Police are searching for whomever shot Mollie Olgin, 19, and Mary Kristene Chapa, 18, a young lesbian couple discovered in a park in Portland, Texas, this past Saturday. Chapa was rushed to a hospital and is currently in serious but stable condition. Sadly, Olgin (right) did not survive the attack.
The women were both students at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Police say their sexual orientation may have been a factor in the shooting but, “we have not been able to establish that that had anything to do with the attack.”
Authorities have been in communication with Chapa, but details are sketchy—including how the girls got to the overgrown grassy area where they were found. “We have not been able to gather enough information to identify a suspect yet,” Portland Police Chief Randy Wright told MSNBC.com. “It appears as if this was not just a random attack but that’s something that we really have to develop over time.”
If there’s a silver lining to this tragedy it’s that it appears the girls’ five-month relationship was acknowledged and respected in their community:
How about we take this to the next level?
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Olgin’s roommate, Samantha Garrett, told KRIS TV that the fun-loving couple hadn’t gotten any negative responses to their relationship and could not think of why anyone would want to harm them.
R.J.
OK. It’s stories like this that drive me wild. Particularly the last quote by Olgin’s roommate Garrett in which she is quoted as saying “the fun-loving couple hadn’t gotten any negative responses to their relationship and could not think of why anyone would want to harm them.”
Seriously?
What about all these fringe psychopathic religious extremists preaching that the Bible says gays should be killed? We’re talking Texas after all; a state where having a gun is like putting on underwear.
If the police can’t link someone to this murder and properly declare it a hate crime, that will only serve as an intensification of this needless tragedy.
Tom
We don’t know the motive of the crime yet to automatically say that if police don’t declare it a hate crime is idiotic let investigation show the motive of the attack. Them being a lesbian couple may be purely coincidental.
Dawn
What a great looking young couple. So sad.
Mark
Teens gunned down execution style = drug related until proven otherwise. Any homicide detective would tell you that.
Courtney
Mark-way to blame the victims, I’m so tired of all the assholes in the world. These girls were attacked in effing Texas- the shittiest place on earth for gays. Texas needs to get its shit together or leave the US. Hatred shouldn’t be tolerated!
Mark
Courtney, you’re a walking talking cliche. Spouses are most likely to murder their spouse, children are most likely to be murdered by their parents, and teens shot in the head execution style are most likely drug related homicides.
Cam
@Mark:
Mark, but you also left out the part that hate crimes against gays and lesbians are at a high number in Texas when compared to some other states and the fact that the couple were open could be a factor.
Add that to the fact that the Texas police, who are notoriously hesitant to declare anything a hate crime are all ready making comments that their orientation could have had something to do with this and your comments come off as a weird attempt to deflect from what even the police are saying.
Mark
Cam: when reading about the missing San Francisco boy, I read that there were two gay men recently murdered there which is probably more than were murdered in the same time frame in Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio put together.
MJ (different from the other one)
I guess I shouldn’t move to Texas After all
Clockwerk
Terrible to see this sort of crime, sadly in America murder can happen to anyone, anywhere.
May their life be blessed and remembered by all.
andy
@cam Per the Police Chief Randy White concerning the victims’ gender “That’s always something that we’re looking for, but as of this point, we have not been able to establish that that had anything to do with the attack.” so where are you getting your info from? Also Portland rarely has an serious crime with the last homicide taking place over 2 years ago.
Seeing as you can knock an entire state based on a few terrible instances, what state are you from that is appearently void of any of these serious issues?
Cam
@Mark: said…
“Cam: when reading about the missing San Francisco boy, I read that there were two gay men recently murdered there which is probably more than were murdered in the same time frame in Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio put together.”
______________-
So let me get this straight, your defense is that you are making a random guess on what a crime rate is in completely unrelated cities. I mean that is just sad.
Houston 358 murders in 2010
Dallas 148 murders in 2010
San Antonio 92 murders in 2010
Austin 37 murders in 2010
And
San Francisco……..48 murders in 2010.
So not only do you come up with this bizarre attempt to deflect from the original post, but your excuse is not just kind of wrong, but so massively wrong it is idiotic. San Francisco didn’t just have less murders than every Texas City you mentioned. It was a gigantic difference.
What I have to ask is, why you seem to be so invested in doing whatever you can to say that this attack wasn’t motivated by them being lesbians? What do you gain by that? Because I can’t imagine you making up these ridiculous figures for no reason.
Cam
@andy: From the Daily News.
Police Chief Randy Wright said the case was being investigated as a murder, and cops couldn’t rule out that the two were singled out because they were lesbians.
“It appears as if … this was not just a random attack but that’s something that we really have to develop over time.”
Wright told local station KZTV that the shooting had “the earmarks” of a targeted slaying.
Daez
@Cam: Those figures are from 2010. A lot can change in 2 years. Also, you totally neglected the fact that Austin had less murders than San Francisco. Also, you need to do a comparison to the size of the city in order for those numbers to mean anything.
I would assume that Mark wants to have a scapegoat because the thought of these women being killed simply because of their sexuality is troubling. Also, a lot of people make the automatic assumption in a case like this that it was all about sexuality, and a lot of people are often wrong.
andy
cam, yes a targeted slaying which is still terrible, but not a reference to the fact that they were a lesbian couple.
Mark
I was throwing out a theory. The most plausible one in fact unless you’re a bigoted South and in particular Texas hater who has no clue Dallas and Houston and Austin have large gay communities.
Kev C
Targetted attack implies someone with a grudge, a jilted ex-lover, etc. Not sure why they think that but that’s the theory police are focusing on.
Cam
@Daez: said…
“@Cam: Those figures are from 2010. A lot can change in 2 years. Also, you totally neglected the fact that Austin had less murders than San Francisco. Also, you need to do a comparison to the size of the city in order for those numbers to mean anything.”
_______________
I was responding directly to his comment. If you have a problem with the comparison then your beef is with his original comment.
R.A.
@Mark:
“The most plausible one in fact unless you’re a bigoted South and in particular Texas hater.”
Do you think gays resent Texas out of bigotry? Think it have something to do with Texans electing gay-bashers like Rick Perry who use public stadiums to host prayer meetings for every evangelical gay hater in the nation?
Danny
It’s Texas, where the government gives Iran a run for its money on hypocrisy and corruption and religious fanaticism. If you don’t own and carry a gun in Texas, you are nuts.
Adam
Absolutely devastating.
I can’t imagine all the emotions surging through the survivor.
Kris
Okay just so everyone can get their facts straight these girls had nothing to do with drugs or a gang…. I knew Mollie and she was a really good friend. I she was the sweetest human being ever, and and for you to say that it was drug related pisses me off…. If you don’t know the situation then don’t say anything…
Kris Owen (@Wolfwen)
I have created a page in honor of both these wonderful women: https://www.facebook.com/HonorMollieOlginMaryChapa
Please donate blood in honor of Mollie Olgin & Mary (Kristene) Chapa. Celebrate their life, and their love that was ripped away from them by a hateful person. Mollie’s life was stolen by a bullet while she and Mary were in a park. Mary survived, but is in need of blood transfusions and is fighting hard. If you are in the Portland, Texas area–donate for her! If not, donate in Mollie’s and Mary’s honor.
I would love for everyone who donates blood to come and share their story, in hopes that this will get back to their families, friends, and to show solidarity to the person who did this heinous act that we as LGBTQ community will NOT be silent.
There is a strong force of love and solidarity behind them both. This hate will end!
And why donating blood? Mary (Kristene) Chapa needs it, but if you aren’t around the Portland, Texas area, please donate elsewhere because someone else desperately needs it. And also we are standing in solidarity saying when one of our LGBTQ family has their blood shed, we will all bleed for and with them.
Drew
Before we claim that this is a hate crime we should keep in mind that they could have been shot over drugs, money, or by a jealous ex of one of the women.
Kris Owen-I’m all for donating blood but keep in mind that if you are bisexual or gay and a man you can’t donate blood at all.
Eric
As a gay Texan, I really resent when people talk about our state like its the source of all anti-gay hate. I went to college in San Francisco, and had gay slurs yelled at me publicly there three different times, which never happened in Houston. Yes, a lot of bigots live in Texas, but they do in California as well, and there are plenty of non-bigots in both places. And may I remind ya’ll that anti-gay bigotry is written into both states’ constitutions. Also, Houston is the largest city ever to have an openly lesbian mayor, which is something SF has never had.
Let’s talk about how we can make queer folks’ lives better in Texas, California, and everywhere instead of using gay rights as a reason to argue over whose state is better.
andy
@danny There are certainly people in texas that give the state a black eye, but comparing to Iran makes you sound rediculous and you definately lose traction with most people that have common sense.
Kris Owen (@Wolfwen)
Regardless of the reason for the killing, whether it was brought on by their relationship, who they are as people, etc…it is still hateful to a shoot them both, and succeed in killing one. And personally I don’t care the why. The why is less important than the fact that it happened. And it isn’t okay. Hate is hate in all forms.
Drew, I am aware of the limitations, however this is the way I chose to help out. However if you would like to organize and bring in community members who cannot donate blood, I would fully support you!
Kenneth S
One of the girls was my co-workers cousin. Such a senseless tragedy!!
Kris Owen (@Wolfwen)
@Kris: A member of the GLBTQ community in North Texas asked if there is anything they can do to help defray medical costs? They suggested a donation page. Is there any way you can send this message onto either of the families to see if this is something that they would be interested in?
LadyL
I read this sad story and wonder if an ugly history has repeated itself. Not too long ago here in Chicago a 16 year old girl was murdered by a man more than twice her age who’d made clear his interest in her and was turned down. In her innocence she thought revealing that she was a lesbian would make her “no” easier for him to take; instead, it enraged him and he strangled her to death. Could the attack on Mary and Mollie have been the result of some deluded straight male(s) who thought 1) if he wanted one or both of those girls that neither had the right to say no, and 2) for good measure felt justified in “punishing” them for the sin of being queer?
Carlos
Courtney you’re talking out of your ass. Texas is NOT the shittiest place on earth for LGBT people. If you want to see places that are very dangerous for LGBT people go to Iran or Jamaica.
Matt
It does sound like a drug related crime. These are not bisexual or gay men so they wouldn’t have been in a park at 12AM looking for sex like we used to do before the internet! People who are into hard drugs like cocaine, crystal meth, crack, and heroin do however go to parks and other places very late at night or at all hours of the day and night to cop drugs. It could be a scorned ex who went crazy as well, or even a murder-suicide. Even the police chief of that Texas city says how it’s not a hate crime and there’s no evidence that these women were shot because of their sexual orientation.
MoJo
EVERY. SINGLE. FUCKING. DAY! Something tragic is perpetrated against an LGBT person! Most likely by someone who’s parents TAUGHT them to HATE!
Kev C
@Matt: Not a murder-suicide because no gun found. Probably not an ex-lover because it was cold and execution style. Probably not drugs because they seem too clean cut. They apparently went to a movie, but it started later so they waited ..on a warm friday night in a small, unpleasant town.
Jay
Kev C-Do you honestly believe that women or men who are “Clean cut” don’t use drugs or try to buy them? LMAO you really do need to get out more.
Yes there have been murders where it was an ex-partner and it was cold and execution style.
Danny
@andy… Iran is just like Texas – Iran is not the stereotype third-world place Americans think. Iran is like Texas in climate and government and shopping malls. You should get out of the USA more often.
Brendden Sigler
Wait, wait wait WAIT. Just cause they’re in Texas doesn’t make it a hate crime, to assume it automatically is a hate crime is to be prejudiced against straight texans. This could of as easily been a mugging gone wrong (somehow) as it could of been ANYTHING else. The cops don’t know yet, could it be a hate crime? Yes, certainly, but it could be anything else too. Hell, we don’t know these people, maybe one of em had a jealous lover even, we don’t know, stop making assumptions based on “Texas hates gays blah blah blah” and think, you know, that thing you want all the straight bigots out there to start doing?
1equalityUSA
Mojo said in post #33, “EVERY. SINGLE. FUCKING. DAY! Something tragic is perpetrated against an LGBT person! Most likely by someone who’s parents TAUGHT them to HATE!”
Let’s start by telling the GOP that their hateful presidential hopeful in unacceptable and that discrimination will not win votes, then we can work on the 1,000 hormonal moms. NOM-sters, Princeton’s Robert P. George, Maggie Gallagher, New Hampshire’s, Nancy Wiggle Elliott, and all the other F__ktards that come out of the woodwork spewing their cheery-picked Bible verses that supplement their own unresolved hate. Strap-the-family-dog-to-the-roof-of-the-car (until he blows diarrhea and vomits) pin-the-gay-kid-down-with-the-help-of-cruel-friends-and-chop-his-hair-off-Romney needs to learn, first hand, the humiliation of defeat. He is cruel and insensitive. Empathy is not something that was encouraged by his parents, the by-products of a spurious, inauthentic cult that has no historical base.
1equalityUSA
Kris Owen, open up an Ebay avenue to donate money via paypal. It worked well for others. I’m sorry for your loss. I realized that I went on a political rampage and didn’t give words of condolence to these young people. It makes me sick.
Jul
Did anyone think that maybe in a conservative town, they went to the park because they thought it was a ‘safe place’ for them to be affectionate and alone? They certainly could be normal kids and also be drinking, or whatever…but any execution-style murder is usually done intentionally and specifically…and maybe connected to the girls in some way – how else would they know where they would be on that night?
It’s a sad, sad day when two girls, young and in love, are murdered execution-style. One left with a massive head trauma a likely partially paralyzed. Even if this is not hate-related…please realize that the rhetoric of hating gays does fuel incidents like this. The sermons where people laugh about ‘banishing them to an island’ or ‘killing them off’ are all ways that fuel hate-related incidents. Let’s really think about how we treat other people.
We don’t have to agree to respect each other – or at least, not to be violent towards each other. I wish Kristene the best as she attempts to recover.