April 9, 2016
By Emily Schmall
...Leo Criner said his nephew, (click here) Meechaiel (Khalil Criner), was bullied throughout his childhood in Texarkana, Texas, and has the mental capacity of a 10-year-old.
"I refuse to believe he just maliciously killed this young lady," the uncle said in a phone interview from Texarkana, where he lives. "This kid don't know nothing about killing. His mind don't compute like that."
Mary Wadley said authorities had told her that her grandson, Meechaiel, was caught shoplifting in McKinney, Texas, shortly before he was admitted into an emergency youth homeless shelter Monday in Austin, about 225 miles away.
McKinney police spokeswoman Sabrina Boston did not return messages seeking comment.
Wadley, who also lives in Texarkana, said she planned to travel to Austin on Monday....
Haruka Weiser was a very special 18 year old. We will be without her grace and beauty in dance. My sincerest sympathies to her family. There are no words to heal wounds when such tragedy strikes.
...The arrest affidavit said Weiser's body had "obvious trauma." An autopsy showed she had been assaulted, but police have refused to release further details about how she died.
The affidavit also said campus surveillance video not made public showed the suspect watching a female thought to be Weiser as she walked in the direction of her dorm with her head down, looking at her cellphone.
As she passed, the affidavit said, the suspect produced "what appeared to be a shiny rigid object" and followed her. The pair dropped from view as they reached the creek bank, though, and the suspect wasn't seen on video again for two-plus hours.
Police have said a crime scene weapon hasn't been recovered, however, and Acevedo wouldn't speculate on motive.
Some of this doesn't seem to make sense. It is thought the woman on the video was Ms. Weiser and it is thought the man on the video is the person arrested. There is no mention of a woman's bike because she was walking. She wasn't found for 48 hours.
The pieces don't fit. The family knows him and according to his uncle, Criner is not capable of such acts of violence. The span of time and the absence of a video camera along the creek leaves a lot of doubt. Supposedly there is a lot of activity along their during the day and pictures posted on line would attest to that.
She was obviously assaulted. It may not be Criner. Did he find her belongs or did he take them. She had a cell phone, why did she allow herself to be unescorted on a college campus, especially when there was apparent danger. Usually campus police make themselves available when students are alone and feel insecure about their circumstances. Why didn't she call them? And there is no weapon and police are not commenting about her injuries. A sharp object of metal would have lasted through the fire.
Criner might be the person who committed assault, but, if there is doubt the police should continue to leave it open ended in hopes the person responsible is still found.
By Emily Schmall
...Leo Criner said his nephew, (click here) Meechaiel (Khalil Criner), was bullied throughout his childhood in Texarkana, Texas, and has the mental capacity of a 10-year-old.
"I refuse to believe he just maliciously killed this young lady," the uncle said in a phone interview from Texarkana, where he lives. "This kid don't know nothing about killing. His mind don't compute like that."
Mary Wadley said authorities had told her that her grandson, Meechaiel, was caught shoplifting in McKinney, Texas, shortly before he was admitted into an emergency youth homeless shelter Monday in Austin, about 225 miles away.
McKinney police spokeswoman Sabrina Boston did not return messages seeking comment.
Wadley, who also lives in Texarkana, said she planned to travel to Austin on Monday....
Haruka Weiser was a very special 18 year old. We will be without her grace and beauty in dance. My sincerest sympathies to her family. There are no words to heal wounds when such tragedy strikes.
...The arrest affidavit said Weiser's body had "obvious trauma." An autopsy showed she had been assaulted, but police have refused to release further details about how she died.
The affidavit also said campus surveillance video not made public showed the suspect watching a female thought to be Weiser as she walked in the direction of her dorm with her head down, looking at her cellphone.
As she passed, the affidavit said, the suspect produced "what appeared to be a shiny rigid object" and followed her. The pair dropped from view as they reached the creek bank, though, and the suspect wasn't seen on video again for two-plus hours.
Police have said a crime scene weapon hasn't been recovered, however, and Acevedo wouldn't speculate on motive.
Some of this doesn't seem to make sense. It is thought the woman on the video was Ms. Weiser and it is thought the man on the video is the person arrested. There is no mention of a woman's bike because she was walking. She wasn't found for 48 hours.
The pieces don't fit. The family knows him and according to his uncle, Criner is not capable of such acts of violence. The span of time and the absence of a video camera along the creek leaves a lot of doubt. Supposedly there is a lot of activity along their during the day and pictures posted on line would attest to that.
She was obviously assaulted. It may not be Criner. Did he find her belongs or did he take them. She had a cell phone, why did she allow herself to be unescorted on a college campus, especially when there was apparent danger. Usually campus police make themselves available when students are alone and feel insecure about their circumstances. Why didn't she call them? And there is no weapon and police are not commenting about her injuries. A sharp object of metal would have lasted through the fire.
Criner might be the person who committed assault, but, if there is doubt the police should continue to leave it open ended in hopes the person responsible is still found.
