Timothy Shephard: Murder, Tynesha Stewart, TBD
March 26, 2007, 1:35PM Attorney says Aggie's alleged killer safer in jail By BRIAN ROGERS A Spring man accused of strangling his girlfriend, then dismembering the body and burning the remains, may be safer in jail and isn't trying to make bond, his lawyer said. After a probable cause hearing today, Timothy Wayne Shepherd's attorney Chip Lewis said Sheriff's office officials told him Shepherd's life may be in danger in the community. Shepherd remains under suicide watch in jail, after trying to hang himself last week. Out of an abundance of caution for procedure, Lewis said, state District Judge Vanessa Velasquez asked prosecutors to show probable cause again, because a visiting judge heard the facts Friday. Word from the Harris County Sheriff's Office that Shepherd, 27, dismembered the body of his former girlfriend, Tynesha Stewart, and burned her remains on a grill stunned those who knew him and his family. Shepherd, a former pizza-delivery driver who is unemployed, was charged with murder Thursday after investigators said he confessed to choking Stewart, 19, during a fight about her recent involvement with another man. Stewart vanished March 15 while she was home from college on spring break after she left her mother's Humble apartment with Shepherd. Sheriff Tommy Thomas revealed late Saturday that Shepherd dismembered Stewart after killing her and burned her body parts at his northwest Harris County apartment. brian.rogers@chron.com http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/4661544.html

Student Slaying Suspect's Family Shows Support POSTED: 11:47 am CDT March 26, 2007 UPDATED: 12:01 pm CDT March 26, 2007 HOUSTON -- A man suspected of killing his ex-girlfriend and destroying her body appeared in court on Monday, KPRC Local 2 reported. Investigators said Timothy Wayne Shepherd confessed Wednesday to strangling 19-year-old Tynesha Stewart, who disappeared on March 15. "It's clear that the family believes the best place for Mr. Shepherd right now is the safety of the Harris County Jail," defense attorney Chip Lewis said. Shepherd, 27, was booked into the Harris County Jail on Thursday and his bond was set at $250,000. He has been placed on suicide watch. Shepherd's family and friends were in the courtroom to support him. "The least we can do is support our family members," family friend Rev. Tommie Phillips said. "Even if they are wrong, we're not asking for justice to be overturned." Shepherd was upset that Stewart had begun a new relationship, deputies said. Detectives first thought that Shepherd had dumped Stewart's body in a Dumpster. They later learned that Stewart's body had been dismembered and possibly disposed of in several trash bins. On Saturday, investigators revealed that Stewart's remains had been burned on a grill at Shepherd's apartment. Shepherd's aunt said he is not the only person to blame. "I feel sorry for the parents," Janice Shepherd said. "I don't blame him, I don't. I blame his mother. I blame his mother and that guy, I really do. I don't believe it's his fault." Stewart was last seen alive at the Red Oak apartments, located at 17710 Red Oak Drive. When Stewart did not arrive at class on Monday, her family filed an official missing person report. The former Nimitz High School honor student was a freshman studying civil and chemical engineering at Texas A&M University. http://www.click2houston.com/news/11386614/detail.html

Graphic Details About Student's Killing Released POSTED: 5:45 pm CDT March 30, 2007 UPDATED: 6:05 pm CDT March 30, 2007 HOUSTON -- Graphic information about the evidence confiscated from murder suspect Timothy Wayne Shepherd's northwest Harris County apartment was released Friday , KPRC Local 2 reported. Shepherd, 27, was charged last week with murder after telling authorities he strangled and dismembered Tynesha Stewart, 19, a Texas A&M University freshman who was home for spring break. She was last seen March 15 and reported missing four days later. The Harris County Sheriff's Department released a six-page affidavit that spells out what detectives believe Shepherd did to dispose of Stewart's body. Investigators said Shepherd burned her body on a grill at his apartment complex. The search warrant showed detectives collected more than 100 items from Shepherd's apartment, including bones and charred items. But even before the search, court records show that Shepherd "had asked her how you would get rid of someone. When he stated that he could get away with killing someone, Shepherd stated that he would boil someone and eat them." During the search, detectives also noticed "areas of the apartment appeared to have been freshly painted and noticed empty bottles of bleach." A neighbor of Shepherd's told KPRC Local 2 that he always suspected there was something wrong happening inside Shepherd's apartment. "It's kind of hard to believe. It's getting crazier by the day," neighbor Louis Evans said. "You hear everything every day -- people saying this and that. You don’t know what to believe. I heard something like this a couple of days ago. But I didn't believe it till now." Two weeks ago, Evans called the fire department after seeing huge flames on Shepherd's patio, along with a smell he said he would never forget. "I didn't know what it was. I smelled barbecue come off his pit many times before -- many, many times and it never smelled like that before," he said. "If he did snap, then you've got to think, 'Well, what time did you not snap back?' -- to think, 'Oh my God, what am I doing?'" All of the items taken from Shepherd's apartment are still being tested at the sheriff's department's forensic lab. The sheriff's department would not comment on any of the evidence collected. Sheriff's deputies said Shepherd confessed to them. The affidavit said, "the defendant stated that he choked her. The defendant stated the blood was coming from the complainant's mouth. The defendant stated that he took her into the bathroom, took her clothes off, and cleaned her up." Shepherd was booked into the Harris County Jail last week, and his bond was set at $250,000. He has been placed on suicide watch. His family said it believes jail is the safest place for him. Shepherd was upset that Stewart had begun a new relationship, deputies said. The former Nimitz High School honor student was a freshman studying civil and chemical engineering at Texas A&M University. A memorial for Stewart will be held on April 7. The details have not yet been finalized. Shepherd is due back in court on April 26. http://www.click2houston.com/news/11458595/detail.html