Five years later, still with no answers, Gloria Barrios was battling depression and hospitalized. Two brothers were arrested in connection to the shooting that occurred Tuesday on FM 1111 in Hudspeth County, approximately four miles south of Sierra I think nearly anyone who knew the man is really just astonished that he used such poor judgment, he said. The information is gathered by experienced and trusted Nexstar Media Group journalists hired specifically to cover the border. An arrest affidavit from the Texas Department of Public Safety obtained Friday by the Tribune says Michael Sheppard, the warden at a private immigration Upon hearing a truck approaching, the group tried to hide. The podcast, which came out in September of 2019 is described as "an immersive experience that combines fiction, true crime and real interviews" but it seems like the fiction portion takes the cake. The Sheppard brothers were transferred from the El Paso County Jail on Monday before bonding out of the jail in Hudspeth County later that night. The guy died. County officials said the I.C.E. Here's what we know. The status of the criminal case against the brothers remains unclear. Mr. Seplveda suffered a fatal gunshot to the head. In an unsigned email response Thursday evening, the El Paso district attorneys office told the Tribune to contact DPS for the affidavits. They are driving me crazy. During the 60-minute event, the candidates stuck to the talking points that have so far dominated this election season. We were finishing the meeting when the call came in, he added, speaking of the 911 call about the killing. The U.S. Border Patrol is made up of over 19,000 brave men and women who courageously secure our nations borders. At 28 years old, her mother said she still only stood about four-foot-eight-inches tall. The killing is being investigated by the Texas Rangers along with agents from the F.B.I. Former warden Mike Sheppard and brother Mark accused of Agents from the U.S. Border Patrols Sierra Blanca checkpoint were also called to help the Hudspeth County Sheriffs Office locate a female gunshot victim around 9:15 p.m., a spokesperson for the federal agency said. They initially labeled the death a suspicious incident. Two 60-year-old brothers were arrested Thursday in connection with the shooting in Sierra Blanca Tuesday night, which is being investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety. And I didnt see their demeanor change.. In a detailed voluntary statement, McDonald said he wanted to make clear he did not murder Mount. Napolen Seplveda Moreno, 56, mourned the death of his son, who he said had hoped to meet up with his brother in Austin, stay a couple of years to make money to support his two young children and then return to Mexico. "There was no way for the killers to know who their victims were or what their legal status was," Castro said in a statement. Anna Giaritelli, Homeland Security Reporter, Freedom House undermines mission by downplaying genocide and terror. The migrants later told federal agents they had heard one of the men shout in Spanish for them to Come out, according to the Times report. See the explanation McDonald gave to police whileMountwas missing. How do you think Fort Myers Beach should spend its share of $1.1 billion. Surviving migrants told investigators they hid in the brush when the men pulled over in Do you value our journalism? Before leaving for the United States, his son received a small salary caring for farm animals and growing melons in their home of San Martn, several hours south of the border. Domingo Garca, president of LULAC, the largest and oldest Latino civil rights organization says the shootings are the result of anti-immigrant rhetoric displayed by conservative politicians including Texas Gov. Border Patrol cameras helped investigators trace the truck to a home in Sierra Blanca the following day, according to law enforcement officers. U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson Landon Hutchens released a statement Friday about the shooting. To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/12/us/migrants-shot-texas.html, Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The New York Times. As he Read more 0 The group hid when a truck approached. The people shot were part of a group of migrants, according to the FBI. According to the affidavits filed, Mount wasnt answering her phone, and eventually the calls would go straight to voicemail. The incident comes at a moment when Republicans and border residents have voiced concern that the Biden administration does not care about record high numbers of illegal immigrants across the southern border. Gloriahad questions about the bruises, defensive wounds, and the fluid found near Blancas groin but never received any answers. Lunas family insists that she would never commit suicide and that the evidence does not support that suggestion. More than 10,000 vehicles travel through the Sierra Blanca checkpoint on a daily basis. Texas Air Force Reservist Found Stabbed to Death in Hotel "I like the true crime podcasts that are attempting to help people find answers; this podcast is not that," one listener wrote in the Pod Paradise reviews, noting that the podcast should not be classified under the true crime genre. It has a Border Patrol checkpoint and a large Border Patrol presence. The suspects told investigators that they had been driving around hunting and looking for animals, according to the affidavit. Report: Jail warden, twin brother allegedly shoot and kill migrant This is not the first time Mike Sheppard has been accused of endangering the lives of migrants. The fatal confrontation took place on Tuesday night near the town of Sierra Blanca in west Texas. Eventually, the family learned from the autopsy report that the official manner of death was considered undetermined. WebEl Paso, Texas 63.1 miles from Sierra Blanca, TX Magic Landing Amusement Park stood abandoned since 1989, and was demolished in 2012. Around Sierra Blanca, the detention center was known as a good job, paying more than double what was offered at the local jail. Guillermo has been with the Express-News for 20 years, and has covered federal court and its investigative agencies for most of that time. The FBI, United States Border Patrol, and Homeland Security Investigations are assisting. I dont hunt animals. ", He added: "National leaders on both sides of the aisle need to condemn the rhetoric that inspired this attack, and Texas authorities must swiftly prosecute this crime as murder.". He moved in with Felipe Andrade, a man in his early 60s, who according to news reports had a history of taking in transients. Greg Abbott. Family says suspect has gotten away with murder for 14 years Fans of the podcast 'The Heads of Sierra Blanca' are dying to know whether there is any truth to the murders of Sierra Blanca. Please dont tell Mom. This is problematic because instead of listing the death as an unsolved murder or cold case, it can be written off as a suicide and never investigated again. The group took cover to avoid being detected when a vehicle approached. By James Dobbins,J. David Goodman and Edgar Sandoval. After release, McDonald moved to El Paso. All so gross. I have a Mexican-Native American background, but Mike was never ugly to me, said Paula Barrios, 39, who lived near the two brothers. The brothers, meanwhile, later suggested to authorities that they were in the area hunting, though investigators said one of the brothers changed details of his story multiple times. Indiana Air Force reservist found fatally stabbed in Texas A truck with two men inside pulled over and shot at a group of migrants getting water along a road near the town of Sierra Blanca on Tuesday, according to the statement. Border Patrol Apprehends Interpol Murder Suspect. Air Force identifies deceased Airman (The US average is 22.7) Sierra Blanca He has also covered immigration, minority affairs and legal affairs as part of the projects team here and for other print, TV and radio outlets. Around sunset, two men in a pickup truck drove by, and the migrants took cover in the brush. Two of the men were waving and asking for help while a third, was suffering from a gunshot wound to his face. Its been over a decade since the man who was last seen with Mary Mount led investigators to the shallow grave where he had left her body near Sierra Blanca, Texas. Murder 6.1 Rape 40.7 Robbery 135.5 Property Crimes Calculated annually per 100,000 residents National Burglary 500.1 Theft 2,042.8 Motor Vehicle Theft 284 Residents Diversity B Based on ethnic and economic diversity. Id really love to be a part of online community where I can get responses from other experienced people that share the same interest. Javelinas are similar-looking to hogs. Sierra Blanca, the county seat of Hudspeth County, is at the intersection of Ranch Road 1111, Interstate Highway 10, and U.S. Highway 80, eighty miles southeast of El Paso in the south central part of the county. Warden of Texas immigrant jail fired after arrest for shooting 2 The sprawling surrounding county, home to some 3,200 OSI continues to investigate March 7 death On Sept. 29, two suspects were taken into custody and charged with manslaughter. The video is from 2004, when McDonald had been detained by police in Corpus Christi, Texas. Texas A woman was shot in the stomach. It was a murder, and it was a hate crime.. She was a 24-year-old single waitress who lived alone. A female migrant was also shot but is recovering at a hospital in El Paso, the spokesperson added. Their families were in Ciudad Jurez, across the border from El Paso, this week, demanding justice for the shooting. Family suspects cover-up in airmans death on base The two brothers charged last week in a shooting that killed one person and left another injured near Sierra Blanca were released from the Hudspeth County jail Monday night on bonds of $250,000 each, the county sheriffs office said. They always have problems with the water at the facility.. Official websites use .gov And then revved the engine. Justice for Blanca Luna I know that. This is pissing me off, he said. The company spokesman, Scott Sutterfield, said the detention center currently did not have I.C.E. This is a case with a lot of circumstantial evidence, that we hope to be able to sure up and charge him if he is in fact the killer, said Feinberg. As this is an active and ongoing investigation by the Texas Rangers, DPS said. Authorities believe that these murders were the collateral damage of a cartel turf war that spilled into Mexico. Sutterfield did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Thursday about those previous allegations or Mike Sheppards continued employment after they were made. He said he went to Knapps home and stole several things before fleeing the state, buying a shovel along the way and ultimately burying Mount in Sierra Blanca. Weve gone from you see a few a week to hundreds crossing property it is like nothing anyone has ever seen, she said. Disclosure: New York Times has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Former warden and brother arrested for allegedly shooting 2 Border Patrol, the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations helped in the inquiry. Will Republicans really pick the one candidate Biden can beat? They were identified as Mike Thomas Sheppard and Mark Edward Sheppard, both 60. Scott Sutterfield, a spokesman for Louisiana-based LaSalle Corrections, confirmed via email that Sheppard no longer worked for the company. SIERRA BLANCA, Texas U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Sierra Blanca Border Patrol Station arrested a citizen of France illegally in the United States and wanted for murder by Interpol, Aug. 6. The incident is under investigation by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the Sheppard AFB security forces squadron. DPS is also investigating a second shooting incident involving a migrant in Hudspeth County that happened on Wednesday. Word of the shooting spread rapidly through Sierra Blanca, a pit stop for truck traffic along Interstate 10. Finding the Rubedec Killer Heads of Sierra Blanca | iHeart It felt like somebody stabbing you in the heart, recalled Mount. Border Patrol helped trace the truck and investigators discovered the vehicle was assigned to Mike Sheppard, according to the newspaper. Help us secure our homeland, find out more at. Inmates at the time resorted to using plastic bags for toilets and had to kill a rattlesnake found in their sleeping quarters when officials failed to respond. Jeanette Harper, an FBI special agent in El Paso, confirmed the agency had provided resources to Texas Rangers for an evidence recovery scene but deferred further comment to DPS as it was the leading investigative authority. UPDATE:After the first report on this story in May 2018, WINK News obtained exclusive interrogation video with murder suspect Terry Daniel McDonald. Sierra Blanca, TX. A stormy morning gives way to a sunny afternoon. 2 men charged with manslaughter after allegedly shooting 2 ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. In his interviews with investigators, Mark Sheppard said he and his brother had been out looking to shoot animals and thought they had spotted some javelinas, similar to wild hogs. "One male immigrant was shot and killed," their statement read. They shot us. The warden and his staff were accused of beating migrants and yelling racial slurs in that 2018 report. ABC News has confirmed that one of the men arrested was Mike Sheppard, a former warden at West Texas Detention Center. The Air Force cannot guarantee the bases safety when they do not even know who committed the crime. On at least one occasion, Sheriff West filled in as warden at the facility when Mr. Sheppard was out of town, according to the inspector generals report, and some of those who worked with them described the two men as friends. The short answer to the question of whether The Heads of Sierra Blanca is based on a true story is no, and believe us when we say we tried to find even a slightly similar murder story occurring around or before 2007 in Texas. One of the alleged shooters is reportedly a warden for a privately run immigration detention center. Migrant killed, other injured in shooting in Hudspeth McDonald was charged with Burglary. WebIn 2007, a serial killer inspired by Rube Goldberg murdered Lorena Salas, Carlos Aniceto, and Ana Nuez in Sierra Blanca, Texas then vanished never to be heard of again. During Mr. Sheppards time as warden there, the facility had a contract with the federal government to house hundreds of detainees for the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. So, Friday night, theyre demanding action in the cell phone lot at Southwest Florida International Airport. The FBI El Paso field office said in a statement the shooting happened in the evening of Sept. 27 in Sierra Blanca, Texas. Joanna Mackenzie, the county administrator and also its emergency manager, said officials found more than 15 bodies of migrants in the desert last year, an increase from two or three a year in previous years. That is a hellhole place, said Gregory Johnson, a former assistant warden at a different LaSalle prison in Texas, describing the West Texas Detention Center. ", The eight-episode podcast is hosted by one of the victims' nieces, Magdalena Salas, who reports alongside a private investigator to research "what really happened and who is responsible.". Indiana Airman found dead at base in Texas I think theres often a credibility bias toward law enforcement, said Fatma E. Marouf, one of the reports authors and a law professor at Texas A&M University. @upandvanished I am sorta annoyed that you all promoted "The Heads of Sierra Blanca" without stating it is fiction. In late 2005, Andrades family had not heard from him and when they showed up at his. The warden of a federal prison in West Texas and his brother were arrested Tuesday in connection with the shooting of two migrants, one of whom died, according to The driver leaned on the trucks hood and shot twice at the group and then got back into the truck and drove away. He was later convicted and sentenced to life in prison. FILE - The warden of a West Texas federal jail for immigrants has been fired after he and a brother allegedly shot at migrants walking along a roadside in Hudspeth County on Sept. 27, killing one and wounding another. Offers may be subject to change without notice. At AFOSIs request, the FBI sent an evidence response team to process the scene immediately after Airman Luna was found, and the two agencies have continued to cooperate in the investigation. The Times reported that a law enforcement official told the newspaper that Michael Sheppard, the warden at the West The newest crime podcast to make the rounds is called The Heads of Sierra Blanca. Copyright 2023 Distractify. UVALDE ROCKED BY HORRIFIC FATAL CRASH INVOLVING IMMIGRANT SMUGGLER. The West Texas facility has had a reputation among some within the company as a difficult assignment in part because of its struggles to provide sufficient water supplies for its hundreds of inmates. The soldier is the 10th known Texas Guard member linked to the mission to die since its rapid expansion began in September 2021. The 22-year-old soon slipped into Texas and, with a group of about a dozen migrants, began traversing the parched landscape east of El Paso on foot. Call 911 and the border agents will find you.. Border Patrol agents, patrol 517 miles of the southwest border, an area that extends from Sierra Blanca, Texas to Sanderson, Texas. At one point, the driver revved the engine. Within weeks of meeting, her family said Mount paid for McDonald to travel from Washington to Florida and purchased a hotel room for him in Cape Coral. They drove away and attended a water board meeting. Our Town: Gloria Barrios NWS confirms tornado hit Charlotte County. As The Intercept reported in 2018, a report from three entities detailed African detainees allegations of abuse. At least four immigrants were walking on FM 1111, approximately 15 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, around 7 p.m. local time and had stopped to drink water from a tank on the side of the road, the affidavits state. A 2018 report found officials at the Sierra Blanca facility had grievously abused 80 men who were detained at the center. This is a military base highly secured. The public defender successfully moved to keep out information regarding any speculation that Mary was dead. Knapp said one night just after the new year in 2004, Mount and McDonald left for the hotel after watching a movie. But he did admit that Mary died after they had sex and that he freaked out and stuffed her body into a duffle bag and put her in the trunk of her car. No pictures of her in USAF uniform. The family believes that AFOSI did not investigate the crime with due diligence and was trying to lead them to believe Blanca committed suicide. She said initially she struggled to get the Lee County Sheriffs Office to open a missing persons case because Mount was an adult. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "We sounded the alarm in 2018 about Warden Sheppard, but ICE failed to address his egregious behavior and the inhumane and racist treatment of African migrants in the facility. He was hunting immigrants.". Knapp said a homicide detective was assigned to the case after Mount failed to show for a divorce proceeding with her estranged husband. Death on the Border: Were Twin Brothers Hunting Migrants or The sprawling surrounding county, home to some 3,200 people, is more than three-quarters Hispanic. Crime is ranked on a scale of 1 (low crime) to 100 (high crime) Sierra Blanca violent crime is 20.8. Suddenly the truck stopped, backed up and stopped again. In 2004 he was not involved with the case, but said he has reviewed that case file. Im dying, really. West Texas Jail Warden, Brother Arrested On Charges Of BROKEN BORDER: BIDEN IMMIGRATION POLICIES SPUR 'STAGGERING' DEATH TOLL. The FBI said there is no pending threat to public safety at this time. It was unclear late Thursday what, if any, action federal officials took after the report was released and published in The Intercept. Abbott launched a domestic terrorism taskforce in response to that shooting. My condolences to the family. detainees. One person was struck in the head and killed. According to authorities, Mike and Mark Sheppard both facing manslaughter charges in the Sept. 27 shooting encountered a group of 13 migrants off a rural road south of Interstate 10 just after 9 p.m., stopped their truck and then began shooting at the group. The San Antonio Express-News reported that Mike Sheppard was the warden of the West Texas Detention Center, run by the Louisiana-based LaSalle Corrections, a company that operates jails, prisons and immigration detention centers. It is also at the junction of the Southern Pacific and Missouri Pacific railroads. The Sierra Blanca jail houses male and female detainees who are in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In a news conference last week, Mr. Abbott called the shooting horrific and completely wrong but blamed President Biden for the spike in arrivals and the need for Texas to deploy National Guard troops to the border and bus thousands of migrants to northern cities. At 2:00 AM on March 14, 2007, an assailant broke into her home, drugged her, and Our faith tells us to love thy neighbor, she said. The facility still holds inmates for the U.S. Border Patrol Apprehends Interpol Murder Suspect The affidavit says migrants told federal agents they overheard one of the men yell in Spanish something to the effect of "Come out you sons of b----s, little a--s!" Later, the murder was blamed on cartels and turf wars, but Magdalena wasn't buying that coverup story. Migrant shot and killed, another wounded in rural Sierra Blanca Keep reading to find out. They were being held without bond, and no lawyers were listed for them, according to jail officers. It was dozens of people complaining.. The warden at the West Texas Detention Center (WTDC), Sierra Blanca, TX has been terminated due to an off-duty incident unrelated to his employment, Sutterfield said. This whole thing is disgusting, and so dismissive of actual victims and their families.". She was in the Marines. But the migrants told investigators that the two men had taunted them in Spanish as they were hiding. The brothers reportedly told law enforcement they were looking for animals to shoot. Big Bend Sector Chief Patrol Agent Matthew J. Hudak said, This arrest highlights our law enforcement collaboration, including partnerships well beyond our borders. Mike Thomas Sheppard, who until this week was warden of the privately run West Texas Detention Center in Sierra Blanca, and brother Mark Sheppard were arrested late Wednesday by Texas Rangers on manslaughter charges. SIERRA BLANCA, Texas Jess Ivn Seplveda Martnez started his fateful journey to find work in the United States in his fathers car before catching a bus from Ceballos, Mexico, to the border. He then changed his story and said he and his brother "looking for ducks, then changed it to birds, and then to Javelina's." LockA locked padlock The migrants had been drinking from a water tank along the roadside and tried to hide behind the tank during the incident late Tuesday. Big Bend Sector Border Patrol agents, patrol 517 miles of the southwest border, an area that extends from Sierra Blanca, Texas to Sanderson, Texas. by Alejandro Serrano, Uriel J. Garca and William Melhado HUDSPETH COUNTY, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) A migrant was killed and another was injured during a shooting in Sierra Blanca on Tuesday, according to the FBI Sierra Blanca Border Patrol agents encountered an individual by the name of Marouana Bah, a 30-year-old citizen of France, while conducting immigration inspections on board a passenger bus at the Sierra Blanca Immigration Checkpoint. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Boston will assume lead in this investigation moving forward. Authorities believe that these murders were the collateral damage of a cartel turf war that spilled into Mexico. You're my b---h" and told another detainee "now you belong to me, boy.". Death on the Border: Were Twin Brothers Hunting Migrants or Wildlife?
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