GUILTY IN - Rayna Rison, 16, murdered in Laporte, 26 March 1993

[cowgirl35]

Rayna Rison 16 went missing March 16,1993 from her job at Pine Lake Animal Hospital,she was found a month later in a pond at range road&700N.police thought her brother-in-law did it but DNA proved him innocent.I always thought he didn't do it cause the letterman jacket she was wearing was found in a spot police already searched he didn't seem that smart for that.There are some good articles on her murder but i don't know how to download them on the thread if someone else could i would be so happy.She was only two years younger than me when she died,here is another killer running free to kill again.

 

[colette]

I have been very interested in Rayna's unsolved murder, sad that there is no resolution. This case was featured on America's Most Wanted around the time of the murder. I have never heard that her brother-in-law was cleared by DNA, Rayna's father did not believe that Mc Carty, the brother-in-law committed the crime. McCarty was indicted by a grand jury but later the charges were dropped as the prosecutors did not think they could prove the case.

The missing jacket was strange, it's almost like the killer wanted to keep the jacket but got rid of it when it became so publicized. Or maybe the killer put the jacket in the tree to throw LE on some other trail.

Here are some links to the case:

http://heraldargus.com/main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=3342&TM=56140.5

http://heraldargus.com/main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=3410&TM=11188.93

 

[Jay Christian]

There is a new book out that points to a serial killer from Wabash, Indiana as the man who murdered both Rayna Rison and Linda Weldy. The name of the book is:

Urges: A Chronicle of Serial Killer Larry Hall

I have read this book. This man did it. In case you want to read the book, here is the link on Amazon.com:

Amazon.com: Urges: A Chronicle of Serial Killer Larry Hall (9781451589948): Christopher Hawley Martin: Books

Jay Christian

 

[colette]

Here is an article about the book. There are interesting comments after the story from Rayna's sister and others.

http://heraldargus.com/articles/2010/06/02/news/local/doc4c05d421d1e03696721228.txt


I guess one thing that I question is that supposedly there was a birth control package with R Rison typed on it found in Larry Hall's possesion. LE checked pharmacies and no match, but I wonder if they went to clinics such as Planned Parenthood.

Jay, what do you think after reading the book? Do you think he killed Rayna?

 

[colette]

They have a wonderful 20 year look at Rayna's case with a good video. One detail I didn't remember was she was supposed to meet her boyfriend at her home that night, she never showed. Her boyfriend was ruled out as a suspect. I really wonder if it was someone who was jealous of Rayna and her boyfriend's relationship. I think there had to be a 2nd person to drive the killer back from where her car was found in the middle of nowhere. Who made the call to LE about Rayna's (boyfriend's letter) jacket ? I really like it was committed by local people.

http://www.wsbt.com/news/wsbt-cold-...a-rison-20-years-ago-20130715,0,1114792.story

 

[CatFancier]

LaPorte man arrested in 20-year-old murder case of teen girl

http://fox59.com/2013/08/23/laporte-man-arrested-in-20-year-old-murder-case-of-teen-girl/

 

[colette]

She was friends with the possible killer in middle school. He would have been 18 at the time of the murder.

http://www.tribtown.com/view/story/b8b59dd6239e4d1394e1a61af513cafa/IN--LaPorte-Cold-Case


A statement made years ago pushed the investigation in his direction.

http://posttrib.suntimes.com/22110583-537/man-arrested-in-20-year-old-laporte-homicide.html


I bet it was jealousy that led to murder.

 

[colette]

I was right. Jason Tibbs said he would go to any length to get Rayna back. His ring was found in her car, that was a big clue back then. (Plus how he threw her present boyfriend's letter jacket into the bushes).


According to court documents, the first major break came when Rickey Hammons, while housed at the Wabash Correctional Facility in 2008, called investigators with information about the case. Hammons said he was 14 and hiding in a pole barn when Tibbs and Eric Freeman drove inside the building.

Tibbs and Freeman met Rayna in Vet parking lot after work. Rayna went with them.

Freeman told investigators that Rayna and Tibbs got out of the car and kept arguing then started hitting each other when he saw Tibbs strangle her, according to court documents.

They went to pole barn with her body in the truck. They didn't know there was a witness 14 yr old kid who was hiding in the barn and saw the body. He later told LE and then LE talked with Freeman.


http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/...cle_9e8f6fa9-1dd7-5257-a6ec-21a0c1638a81.html

 

[colette]

Here is a link to the court documents:

http://media.trb.com/media/acrobat/2013-08/186012160-23125246.pdf

 

[Tulessa]

20 years later, Rayna Rison cold case cracked?

http://www.hlntv.com/article/2013/08/27/rayna-rison-murder-cold-case-20-years-jason-tibbs-arrested

 

[colette]

Tibbs has a new private attorney hired by his family. He is a defense and personal injury attorney.

The hearing was set for Sept. 13 at the La Porte County Circuit Court but was canceled by Judge Thomas Alevizos due to the defendant already acquiring counsel. Attorneys representing Tibbs, 38, La Porte, are L. Scott Pejic of Dimartino & Pejic, LLP in Michigan City and John Lawrence Tompkins of Brown Tompkins Lory & Mastrian in Indianapolis.


http://heraldargus.com/articles/2013/09/11/news/local/doc5227ba8e569fb183673640.txt

 

[December]

Wow, looks like this one is more than likely solved. Finally Rayna will get justice. It sounds like they have a pretty tight case.

 

[colette]

The family will finally get to see Tibbs in court this Friday. They had a vigil for family support and to raise money for a band scholarship in Rayna's name. There was video of the vigil and some conversation with Rayna's sister. Afterwards the newscaster's were talking about the case. The man gets some facts wrong. It wasn't Tibbs jacket that was found, it was a jacket that belonged to her present boyfriend. Tibbs was an ex-boyfriend.

http://www.wndu.com/home/headlines/Family-of-Rayna-Rison-praying--228118581.html

 

[bessie]

I'm marking this one "solved". Does anyone have an update on the Tibbs' trial? This article from February is the most recent I've been able to find.

Tibbs Trial to Begin April 7

By GABRIELLE GONZALEZ
Posted: Saturday, February 8, 2014 12:00 am

La PORTE — New information was reported in court Friday during a hearing for the man accused in the murder of Rayna Rison 20 years ago.

Rison was 16 when she disappeared in March 1993, and her body was recovered on April 27, 1993, from a pond near Range Road in La Porte County. Her death was ruled a homicide.

A trial has been set for April 7 for Jason L. Tibbs of La Porte, who has been charged with the girl's death.

 

[colette]

From the Rayna Rison Case Facebook page:

It was decided at court that the new trial date is set for Oct 27- Nov 7. Our next court date is not until August.

https://www.facebook.com/JusticeForRayna

 

[PastTense]

LAPORTE | Jury selection began Monday for the case of Jason Tibbs, 39, who is going on trial for the killing of Rayna Rison, 16, of LaPorte, who was found strangled in 1993.

A 12-member jury with two alternates will be selected from 120 people who reported to LaPorte Circuit Court on Monday for the selection process.

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/...cle_8f94e24a-5d4b-5c4f-94c2-133f1d113417.html

 

[colette]

First day of trial very eventful. Opening statements: Fronk says the following conversation took place: Freeman asked Tibbs, "What the hell did you do that for?" To which Tibbs responded, "If I can't have her, nobody can." After he had strangled Rayna.

First witness: Freeman testified he was with Tibbs that night.

He confirmed Fronk's statement, saying, "He was on top of her choking her [...] Jason Tibbs choking Rayna."

Second witness was the man who as a teen was hiding in the barn when they pulled the car in with Rayna's body in the trunk.

Third witness was a woman who the teen told about seeing the body in the trunk.

Very interesting article and video.

http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/notre-dame-researcher-hopes-to-better-understand-ebola/29400508

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.heraldargus.com/news/for...cle_e645ed30-6169-11e4-a736-071078103fb6.html

The cause of death was ruled asphyxiation due to cervical compression. The manner of death was homicide. But due to the state of Rayna Rison's body when she was found, there was little physical evidence for either. Such was the testimony given by forensic pathologist Rick Hoover during Day 3 of the murder trial of Jason Tibbs...

He said it is not uncommon for there to be no evidence of strangulation on a decomposed body. He said he'd make the same ruling of asphyxiation on Rison's body today. He said he ruled it a homicide based on how her body was found. Rison was weighed down by logs in a pond...

Later came Matt Elser, who was Rison's boyfriend back in 1993. He said he had searched for Rison the night of her disappearance after she failed to come back to her parents' house from work. He said he was unaware of any rivalry between him and Tibbs for Rison's affections.

 

[colette]

Just in Jason Tibbs found guilty! The defense tried to say the real killer was Rayna's brother-in-law because he had molested and impregnated her when she was younger but the jury did not believe that theory. I really don't understand what took so long for the case to be solved as Tibbs' class ring was found in Rayna's car from day one. What would his ring be doing in her car if wasn't with her at that point?

http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/tear...uments-given-in-laporte-co-cold-case/29597902

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/cri...found-guilty-in-girl-s-1993-death-5878976.php

Sentencing for Tibbs is scheduled for Dec. 19.