GUILTY TX - Carla Walker, 17, abducted, raped and strangled, Fort Worth, 17 Feb 1974 *Arrest in 2020*

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Friday, August 20th:
*Trial continues (Day 1) (@ 8:30am CT) - TX – Carla Jan Walker (17) (missing Feb. 17, 1974, Fort Worth, found Feb. 20, 1974 near Benbrook Lake, stuffed in an enclosed cement culvert) - *Glen Samuel McCurley (31 @ time of crime/77) arrested & charged (9/21/20) & indicted (11/10/20) & arraigned (6/16/21) with capital murder. $100K bond. 10/14/20: Bond now $500K . Confessed to crime. Plead not guilty. DA will not seek the DP.
DNA profile match was found in GEDMATCH.
Trial began on 8/19/21 with jury selection.
DNA & crime & court info from 10/12/20 thru 7/9/21 reference post #234 here:
TX - Carla Walker, 17, abducted, raped and strangled, Fort Worth, 17 Feb 1974 *Arrest in 2020*
8/19/21 Thursday, Day 1 of Jury selection. Opening statements expected to start on Friday, 8/20/21.
 
So I listened to some of the live stream today. I had to mute the defense opening statements. I could see Jim was on the front row. I'm not sure how he or any of the family could sit there and listen to that, but I'm sure they want to see this through for Carla and their parents.

I heard the boyfriend's testimony and thought he did very well, though you could see at the end it was stressful and a relief to be done when he was allowed to step down. Reliving that must be hard.

As far as the crime scene testimony...I did not hear that part, but did see some of the packaged evidence like her clothing, etc. Seems like the prosecution is doing a good methodical j0b. Where I left for today the defense was on cross for the person with the the crime scene clothing evidence.

Honestly, I can't see this taking very long, but who knows. I hope he is convicted and rots away in prison little by little for many years to come.
 
@skyedaze - do you have a link to the first day of trial? Or do you know if someone might be tweeting it?

I'd like to add stuff to my notes - who did opening statements & witnesses.

TIA!
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I didn't see anyone tweeting anything. There was just a link for one of the local news channels for livestream.
Court resumes Monday 8:30 am local time.
 
Monday, August 23rd:
*Trial continues (Day 2) (@ 8:30am CT) - TX – Carla Jan Walker (17) (missing Feb. 17, 1974, Fort Worth, found Feb. 20, 1974 near Benbrook Lake, stuffed in an enclosed cement culvert) - *Glen Samuel McCurley (31 @ time of crime/77) arrested & charged (9/21/20) & indicted (11/10/20) & arraigned (6/16/21) with capital murder. $100K bond. 10/14/20: Bond now $500K . Confessed to crime. Plead not guilty. DA will not seek the DP.
DNA profile match was found in GEDMATCH. DNA was tested thru the Serological Research Institute in Richard, CA. & Othram, forensic genealogy lab based in Houston. DNA on her clothing that was eventually sent to Texas company, Othram, for advanced testing. They developed a DNA profile that was then linked to genealogy data to McCurley’s family.
Trial began on 8/19/21 with jury selection, trial started 8/20/21.
DNA & crime & court info from 10/12/20 thru 7/9/21 & Jury selection 8/19/21 (Day 1) reference post #241 here:
TX - Carla Walker, 17, abducted, raped and strangled, Fort Worth, 17 Feb 1974 *Arrest in 2020*
8/20/21 Friday, Trial Day 1: Opening statements by prosecutor Emily Dixon & defense attorney Steve Myers. State witnesses: Rodney McCoy, Carla's bf recalled the night Carla went missing; direct by prosecutor Kim D'Avignon & cross-exam by defense attorney Eric Nickols. Darrell Thompson, was patrol officer with Ft. Worth (1969-1980) found Carla's body. Jack Boulton, former crime scene investigator, used a color video camera to capture the scene where her body was found which was shown to jury & still photos captured from the video were shown. Jim Mintor, was lead investigator. John Bennett, was an investigator with FWPD. Detective Leah Wagner with FWPD began working on case in Feb. 2020, talked about advances in DNA technology to match McCurley's DNA to crime scene. In Sept, 2020 Wagner & her partner, Jeff Bennett, interviewed McCurley at his Ft. Worth home, the prosecutors played about 20 minutes of audio from interview. The Judge dismissed court for the day at about 4pm. Trial continues on Monday, 8/23/21 at 8:30am.
 
I have listened to the trial today. They are playing his confession to the police (not the radio station interview as of yet). It is difficult to believe he was able to compartmentalize for so long. I think he convinced himself that his story (saving her from her boyfriend's advances) was true. I believe the DNA and his story points to his guilt; however, I think a good defense attorney might be able to say that his confession was coerced or parts of it were. He is an elderly man who has hidden this for so long. He doesn't really remember the incident much (his "memory" is his cover story of saving this person). Of course, when the interviewers point out the logical flaws in some of his story, he seems to understand. He does seem relieved to get this off his chest eventually. It will be interesting to see how the defense addresses this particular confession.
 
The gentleman from Othram testified first today. That was very interesting.

After that the day was just full of a sniveling coward crying for his own sorry soul.
I listened in from work again today. I had to stop several times because it was just such baloney and just insulting. As if he were the hero saving Carla. Such BS.

And when he finally admitted it all he made the comment that, "it wasn't like I beat her up or anything.." as if choking her to death after raping her and injecting her with drugs and other things he did to her was ok...just so long as he didn't "beat her up." He basically lied all over the place.

But the part I had to turn off first was listening to all of his sniffling...boo hoo..sniffle sniffle, needing a tissue, poor me my friends won't like me anymore, etc...wah wah wah.
Sniffle, sniffle, cry, cry, pity party for himself.

I pray he rots away in prison.
 
Tuesday, August 24th:
*Trial continues (Day 3) (@ 8:30am CT) - TX – Carla Jan Walker (17) (missing Feb. 17, 1974, Fort Worth, found Feb. 20, 1974 near Benbrook Lake, stuffed in an enclosed cement culvert) - *Glen Samuel McCurley (31 @ time of crime/77) arrested & charged (9/21/20) & indicted (11/10/20) & arraigned (6/16/21) with capital murder. $100K bond. 10/14/20: Bond now $500K . Confessed to crime. Plead not guilty. DA will not seek the DP.
Trial began on 8/19/21 with jury selection, trial started 8/20/21.
DNA & crime & court info from 10/12/20 thru 7/9/21 & Jury selection 8/19/21 (Day 1) & trial 8/20/21 (Day 1) reference post #247 here:
TX - Carla Walker, 17, abducted, raped and strangled, Fort Worth, 17 Feb 1974 *Arrest in 2020*
8/23/21 Monday, Trial Day 2: State witnesses: Several DNA experts (no names given). Fort Worth’s cold case police detective Jeff Bennett (had been assigned to the case 2 years ago). Jurors spent several hours on Monday watching a videotaped session with investigators & McCurley. It went from one end of the spectrum to the other, with denials, emotion, a confession & remorse. He first said he rescued Carla & then admitted to killing her. Trial continues on 8/24/21 at 8:30am.
 
skyedaze said:
The gentleman from Othram testified first today. That was very interesting.

After that the day was just full of a sniveling coward crying for his own sorry soul.
I listened in from work again today. I had to stop several times because it was just such baloney and just insulting. As if he were the hero saving Carla. Such BS.

And when he finally admitted it all he made the comment that, "it wasn't like I beat her up or anything.." as if choking her to death after raping her and injecting her with drugs and other things he did to her was ok...just so long as he didn't "beat her up." He basically lied all over the place.

But the part I had to turn off first was listening to all of his sniffling...boo hoo..sniffle sniffle, needing a tissue, poor me my friends won't like me anymore, etc...wah wah wah.
Sniffle, sniffle, cry, cry, pity party for himself.

I pray he rots away in prison.
Click to expand...
Thank you for summarizing court @skyedaze
 
skyedaze said:
The gentleman from Othram testified first today. That was very interesting.

After that the day was just full of a sniveling coward crying for his own sorry soul.
I listened in from work again today. I had to stop several times because it was just such baloney and just insulting. As if he were the hero saving Carla. Such BS.

And when he finally admitted it all he made the comment that, "it wasn't like I beat her up or anything.." as if choking her to death after raping her and injecting her with drugs and other things he did to her was ok...just so long as he didn't "beat her up." He basically lied all over the place.

But the part I had to turn off first was listening to all of his sniffling...boo hoo..sniffle sniffle, needing a tissue, poor me my friends won't like me anymore, etc...wah wah wah.
Sniffle, sniffle, cry, cry, pity party for himself.

I pray he rots away in prison.
Click to expand...
I wonder what was his family's reaction to all this. They must be absolutely horrified - wife, children, grandchildren, siblings etc. I read he was an avid church goer - it seems his conscience was nagging him all this time.
 
Dotta said:
I wonder what was his family's reaction to all this. They must be absolutely horrified - wife, children, grandchildren, siblings etc. I read he was an avid church goer - it seems his conscience was nagging him all this time.
Click to expand...
No offense to you.....BUT..if he really felt bad he would have owned it. But he didn't and he hasn't.
He blamed it all on Rodney and drinking and his own "troubles" and tried to spin as if he were Carla's hero, rescueing her from the bad boyfriend.
He kidnapped a 17 year old virgin at gunpoint, raped, drugged and choked her to death with his own bare hands. It was all purposeful and all forceful.
We are here waatching today because still he will not own it. ..as he has plead Not Guilty.
He feels bad only for himself because he got caught.
I thank God for that.
Bless Carla.
 
Last edited:
skyedaze said:
No offense to you.....BUT..if he really felt bad he would have owned it. But he didn't and he hasn't.
He blamed it all on Rodney and drinking and his own "troubles" and tried to spin as if he were Carla's hero, rescueing her from the bad boyfriend.
He kidnapped a 17 year old virgin at gunpoint, raped, drugged and choked her to death with his own bare hands. It was all purposeful and all forceful.
We are here waatching today because still he will not own it. ..as he has plead Not Guilty.
He feels bad only for himself because he got caught.
I thank God for that.
Bless Carla.
Click to expand...
Of course, I would never defend him. It just seems strange that he felt the compulsion to attend church services - I think it was his subconsciousness. Or family tradition. Im happy that Justice is finally served to poor Carla. RIP now.
 
She had a good impact statement, pleading with him to confess to any other crimes he may have done. She said if she had her way, his punishment would be to be strangled and left in the fields like Carla was.

They had sound issues about 2/3 of the way through her statement. The brother's statement wasn't heard.
 
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