The Murder of Leon Laureles in Brown County, Texas Part 1

In 1988, 27-year-old Carol Lee Preslar was enrolled at the University of Texas, working nights at Feather’s Lounge, and having fun with friends. She’d been back in Fort Worth for about 5 years after spending several with her sister in Utah. Carol had a lot going for her: a personality that drew folks in and hooked them, a successful boyfriend, and even a little dog named Georgie. But shortly after returning home following work and a little partying with friends, Carol was held in her apartment, tortured, and murdered. Details of the crime suggest Carol knew her killer, who also sought to demean her, but the cops couldn’t zero in on a motive, much less a viable suspect in the initial investigation. Though progress was made a decade later, and another decade after that, the case remains unsolved. Currently, Carol Lee Preslar’s murder case is being actively investigated by Fort Worth Police Cold Case detectives. If you have any information about the horrific murder of Carol Lee Preslar in June of 1988, please contact the Fort Worth Cold Case Unit at (817)392-4307. You can also report information anonymously to Tarrant County Crime Stoppers at (817)469-8477.Special thanks to Susie, Jodi, and Detective Leah Wagner for their invaluable contributions to this episode.Consider joining Laurah from The Fall Line, Sarah from Voices for Justice, Arlene, and me for a FREE special live podcast on Thursday, June 30th, 2022 at 7:30 CT to discuss Leon Laureles’s case. You can register at crowdcast.io/e/justice-for-leonPlease donate to help get #JusticeForLeonLaureles at gofundme.com/f/leon-laureles-private-detective-and-memorialThe Fort Worth Police Department still has nearly 1,000 unsolved cases dating back to 1959. You can help our diligent Cold Case Detectives by donating to the Fort Worth Cold Case Support Group at http://fwpdcoldcasesupport.orgIf you’d like to donate to law enforcement investigations that need funding or upload your DNA into a database used only for law enforcement investigations, you can at DNAsolves.comIf you don’t have DNA data from a consumer testing site, you can get a kit at connect.DNAsolves.comYou can support gone cold and listen ad-free at patreon.com/gonecoldpodcastFind us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram by using @gonecoldpodcast and on YouTube at: youtube.com/c/gonecoldpodcastThe Fort Worth Star-Telegram was used as a source for this episode.#JusticeForCarolPreslar #FortWorth #FortWorthTX #TarrantCountyTX #Texas #TX #GoneCold #GoneColdPodcast #TexasTrueCrime #TrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #ColdCase #UnsolvedMysteries #UnsolvedMurder #MurderBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.

27 Juni 202241min

In 1982, 20-year-old aspiring model Sherry Ellen Rowland had taken work as a graveyard shift clerk at a 7-Eleven convenience store to supplement her lifestyle in-between modeling gigs. Almost immediately upon starting her shift on November 27th, Sherry began receiving obscene phone calls. Even though a Fort Worth Police Officer began patrolling the store to make sure Sherry was okay, and that the calls were only a bad prank, an unknown assailant entered the store at some point between 2:20 and 3:50 AM, raped, and killed the 20-year-old. Though perpetrators of the incredibly large number of armed robberies ended up on the suspect list, the Fort Worth Police never found Sherry’s killer. Currently, Sherry Rowland’s case is being actively investigated by the Fort Worth Police Cold Case Unit.If you have any information about the rape and murder of Sherry Ellen Rowland in November of 1982, please contact the Fort Worth Cold Case Unit at (817)392-4308. You can also report information to Tarrant County Crime Stoppers at (817)469-8477.Please donate to help get #JusticeForLeonLaureles at gofundme.com/f/leon-laureles-private-detective-and-memorialThe Fort Worth Police Department still has nearly 1,000 unsolved cases dating back to 1959. You can help our diligent Cold Case Detectives by donating to the Fort Worth Cold Case Support Group at http://fwpdcoldcasesupport.orgIf you’d like to donate to law enforcement investigations that need funding or upload your DNA into a database used only for law enforcement investigations, you can at DNAsolves.comIf you don’t have DNA data from a consumer testing site, you can get a kit at connect.DNAsolves.comYou can support gone cold and listen ad-free at patreon.com/gonecoldpodcastFind us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram by using @gonecoldpodcast and on YouTube at: youtube.com/c/gonecoldpodcastThe Fort Worth Star-Telegram was used as a source for this episode.#JusticeForSherryRowland #FortWorth #TarrantCountyTX #Texas #TX #GoneCold #GoneColdPodcast #TexasTrueCrime #TrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #ColdCase #UnsolvedMysteries #UnsolvedMurder #MurderBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.

22 Juni 202232min

Part 2 of 2. The year 1984 was the most active year in the investigation of the September of 1981 abduction of 3-year-old Ryan Nicole Burton. Leads the FBI chased seemed like a major stretch, specifically one that appeared as though it was ripped from the script of a made for television movie. But the investigation didn’t begin as it should have until almost three years after Ryan disappeared. The day after President Ronald Reagan christened the newly formed National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at a White House ceremony, a tragic discovery was made, one that changed the trajectory of the case completely. Still, years again passed until another break in the case came in the form of a confession. If you have any information about the Ryan Nicole Burton case, please call Stephens County Crime Stoppers at (877)500-TIPS or (877)500-8477Please donate to help get #JusticeForLeonLaureles at gofundme.com/f/leon-laureles-private-detective-and-memorialThe Fort Worth Police Department still has nearly 1,000 unsolved cases dating back to 1959. You can help our diligent Cold Case Detectives by donating to the Fort Worth Cold Case Support Group at http://fwpdcoldcasesupport.orgIf you’d like to donate to law enforcement investigations that need funding or upload your DNA into a database used only for law enforcement investigations, you can at DNAsolves.comIf you don’t have DNA data from a consumer testing site, you can get a kit at connect.DNAsolves.comYou can support gone cold and listen ad-free at patreon.com/gonecoldpodcastFind us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram by using @gonecoldpodcast and on YouTube at: youtube.com/c/gonecoldpodcastThe Abilene Reporter-News, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The Daily Oklahoman, The El Paso Times, The Orlando Sentinel, The Pensacola News, and BreckenridgeTexas.com were used as sources for this episode#JusticeForRyanBurton #BreckenridgeTX #StephensCountyTX #Texas #TX #GoneCold #GoneColdPodcast #TexasTrueCrime #TrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #ColdCase #UnsolvedMysteries #Missing #Disappearrance #Vanished #Abduction #Kidnapping #MurderBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.

15 Juni 202231min

In September of 1981, the missing child’s case of 3-year-old Ryan Nicole Burton shook the small town of Breckenridge, Texas. Abducted from her crib as her babysitter slept, Ryan’s disappearance spurred an immediate search by various law enforcement agencies and 1,000s of Breckenridge residents. But there was no sign of the missing little girl anywhere, not a single clue left behind by her kidnapper. Tips that included sightings were abundant, and suspects questioned, but police couldn’t catch a break in the investigation and Ryan Burton’s parents anguished with uncertainty as they grasped onto the hope that their daughter would be found alive. If you have any information about the Ryan Nicole Burton case, please call Stephens County Crime Stoppers at (877)500-TIPS or (877)500-8477Please donate to help get #JusticeForLeonLaureles at gofundme.com/f/leon-laureles-private-detective-and-memorialThe Fort Worth Police Department still has nearly 1,000 unsolved cases dating back to 1959. You can help our diligent Cold Case Detectives by donating to the Fort Worth Cold Case Support Group at http://fwpdcoldcasesupport.orgIf you’d like to donate to law enforcement investigations that need funding or upload your DNA into a database used only for law enforcement investigations, you can at DNAsolves.comIf you don’t have DNA data from a consumer testing site, you can get a kit at connect.DNAsolves.comYou can support gone cold and listen ad-free at patreon.com/gonecoldpodcastFind us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram by using @gonecoldpodcast and on YouTube at: youtube.com/c/gonecoldpodcastThe Abilene Reporter-News, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The Daily Oklahoman, The El Paso Times, The Orlando Sentinel, The Pensacola News, and BreckenridgeTexas.com were used as sources for this episode#JusticeForRyanBurton #BreckenridgeTX #StephensCountyTX #Texas #TX #GoneCold #GoneColdPodcast #TexasTrueCrime #TrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #ColdCase #UnsolvedMysteries #Missing #Disappearrance #Vanished #Abduction #Kidnapping #MurderBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.

13 Juni 202234min

In late August 1981, after celebrating his 5th birthday only several days before, Burt Woodson disappeared in Mansfield, Texas. According to his uncle and guardian, Terry Lee Woodson, the sleeping boy was in the backseat of his car as he ran into a 7-11 convenience store to get a bite to eat in the early, dark morning hours. When he got close to home, Uncle Terry claimed, he noticed Burt was no longer there. After a relatively thorough search of the areas around the Woodson home and the 7-11 were conducted, police were puzzled. For more than 3 decades, Burt’s case was forgotten in the public, until 2017 when Mansfield Police Detectives reopened the missing child’s case. An arrest came not long after, and a slap on the wrist was meted out, but Burt’s remains have never been found.If you have any information about the location of the remains of Anthony “Burt” Woodson please contact the Mansfield Police at (817)276-4700Please donate to help get #JusticeForLeonLaureles at gofundme.com/f/leon-laureles-private-detective-and-memorialThe Fort Worth Police Department still has nearly 1,000 unsolved cases dating back to 1959. You can help our diligent Cold Case Detectives by donating to the Fort Worth Cold Case Support Group at http://fwpdcoldcasesupport.orgIf you’d like to donate to law enforcement investigations that need funding or upload your DNA into a database used only for law enforcement investigations, you can at DNAsolves.comIf you don’t have DNA data from a consumer testing site, you can get a kit at connect.DNAsolves.comYou can support gone cold and listen ad-free at patreon.com/gonecoldpodcastFind us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram by using @gonecoldpodcast and on YouTube at: youtube.com/c/gonecoldpodcastThe Dallas Morning News, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The Mansfield News-Mirror, and WFAA TV were used as sources for this episode.#WhereIsBurtWoodson #MansfieldTX #TarrantCountyTX #Texas #TX #GoneCold #GoneColdPodcast #TexasTrueCrime #TrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #ColdCase #UnsolvedMysteries #Missing #Murder #DisappearedBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.

6 Juni 202238min

Carla Walker’s Killer Appeals ConvictionLast Tuesday, May 24th, 2022, I attended Glen Samuel McCurley's appeal hearing at Texas's 2nd Court of Appeals in downtown Fort Worth. Along with audio from the proceedings, this episode describes the arguments made by both McCurley's attorney and the State.#JusticeForCarlaWalker #CarlaWalker #FortWorth #FortWorthTX #TarrantCountyTexas #Texas #TX #TrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #ColdCase #Solved #DNA #Murder #UnsolvedMysteries #GoneCold #GoneColdPodcast #TexasTrueCrimeBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.

30 Maj 202247min

At a little after 4 PM on August 21st, 1984, on the side of the road at East Loop 338 just outside Odessa, Texas city limits, a man thought he’d witnessed a hit and run involving a pedestrian and a gold Buick. But when Ector County Sheriff’s Deputy David Montgomery discovered it wasn’t a hit and run at all, rather, a woman had been stabbed and slashed repeatedly. The woman was Janet Eva Gregston, who was 7 months pregnant. When a man claiming to have ESP entered the Sheriff’s Office to tell them about his visions, he quickly became suspect number one – or the only suspect, really – and he was subsequently arrested and indicted. Doubt about his guilt, however, wasn’t only felt be his defense attorney – and the entire debacle was eerily reminiscent of another failed attempt at a murder conviction a couple years before.If you have any information about the murder of Janet Eva Gregston, please contact Odessa Crime Stoppers at (432)333-8477.Please donate to help get #JusticeForLeonLaureles at gofundme.com/f/leon-laureles-private-detective-and-memorialYou can donate to law enforcement investigations that need funding or upload your DNA into a database used only for law enforcement investigations at DNAsolves.com If you don’t have DNA data from a consumer testing site, you can get a kit at connect.DNAsolves.comPlease consider donating to the Fort Worth Cold Case Support Group at fwpdcoldcasesupport.orgYou can support gone cold and listen ad-free at patreon.com/gonecoldpodcastFind us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram by using @gonecoldpodcast and on YouTube at: youtube.com/c/gonecoldpodcastThe Odessa American, The Austin Chronicle, and UPI Archives were used as sources for this episode.#JusticeForJanetGregston #Odessa #OdessaTX #EctorCountyTX #Texas #TX #TexasTrueCrime #GoneCold #GoneColdPodcast #ColdCase #Unsolved #Murder #UnsolvedMurder #Homicide #UnsolvedMysteries #TrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #PodcastBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.

23 Maj 202236min

In late January of 2019, Tomball, Texas residents Liz and Sergio Barraza were scheduled to take a trip to Florida for their 5th wedding anniversary. At the last minute, Liz decided to hold a garage sale to make a little extra spending cash to take with them. As she set up for the sale on the early morning of January 25th, a mysterious figure emerged from a black pickup truck, walked over to Liz in her driveway, and fired a pistol four times at point blank range. Though Liz was alive, miraculously, she ultimately succumbed to her wounds. The Barraza’s doorbell cam and neighbors’ security cameras not only captured images of the pickup truck used in the execution, but they also captured the perpetrator. More than three years later, however, Liz’s murder remains unsolved, in spite of her family’s dogged efforts and the diligence of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.If you have any information about the murder of Elizabeth “Liz” Nuelle Barraza please contact Crime Stoppers of Houston at (713) 222-TIPS or (713) 222-8477. When you contact Crime Stoppers with information, you will be assigned a number and remain anonymous. You can keep up with developments at WhoKilledLizBarraza.comIf you would like to donate to the fund to help the family of Leon Laureles, to find out who murdered him in cold blood, you can do that at gofundme.com/f/leon-laureles-private-detective-and-memorialYou can donate to law enforcement investigations that need funding or upload your DNA into a database used only for law enforcement investigations at DNAsolves.comIf you don’t have DNA data from a consumer testing site, you can get a kit at connect.DNAsolves.comYou can support gone cold and listen ad-free at patreon.com/gonecoldpodcastFind us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram by using @gonecoldpodcast and on YouTube at: youtube.com/c/gonecoldpodcastWhoKilledLizBarraza.com, KHOU.com, Dateline.com, People.com, InsideEdition.com, and abc13.com were used as sources for this episode.#JusticeForLizBarraza #WhoKilledLizBarraza #TomballTX #Houston #HarrisCountyTX #Texas #TX #TexasTrueCrime #GoneCold #GoneColdPodcast #ColdCase #Unsolved #Murder #UnsolvedMurder #Homicide #UnsolvedMysteries #TrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #PodcastBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.

16 Maj 202244min