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. (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. Support the free press, so we can support Austin. Finally, she called her friend, Michael Rodriguez. [13] Murder [ edit] The day before her death, however, she had ", CBS News. From September 2005, when she was arrested, until Colton Pitonyak's trial in January 2007, Laura Hall stood by Colton. Laura Hall & Colton Pitonyak Episode aired Jul 7, 2013 TV-14 44 m IMDb RATING 5.7 /10 8 YOUR RATING Rate Documentary Crime The dismembered body of a young woman exposes the dark side of two former honor students. Cave's murder is now the subject of a true-crime podcast put together by University of Texas students, professors, and graduates. Pitonyak had fled with Hall to Mexico, where the couple spent five days before they were picked up by U.S. marshals and returned to Austin. Cave, the young woman he considered have said he is taking The sentences, to be served concurrently, include 10 years for tampering with evidence and one year for hindering apprehension. Colton will remain in prison for most of his life after receiving 55 years. For Thomas (a former Chronicle intern) and Butler, the interest in exploring a notorious chapter of campus lore was born of a curiosity for the story beyond the grisly details of the crime, or the sensationalized on-the-run narrative that characterized the subsequent trials and convictions of Pitonyak and Hall. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. "I am accused of some unspeakable things. 1 of 35. ", "I think that people are going to look at this and they're going to see how articulate you are, and they're going to say, 'OK, either this girl is really stupid or she's a sociopath," says Maher. The police said they could not search the apartment without a warrant. She would get credit for two years that she had already spent in confinement prior to the sentencing. "Of course he remembers all that - then incriminates me and nothing about his own actions," Laura comments sarcastically. The court rejects Colton's appeal. Hall's crime, Sawyer argued, was loving Pitonyak "too much" irrationally and blindly, committing herself to protecting him from harm. Once again, the D.A. In 2004, police found cocaine, prescription sleeping pills that he had unlawfully obtained, and anxiety medication in his apartment. What Impact Will the Latino Vote Have in Texas This Year? she says, reenacting the smile for Maher. Woman sent to prison after gruesome West Campus murder to be released Watch on Laura was released in 2018. The detective disagrees. It's been two years since 21-year-old Jennifer Cave was brutally murdered and dismembered inside the West Campus apartment of her friend Colton Pitonyak. 'Some bitch.' She's out on bond while prosecutors fight to put her back behind bars. It appeared to be a bathtub, and I was seeing something. 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. Laura and Colton met at a party in the spring of 2005. "I'm definitely not a sociopath.". Abbott proposes. "I wasn't able to even process - and even today, I have not processed the emotions. S1 E843m. We immediately just got together. self-incrimination and refused to testify for Pitonyak's defense. [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. During Halls trial the state alleged that Hall aided Pitonyak in the murder of Jennifer Cave. "When I got the tattoo, I was so in love with him," she says. His lawyers say Police would soon learn the butchered victim was 21-year-old Jennifer Cave. "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. And I'm not talking the four-legged kind.". Donna Moonda and Damian Bradford. Colton and Laura fled Austin 16 hours after the murder. [9] Outside court, Jim Sedwick said, as paraphrased by Harriet Ryan of Court TV, that "there was only a two-and-a-half-year functional difference between the jury's sentence and the life term. This was Colton's mess.". Asked what she told police, Laura says, "Just that I thought we were on vacation, I don't know anything about it, Colton's a great guy and he didn't do it. Pitonyak was convicted of murder after fleeing to Mexico with his friend Laura Hall. And that would be Laura Hall," Sawyer says. "Mistakes were made," he says. he does not remember shooting Cave, because he had owned 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. Karim said the gun did not comprehension that Colton would ever intentionally harm someone, "The deputies basically were having to fairly forcefully remove her from the courtroom.". "And then they ask him, 'Can you identify that woman in court today?' In Texas, those sentenced to life are eligible for parole in 30 years. Pitonyak's cell. [14] Cave and Pitonyak went to dinner before Cave was murdered. 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. Sullivan said Hall seemed frustrated by Pitonyak's inanition, saying she had been trying to "motivate" Pitonyak to finish the job. And how could something so terrible happen at all? 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.). 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. the gun used in the shooting Pitonyak told Sedwick that Cave was not around and asked them to leave him alone. Pitonyak is serving a 55-year prison sentence after he was convicted of murder in 2007. 291136. Several friends claim to have spotted Jennifer and Colton around 6th street in downtown Austin around 11pm. Asked if the cab driver is lying, Laura says, "I never said that to him. In addition to the gun, Laura's DNA was also found in Colton's apartment. new content, we kindly appreciate any donation you can give to help "That's ridiculous," Laura says of the statement. 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. S1 E1043m. "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. The studio apartment was in disarray and Sedwick immediately "I'm still just so excited that the UT community seems to like it," she said. He said. "Colton's going, 'No man, I don't know. Cave's parents found her in a bathtub. Pedro Fernandez (pictured), "What we did was get as close as possible as hosts and reporters, and then let the listener step into our shoes.". Sawyer countered that in fact Hall took no part in the abandoned dismemberment, a version of the story that the jury apparently found unpersuasive. Thomas said she and Butler were lucky to have each other throughout production. have The state's highest criminal court on Wednesday dismissed without comment the latest appeal from Colton Pitonyak, who is serving 55 years in prison for killing and dismembering an acquaintance . "I apologize to everybody here. In the end, the verdict was unsurprising, although it unexpectedly took the jury two days to return with the convictions that could have brought Hall as many as 11 years of incarceration. Asked who's the other possible suspect, he replies, "Well, there's other suspects and Laura Hall is as good as any. He's got my daughter," Loren Hall recalls thinking at the time. I'd certainly want that evidence presented to a jury," said Turner. "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. And they will always remember the child that is gone forever. It was fired by Jennifer Cave Murder, Jennifer Cave, Laura Hall, Colton Pitonyak, Elizabeth Peacock, Joe James Sawyer, Information is power. "Part of Jennifer's nature," she explains, "is she had a real problem with stray dogs. The only real blemishes on his record were the DWI and PCOS previously mentioned. As the jury deliberates, Laura tries to remain optimistic. 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. Colton Pitonyak and his new accomplice, Laura Hall, were quickly arrested by Mexican police officers and extradited back to face his crimes. But then, surprisingly, Laura says Colton just let her go. And before long, something else became clear: Colton's sometime girlfriend, Laura Hall, had also disappeared. He will not get a new trial, but his attorney now has more ammunition. An appeals court in Austin set Laura loose - upholding her conviction, but throwing out her five-year sentence. "But it certainly wasn't a pattern of misconduct, or an attempt to railroad or conspire against Miss Hall, as Mr. Sawyer would have you believe.". "That's just a whole new set of nightmares coming at me that I'm not ready to deal with.". Another person, Laura Hall, was convicted of tampering with evidence and hindering the apprehension of Pitonyak after the two fled to Mexico. "stumbling" drunk. 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. "He went to a hardware store and bought cleaning supplies such as ammonia and Febreze, masks, gloves and a hacksaw. [5] She dropped out after one semester and worked at a restaurant in Austin, Texas,[6] while briefly attending Austin Community College, Riverside Campus. Prosecutors, Hall faces trial later this year on charges of felony hindering He ended up saying, 'Take me to Mexico,'" Incredulously, she adds, "So, I did.". It was the quest for free parking that led Tinu Thomas and Haley Butler by the Orange Tree Condos. [citation needed] Before her murder, she began to work for a law firm[4] as a legal assistant. Pitonyak also bought heavy-duty garbage bags, odor eliminator, concern he expressed was 'Cause in my mind that's not possible," she says of going back to jail. We have many He was convicted in 2007 of the murder and sentenced to 55 years in prison. I'm innocent of all that," Laura says. On October 28, 2011, the state denied parole to Laura Hall. Inside, was the gun they believed to have been used to kill Jennifer Cave. 's office will go up against Laura Hall. [3] In 2002, she graduated from Mary Carroll High School in Corpus Christi and in August of that year she traveled to San Marcos, Texas, to attend Texas State University as a finance major. and Lauren, brother Clayton, mother,Sharon, and her mother's fianc, Jim Sedwick. But according to Pitonyak's lawyer, once during a group therapy session in jail, Laura told other inmates she is in fact the killer. Another person, Laura Hall, was convicted of tampering with evidence and hindering the apprehension of Pitonyak after the two fled to Mexico. So just as in Colton's trial, Laura never takes the stand. later charged with hindering apprehension. ", Sadeghi, Chris. Asked what he needed the saw for, [7] Pitonyak had high grades and earned a scholarship to attend UT Austin. "Trial set for college student accused of slaying, dismembering woman after date. [11] Before Hall's re-imprisonment beginning in 2010, she lived in the area around Bandera, Texas, with her parents. "It was on a flip flop in the bathroom. began to suspect that Pitonyak was a fugitive. But Colton's mental fog apparently began to lift a few hours after the shooting; coincidentally, right around the time Laura Hall showed up at his door. at Burger King. bullet fired into her severed head. 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. "I have never heard anyone say anything but that she was one of the nicest people they knew," Bishop says of Jennifer. The morning after the murder, CCTV captured Pitonyak entering a local hardware store, where receipts show that he purchase an 8-inch hacksaw, safety mask, ammonia, and other cleaning products. Colton Pitonyak's defense attorney says the appeal he filed last week in Travis County could clear his client's name. The night that Cave was killed he was in the middle of a multiday bender.. Copyright 1981-2023 Austin Chronicle Corp. All rights reserved. Sanderson, Pitonyak seemed high. "When you look at the fact that she say, 'I capped her,' when you look at the evidence that says she deserved it, when you look at all the anger and hatred she had, well what would you do? "I know one of them involves dismemberment with a machete.". Eric Goodman's Austin FC column, other soccer news. He was hot. 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. smelled a bad odor. "I'm stupid with men. "He held himself out as a gangster," prosecutor Bill Bishop says. Yeah," she continues with a laugh, "I felt I was on top of the world when I was with Colton. She had plans to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) so she could become a lawyer. The hosts of "The Orange Tree" dive into the court records and interview people involved in the case. "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. And it is about to get much worse. Pitonyak's kitchen wall. "There was a dead woman curled up in his bathtub. More specifically, the state claimed that Hall helped dismember Caves body and aided in Pitonyak s escape to Mexico. Back in Austin, Colton Pitonyac was charged with murder on Aug. 23, 2005. Colton had reached out to her, and as usual, Jennifer responded. I'm innocent of the mutilation. "It is beyond my She says she's "very concerned" for her family's safety. "He said he was gonna cut up the body and get rid of it," she told the detective. He was also a small-time dealer. Laura Hall and Colton Pitonyak. "I know what's coming," she tells Maher. [4], On the day that Cave's body had been discovered,[9] Colton Pitonyak and Laura Hall escaped from the United States,[1] using Hall's automobile. 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. The Texas . The victim's relatives embraced after the verdict. 0:57. This is Jim.'". I can't allow myself to think that way.". Michael Rodriguez, a friend, said he spoke to Cave at 1 a.m. and Marshals[14] arrested Pitonyak. When Jennifer Cave walked out of the local law firm newly employed, she was ecstatic. discovered in Pitonyak's car. Next the group went to Cheers Shot Bar, where Jennifer and Colton were seen splitting away from the group and walking east on 6th Street. National television shows such as Court TV, 48 Hours, Deadly Sins and Snapped: Killer Couples have also covered the investigation over the years, said Fugitt. "I need to cut up a turkey.". Laura continues to fight a current of public rage that she believes was sweeping away her very life. 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. I had just gotten away from him. Laura Hall & Colton Pitonyak Details Investigating the 2005 murder and dismemberment of a young woman. Using an 8-inch hacksaw, Pitonyak dismembered Jennifers nude corpse in the bathtub. 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. Maher asks Laura. and Well, yeah, I saw her for a few minutes, but no I wasn't with her,' and he hung up.". had more; a photo of Laura and Colton taken while they were on the run in Mexico. And it kind of got quiet. faces a possible life sentence. On Colton's side. [9] A hacksaw had been placed on her abdomen. On the same day, the jury panel recommended a 55-year prison sentence for Pitonyak. 'Oh man, no, I wasn't with her. "She had a heart as big as Texas. I watched my jury and I saw women and men flinch at that answer.". She could get more time or be let go permanently. 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. Laura says she went home. He was the last person to be seen with their daughter, Jennifer Cave. the chamber. She insisted he could not have purposefully The podcast highlights Halls possibility of being the true murderer of Cave and according to a KXAN report, Pitonyaks lawyers tried to convince a jury that she was the real murderer. TV-PG Reality and Game Show Primetime Full Episode Appearing: Sharon Martin Go to show. 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, 'The Orange Tree' | 2005 murder of Jennifer Cave the topic of successful UT podcast, Person involved in 2005 murder of Jennifer Cave released on parole. ", "Until you get to know Colton," she continues, "you can't see on the surface that there's something wrong underneath.". "But then we did the Lauren Cave interview, and then it was like, 'Oh my God, not only what if this happened to me, but what if I was alive and this happened to my sister? The brown paper bag in Pitonyak's studio apartment led police to His apartment "Colton flipped out," Laura explains. Defense attorney Sam Bassett holds a machete found in Pitonyak's Prosecutors offered testimony from her former cell mate in the Travis Co. Episode 6: Laura Hall & Colton Pitonyak. Laura Ashley Hall [12] was a University of Texas at Austin student who at one time had been Pitonyak's girlfriend. Investigators said Hall helped to dismember Cave's body. The interrogation lasts nine grueling hours. "He was incoherent and in a sense, so was I. 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. Pitonyak's lawyer, Roy Minton, questioned Austin police firearms She was initially assigned to the Plane State Jail. Fifteen years ago on Aug. 17, 2005, 21-year-old Jennifer Caves dismembered body was found in the bathtub of convicted murderer Colton Pitonyaks apartment at the Orange Tree Condominiums in Austin. Asked how he got back to his apartment, Colton said, "I assume Jennifer took me. She became eligible again in November 2012. [18] On Monday February 8, 2010, Hall was placed in county custody prior to her new sentencing hearing. I can't go to jail," Laura tells Maher. is in the bottom right corner. And that's when I said, 'Man, you need to turn yourself in,' and he goes, 'Your daughter had nothing to do with this. Laura's attorney says the witness is not credible. Sharon began frantically calling around to find her daughter and discovered Jennifer had been out with Colton. of a lesser charge, such as manslaughter or He has sincefiled another appeal disputing the timeline of the murder. Lindell, Chuck. Hall was released on parole in 2018 after. A jury found Pitonyak guilty and sentenced him to 55 years in prison for killing Cave. lived. A Travis County jury convicted Hall of hindering apprehension and tampering with evidence in connection with Cave's murder. Jennifers head lay in a plastic bag by the tub, along with both her hands. Colton Pitonyak's defense attorney says the appeal he filed last week in Travis County could clear his client's name. [13], On August 16, 2005, Cave and Pitonyak went to Sixth Street in Downtown Austin to celebrate Cave's new job. 291126. As of 2013, Colton Pitonyak is still imprisoned at the Robertson Unit, a maximum-security state prison in Abilene, Texas. Support the Chronicle. Laura says Colton led her into the bathroom. This was a brutal case; she was stabbed 29 times. She had [6], Jennifer Cave died in Pitonyak's apartment at the Orange Tree Condominiums,[15] at 2529 Rio Grande Street in West Campus, Austin, Texas. Hall was found guilty of tampering with evidence and sentenced to 10 years in prison. She said, 'After all, [Cave] was nothing. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Pitonyak around midnight on Sixth Street, Austin's party 35 in the Apple Podcast all-genre list and No. Thomas and Butler have developed the story into a massively successful long-form podcast, titled The Orange Tree (produced under Moody College of Communication's The Drag Audio banner). Her statement then became she'd seen the body but didn't know what had had happened. "This guy's who's - apparently he - he's killed Jennifer Cave and mutilated her body- he's got my daughter. Investigators say Hall also helped him leave the country for a romantic trip to Mexico. I felt that he didn't really do this. "He thought the job," her new boss recalled. The defense had wanted the jury to see the tape of Laura's police interrogation, where for nine emotional hours, she firmly maintained she had nothing to do with the dismemberment. 'Why yes,' he said, 'She's sitting right over there by Mr. "It's impossible for me to have been jealous of Jennifer Cave, because I not only didn't know her, but I didn't know she existed," Laura says. He said "I think my life has been destroyed. 289256. Fifteen years ago this week: The tragic death of Jennifer Cave, Send hate mail to: TalkocastPO Box 1102Isle of Palms, SC, 29451. The jury finds Laura guilty of tampering with evidence, for cutting up Jennifer Cave's body and helping Colton to escape to Mexico. But Hall's trial, like Pitonyak's, in the end produced little understanding either of what really happened to young Jennifer Cave or, most especially, why her supposed friends ended her life with such brutal, emotionless, and unthinking cruelty. '", Sharon says she knew something was wrong. but that it must have been . 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. After a jury sentenced him to 55 years in prison, Pitonyak said, Ultimately, Thomas and Butler remain confident that emotional sincerity is as important as getting the facts straight. detailing his son's childhood and academic 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.. Menu. But before police could question Pitonyak, he and another UT student, Laura Hall, fled to Mexico. 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. With movie production in lockdown, try the sounds of Paper Street, Casey Cep solves the mystery of the true crime book that Harper Lee never wrote, Amanda Jacobson pairs vino reviews with different varietals of lawbreaking, With unprecedented demand for new inventory, parts, and repairs throughout quarantine, local bicycle shops struggle to keep up, One click gets you all the newsletters listed below, Breaking news, arts coverage, and daily events. college. Orange Tree Apartments, an off-campus complex where Pitonyak It was great," she says smiling. "Dude, I am eating pizza with And he said, 'Yeah, I'm afraid it could be.'". I haven't seen her. "[16] Upon discovery, Cave's body had been partially dismembered and had many stab wounds. "no onions" on the sandwich. Her head removed. Colton was not your typical clean-cut business student. time Jennifer Cave is believed to have been killed. at Burger King. "That photograph to me means nothing," Laura says dismissively. So I flipped the light switch on and there she was," he remembers. "I had no idea he was going to do what he did," she says. [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. "I remember that night - when we were trying to figure out what we were gonna do and getting some clothes packed. Jennifer's stepfather, Jim Sedwick, also spoke with Colton. Laura and Colton met at a party in the spring of 2005. "There's a line we say in the podcast about [Colton's mother] being pretty happy to talk with us, because you can tell that she's wanted to talk about her son for a long time," said Butler. to get more soda to add to the vodka he was drinking and ordered [11] Before Hall's re-imprisonment beginning in 2010, she lived in the area around Bandera, Texas, with her parents. "She is a convicted felon, and it's no longer about whether or not she's guilty," Bishop says. 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.