And I'm not talking the four-legged kind.". The dismembered body of a young woman exposes the dark side of two former honor students. 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. There is no soul.". "Did you have anything to do with the murder?". "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. filed another appeal disputing the timeline of the murder, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. DNA recovered on a buck knife, a machete, and the hacksaw left resting on top of Cave's body matched only Pitonyak and Cave. Although Michael didnt hear any distress in his friends voice, he could hear her say, What are you doing? Asked who's the other possible suspect, he replies, "Well, there's other suspects and Laura Hall is as good as any. That made for a grueling combination: maintaining empathy for their subjects, immersing themselves in "an ocean of information" about the crime and its trials, and reopening the emotionally fraught chapter with the Cave and Pitonyak families alike. faces life but he did lay the blame on his friend, 23-year-old Laura Hall . 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. Fifteen years ago this week: The tragic death of Jennifer Cave, Send hate mail to: TalkocastPO Box 1102Isle of Palms, SC, 29451. have a hair I was like, 'Man, oh my God, you know, 'What happened?'". Pitonyak told the store owner, landed a job as a legal assistant in an environmental law firm. In 2007, Laura Hall was convicted of helping her boyfriend Colton Pitonyak dismember 21-year-old Jennifer Cave's body in his apartment. he does not remember shooting Cave, Pitonyak's lawyer, Roy Minton, questioned Austin police firearms "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 many say, so is Laura. "Did I drive him across the border? If Jennifer told you she was going to be somewhere at 8 o'clock, Jennifer was there at 8 o'clock.". 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. After police said they did not have the legal grounds to break At trial, this time with no cameras allowed, the prosecutor outlines Laura's ever-changing account of events. Colton Pitonyak was fighting for a new trial and Laura Hall was now fighting the accusation of murder from Colton's attorney.The next legal chapter in Laura's life is about to be written. 2023 Talk Murder To Me. [9] Pitonyak received a 55-year sentence. Laura Hall is currently in prison on charges of tampering with evidence and hindering apprehension after Caves murder. "There's no question the most volatile component in this case is that people are going to be repulsed by what happened to Jennifer Cave," Sawyer says. Prosecutors noted that he specified 'Why yes,' he said, 'She's sitting right over there by Mr. The next day, Cave's mother filed a missing persons report. "The mutilation was anger it wasn't any effort to hide the body or get rid of the body. In 2004, police found cocaine, prescription sleeping pills that he had unlawfully obtained, and anxiety medication in his apartment. after the [18] On Monday February 8, 2010, Hall was placed in county custody prior to her new sentencing hearing. is in the bottom right corner. bullet fired into her severed head. 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. He was the last person to be seen with their daughter, Jennifer Cave. On the same day, the jury panel recommended a 55-year prison sentence for Pitonyak. 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. She said Who's gonna be next?" about her daughter's whereabouts, but both times he was rude and He will not get a new trial, but his attorney now has more ammunition. apprehension. self-incrimination and refused to testify for Pitonyak's defense. Laura remarks. And that's when I said, 'Man, you need to turn yourself in,' and he goes, 'Your daughter had nothing to do with this. "I know what's coming," she tells Maher. Photo courtesy of Loren Hall 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. time Jennifer Cave is believed to have been killed. 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. And I said. He said Hall. There's no way I would have done what was done.". Langenbach said Hall told her that she didn't understand "what the big fuss was about. It appeared to be a bathtub, and I was seeing something. [11] Before Hall's re-imprisonment beginning in 2010, she lived in the area around Bandera, Texas, with her parents. [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. Who would commit such a depraved act of violence and murder? "How hard is it to go like this?" Pitonyak and Hall went to the home of the hotel manager, Pedro Except for the murder itself, he blamed Laura for almost everything. new content, we kindly appreciate any donation you can give to help Maher asks in disbelief. I can't live in Texas," she says. Jennifer Cave's mother, Sharon, and her fiance, Jim Sedwick, 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.". Copyright 1981-2023 Austin Chronicle Corp. All rights reserved. left the courtroom with the victim's. [2] Bill Bishop, a prosecutor in the Travis County, Texas government, said "As far as murders go, this is a very clean murder. Thank you very much in advance. ", "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. Hall had been sentenced to 10 years in prison for her role in the murder. "I have never heard anyone say anything but that she was one of the nicest people they knew," Bishop says of Jennifer. And within just a couple of hours, the judge rules against Laura. She was sentenced to five years for the tampering and one year for the hindering, with the sentences to be served concurrently. It is that bad love that forever binds Laura to Colton, and brands her, right down to the tattoo of his name on her leg, which she got after that trip to Mexico. Prosecutor Stephanie McFarland holds the hacksaw used to This photo was taken after Pitonyak fell The Chronicle welcomes opinion pieces on any topic from the community. "The thing that I am most fearful about is that she will choose my family to yet again hurt," Sharon tells Maher. After just four hours of work, Support the Chronicle. "We have new evidence that we've developed that establishes that Colton was not responsible even for the killing," says Joe Turner. Next Gallery. "no onions" on the sandwich. Asked if the cab driver is lying, Laura says, "I never said that to him. "He said he was gonna cut up the body and get rid of it," she told the detective. 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. Given her ongoing proximity to the case, Sullivan's suddenly recovered memory is difficult to understand and seemed produced here to allow prosecutors to portray Hall as the post-murder mastermind. the gun used in the shooting I'll take you to dinner to celebrate your new job.' Finally, she called her friend, Michael Rodriguez. We can help. happy About 12 hours after he shot Cave, Pitonyak stopped for a meal "He held himself out as a gangster," prosecutor Bill Bishop says. dismember Jennifer Cave's body during her summation. It's something she regrets. Amendment right against Laura continues to fight a current of public rage that she believes was sweeping away her very life. 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. And he said, 'Well, there's a problem,' and he said, 'We're concerned." Podcast Revisits Gruesome Texas Murder, Including Rare Interview. The murder happened in 2005 when she was 21. "I loved Colton Pitonyak.". She'd been shot, stabbed, and her body mutilated. I want people to look at me for what I am. Police didn't believe Laura's story that Colton had forced her to drive him to Mexico. Hall was convicted in 2007 and sentenced to five years. In Texas, those sentenced to life are eligible for parole in 30 years. Cave was reported missing after not appearing at work the next day, and less than 48 hours after her mother and stepfather arrived from Corpus Christi, her dismembered body was discovered in Pitonyak's apartment. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. police found Cave's Saturn sedan parked on a street near the I think if people set out to kill me, done. He'd called her saying he needed to talk. But Colton was nowhere to be found. Michael Rodriguez, a friend, said he spoke to Cave at 1 a.m. and This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. New court documents accuse Laura Hall of bragging about the murder of Jennifer Cave. "And they said, 'Jennifer has gone to work for us.' Within days of the murder, Colton ran off with another woman, Laura Hall, to Mexico. The Orange Tree podcast has gained national acclaim. "We would spend days together at a time. His lawyers said his DNA was on the handle Around 1 am, Michael Rodriguez received a call from Jennifer, who said that her friend Colton was angry and wasted. 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. Director Gregory Kohn Stars Robert Ivkovic Laura Fraker (uncredited) See production, box office & company info Watch on Bravo Now 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 She was nobody.'" You can find the Orange Tree Podcast on podcast listening apps or at the Drag Production Houses website here. Bishop does not accuse Laura of murdering Jennifer Cave, but the autopsy showed Jennifer was shot through the head after death. my friends. "Jennifer Cave grew up in Corpus Christi, in a family of five girls. She will get a new sentencing hearing. On the advice of her lawyer, she never took the stand at Colton's trial. 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). "Of course he remembers all that - then incriminates me and nothing about his own actions," Laura comments sarcastically. Once again, the D.A. AUSTIN, Texas - August 17, 2020 marks the 15th anniversary of the murder of Jennifer Cave. HarperCollins Publishers published the book. Fernandez, to watch a pay-per-view professional fighting match, Fernandez, to watch a pay-per-view professional fighting match, [10] Pitonyak had also once entered a rehabilitation program for drugs. Pitonyak's lawyer, Roy Minton, questioned Austin police firearms ", CBS News. Orange Tree Apartments, an off-campus complex where Pitonyak This is Jim.'". because he had owned But she admits she is guilty of falling in love with the wrong man. 'Amazing support': Nevada neighborhood goes blue for police, New Texas DPS promotions include the first 2 female captains in department's history, Cities like Austin that defund police departments will face freeze on property taxes, Gov. I just started crawling through the window trying to push the drapes out of my way. carpet cleaner, gloves. Pitonyak fled to Mexico with a former girlfriend, Laura Hall. Now an Austin podcaster is telling the personal stories behind that severing. 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. Later, Travis County Deputy Medical Examiner Elizabeth Peacock (since retired) would discover that another bullet had been fired up through Cave's severed neck and into her brain a particularly gruesome detail that would remain unexplained. 35 in the Apple Podcast all-genre list and No. But Jim and Sharon Sedwick, Jennifer's parents, weren't surprised by these latest accusations, because Laura Hall had frightened them since the first minute they saw her. He shot her through the arm, bullet traveled into the chest, through the heart pretty much killing her instantly. "I think my life has been destroyed. Police found a shell casing in the tub that matched the bullet "[14] On February 19, 2009, the Texas Third Court of Appeals ordered re-sentencing. Hall was sentenced to 10 years in prison. over to law enforcement 'That's a mannequin.' He testified that he Abbott proposes. I said, 'Thank you so much for giving her this opportunity.' 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