Murder of Mollie Olgin

Mollie Judith Olgin, 19, was murdered on June 22, 2012, in Violet Andrews Park in Portland, Texas. She and her girlfriend, Mary Kristene Chapa, were sexually assaulted and shot in the head near midnight. Birdwatchers discovered the two women's bodies the following morning and called police. Olgin was pronounced dead at the scene, while Chapa was taken to a hospital in critical condition. Chapa survived after intensive care, regained mobility in the right side of her body, and helped police create a sketch of the attacker. The case drew heavy media coverage and public outrage, with vigils held by the LGBT community.

Police were led to David Strickland in 2014 after Chapa's father received an anonymous letter containing non-public details about the crime. The letter falsely accused a Layton, Utah, man who was found to have an alibi; investigators determined that man's home had been burglarized by Strickland, a former friend. Evidence found in Strickland's car during the burglary investigation — including guns, ammunition, a suppressor, and items such as condoms, flex handcuffs, and a knife — was turned over to investigators. Cell phone GPS data placed Strickland near the Chapa home when the letter was delivered, and a gun in his possession was matched to bullet casings from the crime scene. A draft of the letter was also found on his computer. David Strickland and his wife, Laura Strickland, were arrested on June 20, 2014. David Strickland was charged with capital murder, aggravated sexual assault, and aggravated assault; authorities stated they found no evidence the women were targeted for their sexuality and did not pursue hate crime charges. Laura Strickland was charged with tampering with evidence, a charge that was later dismissed.

Prior to trial, a gun store owner connected to a defense witness was killed in what reporting described as a targeted robbery, and a friend of Strickland's, who was a state witness, alleged that a police lieutenant and a former detective visited him and made claims about the defense's trial strategy. On September 28, 2016, a San Patricio County jury found David Strickland guilty of capital murder and aggravated sexual assault. Prosecutors did not seek the death penalty, and Strickland was sentenced to life imprisonment.

In 2018, advances in DNA testing matched a hair found on Chapa's body to Dylan Spellman, an initial suspect in the case who had also been linked by earlier DNA on a cigarette butt and energy drink can found at the scene. Spellman had since pleaded guilty to an unrelated armed robbery in Nevada. Strickland's attorneys filed a motion to overturn his conviction based on this new evidence; the motion was denied in January 2020. Spellman has not been charged in connection with the Olgin case. In 2017, Chapa filed a $500 million lawsuit against Strickland and his family's business, though claims against the business and Strickland's father were later dropped. Strickland's mother has since started a petition asserting his innocence.