UPDATE (November 8, 2024)
A 29-year-old man from Wichita, Kansas was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday for the murder of his cousin, 26-year-old Mandy Rose Reynolds.
A jury convicted Derek Daigneault of shooting and killing Reynolds, whose body was found burning in a field in Robinson on April 5 of last year.
Following officers' discovery of a dead body on fire, "burned beyond recognition", a white dog was barking frantically at officers, refused to leave the area of the body, and refused to allow police to capture it.
"The following morning, after the body had been removed, a citizen found the dog sitting at the spot the burning body had been the night before," the McLennan County District Attorney's office said.
"That citizen notified Robinson Animal Control, which then discovered that the dog, named Titan, was microchipped and belonged to Mandy Rose Reynolds."
Pictured below are the prosecutors of this case, Ryan Calvert and Alyssa Killin, and investigator Keith Kunz, with Mandy Reynolds’ dog, Titan.
Robinson police suspected that Reynolds was the recovered body, and learned that she lives in San Marcos — police were contacted and went to Reynolds' residence to look for her.
"Upon making entry into her apartment, police found Reynolds’ home to be completely empty, with all of her possessions removed — her vehicle, a black Honda Accord, was also missing," authorities said.
Police ran her vehicle's plates, and learned that the car was somewhere in Wichita, Kansas.
Wichita police was alerted and told to be on the lookout for Reynolds’ car — on April 8, 2023, Wichita officers spotted Reynolds’ car and attempted to pull it over.
"A high speed chase ensued, reaching speeds over 100 miles per hour and lasting nearly 30 minutes — ultimately, Reynolds’ car crashed into another vehicle," police said.
The driver of her car fled on foot and ran into a nearby grocery store, hiding in a shelf — police found the driver and identified him as Reynolds’ cousin, Derek Daigneault.
Inside Reynolds’ car, police found a .380 handgun in the driver’s seat floorboard — from evidence at the scene where Reynolds’ body was found, Robinson police determined that the body was burned inside a large plastic storage container.
Robinson police also found a fired .380 shell casing that was burned inside that container — San Marcos police obtained surveillance video from a Walmart which showed Daigneault purchasing a large plastic storage container identical to the one Reynolds’ body was burned in, a shovel, and a gas can on the morning of April 4, 2023.
"Walmart video also showed Daigneault leaving the store in Reynolds’ car, and showed Reynolds’ dog, Titan, sticking his head out the car’s window."
On April 7, San Marcos police discovered all of Reynolds’ personal belongings in an abandoned truck, several miles from her home.
Amedical examiner who performed an autopsy on Reynolds’ body confirmed her identity through dental records, and determined that Reynolds died from a gunshot would to the head — a .380 bullet was also recovered from her remains.
The Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Laboratory confirmed that the bullet found in Reynolds’ body and the shell casing found by Robinson police were both fired by the handgun which Wichita police discovered in in Daigneault’s possession.
"The keys to this case were a heroic and loyal dog named Titan and extraordinary cooperation between law enforcement agencies in multiple jurisdictions and states," authorities said.
"That combination has delivered justice for Mandy and safety from a violent and dangerous criminal.”
This case was investigated by police in Robinson and San Marcos, Texas, and Wichita, Kansas — the case was prosecuted by Ryan Calvert and Alyssa Killin.
ORIGINAL STORY (April 6, 2023)
The Robinson Police Department discovered a burning body while responding to a report of a brush fire at 10 p.m. on Wednesday, according to police.
Officers immediately distinguished the fire upon arrival, and investigators were called to the scene to begin their investigation.
Police believe this is an "isolated incident" and say there is no immediate threat to the community.
The investigation is ongoing and no further information is available.
If anyone has any information that will assist with the investigation, they are asked to contact the Robinson Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at (254)-662-0525.
