Affiant is a Licensed
Texas Peace Officer assigned as a Detective to the Major Crimes Unit of
the Travis County Sheriff’s Office.
On 08/26/2007 at
approximately 12:46 pm, Jonestown Police Department Officer Y.
Gunnlaughsson responded to 8903 Hobby Lane, Jonestown, Travis County,
Texas in an attempt to locate a missing person;
Hensley, Danielle W/F DOB
01/30/1990
Officer Gunnlaughsson
was advised that the father of Hensley;
Gribble, Darrell W/M DOB
07/17/1964
had gone to look for his
daughter at 8903 Hobby Lane, Jonestown, Texas, the last place she was
known to be staying. He did not locate his daughter or anyone else.
While at the residence, Gribble told Travis County Dispatchers that a
vehicle was at the residence. Gribble described the vehicle as;
Blue Dodge pickup truck
Gribble had knowledge,
from earlier media reports, that the vehicle matched the description of
a vehicle that was involved in a Murder in Marble Falls, Texas on
08/24/2007. According to Marble Falls Police Department the suspect in
the Murder;
Devoe, Paul Gilbert W/M
DOB 08/31/1963
had fled the scene of
the Murder, in Marble Falls, in a;
2000 Blue Dodge pickup truck Texas License Plate 21X-ZJ5
Officer Gunnlaughsson
arrived on scene and located the Blue Dodge pickup truck TxLP 21X-ZJ5.
Officer Gunnlaughsson conducted a Texas License Plate check of the a
Blue Dodge pickup truck through the Department of Public Safety Texas
License Plate database and found the vehicle was linked to Devoe through
the Marble Falls Police Department Murder Warrant. Officer Gunnlaughsson
knocked at the residence door and got no answer. Travis County Sheriff's
Office Deputies arrived on scene to assist Officer Gunnlaughsson.
Travis County Sheriff’s
Major Crimes Detective S. Crowe #1101 conducted a search of the Travis
County Tax Appraisal Website and learned that the residence belonged to;
Griffith, Paula W/F DOB
01/08/1961
Deputies on scene were
informed by Gribble that Griffith, Griffith’s 15 year old daughter, his
17 year old daughter and Griffith’s boyfriend;
Feltner, Jay W/M DOB
10/08/1958
had planned on going to
Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio for a one day trip, leaving on the
morning of 08/25/2007 and returning that evening. Gribble had not heard
from his daughter since the evening of 08/24/2007. Gribble stated it was
unlike his daughter to not answer her cell phone or make contact with
him for such a length of time. The Deputies further learned that
Griffith’s vehicle;
2001 White Saturn Station Wagon Texas
License Plate Y43-ZWV
was missing from the
residence. Deputies attempted to make cell phone contact with Griffith,
Hensley and Griffith’s daughter but could not.
Detective S. Crowe
learned from Marble Falls Police Department Captain J. Goodwin that a
witness to the Murder in Marble Falls on 08/24/2007;
Purcell, Glenda W/F DOB
09/16/1962
observed Devoe enter the
Blue Dodge pickup truck and flee from the Murder scene. Purcell is an
ex-girlfriend of Devoe and the intended target of his rage the night of
the 24th. Captain Goodwin further advised he had been
informed by the registered owner of the Blue Dodge pickup truck;
Wilson, Sharon W/F (NOI)
that Devoe, an
acquaintance of Sharon Wilson, had stolen the vehicle from her residence
on 08/24/2007 after she had found Devoe stealing a credit card from her
purse. Devoe used a handgun to shoot at her and she had to flee the
residence on foot.
Detective S. Crowe
learned from Travis County Intelligence Deputy W. Samson #807 that on
08/26/2007 he spoke with Department of Public Safety Texas Ranger J.
Gordon. Deputy Samson learned that Texas Ranger Gordon was with Wilson.
He requested Texas Ranger Gordon show Wilson a Burnet County Booking
photograph of Devoe. Deputy Samson was informed that Wilson looked at
the photograph and stated that the photograph was that of the person
she knew as Paul Devoe.
Travis County Major
Crimes Sergeant S. Roper #558 arrived on scene and determined, based on
the above stated facts, that exigent circumstances surrounding the
inability to make contact with the four persons required entry into the
residence to aid in determining their whereabouts and safety.
Detective S. Crowe
learned that Travis County Deputies made entry into the residence and
discovered Griffith was located in the downstairs living area on the
carpeted floor and had died from an apparent gunshot wound. Griffith’s
15 year daughter was located against a bar on the downstairs living room
floor and also appeared to have died from a gunshot wound. Hensley was
located on the downstairs living room couch and also appeared to have
died from an apparent gunshot wound. Feltner was located, seated at the
dining room table, and appeared to have died from an apparent gunshot
wound.
Major Crimes Detective
C. Smith #978 informed Detective S. Crowe that during the entry into the
residence he observed a spent shell casing from a handgun on the
linoleum floor, which separates the dining room floor and kitchen floor.
Detective Smith stated that the spent casing was a .380 caliber.
Detective Smith further stated that he learned from Marble Falls Captain
Goodwin that Devoe had used a .380 caliber handgun during the commission
of the Murder he was suspected of committing in Marble Falls, Texas.
Detective S. Crowe met
with Travis County District Judge (District Court #167) Lynch, who
reviewed and issued a Search Warrant for the above stated address.
Detective S. Crowe
traveled to the scene and met with Detective Smith. Detective Smith
informed Detective Crowe that on 08/25/2007 Devoe contacted an
associate, by phone, who is working as a confidential informant (CI) for
Marble Falls Police Department. The CI had been providing accurate
information in regard to their case. Devoe informed the CI, “I’ve killed
6 people and I am getting the fuck out of here.”
Detective Smith further
learned that on or about 08/25/2007 Devoe used Wilson’s credit card at a
gas station on I.H. 35, in Round Rock, Texas. On 08/26/2007 Wilson
arrived at the Marble Falls Police Department with some of Devoe’s
personal affects from her residence. Included in the items she brought
was a photocopy of Griffith’s Texas Drivers License, which included the
8903 Hobby Lane, Jonestown, Texas address.
Detective S. Crowe met
with Travis County Intelligence Deputy B. Wright #1712. Deputy Wright
informed Detective S. Crowe that he was notified by Investigators from
the United States Marshall’s Office that they were in contact with
Devoe’s mother in the state of New York. The U.S. Marshall
Investigator’s stated that Devoe’s mother had received a cellular phone
call from Devoe. The phone call was made from a cell phone number that
returned to the decedent, Jay Feltner. Devoe informed his mother, “I’ve
killed 5 people.”
Detective S. Crowe
learned from Major Crimes Detective J. Goerner #846 that during an
interview with Griffith’s ex-common-law husband;
Faulkner, Larry
9-21-1959
Faulkner noted that
Devoe dated Griffith for about three months, two years ago.
During the execution of
the Search Warrant Travis County Crime Scene Technicians recovered the
following items. One bullet from the couch which contained the body of
the decedent, Hensley. One bullet fragment, located on the kitchen
floor. One bullet fragment located outside the residence, adjacent to
the north facing wall. It appeared that this expended round had passed
through the body of the decedent Hensley, through the couch and then
exited the residence through the wall. Six expended shell casings from a
.380 caliber semi-automatic handgun. Detective Smith informed Detective
S. Crowe that the bullet that was retrieved from the couch appeared to
be a jacketed hollow point bullet.
On 08/27/2007 Detective
S. Crowe attended the autopsies of all four decedents. The autopsies
were performed by Travis County Medical Examiners Doctor Wilkerson and
Doctor Kohlmeier. Doctor Wilkerson recovered one bullet fragment from
the body of the decedent Feltner and one bullet fragment from the
decedent Griffith.
Doctor Kohlmeier
recovered one bullet fragment from the body of the 15 year old juvenile
decedent. Doctor Kohlmeier also performed the autopsy on decedent
Hensley. Doctor Kolhmeier informed Detective S. Crowe that Hensley had
received approximately 3 gunshot wounds. All 3 of the gunshot wounds had
signs of entry and exit wounds.
Detective S. Crowe
observed that all 3 recovered bullet fragments appeared similar to those
recovered at the scene. Detective S. Crowe informed Doctor Wilkerson of
this fact and Doctor Wilkerson noted that they also appeared similar to
the bullet recovered during the autopsy of the decedent in the Marble
Falls Police Department Murder. Doctor Wilkerson stated the bullet was a
jacketed hollow point.
Both Doctor Wilkerson
and Doctor Kolhmeier concluded that all four decedents died of gunshot
wounds.
Detective S. Crowe was
notified that Devoe had been located at;
142 River Road, Shirley,
New York
After a brief standoff
Devoe was arrested. Detective Smith informed Detective S. Crowe that
Devoe was in possession of a handgun;
Silver .380 caliber
semi-automatic handgun
Detective S. Crowe
conducted a Computerized Criminal History of Devoe and learned that
Devoe had been arrested in Texas for Aggravated Assault with a deadly
weapon, Burglary of Habitation and Credit Card Abuse. Devoe also had
previous arrests in New York for Assault with Injury, Resisting Arrest
and Burglary.
Detective S. Crowe
believes based on the facts stated above that Devoe entered the
residence of Griffith and intentionally and knowing shot and killed
Paula Griffith. Detective S. Crowe found no sign of forced entry into
the residence and the residence was locked when Deputies arrived on
scene.
