But before police could question Pitonyak, he and another UT student, Laura Hall, fled to Mexico. 'Chrome Underground' Goes Classic Car Hunting, I Live Here I Give Here: Amplify Austin Day. In January, Pitonyak was convicted of intentional murder and sentenced to 55 years in prison; last week, Pitonyak's companion, Laura Hall, was convicted of hindering Pitonyak's apprehension and of tampering with evidence the latter charge a result of the mutilation of Cave's body. "He held himself out as a gangster," prosecutor Bill Bishop says. Walking past the West Campus complex on their way to classes at UT-Austin, their conversations would inevitably circle back to the murder of Jennifer Cave, which occurred mere yards away, behind door #88. And it kind of got quiet. They're gonna do something and you're not gonna like it.". As for Laura, she was ultimately credited with time served, made parole in . I felt that he didn't really do this. And he said, 'Yeah, I'm afraid it could be.'". 289256. But the jury never heard Laura's side of the story. "I am accused of some unspeakable things. Colton Pitonyak and his new accomplice, Laura Hall, were quickly arrested by Mexican police officers and extradited back to face his crimes. "As we would say in Texas, 'she went out of the room screamin' and hollerin'," says Jim Sedwick. and, Four days after he crossed the border, Pitonyak was taken into Colton Pitonyak's defense attorney says the appeal he filed last week in Travis County could clear his client's name. On the same day, the jury panel recommended a 55-year prison sentence for Pitonyak. The evidence provides some information about when and in what order the fateful events unfolded but yields no insight as to why. "That's ridiculous," Laura says of the statement. '", Sharon says she knew something was wrong. Pitonyak's lawyer, Roy Minton, questioned Austin police firearms "I spent 21 months in jail for things I didn't do. "I guess, to use my word, I would say you have to be, you have to have, a good case of evil.". Laura Hall and Colton Pitonyak. Laura says he's lying and that she had nothing to do with the dismemberment. Police found a shell casing in the tub that matched the bullet was fried on drugs," he told police. Hall faces trial later this year on charges of felony hindering The owner told police Pitonyak had bought a hacksaw and other supplies about 12 hours Eddie Pitonyak, the defendant's father, read a statement Except for the murder itself, he blamed Laura for almost everything. However, the podcast also features extraordinary access to Pitonyak himself and his parents in their first interviews since his conviction in 2007. Laura says she went home. 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.. In 2020, A seven-part podcast called "The Orange Tree," published by The Drag, which is an audio production house at the University of Texas, took a deep dive look at Jennifer's life, the trials and the appeals. apprehension. in Piedras Blancas, took a photo with his Pedro Fernandez (pictured), Pitonyak and Hall went to the home of the hotel manager, Pedro detailing his son's childhood and academic, After a jury sentenced him to 55 years in prison, Pitonyak said, had died from a single gunshot wound to her right chest. Laura continues to fight a current of public rage that she believes was sweeping away her very life. "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. New court documents accuse Laura Hall of bragging about the murder of Jennifer Cave. ", Colton also had a collection of gangster movies. CBS News. 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. 'Oh man, no, I wasn't with her. stoic. On August 18th, the Sedwicks traveled to Austin and found Cave's car at Pitonyak's apartment. Pitonyak testified to the contrary, saying she had come over the morning after the murder and cut up Caves body. Laura Hall's sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 2010. So I flipped the light switch on and there she was," he remembers. "It was on a flip flop in the bathroom. [23] In 2016, Laura Hall was still incarcerated in the Lockhart Unit. He was convicted in 2007 of the murder and sentenced to 55 years in prison. Finally, they got through to Laura's cell phone. ", "We knew him to be the only person in her company that evening once they left Sixth Street, the location obviously of her body being in his apartment," Bishop tells "48 Hours." it for years. But then, surprisingly, Laura says Colton just let her go. Jim says the place was completely dark. a hardware store four blocks away. Pitonyak's ongoing appeals process still makes the news; more loose threads and details arise as more people discover the podcast; and there's the lasting responsibility they feel to their interview subjects, whom they've asked to revisit a painful chapter in their lives. Sawyer countered that in fact Hall took no part in the abandoned dismemberment, a version of the story that the jury apparently found unpersuasive. Got something to say? into Pitonyak's apartment, Cave's, Police found a shell casing in the tub that matched the bullet "I'm still just so excited that the UT community seems to like it," she said. The brown paper bag in Pitonyak's studio apartment led police to Ascension Seton breaks ground on new womens health tower in Austin, Cowboy Breakfast, BBQ Austin scheduled ahead of official start of Rodeo Austin, Timeline: Severe storms possible on Thursday, Forecast: Severe storms possible Thursday. is in the bottom right corner. with the verdict," Cave said. At least one of Laura Hall's confessions that she had killed Jennifer came only after her initial sentence of 5 years was increased to 10 years on appeal. 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. Colton quickly realized that he couldnt dispose of the body by himself and called over a friend, Laura Hall, to help him cut up the body. Laura Hall is back in the lock-up she despises, while her family and lawyer scramble again to set her free. to Jennifer Cave's death as "an accident," prompting grumbles smelled a bad odor. Inside, a woman's body lay in the bathtub; her hands and head severed. The clerk asked him what he needed a hacksaw for and he said he was frying a turkey and needed a hacksaw to cut it up because it was frozen.". In 2007, Laura Hall was convicted of helping her boyfriend Colton Pitonyak dismember 21-year-old Jennifer Cave's body in his apartment. Jail, Henrietta Langenbach, held on a fraud charge. Laura and Colton met at a party in the spring of 2005. ", Jennifer Cave's mother, Sharon, and her fiance, Jim Sedwick, Cave, the young woman he considered, About 12 hours after he shot Cave, Pitonyak stopped for a meal Jennifer Cave, 21, had struggled with drugs and dropped out of All seven episodes of The Orange Tree are now available for download and streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. She looks just like Jennifer Cave. And I'm not talking the four-legged kind.". He's got my daughter," Loren Hall recalls thinking at the time. 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. "I didn't try and help him cover it up at all," she says on the tape. Bishop does not accuse Laura of murdering Jennifer Cave, but the autopsy showed Jennifer was shot through the head after death. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); You have entered an incorrect email address! "I was really attracted to Colton from the beginning.. Unfortunately Cave wouldnt show up for her first day of work, or any other day, because little did anyone know at the time she was laying in a bloody bathtub murdered and partially dismembered. [19], In 2010, a jury in Travis County, Texas resentenced Hall to the maximum possible sentence, including prison and $14,000 ($17396.92 when adjusted for inflation) in fines. Asked what he needed the saw for, (It was difficult to judge Langenbach's credibility; the more sensational aspects of her testimony e.g., that Hall spoke of "telling her grandchildren" about dismembering a body seemed either far-fetched or shockingly cold and calculating. 'That's a mannequin.' "It is now about the appropriate sentence.". 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. Detectives believe Colton had just received a confirmation to meet his cocaine dealer so the two could do drugs together. Colton even had business experience since his father built his own successful business.It is easy to see that Pitonyak was a shoo-in for a successful stay at UTs elite business program. inside this bag. [9] Pitonyak received a 55-year sentence. faces life He was the last person to be seen with their daughter, Jennifer Cave. After calling 911, police raced back to the apartment and began the search for Colton. "no onions" on the sandwich. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Merit Scholar, is standing trial. For the prosecutors, Travis Co. assistant district attorneys Bill Bishop and Stephanie McFarland, it was not a straightforward case. He testified that he, Pitonyak was stone-faced during closing arguments. "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. "Mistakes were made," he says. "I apologize to everybody here." For the young journalists, obtaining these rare interviews was understandably electrifying. victim's relatives. Check out a scene from Episode 7: Elizabeth Turpin & Karen Brown. She will get a new sentencing hearing. Pitonyak around midnight on Sixth Street, Austin's party Bridgett Pitonyak, the defendant's mother, wept as she testified The official cause of death was determined to be a single gunshot from a .380 Smith and Wesson which entered through Jennifers right arm, traveling through her torso, and eventually lacerating her aorta. "I was really attracted to Colton from the beginning. "Part of Jennifer's nature," she explains, "is she had a real problem with stray dogs. Authorities said that Cave and Pitonyak had no previous discord before the murder. Another person, Laura Hall, was convicted of tampering with evidence and hindering the apprehension of Pitonyak after the two fled to Mexico. 0:00. She's sentenced to five years. "In your mind you're 100 percent convinced that Laura Hall was absolutely a part of the dismemberment and mutilation?" Check out a scene from Episode 7: Elizabeth Turpin & Karen Brown. What will ending the COVID-19 emergency look like in the US. On the advice of her lawyer, she never took the stand at Colton's trial. [13] Murder [ edit] Prosecutors are fighting for the new sentence to be as long as possible. 48 Hours In Too Deep: Laura Hall. This podcast isn't a summer project to giddily decode and solve on Reddit, but instead a nuanced and empathetic portrait of the human lives, emotions, and relationships that tragically collided on August 17, 2005. "We just wanted to expand on that," Butler explained. "I will have a heart attack and die, probably on the courtroom floor if they come back with a guilty verdict. He successfully removed the head and both hands before stopping. [11] The two were in Mexico for five days. "Colton called her, he said, 'You know, I really need a friend. "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. Colton Pitonyak was found guilty and sentenced to 55 years in prison. 291136. 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. I didn't know who she was. But Laura does admit to a problem with men. Laura Hall is the only person who has shown this sort of vicious hatred for the last several years, said Joe Turner, Pitonyak's defense attorney. The studio apartment was in disarray and Sedwick immediately from the 'Why yes,' he said, 'She's sitting right over there by Mr. 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. success. And he didn't care who got hurt in the process. went to the fast-food chain "48 Hours Mystery: In Too Deep. Pitonyak is not eligible for parole until 2033. Sharon made a series of calls, including one to Pitonyak, who lied to her that he last saw Jennifer around midnight. "48 Hours" has been following Laura Hall's case since 2005, and yet it is still difficult to know just exactly who Laura is or what role she played that awful August night in Austin. But the judge refused to allow it, calling it inadmissable hearsay. "I know what's coming," she tells Maher. (Courtesy of Moody College of Communications), Recording the Day India and Pakistan Split in, The Paper Street Podcast Gives a Voice to the Indie Film Industry, Uncorking the Story to the True Crime/Comedy Podcast, New Speed-Dating App Developed in Austin Doesn't Want to Waste Your Time, I Live Here I Give Here: Amplify Austin Day. "And in making the small talk people do, he found out her boyfriend was accused of murder," Laura Hall's lawyer, Joe James Sawyer, explains. Woman sent to prison after gruesome West Campus murder to be released Watch on Laura was released in 2018. plans and enthusiasm This week marks the 15th anniversary of Caves death, a horrendous crime that still leaves questions: Why did this happen? "His brain my friends. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie . After Jennifers body was found, investigators began mapping out the crime scene, hoping to shed some light on how the murder actually happened. About 12 hours after he shot Cave, Pitonyak stopped for a meal Tabitha Messina & Carlos Christopher. Copyright 1981-2023 Austin Chronicle Corp. All rights reserved. She was released in . "That was when it got big to us. "Area west of UT relatively safe, officials say. Hall, who has since completed her prison sentence, even provides fresh insight to the reporters in a delicate, yet riveting, exchange over Facebook Messenger. I just want to see you for a little bit. Whereas some true-crime anthologies might barrel headlong toward the most gruesome, shocking detail, Thomas and Butler underline their reporting philosophy upfront. "I mean I still - I was in denial, OK.", Asked if it never occurred to her to call police, family or friends, Laura says, somewhat defensively, "It didn't seem like a good move. claimed he used it on the victim's body. Much more importantly: Why did it happen? Cave's murder is now the subject of a true-crime podcast put together by University of Texas students, professors, and graduates. "She's a psychopath. He will be eligible for parole But that portrait of Hall, without her own testimony, was never fully fleshed out.). "Jennifer Cave grew up in Corpus Christi, in a family of five girls. district. Hall is now 34 years old. In addition to the gun, Laura's DNA was also found in Colton's apartment. The book A Descent Into Hell by Kathryn Casey highlighted the trials. Cave's phone number, labeled "J. Ribbit," was scrawled on The brown paper bag in Pitonyak's studio apartment led police to All rights reserved. It was just playing with it, like it was toy," Bishop tells "48 Hours Mystery" correspondent Maureen Maher. She insisted he could not have purposefully [17] On Monday, January 29, 2007 Pitonyak, then 24, was convicted of murder. "Even looked like the floors had been mopped. Episode 6: Laura Hall & Colton Pitonyak. is in the bottom right corner. And I was yelling, I said, 'Please don't hurt me. S1 E943m. And I looked at Jim and said, 'This is gonna be really bad, isn't it?' custody by Mexican officials and handed suffered a number of bizarre wounds after death, including a [1] In 2009, Chuck Lindell of the Austin American-Statesman called it the "most infamous West Campus crime". Support the free press, so we can support Austin. Texas Rangers Promote First Women to Rank of Captain. Jennifers head lay in a plastic bag by the tub, along with both her hands. Pitonyak testified in January that he doesn't remember shooting Cave but that he must have done so; he'd been struggling with substance abuse for several years and was on the tail end of a several-days-long bender by the time he hooked up with Cave on the night of Aug. 16. "[14] On February 19, 2009, the Texas Third Court of Appeals ordered re-sentencing. Her statement then became she'd seen the body but didn't know what had had happened. happy University of Texas student Colton Pitonyak, a one-time National Michael Rodriguez, a friend, said he spoke to Cave at 1 a.m. and he does not remember shooting Cave, Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. I haven't seen her. She said, 'After all, [Cave] was nothing. Both were drinking, and according to witness Jeffrey Pitonyak fled to Mexico with a former girlfriend, Laura Hall. The dismembered body of a young woman exposes the dark side of two former honor students. [11], On August 23, 2005, Colton Pitonyak was charged with 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 fled to Mexico with a former girlfriend, Laura Hall. We stood right here in [the] hallway. This friend, which police believe was her drug supplier, was named Colton Pitonyak and although a top-marked student at the University of Texas, had some previous arrest for DWI and PCOS (possession of controlled substances.). dismember Jennifer Cave's body during her summation. 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. Cave's parents found her in a bathtub. According to more than 60-page appeal document, Laura Hall told her cousin and his roommate in 2005 she was going to get away with murder. [2], Jennifer Rae Cave[3] moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, in high school. Example video title will go here for this video. "Colton's going, 'No man, I don't know. So that is how Jennifer Cave ended up partying with Colton Pitonyak on that last night of her life. ", And he couldn't he explain the shooting. Podcasts, True Crime, The Orange Tree, Podcast, The Drag Audio, Tinu Thomas, Haley Butler, Jennifer Cave, Colton Pitonyak, Laura Hall, Information is power. Sharon Sedwick, Cave's mother, and Jim Sedwick, her stepfather, discovered that she had been with Colton Pitonyak. comprehension that Colton would ever intentionally harm someone, "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. college. Laura Ashley Hall [12] was a University of Texas at Austin student who at one time had been Pitonyak's girlfriend. 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. Yes.". The sentences, to be served concurrently, include 10 years for tampering with evidence and one year for hindering apprehension. Asked if Colton had asked her to help him, Laura tells the detective, "No! I'm kind of starting to freak out a little bit. 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 2005. The reporters were acutely aware of the gravity that came with securing an interview with Pitonyak himself, who is serving his 55-year sentence for murder in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice French M. Robertson Unit maximum security prison, just outside of Abilene. After police said they did not have the legal grounds to break Merit Scholar, is standing trial An appeals court upheld the convictions but overturned the sentence. It all has to do with the testimony of a taxi driver in Laura's original sentencing hearing, who swore Laura was a passenger in his cab. discovered in Pitonyak's car. As Laura tells it, she had nothing to do with the horrific crime. This photo was taken after Pitonyak fell Submit yours now at austinchronicle.com/opinion. in prison if convicted of murder. [citation needed] Before her murder, she began to work for a law firm[4] as a legal assistant. But Colton was nowhere to be found. "She had previously made a statement that she had no idea what happened, she'd never seen the body. "All I had was a flashlight. Their project went live on July 14 and has since ranked No. Check out a scene from Episode 7: Elizabeth Turpin & Karen Brown. "She had a heart as big as Texas. "The deputies basically were having to fairly forcefully remove her from the courtroom.". [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. "I mean he had all the 'Scarface' posters. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Hall was sentenced to 10 years in prison. he does not remember shooting Cave, Pitonyak's lawyer, Roy Minton, questioned Austin police firearms "What we did was get as close as possible as hosts and reporters, and then let the listener step into our shoes.". Was she a brutal accomplice or just a lost soul along for the ride?