Naman Shrestha
The tragic death of Mollie Olgin and the severe injury of her partner, Mary Kristene Chapa, in 2012 caused an uproar in the LGBTQ+ community as the attack was deemed a hate crime against two women in love. It is the primary subject of the episode titled ‘The Overlook’ of NBC’s ‘Dateline,’ which also covers the investigation of the case that ensued. The trail of clues and evidence ultimately led the detectives to the killer. The episode also consists of in-depth interviews with the victim’s family and friends and the officials directly or indirectly involved in the case, providing the viewers with a detailed account of the investigation and its aftermath.
Mollie Olgin Was Out With Her Girlfriend to Watch a Movie When They Were Attacked
Mollie Judith Olgin entered the world of Mario and Maryel Olgin on May 12, 1993, and brightened their lives and everyone around her, including the two sisters she was raised with — Megan and Madison. Thanks to her contagious smile and laughter, she had the ability to bring life into even the dullest of rooms. Mollie grew up to be an intelligent woman with a sense of humor and a kind heart. Given her compassionate and empathetic nature, she had dreams of becoming a Psychologist.
In high school, she crossed paths with Mary Kristene Chapa, who eventually became an important part of her life as they started dating. According to reports, they did not have to hide their relationship, as their parents and the community were quite accepting and supportive of their love. A resident of Corpus Christi, Texas, Mollie had recently finished her first semester of college after graduating from high school with her partner, who hailed from the town of Sinton. As per family members, the couple had gone out on the night of June 22, 2012, to watch a movie. Since they had plenty of time before it started, they decided to stop by Violet Andrews Park in Portland, Texas, which was where Mollie was baptized.
Unfortunately, they never made it to the movies. On the same night, Mollie and Mary were brutally attacked and left to die. It wasn’t until the next morning that a team of birdwatchers came across their bodies below a viewing deck and informed the authorities about the same. After the arrival of the police at the crime scene, they discovered that both the women were sexually assaulted before getting shot in the head. While Mollie was declared deceased at the scene, Mary was rushed to the hospital and treated for the critical injuries that she suffered. Given the nature of their relationship, it was initially suspected to be a homophobic crime against the two lovers. Meanwhile, the authorities launched a homicide investigation in order to get to the bottom of the case and bring the perpetrator to justice.
Mollie Olgin’s Killer Attempted to Frame His Old Friend For the Murder
As soon as Mary Kristene Chapa began recovering, she tried to remember what the man who attacked him looked like and helped the police create a sketch of him. Despite the hard work of the detectives, who were hardly leaving any stone unturned, the investigation was met with dead ends. However, a significant development was made in the case after Mary’s father received an anonymous letter that contained undisclosed information about the crime. The letter led the investigators to a Layton, Utah, man who was blamed for murdering Mollie Olgin.
As they dug deeper into the life of the accused, they found out that his house was broken into and robbed earlier that year by a former friend named David Malcolm Strickland. When they questioned the Utah man about the letter, he had a foolproof alibi for the night of the murder and also noticed that the letter contained a photo of him that was taken by David’s wife, Laura. What followed was the discovery of a series of incriminating evidence against the Stricklands. At first, the evidence found in the possession of David Strickland during the burglary investigation, such as firearms, gloves, ammunition, and a backpack containing a knife and bolt cutters, was made accessible to the investigators of the Mollie case.
The Killer Was Brought to Justice Before New Evidence Implicated Another Suspect
While looking into David’s cell phone activity, the detectives found out that it was near Mary’s residence when the letter was received by her father. Moreover, not only was he seen at the crime scene a few days after the shooting, but one of his guns matched the bullet casings found near the bodies of Molli and Mary. What served as the final nail to the coffin was the draft of the letter sent to Mary’s father recovered from David’s computer. Thus, in light of all these pieces of evidence, David and Laura Strickland were arrested on June 20, 2014, in the San Antonio suburb of Helotes. The former was charged with aggravated sexual assault, aggravated assault, and capital murder, while his wife was charged with tampering with evidence, though it was later dismissed.
During his trial, the prosecution presented various evidence-backed arguments to the jury, including a sketch provided by Mary, DNA links, and David’s involvement in the investigation. Thus, six long years after Mollie Olgin’s demise, on September 28, 2016, David Strickland was convicted of all the charges against him. As the prosecutors did not seek the death penalty, he was automatically sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. However, when another suspect named Dylan Spellman was connected to the case due to new DNA evidence, David’s attorney appealed to have his conviction overturned, which was denied by the court.
