This morning I sat with a group of local news reporters listening to a press conference with some of the details on this case. Sergeant Michael O’Day, and Chief Wayne Pickett briefed us on the newest information from Farmersville Police:
Rachelle O'Neil Tolleson was found on County Road 658, which is on the South East end of Farmersville at the Collin and Hunt County lines. It is a desolate farming area far into the back roads on private property. (One correction: That would make the location almost to Greenville on Highway 380. I had stated Princeton in my last article. We have covered so much ground this past week that I was thinking about an earlier search we had done on Saturday morning. My sincere apologies to you for that small mistake.) Still we have looked over a vast area with quite a crew of dedicated persons. I don’t think that people realize how vast these prairies and wooded areas are in this area. Also there are many old barns, empty houses, ponds, and ravines in this general 20-mile search area. We also had a great deal of debris from the recent storm that had blown in and washed up in the ravines making careful searches slow and hazardous so we would not disturb a possible crime scene in the process. Poisonous snakes are out now too.
Rachelle was found after 2 PM Tuesday. Her body was identified at 8 PM by her dental records, according to the Collin County medical examiner. Her body was burned to try to hide her identity.
Rachelle’s body was found by a local resident walking along Brushy Creek looking for arrow points along a washed out area. The last murder here was four years ago, and that person was found along Caddo Creek by someone looking for fossils and arrow points. That is odd too.
The cause of Rachelle’s death is hard to determine from the condition of her body. Even after the medical examiner’s office completes his examination and autopsy some of the details will be sealed so that we do not impede the investigation by giving out too many details. There is a great deal of forensic evidence that was found so the perpetrator may find himself behind bars soon. Family, friends, and her husband have been given a polygraph test to see if there is any involvement in this homicide. This is a standard procedure. Nothing solid has been established. There are a number of suspects that are being investigated at this time. After forensic tests are completed and evidence studied will give us more complete answers to this murder investigation.
Press releases will be given at 3PM daily as new information is uncovered. Sheppe’s Dairy has offered a $10,000 reward, along with a reward the Farmersville Fire and Police Department has established. Any donations can be sent to the North Dallas Bank and Trust, on Preston Road in Dallas. The Texas Rangers, the FBI and local law enforcement are looking at this case to find new leads.
I just know that a person has brutally killed a 20-year-old woman where she was unrecognizable. She is practically a child herself. She is a mother of a 6-month-old baby. This person has no heart, and no business being free to breathe. That shakes the foundation of our family and our security. In a small town, or in a big town, it doesn’t matter which. It was like someone had done that to me personally, and I want to do something about it! Our security in our very home is eroded away when something like this happens. I know one thing for certain: the same kind of energy that we used to find Rachelle will be used to find her killer!
LATEST UPDATE: An arrest has just been made in the murder of Rachelle O’Neil Tolleson! A 20-year-old Farmersville resident named MOSES MENDOZA, an acquaintance of the deceased has just been arrested for her murder. The accused man is being held under a half million dollar-bond. The deceased knew the accused from taking classes at Collin County Community College. They had just met over a month ago. Just a week ago all these terrible actions took place: a senseless loss of a young life. May justice act as swiftly! May the young woman now rest well. May her family find peace and comfort. Keep them in your prayers.
To be continued.
Send questions and comments to: Joe L. Blevins www.texasrepublic45@cs.com
