5 Years Ago Today: Janice Vickers Kills Shirley Lindenbaum

CANYON LAKE, TEXAS -- On the night of November 3, 2006, sheriff’s deputies in Comal County, found the barefoot, mangled body of eighty-three-year-old Shirley Lindenbaum near 500 White Oak Drive in the Oaks subdivision of Startzville on the south side of Canyon Lake, about thirty miles north of San Antonio. A resident of the other side of the lake, forty-six-year-old Janice Marie Vickers, claimed to have run over her and then subsequently called 911 around 9:30 p.m.

The Comal County Sherriff’s Office, in conjunction with the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Attorney General’s office, proceeded to conduct a two-year investigation of the incident. That led to the arrest of Vickers in December 2008 and a grand jury in early 2009 that determined she should be charged with intentionally striking Lindenbaum with the intent of killing her. Vickers pleaded not guilty to the charges.

After various delays, Vickers’ murder trial began November 2, 2009, one day short of the three-year anniversary of the killing, in the 207th Judicial District court in New Braunfels, Judge Jack Robison presiding. The entirety of the first day of the trial was devoted to selection of the four-man, eight-woman jury.

Much of the initial proceedings on Tuesday, November 3, 2009, involved personal testimony from witnesses intended to establish the respective characters of both the defendant and the victim. The prosecution also presented crime-scene photos that many of the people present found to be horrific and disturbing. The entire top of Lindenbaum’s head was removed when Vickers ran over it multiple times with her Chevrolet Tahoe, and the victim’s body was so badly contorted that, witnesses testified, her breasts and buttocks were both facing in the same direction.

“I’ll have nightmares for a long time,” Mary Lindenbaum, daughter-in-law of the victim, told me when I spoke with her. Other family members and friends of the slain woman seemed equally shaken by the circumstances of her death.

Breaking News: Lee Roy Suarez Arrested!

On Monday, Oct. 3, Mexico authorities arrested Lee Roy Suarez in the region of Monterrey, Mexico, more specifically the Agencia Federal De Investigacion of Mexico City, the Comal County Sheriff's Office announced Tuesday, Oct. 4. The Lone Star Fugitive Task Force sponsored by the U.S. Marshals Service has announced the arrest of Lee Roy Suarez (shown at right top and middle).

Suarez was wanted by the Comal County Sheriff’s Office for the homicide of Diego Saenz and aggravated assault of his brother, Vicente Saenz, on Nov. 20, 2004.

Authorities say Vicente was able to identify Lee Roy Suarez and his two friends who started the fight. The others, Christopher Andrew Ortiz and Adrian Guerrero, were quickly taken into custody and charged. Both were convicted, sentenced, and sent to prison. Up until this date, Suarez had remained a fugitive from justice.

The Comal County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service. Suarez was aired several times on the nationally syndicated television show, America’s Most Wanted. The countless man-hours finally paid off when members of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force along with Mexican authorities, Agencia Federal De Investigacion of Mexico City, were able to track Suarez to San Nicholas, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Investigative efforts revealed that soon after the homicide, Suarez fled to Mexico, assumed another identity, was arrested on at least one occasion by Mexican authorities, but was released before his true identity could be determined.

Still, U.S. authorities continued to pursue Suarez. Suarez was again tracked to Mexico, this time to the region of Monterrey, Mexico. The U.S. Marshals contacted the Agencia Federal De Investigacion. Mexico authorities worked tirelessly throughout this investigation and based upon information shared by U.S. authorities were finally able to locate and apprehend Suarez, who now awaits extradition back to Texas.

"We commend and thank the Mexico authorities, more specifically the Agencia Federal De Investigacion of Mexico City," said Robert R. Almonte, United States Marshal for the Western District of Texas (shown at right). "The cooperative efforts between our two countries clearly demonstrates our resolve to doggedly pursue dangerous criminal and bring them to justice. Furthermore, we hope this arrest brings some closure to the Saenz family and the Comal County community."

Agency members of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force participating in this arrest are as follows: Bexar County District Attorney’s Office, Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, Comal County Sheriff’s Office, Bexar County Fire Marshal’s Office, San Antonio Independent School District – Police Department, San Antonio Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Office of Inspector General, Texas State Attorney General’s Office – Sex Offender Fugitive Unit and the U.S. Marshals Service.