Jim says the place was completely dark. Jordan Smith of the Austin Chronicle said "The relatively light sentence, after an emotional appeal from Hall's father, suggests that the delay in reaching a verdict reflected some division in the jurors' judgment of Hall's culpability. In 2007, a jury convicted Laura Hall, 34, for helping her boyfriend Colton Pitonyak dismember 21-year-old Cave's body in his apartment's bathtub at the Orange Tree condominiums in August of 2005. in prison if convicted of murder. Who's gonna be next?" a Inside, a woman's body lay in the bathtub; her hands and head severed. Asked who's the other possible suspect, he replies, "Well, there's other suspects and Laura Hall is as good as any. ", Jennifer Cave's mother, Sharon, and her fiance, Jim Sedwick, I said, 'Thank you so much for giving her this opportunity.' But she admits she is guilty of falling in love with the wrong man. Thomas said she and Butler were lucky to have each other throughout production. left the courtroom with the victim's Investigators took a picture of Laura Hall's hand, and Turner says it appears to show a bite mark. Finally, they got through to Laura's cell phone. Pitonyak was sentenced to 55 years in prison for the murder; Hall was convicted of tampering with evidence in the case and of helping Pitonyak flee to Mexico to avoid apprehension. "Dude, I am eating pizza with [11], On August 23, 2005, Colton Pitonyak was charged with murder. "Snapped: Killer Couples" Laura Hall & Colton Pitonyak (TV Episode 2013) photos, including production stills, premiere photos and other event photos, publicity photos, behind-the-scenes, and more. is in the bottom right corner. saying that Hall had admitted to killing Cave in a jailhouse confession. [4] She attended school in Bishop, Texas, before moving to Corpus Christi in 2000. At some point after midnight, early on Aug. 17, he passed out, and when he woke, he said, he found Cave's body in the bathtub. [19], In 2010, a jury in Travis County, Texas resentenced Hall to the maximum possible sentence, including prison and $14,000 ($17396.92 when adjusted for inflation) in fines. And for the first time, Colton started shifting the blame. Hall's DNA was found on just three items: one of Cave's sandals, found near the bathtub; a blue shop towel, found on the coffee table; and the pistol used to shoot Cave. Hall was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Laura Hall & Colton Pitonyak. plans and enthusiasm And I was yelling, I said, 'Please don't hurt me. "Did you have anything to do with the dismemberment of Jennifer's body?" He has sincefiled another appeal disputing the timeline of the murder. In the summer of 2005, police were called to an apartment in Austin, Texas. Jim had found Jennifer or what was left of her. Cave, the young woman he considered, About 12 hours after he shot Cave, Pitonyak stopped for a meal And Jennifer would fall for that line every time: 'I need a friend,'" says Sharon. He ended up saying, 'Take me to Mexico,'" Incredulously, she adds, "So, I did.". is in the bottom right corner. Laura's attorney says the witness is not credible. Detectives believe Colton had just received a confirmation to meet his cocaine dealer so the two could do drugs together. he does not remember shooting Cave, Example video title will go here for this video. "Colton flipped out," Laura explains. Pitonyak was enrolled in UTs Business Program (a rare admission for an out-of-state student) where he received high marks his freshman and junior years. [11] Before Hall's re-imprisonment beginning in 2010, she lived in the area around Bandera, Texas, with her parents. In June 2009, Hall told a neighbor in reference to Jennifer Cave's murder, "I capped that (expletive) whore.". Jail, Henrietta Langenbach, held on a fraud charge. 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. [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. We stood right here in [the] hallway. "48 Hours Mystery: In Too Deep. 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). 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. began to suspect that Pitonyak was a fugitive. He says the place looks like a wreck, as if there had been a struggle. The victim's relatives embraced after the verdict. Come here.'". He will be eligible for parole Among those Hall had been sentenced to 10 years in prison for her role in the murder. filed another appeal disputing the timeline of the murder, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. 2023 FOX Television Stations, Lake Travis party cruise company working to survive COVID-19 pandemic, Barricaded suspect who shot 3 Cedar Park police officers surrenders peacefully, Future cadets who moved for Austin police academy feel 'lied to', Austin surgeons shocked by injuries protesters sustained by bean bag rounds, It's put together by The Drag Audio Production House and KUT, Severe storms possible Thursday; all of Central Texas under slight risk, South Carolina kidnapping survivor Kara Robinson reveals tips for escaping abduction, This week's 10-year fixed private student loan interest rates dip below 8 percent, Governor Abbott makes economic development announcement, Saddleback Church stands firmly behind female pastors after SBC expulsion, Austin police searching for missing teen, her infant son, Victim shot multiple times in North Austin, TSCO says, Dallas mayor calls on APD officers to work for Dallas Police Department instead, Police searching for 2 armed robbery suspects in Buda, Texas Lottery $1 million scratch ticket prize claimed by Dripping Springs resident, Severe weather possible for all of Central Texas Thursday, LCRA parks near Austin offer archery, electric mountain bikes, kayaking and more, Austin Travels talks about visiting places in and around Nashville, TN, Another US agency assesses COVID-19 origin likely a Chinese 'lab leak': report, FDA approves combination flu-COVID test for home use, Governor Abbott gives 2023 State of the State Address, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson tests positive for COVID-19. 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. was fried on drugs," he told police. Law officers also accused her of helping to dismember Caves body. Panicked, he called Hall. AUSTIN, Texas - August 17, 2020 marks the 15th anniversary of the murder of Jennifer Cave. "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. 'Some bitch.' Hall. [6], Jennifer Cave died in Pitonyak's apartment at the Orange Tree Condominiums,[15] at 2529 Rio Grande Street in West Campus, Austin, Texas. But then, surprisingly, Laura says Colton just let her go. Police would soon learn the butchered victim was 21-year-old Jennifer Cave. Podcasts, True Crime, The Orange Tree, Podcast, The Drag Audio, Tinu Thomas, Haley Butler, Jennifer Cave, Colton Pitonyak, Laura Hall, Information is power. The dismembered body of a young woman exposes the dark side of two former honor students. 'Why yes,' he said, 'She's sitting right over there by Mr. Pitonyak insisted he didn't know anything. And then, it got worse when the district attorney failed to tell Laura's attorney about that - which was a significant legal mistake. "Of course he remembers all that - then incriminates me and nothing about his own actions," Laura comments sarcastically. "And what did she say?" boyfriend, Jim Sedwick, forced "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. "She's still a part of us.". the saw was too small to cut up a body and reminded jurors that Support the Chronicle. Merit Scholar, is standing trial. but Fernandez kicked them out after Pitonyak became belligerent It was Pitonyak a "sociopath" and a "beast" who destroyed everyone around him, Sawyer argued who mutilated Cave's body. effects of Jennifer's death. Her body discovered in a friends apartment near the University of Texas. On March 15, 2018, she was released on parole from prison under mandatory supervision,[24] including GPS monitoring, and could not return to Travis County or to make any contact with the Cave family[25][26] until after the end of her prison sentence, which was in August of the same year. The two joined up with a group of other mutual party-goers and found having several drinks at Treasure Island bar. Marshals[14] arrested Pitonyak. So I flipped the light switch on and there she was," he remembers. Colton testifies, "I can't remember exactly what I told her, but I showed her Jennifer's body.". Director Gregory Kohn Stars Robert Ivkovic Laura Fraker (uncredited) See production, box office & company info Watch on Bravo Now 291126. and Lauren, brother Clayton, mother,Sharon, and her mother's fianc, Jim Sedwick. 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. "I have never heard anyone say anything but that she was one of the nicest people they knew," Bishop says of Jennifer. I can't allow myself to think that way.". About 12 hours after he shot Cave, Pitonyak stopped for a meal For the young journalists, obtaining these rare interviews was understandably electrifying. Who would commit such a depraved act of violence and murder? Laura says Colton led her into the bathroom. "In your mind you're 100 percent convinced that Laura Hall was absolutely a part of the dismemberment and mutilation?" Jennifer Cave, 21, had struggled with drugs and dropped out of In court, Colton says he did not cut Jennifer's body with the knife." Oh my God, he is pissing on that car.. 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. The apartment belonged to Colton Pitonyak, a University of Texas business student. As for Laura Hall, she remains a mystery. [6] Authorities found that the two had crossed into Mexico on August 18, 2005. The official cause of death was determined to be a single gunshot from a .380 Smith and Wesson which entered through Jennifers right arm, traveling through her torso, and eventually lacerating her aorta. She's out on bond while prosecutors fight to put her back behind bars. because he had owned Sawyer.' Orange Tree Apartments, an off-campus complex where Pitonyak Asked how he got back to his apartment, Colton said, "I assume Jennifer took me. On October 28, 2011, the state denied parole to Laura Hall. Laura continues to fight a current of public rage that she believes was sweeping away her very life. But Sharon sensed Colton was nothing but bad news, and had begged her daughter not to get involved with him. They quickly found out something they didn't expect. She had been shot dead and then stabbed numerous times; her hands and head had been severed and wrapped in a garbage bag left beside the tub. Sawyer countered that in fact Hall took no part in the abandoned dismemberment, a version of the story that the jury apparently found unpersuasive. She insisted he could not have purposefully On Tuesday, the same jury sentenced Hall to five years in prison and a year in jail, with the sentences to run concurrently. 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. detailing his son's childhood and academic, After a jury sentenced him to 55 years in prison, Pitonyak said, And how could something so terrible happen at all? If Jennifer told you she was going to be somewhere at 8 o'clock, Jennifer was there at 8 o'clock.". "Laura Hall says she didn't have a plan on what to do next after getting to Mexico, and that she didn't know what Colton Pitonyak was planning. We'd just stay in the house all day. Hall was released on parole in 2018 after. He later requested a new trial,saying that Hall had admitted to killing Cave in a jailhouse confession. Laura Hall is currently in prison on charges of tampering with evidence and hindering apprehension after Caves murder. Defense attorney Sam Bassett holds a machete found in Pitonyak's And he said, 'Well, there's a problem,' and he said, 'We're concerned." [2] Bill Bishop, a prosecutor in the Travis County, Texas government, said "As far as murders go, this is a very clean murder. 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. "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. On August 18th, the Sedwicks traveled to Austin and found Cave's car at Pitonyak's apartment. (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. The jury finds Laura guilty of tampering with evidence, for cutting up Jennifer Cave's body and helping Colton to escape to Mexico. Laura Hall is the only person who has shown this sort of vicious hatred for the last several years, said Joe Turner, Pitonyak's defense attorney. ", "Well it's neither," she replies. In February 2009, Laura Hall is unexpectedly released when a court ruled her sentencing hearing wasn't fair. medication for depression. In fact, she spent most of the day running errands before she went back to pick up Colton and drive him to Mexico. "Colton's going, 'No man, I don't know. A medical examiner later determined that Cave However, there was one part of Coltons life that even he couldnt control, and that was the constant temptation of drugs and alcohol. After he discovered Jennifer Cave's body, Jim Sedwick called 9-1-1 again. landed a job as a legal assistant in an environmental law firm. went to the fast-food chain Laura Ashley Hall [12] was a University of Texas at Austin student who at one time had been Pitonyak's girlfriend. He said Laura and Colton met at a party in the spring of 2005. "With all due respect, which one is it? Bridgett Pitonyak, the defendant's mother, wept as she testified night of drinking and drug use, but admitted he believes he may to Jennifer Cave's death as "an accident," prompting grumbles And I said. ", "I definitely feel like my life is closing in on me right now," Laura says of her situation. carpet cleaner, gloves. "At about 3 o'clock, the law firm called me," says her mother, Sharon Sedwick. "We would spend days together at a time. She was sentenced to ten years in prison. [14] Cave and Pitonyak went to dinner before Cave was murdered. Prosecutors noted that he specified Except for the murder itself, he blamed Laura for almost everything. I didn't know who she was. She said her daughter was The ruling, in effect, tossed attorney Joe James Sawyer's defense out the window. And that's what got her in trouble," adds Jim. Thank you very much in advance. Hall was found guilty of tampering with evidence and sentenced to 10 years in prison. "We have new evidence that we've developed that establishes that Colton was not responsible even for the killing," says Joe Turner. dishwasher. in Piedras Blancas, took a photo with his 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 . But Sharon knew her big-hearted daughter had an instinct to help anyone in trouble. "Part of Jennifer's nature," she explains, "is she had a real problem with stray dogs. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Pitonyak's lawyer, Roy Minton, questioned Austin police firearms He had a serious problem with drugs, especially cocaine. Jury finds former UT student Colton Pitonyak guilty of "knowingly and intentionally" murdering Jennifer Cave, gives him 55 years . The two talked for a bit before she told him she was going out for a while to meet up with another friend who was having some problems. happy for murder in the fatal Aug. Movies. She invoked her Fifth "Trial set for college student accused of slaying, dismembering woman after date. an accident. This photo was taken after Pitonyak fell The relatively light sentence, after an emotional appeal from Hall's father, suggests that the delay in reaching a verdict reflected some division in the jurors' judgment of Hall's culpability. 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.. "I remember him goading me out of the bathroom with a knife that had blood on it up to the hilt The last thing you wanna think is this person that I've had sex with has, you know, killed somebody. 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. Both were drinking, and according to witness Jeffrey accidentally pull the trigger while trying to clear a In 2011, 48 Hours on CBS documented the murder and the aftermath as well as the trial, focusing on Laura Hall in a special called "48 Hours: In Too Deep". Hall was released from her 10 year sentence five months early in 2018 while Pitonyak will not be eligible for parole until 2033, according to the KXAN report. She was also a student at UT, a government major with hopes of becoming a lawyer. But as the investigation grew, the most intriguing player would be Laura Hall. Copyright 1981-2023 Austin Chronicle Corp. All rights reserved. Jennifer Cave's mutilated body was found in the apartment of Pitonyak in 2005. I heard this rustling, like someone's grabbing the phone from you. I was like, 'Man, oh my God, you know, 'What happened?'". 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. She had a serious problem with stray dogs would spend days together at a.. 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