Two young women, who have been dating for five months, were found shot in a park in a small town near Corpus Christi, Texas, on Saturday in an attack that does not appear to be random, according to the police chief. One of the young women, Mollie Judith Olgin, 19, died from her injuries, while the other young woman, Mary Christine Chapa, 18, was listed in serious but stable condition.
The chief of police, Randy Wright, said the police department is still investigating the details of the attack, but it appears to be an assault by a third party. He said it is still unclear if the young womens’ relationship motivated the attack, but he did say, “It appears as if… this was not just a random attack but something that we really have to develop over time.” Wright said that there was no current evidence of a hate crime, but “that’s always something we’re looking for.”
Vigils are planned across the country, including one to be held in San Francisco by Cleve Jones, a prominent gay civil rights activist who is known for starting the AIDS Memorial Quilt. The attack is the first homicide to occur in the small town, Portland, Texas, in two years.
MSBC 6/26/12, 6/25/12; Time Magazine 6/26/12; The Corpus Christie Caller 6/23/12
