[6], Colton Aaron Pitonyak[7] was a finance major at the University of Texas at Austin,[6] originating from Bryant, Arkansas, in Greater Little Rock. She invoked her Fifth, Colton Pitonyak's mother wept during the verdict, but he was "I'm stupid with men. There was nothing I could have done to save her life at that point. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. The next day, Aug. 18, 2005, Sharon and Jim Sedwick hit the highway and raced four hours from Corpus Christi to Austin, and straight to Colton Pitonyak's apartment. [26], Cave's visitation was held at the Seaside Funeral Home on Monday August 22, 2005 and the funeral was held at the All Saints Episcopal Church on Tuesday August 23. detailing his son's childhood and academic, After a jury sentenced him to 55 years in prison, Pitonyak said, Eddie Pitonyak, the defendant's father, read a statement Sawyer can only hope the jury sees it his way. [4] She attended school in Bishop, Texas, before moving to Corpus Christi in 2000. "48 Hours Mystery: In Too Deep", Jurors find college student guilty of killing and dismembering woman, sentence him to 55 years, Laura Hall asks for new review of convictions, "Woman sent to prison after gruesome West Campus murder released", "Person involved in 2005 murder of Jennifer Cave released on parole", "Laura Hall, involved in 2005 West Campus murder of Jennifer Cave, out of prison", Pitonyak Seeks New Trial in Jennifer Cave Murder Case, Appeals court denies Colton Pitonyak a new trial, Court review could be Pitonyaks last chance for new trial, "Woman sent to prison after gruesome West Campus murder to be released", "Appeal denied for Austin man in jail for 2005 murder", "Man Convicted Of 2005 West Campus Murder Fighting For New Trial", Former UT Student Sentenced To Prison For Gruesome Murder, My Fox Austin Timeline of Jennifer Cave Murder Trial, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murder_of_Jennifer_Cave&oldid=1126519502, This page was last edited on 9 December 2022, at 20:05. Bipartisan Senate group unveils rail safety bill in response to Ohio derailment, What to know about Shigella bacteria as drug-resistant strain spreads, How a tragic boating crash is connected to the family of Alex Murdaugh, Husband of woman murdered with an ax convicted 40 years after her death, Expert: Violent images sent to victim's family is "psychological terrorism", The Brighton ax murder: A timeline of the 40-year-old cold case. [1] In 2009, Chuck Lindell of the Austin American-Statesman called it the "most infamous West Campus crime". He will not get a new trial, but his attorney now has more ammunition. suffered a number of bizarre wounds after death, including a 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. Police would soon learn the butchered victim was 21-year-old Jennifer Cave. "I'm still just so excited that the UT community seems to like it," she said. Colton did that. It was the post-murder behavior that made it so grotesque. Pitonyak fled to Mexico with a former girlfriend, Laura Hall. 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. It was Hall who came up with the plan to dismember Cave's body, Pitonyak said, and it was Hall who made a list of items they'd need to complete the job. As Jim Sedwick (Cave's stepfather) shakily recounts the fateful night in August 2005, in which he sneaks into Pitonyak's condo to search for his missing stepdaughter, Thomas and Butler pump the brakes and take a moment to describe the affectionate bond Cave had shared with Sedwick in life. Support the free press, so we can support Austin. I'll take you to dinner to celebrate your new job.' . Colton had reached out to her, and as usual, Jennifer responded. The law firm that she interviewed with on August 16, 2005, was so impressed that they offered her a full-time position, starting the next morning. Hall was nowhere near Pitonyak's apartment during the hours that Cave was apparently killed, and there is no certain evidence that Hall participated in the dismemberment of Cave's body. Laura's parents say they feared Colton was going to kill their daughter. Pitonyak's lawyer, Roy Minton, questioned Austin police firearms "She was very enthusiastic, very organized, very excited to have "You'll hear that Ms. Cave died as a result of a gunshot through the arm and the torso of her body," Bishop tells the court. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. "She gave a series of statements to the police," says Bishop. "The kitchen I think was the oddest room to me because it was sparkling clean," Bishop tells Maher. In fact, she spent most of the day running errands before she went back to pick up Colton and drive him to Mexico. And I said, 'What? Furthermore, the new witness states that Laura told him that she made the list of items for Colton to buy at the hardware store, and that she alone dismembered the body of Jennifer Cave. Movies. into Pitonyak's apartment, Cave's, Police found a shell casing in the tub that matched the bullet lived. (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. Laura Hall is currently in prison on charges of tampering with evidence and hindering apprehension after Caves murder. "We thought we'd never see her again," says Carol. The studio apartment was in disarray and Sedwick immediately [17] On Monday, January 29, 2007 Pitonyak, then 24, was convicted of murder. And they will always remember the child that is gone forever. 1 of 35. 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. Menu. For the young journalists, obtaining these rare interviews was understandably electrifying. We immediately just got together. Watch an excerpt of Laura Hall's interrogation. Colton Pitonyak was found guilty and sentenced to 55 years in prison. [18] The court ruled that her sentencing hearing was unfair and Hall was released on bond. "Her DNA was on the gun - the murder weapon itself, that was found in Colton's car.". "I was trying to stay alive. Colton Pitonyak's lawyer suggests Laura Hall murdered Jennifer Cave and her motive was jealousy. Jurors perhaps reasoned that Hall's confirmed actions her collaboration with Pitonyak and their flight together reflect that she is certainly guilty of something, and the available charges would have to do. I felt that he didn't really do this. CBS News. I'm kind of starting to freak out a little bit. 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. at Burger King. Investigators say Cave had been out to dinner with 22-year-old Colton Pitonyak, who'd lost his cell phone and was upset about it. It was a crime that shocked a city a 21-year-old woman shot, stabbed and partially dismembered in the condo of her friend, a UT student. [11] There, U.S. She was also a student at UT, a government major with hopes of becoming a lawyer. They twice visited Pitonyak's apartment on Rio Grande Street but got no response Pitonyak and Hall had fled the previous day. Asked if that was enough physical evidence to tie her to the dismemberment, Bishop says, "When put with her statements to co-workers and things such as that, absolutely.". Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. Merit Scholar, is standing trial The Texas Department of Criminal Justice said Laura Hall, 34, was released from prison in Gatesville at 10:30 a.m. Hall wasconvicted in 2007 for hindering apprehension and tampering with evidence after prosecutors said she helped Colton Pitonyak, also a former UT student, dismember Caves body in an attempted cover-up before driving him to Mexico. "I was really attracted to Colton from the beginning. filed another appeal disputing the timeline of the murder, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. have said he is taking 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. She's out on bond while prosecutors fight to put her back behind bars. Hall was allowed to leave by herself. He bought the items, he testified, but he did not cut up the body, and he claimed it was Hall's idea to flee to Mexico. 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. In the summer of 2005, police were called to an apartment in Austin, Texas. "I apologize to everybody here. [23] In 2016, Laura Hall was still incarcerated in the Lockhart Unit. But before police could question Pitonyak, he and another UT student, Laura Hall, fled to Mexico. He's got my daughter," Loren Hall recalls thinking at the time. "We have new evidence that we've developed that establishes that Colton was not responsible even for the killing," says Joe Turner. "I feel this huge weight of pressure - a dark cloud around me that is the police and the District Attorney's office that could snatch away what I have at any second. '", "It's hard for listeners to really put themselves in the shoes of someone close to this case," added Thomas, who says these shades of personal perspective were integral to properly telling their story. She could get more time or be let go permanently. It had the light in there. 17, 2005, shooting of his friend, Jennifer Cave. Jim Sedwick called 9-1-1. Sharon began frantically calling around to find her daughter and discovered Jennifer had been out with Colton. He successfully removed the head and both hands before stopping. 35 in the Apple Podcast all-genre list and No. She was released in 2018 after serving time. 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. On the same day, the jury panel recommended a 55-year prison sentence for Pitonyak. left the courtroom with the victim's Finally, she called her friend, Michael Rodriguez. Jennifer Cave's family hopes Laura gets even more time behind bars. [2] Bill Bishop, a prosecutor in the Travis County, Texas government, said "As far as murders go, this is a very clean murder. And he said, 'Yeah, I'm afraid it could be.'". The murder of Jennifer Cave occurred in the West Campus area of Austin, Texas. We have many [18] He will be eligible for parole once 50% of his sentence has been served, at which time he will be around 51 years old. Loren and Carol Hall desperately tried to reach their daughter. 35 photos. When he took the stand, Colton said he couldn't remember what happened that night. a So without knowing anything was wrong, Laura says she showed up at Colton's apartment just before dawn on Aug. 17, 2005. Laura Hall The 3rd Court of Appeals on Feb. 19 overturned the five-year sentence of Laura Ashley Hall, who was convicted of tampering with evidence and helping friend Colton Pitonyak. Sanderson, Pitonyak seemed high. Four days later, Mexican police apprehended them and they were brought back to Austin. Laura Hall and Colton Pitonyak. Colton Pitonyak's defense attorney says the appeal he filed last week in Travis County could clear his. "I remember that night - when we were trying to figure out what we were gonna do and getting some clothes packed. Hall was Pitonyak was nowhere to be found, having fled to Mexico with his friend, Laura Hall, who assisted in the failed, gruesome attempt to cover up Cave's murder. [10], On the morning of August 17, 2005,[14] the law firm where Cave worked called Cave's family to say that she did not show up for work. Mr. Pitonyak, a former honor student, had been on a downward spiral of dealing drugs and abusing drugs and alcohol. I'm innocent of the mutilation. "I need to cut up a turkey.". 291126. that killed Cave. Amendment right against "In your mind you're 100 percent convinced that Laura Hall was absolutely a part of the dismemberment and mutilation?" Hall had been sentenced to 10 years in prison for her role in the murder. And I'd be like, 'Jennifer, please stay away from that.'". Oscars Best Picture Winners Best Picture Winners Emmys STARmeter Awards San Diego Comic-Con New York Comic-Con Sundance Film Festival Toronto Int'l Film Festival Awards Central Festival Central All Events Asked how he got back to his apartment, Colton said, "I assume Jennifer took me. And then, it got worse when the district attorney failed to tell Laura's attorney about that - which was a significant legal mistake. Investigators said Hall helped to dismember Cave's body. The ruling, in effect, tossed attorney Joe James Sawyer's defense out the window. There is no doubt that Colton Pitonyak was solely responsible for the murder of Jennifer Cave, said Fugitt. Also included in the appeal is Hall's alleged confession to two jail inmates. Accurate or not, it was the first time Sullivan had mentioned this conversation, even though she'd testified at Pitonyak's trial, and Sawyer objected and was granted additional time to interview Sullivan and prepare a rebuttal. [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. 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. Prosecutors offered testimony from her former cell mate in the Travis Co. "I actually don't like to talk about that or think about that at all. Prosecutors Laura says she went home. S1 E743m. Nicole Kasinskas and Billy Sullivan. Laura says he's lying and that she had nothing to do with the dismemberment. Their project went live on July 14 and has since ranked No. His lawyer later said the only 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. Prosecutors are fighting for the new sentence to be as long as possible. Support the free press, so we can support Austin. "I loved Colton Pitonyak.". Additional evidence, never presented during Pitonyak's murder trial, includes DNA from an unknown female found in Cave's mouth and from under her fingernails. Woman sent to prison after gruesome West Campus murder to be released Watch on Laura was released in 2018. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands. ", "I definitely feel like my life is closing in on me right now," Laura says of her situation. Pitonyak stated during the trial that he must have killed Jennifer as he was the only other person there at the time he just couldn't remember the details. 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. Colton Pitonyak will testify in his own defense. We stood right here in [the] hallway. "I was really attracted to Colton from the beginning.. Laura told them she had crossed the border into Mexico with Colton. S1 E943m. (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. Colton Pitonyak's defense attorney says the appeal he filed last week in Travis County could clear his client's name. "All of a sudden I'm in a courtroom and then they're just taking me into jail. Colton and Laura fled Austin 16 hours after the murder. it was hilarious that he went in there," Fernandez testified. Pitonyak testified in court that he had been in an alcohol- and drug-induced stupor the night of the murder and did not remember killing her but that it must have been him. is in the bottom right corner. . my friends. She's sentenced to five years. "His brain Hall was found guilty of tampering with evidence and sentenced to 10 years in prison. [9] Pitonyak received a 55-year sentence. "We're really getting scared that something bad has happened inside that apartment," says Jim. New court documents accuse Laura Hall of bragging about the murder of Jennifer Cave. 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. I think if people set out to kill me, done. night of drinking and drug use, but admitted he believes he may Come here.'". "I think my life has been destroyed. We can help.