not the only person to blame.

"I feel sorry for the parents," Janice Shepherd said. "I don't blame him, I don't. I blame his mother. I blame his mother and that guy, I really do. I don't believe it's his fault."

Stewart was last seen alive at the Red Oak apartments, located at 17710 Red Oak Drive.

[align=center]Click on the link provided above to read the complete news article.[/align]

[Guest Kathylene]

abc13.com: Activists call for new search for student

Activists call for new search for student

(3/27/07 - KTRK/HOUSTON) - Community activists held a news conference concerning the Tynesha Stewart case today. Stewart is the young Texas A&M student brutally murdered, allegedly by her ex-boyfriend, Timothy Shepherd.

There were some strong and harsh words from several prominent community leaders at the news conference. Those words were aimed at Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas and his team of investigators.

Everyone speaking today is extremely critical of how investigators handled the Tynesha Stewart case. One person in particular went as far as to call the investigation and the investigators incompetent.

They are now demanding that a search for Stewart's remains in the landfills be allowed to take place. No one at the news conference is satisfied with what investigators have come up with so far or any statements that Timothy Shepherd may have made to investigators.

Sheriff Thomas first came under fire for refusing to search for Stewart's body in the days after Shepherd allegedly placed her body in the dumpster. The night officials told Stewart's mother they wouldn't search and they wouldn't explain why. It turns out authorities had their suspicions that Shepherd may have dismembered her remains but they could not yet prove it and therefore, they didn't want to share that information with the family.

[Guest Kathylene]

abc13.com: Disturbing new details released in death of Texas A&M student

Disturbing new details released in death of Texas A&M student

(3/30/07 - KTRK/HOUSTON) - We've learned some disturbing new details about the murder of 19-year-old Texas A&M student Tynesha Stewart. Eyewitness News has obtained a copy of a search warrant from the Harris County Sheriff's Department.

It contains information about exactly what investigators found inside the apartment of Timothy Shepherd. He's the man accused of killing and burning Stewart.

We know from investigators that Shepherd admitted to strangling his Stewart, his ex-girlfriend. We also know they believe he then dismembered her body and used a grill to burn her remains and on Friday we got our first look at some the evidence we can expect to see in his expected murder trial.

Investigators say they received a search warrant for Shepherd's apartment after he stopped cooperating with them. Inside that home, they say they found 100 pieces of possible evidence. They give us a disturbing, disgusting look into what detectives say happened over a three day period as they believe Shepherd tried to erase any signs of a crime.

They include 20 pieces of bone, one of which was fused with aluminum, charred items, possible human tissue and a bag of fluid. Also found was an odor eliminator, ammonia, and bleach. Investigators also removed parts of three drains and part of a sink. They took with them paint and paint brushes they believe were used to clean the apartment and they found a how-to book about grilling.

Also in the document, we learn that when volunteer firefighters were called to the apartment because of a foul odor and smoke, one of them saw what look like a rib in the bathtub. And there are statements from Shepherd's cousin that Shepherd asked a family member how to get rid of somebody and that he once commented that he could get away with killing someone by boiling them and eating them.

[Guest Kathylene]

Slain student's family will offer scholarship to a Nimitz grad | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Leaving a legacy for a life cut short

Slain student's family will offer an A&M scholarship to a Nimitz grad

March 31, 2007

If her mother and two sisters have their way, Tynesha Stewart will not be remembered for the horrific way she died, but for a legacy of support for young women like her.

The family plans to offer a scholarship to a black, female graduate of Nimitz High School who attends the 19-year-old's beloved Texas A&M University.

The first contributions to the scholarship fund were obtained Friday night at the second annual Just Between Girlfriends Girls Night Out, a social group dedicated to raising money and awareness to combat domestic violence.

Timothy Wayne Shepherd, 27, has been charged with murder in Stewart's death.

"It's still so unbelievable to me the things that they say he did to her, to my baby. She's gone, but I want to say to all ladies, whatever type of relationship you are in, if you have any doubts, talk to someone. If not your mom or your best friend, then call a hot line, and take a step back," Stewart's mother Gale Shields, said at the event.

The family is praying and taking life "day by day," she said.

"She was a good girl. And if something like this can happen to a good girl, it can happen to a bad girl," said Stewart's older sister, Gayla Taylor. "You've got to talk to your sisters about this type of thing. Not just your blood sisters but all of the sisters in the community."

Just Between Girlfriends, a group that focuses on philanthropy and fun, donated half of the evening's proceeds to the Tynesha Stewart Memorial Fund.

"(Shepherd) has a 5-year-old daughter," Shields said. "And when she goes to apply for college money she's going to see the Tynesha Stewart scholarship. Tynesha will not be forgotten."

[Guest Kathylene]

Memorial service to be held for slain A&M student | LOCAL NEWS | KHOU.com | News for Houston, Texas

Memorial service to be held for slain A&M student

Tuesday, April 3, 2007

A memorial service for A&M student Tynesha Stewart has been scheduled.

Investigators allege Stewarts ex-boyfriend, Timothy Shepherd, the 19-year-old.

Shepherd has reported admitted to killing Stewart and burning her on a barbecue pit.

He is now in a Harris County jail on a suicide watch.

A memorial service for Tynesha Stewart will be held at Nimitz High School Saturday, April 14.

The service will start at 3 p.m.

[Kelly]

http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/khou071024_rm_tyneshastewart.1a0be22c5.html

Mother of murdered teen to hold forum on relationships

11:22 AM CDT on Wednesday, October 24, 2007

KHOU.com staff report

The mother of teenage murder victim Tynesha Stewart is holding a forum Wednesday night to discuss how to spot an unhealthy relationship.

Tynesha Stewart was murdered earlier this year in Houston.

Her ex-boyfriend Timothy Shepherd is charged with the crime.

Tonights forum is called Unhealthy Relationships: Do You Know the Signs?The Tynesha Stewart Strategy.

Its tonight from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Nimitz High School.

[Kelly]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5236525.html

Oct. 22, 2007, 10:52PM

Mom of abuse victim wants others to see signs

Tynesha Stewart's mother whose daughter was slain wants others to see the warning signs she didn't

By PAIGE HEWITT

Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

The rainy days are the hardest.

That's when Gale Shields spins into horrific thought about the condition of her daughter's remains, believed to have been dismembered, barbecued, dumped in trash bins and buried under tons of filth at several landfills.

Shields struggles to control the images of bugs and rats against the memories of her "girly girl," who preferred the indoors and refused to watch scary movies. But seven months after the slaying of 18-year-old Tynesha Stewart, then a freshman at Texas A&M University, Shields is trying to deal with the pain by teaching the importance of seeing what she and others didn't — signs a young woman was being abused.

Shields on Wednesday will take step one of a self-prescribed coping mechanism by co-hosting a forum focusing on how parents and friends of victims can recognize domestic violence and intervene.

Her dream is to devote her life to the cause, touring high schools, college campuses — anywhere she and professionals can make a difference.

The gathering, called "Unhealthy Relationships: Do You Know the Signs?, The Tynesha Stewart Strategy," marks domestic violence month.

Shields and Nimitz crisis counselor Marlene Jones are hosting the discussion, which will feature domestic violence professionals, law enforcement officers and public officials.

Stewart is believed to have been killed March 15 while home for spring break.

Her ex-boyfriend, Timothy Wayne Shepherd, nine years her elder, is scheduled to stand trial in her death next spring.

In hindsight, family and friends realize they had seen symptoms of physical and emotional abuse.

But they believed Stewart when she smiled assuredly and minimized the matters when questioned about what loved ones said were bruises, control issues and obsessive, threatening phone calls.

They never could have imagined Stewart's unspeakable fate.

"She must have thought she could handle it," her mother said.

Shields' message to family and friends of victims of physical or emotional abuse: "Get in their face."

She means parents who suspect a daughter or son is being victimized should forget about privacy and "find out what's going on."

If that means violating privacy, such as monitoring cell phone bills, "do it," she said.

And parents of college kids who live away should get to know their child's roommate.

"Whatever it takes," said Shields, who added she never knew about the bruises until after her daughter's death.

Jones, who specializes in intervention counseling at Nimitz full-time and at Memorial Hermann Hospital part-time, sees young victims of physical and emotional abuse regularly.

Demand respect

"With these kids, you have to help them understand it's not OK, that these people (abusers) have a lasting effect on your life," Jones said. Often, young women don't demand respect from young men and allow themselves to be abused or controlled to the point of, for instance, not being "allowed" to wear skirts.

A male student recently ordered his girlfriend to wear pants to school so boys wouldn't see her legs.

"That's a problem," she said.

"Young ladies need to think of themselves as a queen and not allow anybody to treat them any way but with the utmost respect."

Keena Bradley, Stewart's counselor at Nimitz, was shocked when she heard the news about the honors student she had helped get to college.

Bradley said suspicious parents and friends should take nothing for granted, even if their loved one is "together."

"Don't assume that just because a child is strong in one area that they are strong in all areas," she said.

"What you may think they have under control may be the very thing they don't."

[Guest Linda]

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/s/stewart_tynesha.html

Above Images: Stewart, circa 2007

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance

Missing Since: March 15, 2007 from Houston, Texas

Classification: Endangered Missing

Age: 19 years old

Distinguishing Characteristics: African-American female. Black hair, brown eyes.

Clothing/Jewelry Description: Pajamas.

Details of Disappearance

Stewart was a student at Texas A&M University at the time of her disappearance; she was a freshman studying civil and chemical engineering. She was home for spring break when she vanished from Houston, Texas on March 15, 2007. Stewart was last seen between 3:00 and 4:00 a.m. at the apartment of her ex-boyfriend, Timothy Wayne Shepherd, located off of F.M. 1960 on Red Oak Drive. A photograph of Shepherd is posted below this case summary. He initially said they got into an argument and Stewart walked out of his apartment angrily, carrying a cellular phone. Stewart has never been heard from again.

Shepherd later changed his story a short time later and confessed to Stewart's murder. He said he had strangled her in an argument, put her body in a plastic tote bag and left it in a dumpster. Authorities believe she was dismembered and the body parts burned before being disposed of. Shepherd led police to the dumpster where he says he left Stewart's body, but it had already been emptied and no evidence could be recovered. He was charged with Stewart's murder a few days after she went missing.

Shepherd and Stewart had a volatile relationship with many arguments and she was reportedly afraid of him. Stewart's loved ones describe Shepherd as jealous, possessive and controlling of her, and they believe he physically abused her. Physical evidence of murder was found in Shepherd's apartment, including 20 pieces of bone, ammonia, bleach and odor eliminator. He is awaiting trial for Stewart's presumed murder. Her remains have never been located, but foul play is suspected in her case due to the circumstances involved.

Above: Timothy Wayne Shepherd

Investigating Agency

If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:

Harris County Sheriff's Office

713-755-7427

[Guest Linda]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/6012250.html

Former Harris prosecutor to testify about confession

Sept. 19, 2008

Former Harris County prosecutor Kelly Siegler and defense attorney Stanley Schneider are scheduled to testify Saturday about the confession taken from a Houston man accused of killing his former girlfriend and destroying her remains in two barbecue grills on his porch.

Timothy Shepherd's attorney, Chip Lewis, said investigators obtained a confession after Shepherd repeatedly asked to speak to a lawyer, in violation of Shepherd's constitutional rights.

Although police don't have to immediately provide a criminal suspect with an attorney if requested, they do have a duty to stop questioning, Lewis said.

"They questioned him for 12 or 13 hours and he asked for a lawyer several times," Lewis said.

Holding an evidence suppression hearing on Saturday is unusual, but state District Judge Vanessa Velasquez scheduled it because Siegler and Schneider are trying a capital murder case in Wharton county during the week.

Siegler, a former Harris County Assistant District Attorney and unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for District Attorney, was one of the prosecutors involved in questioning Shepherd.

Schneider, a prominent defense attorney, is expected to testify that Shepherd invoked his right to counsel, Lewis said.

Shepherd's trial is scheduled to begin with jury selection Thursday, although problems from Hurricane Ike may delay it, Lewis said.

Investigators have said Shepherd, 29, confessed to choking Texas A&M student Tynesha Stewart before burning her remains.

The 19-year-old civil engineering major disappeared March 15, 2007. A day later, according to court documents, a neighbor called 911 saying smoke was coming from Shepherd's patio. A responding firefighter saw "what appeared to be ribs" in the bathtub.

Stewart's mother reported her missing March 19. Police interviewed Shepherd at his home, but saw no evidence of foul play.

The next day, Shepherd led community activist Quanell X and police to several locations where he said he dumped her body. He later said there was nothing left of the charred remains to dump.

Charged with murder, Shepherd remains in jail in lieu of a $250,000 bail.

[Guest Linda]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6028720.html

Grisly details of A&M student's death will emerge at trial

Police believe woman's body was dismembered, burned on grills

Sept. 28, 2008

Jury selection for the murder trial of Timothy Wayne Shepherd, starting today, is expected to focus on grisly details publicized about the alleged crime  and whether jurors need a body to convict the 28-year-old Houston man.

Shepherd could face life in prison if convicted of killing his former girlfriend, Tynesha Stewart. Investigators believe Shepherd choked the Texas A&M engineering major to death, dismembered her body and burned her remains on two barbecue pits on the patio of his apartment over the course of two days.

Chip Lewis, Shepherd's defense attorney, said he wanted to get jurors who could "compartmentalize" or separate the allegations of Stewart's slaying from the grim aspects of what happened to her body after her death.

"The details are the details, we can't change them, but the details are irrelevant as to whether Tim Shepherd is guilty of murder," Lewis said. "Nothing that happened after Ms. Stewart's death changed the facts about how she died."

Police said Shepherd confessed to many of the details of the crime after leading investigators and community activist Quanell X to a trash bin where Shepherd said he dumped the girl's body. Her corpse was not found. Shepherd later told police he burned the body.

According to court records, police recovered 30 pieces of charred bone and hair from Shepherd's apartment, but Lewis said there is no DNA analysis that connects Stewart to any of those remains, leaving prosecutors without a victim's body.

Geoffrey Corn, a criminal law professor at South Texas College of Law, said convicting Shepherd would probably be harder because there isn't a body, but not impossible.

Prosecutors will have to convince jurors that Stewart's disappearance coupled with other evidence indicating that Shepherd acted improperly supports the inference that she was murdered and that he disposed of her, Corn said.

Prosecutors are likely to ask prospective jurors about convicting without a body during jury selection, Corn said.

Assistant District Attorney Marie Primm has declined to comment on the trial.

Because the case received so much media attention when Stewart disappeared, 120 prospective jurors, double the usual number, will fill out questionnaires that attorneys on both sides will use to screen jurors on Tuesday. Opening arguments are scheduled to begin on Wednesday.

The questionnaire includes inquiries about how many times each prospective juror saw the story in the news ranging from zero to more than 10 times.

Media attention included interviews with Quanell X, Stewart's family and police, all of whom noted that investigators said Shepherd confessed.

In the weeks leading up to the trial, Shepherd's attorneys said that confession should be thrown out because police questioned him after he asked for an attorney.

Defense attorneys Stanley Schneider and Robert Fickman testified that they tried to talk to Shepherd while he was in custody but were waved off by former Assistant District Attorney Kelly Siegler, because of a conflict of interest.

State District Judge Vanessa Velasquez ruled that Shepherd voluntarily waived his request and spoke to detectives on his own accord.

The trial is expected to last about two weeks.