GUILTY TX - Haruka Weiser, 18, found murdered, UT-Austin campus, 3 April 2016 *Arrest*

[jjenny]

Schizophrenia diagnosis wouldn't surprise me one bit. The guy who killed jogger in TX recently was schizophrenic (and found incompetent to stand trial at this time).

 

[SpanishInquisition]

EXCLUSIVE: Police files reveal accused murderer of UT ballerina was diagnosed with schizophrenia, autism and depression and beaten by his grandmother

Meechaiel Criner, 17, has been charged with first degree murder

The body of Haruka Weiser, 18, a first year theater and dance student at University of Texas was found in Waller creek on the Austin campus

The teen suffers from a range of mental health disorders

Criner had a violent and chaotic upbringing in Texarkana that included several incidents where he was an abuse victim

Police file describes one incident in which his grandmother, Mary Wadley, attacked him and left him with both eyes swollen shut in 2009

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...nia-autism-depression-beaten-grandmother.html

From the article:

She also told the officer that she had no idea of her grandson's height and weight but revealed that he had been arrested in Seagoville – a small town just south of Dallas – the day before.

According to Seagoville police records, Criner was released after telling officers that he was planning to head for Austin, where he is now in jail.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...nia-autism-depression-beaten-grandmother.html
So off and on since at least last August he was going to Austin and he had at least two arrests across the state.

 

[Paulas88]

EXCLUSIVE: Police files reveal accused murderer of UT ballerina was diagnosed with schizophrenia, autism and depression and beaten by his grandmother

Meechaiel Criner, 17, has been charged with first degree murder

The body of Haruka Weiser, 18, a first year theater and dance student at University of Texas was found in Waller creek on the Austin campus

The teen suffers from a range of mental health disorders

Criner had a violent and chaotic upbringing in Texarkana that included several incidents where he was an abuse victim

Police file describes one incident in which his grandmother, Mary Wadley, attacked him and left him with both eyes swollen shut in 2009

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...nia-autism-depression-beaten-grandmother.html

I was highly suspicious of the grandma instantly. She threw him under the bus immediately, deflecting any responsibility from herself... I don't believe she was ever looking for him. Most immediate family members don't accept the truth of their loved ones at first, and are in denial.

 

[jjenny]

There have been family members who turned their relatives in after seeing police sketches on the news, etc. So not all of the family members are in denial. Sounds like grandma was left with a whole bunch of kids to raise. It's likely wasn't easy.

 

[strawberry]

EXCLUSIVE: Police files reveal accused murderer of UT ballerina was diagnosed with schizophrenia, autism and depression and beaten by his grandmother

Meechaiel Criner, 17, has been charged with first degree murder

The body of Haruka Weiser, 18, a first year theater and dance student at University of Texas was found in Waller creek on the Austin campus

The teen suffers from a range of mental health disorders

Criner had a violent and chaotic upbringing in Texarkana that included several incidents where he was an abuse victim

Police file describes one incident in which his grandmother, Mary Wadley, attacked him and left him with both eyes swollen shut in 2009

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...nia-autism-depression-beaten-grandmother.html

Wow. Talking to himself and making fighting actions does sound like schizophrenia but he had such a neglectful home I wonder when and by whom he was diagnosed ? I HATE it when the press summarizes documents but doesn't post them

 

[SpanishInquisition]

Criner had previously been with CPS in Austin, which this sounds like it happened after his arrest in Seagoville:

Criner’s sister, a 23-year-old law student living in Houston, said the teen was supposed to be in the custody of Texas Child Protective Services. He was placed in an Austin group home after he ran away from his grandma's, but eventually escaped from the state-run home, too, his sister said.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/sister-teen-accused-ut-murder-speaks-article-1.2594480

 

[tiffay01]

The newest articles must be tearing Harukas family apart honestly. I get the impression they are genuinely the kind of people who would go so above and beyond for anyone. So hearing about his upbringing and situations must make this all the more difficult to swallow.

Also, knowing about his mental health issues it's probably going to be a bit before he is found mentally stable to stand trial, or at least I would think that's what the defense will try for. Making this all the more difficult.

 

[i.b.nora]

Criner had previously been with CPS in Austin, which this sounds like it happened after his arrest in Seagoville:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/sister-teen-accused-ut-murder-speaks-article-1.2594480

An earlier 'report' said that he was placed with CPS in Killeen, Texas. I think the reporters are just reporting what other reporters are reporting. So far, he has been reported in McKinney, Seagoville, Killeen. I think most reporters are reporting rumors and not hard factual information.

 

[i.b.nora]

ABC News report, Friday April 8, 2016 includes a written report and a video interview with Meechaiel's 23 year old sister:

The article says:
“They bounced between their grandmother's care in Texarkana and Child Protective Services (CPS). Criner ran away from his grandmother's last fall and ended up in a group home in Austin. His sister says he is mentally ill and stands by him.”

and

“State officials confirm Meechaiel was in foster care, but classified as a runaway, when Wesier (sic) was murdered.”​

Comment: Those statements are factual. He did run away from the grandmother's home in August, and he was arrested at LifeWorks in Austin. And, he had been classified as a runaway by CPS.


Somehow, it seems that in her NY Daily News article on Saturday April 9, 2016 reporter Meg Wagner interprets that as:

“Criner’s sister, a 23-year-old law student living in Houston, said the teen was supposed to be in the custody of Texas Child Protective Services. He was placed in an Austin group home after he ran away from his grandma's, but eventually escaped from the state-run home, too, his sister said.

“How would you possibly let a 17-year-old mentally-issued child out of your system for that long?” she asked, adding that the Texas agency is to blame for Criner’s escape. “It's not a hidden fact he had mental issues.”​

Comment: I interpret Meg Wagner's piece as sloppy, lazy, bad reporting.

http://abc13.com/news/exclusive-sister-defends-ut-murder-suspect/1283316/

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/sister-teen-accused-ut-murder-speaks-article-1.2594480

 

[eileenhawkeye]

I feel like he's mentally competant to stand trial because he burned her stuff. That shows that he does know right or wrong, and he realizes that he did was wrong. I think someone who is just so unaware would be walking around the campus with the backpack on. Don't believe the positive PR for him. His little brain works more than they are trying to actually like it does.

 

[BrownRice]

I'm confused about the timeline.

Haruka had an event/class on Sunday evening and texted her roommate (or is it a student friend?) around 9:30'ish stating she was leaving.

Criner was picked up on Monday by LE and brought to the homeless shelter. They were not aware of a missing person at this point.

Why the delay? Wouldn't the person Haruka texted be concerned at some point that night? Why not call LE then? And I thought I read somewhere that the UT police were notified first. Considering she was found right between her dorm and the last place she was seen - what took so long to find her?

I have been thinking this from the beginning and keep forgetting to ask.

 

[eileenhawkeye]

I'm confused about the timeline.

Haruka had an event/class on Sunday evening and texted her roommate (or is it a student friend?) around 9:30'ish stating she was leaving.

Criner was picked up on Monday by LE and brought to the homeless shelter. They were not aware of a missing person at this point.

Why the delay? Wouldn't the person Haruka texted be concerned at some point that night? Why not call LE then? And I thought I read somewhere that the UT police were notified first. Considering she was found right between her dorm and the last place she was seen - what took so long to find her?

I have been thinking this from the beginning and keep forgetting to ask.

I was confused by that too. I actually read that Haruka called her roommate and said she was on her way. I wonder why Haruka decided to call instead of text? It might not matter, just curious. And then when she didn't show up, what did the roommate do? Haruka wasn't reported missing until she didn't show up for her Monday class. Maybe her roommate went to bed right after she talked to Haruka on the phone? They could have had seperate bedrooms...so maybe she stayed in her room and figured Haruka was in hers? IDK...

 

[Bootsctr]

I thought I read Haruka's body was well hidden. I'll look for a link. It seems they looked first for her on the trail she was taking to her room and didn't find anything, but then later an odor led them back to the area and she was after a more thorough search. He must have drug her off the main path if there was no blood on the path. If he spent 2 hours or even 1hour hiding the body, I have to wonder where in the creek area she was found.

 

[Inthedetails]

I'm confused about the timeline.

Haruka had an event/class on Sunday evening and texted her roommate (or is it a student friend?) around 9:30'ish stating she was leaving.

Criner was picked up on Monday by LE and brought to the homeless shelter. They were not aware of a missing person at this point.

Why the delay? Wouldn't the person Haruka texted be concerned at some point that night? Why not call LE then? And I thought I read somewhere that the UT police were notified first. Considering she was found right between her dorm and the last place she was seen - what took so long to find her?

I have been thinking this from the beginning and keep forgetting to ask.

LE did look in the creek area for her on Monday, after she was reported missing. They didn't find her. That leads me to assume the perp covered and concealed her.

I don't know why she wasn't reported missing until Monday. Perhaps her roommate wasn't home and went out for the evening, or perhaps she went to sleep and didn't notice?

Who reported her missing....wasn't it someone from class??


JMO

 

[oceanblueeyes]

Bike might have been stolen from somebody or found somewhere. That sure doesn't mean he wants to be a female. Some of the items belonging to the victim were apparently burned. So I really doubt he wanted her things to wear them.

I don't think it does either plus people rob when the opportunity is right and the girl's bike could have been the easiest one to take at the time.

What his family says is a little confusing. One says he is slow and the other said he is highly intelligent.

We seem to see a lot of family members lately of murderers who immediately come out and say they are mentally ill and when it goes to court it turns out not to be so and they are not ruled mentally insane by judicial standards but are found fit to stand trial. There are many people who are in prison locked away forever or even on death row who have some type of mental illness even the conditions he is said to have.

With him trying to burn some of the evidence it shows he did know what he did was wrong.

IMO

 

[tlcya]

Or perhaps her roommate, while concerned, was attempting not to be in Haruka's business. After all. They were roommates, young adults away at college. She may have been slightly concerned when Haruka didn't show up as expected, but not so worried that she would want to create a big fuss.

The next morning, when it was time to get to class and still no Haruka, I can see that being different. "Hey, this is very unlike her, I hope nothing is wrong, I better contact campus security just in case something has happened to her"

 

[Inthedetails]

Or perhaps her roommate, while concerned, was attempting not to be in Haruka's business. After all. They were roommates, young adults away at college. She may have been slightly concerned when Haruka didn't show up as expected, but not so worried that she would want to create a big fuss.

The next morning, when it was time to get to class and still no Haruka, I can see that being different. "Hey, this is very unlike her, I hope nothing is wrong, I better contact campus security just in case something has happened to her"

I agree....though I think it was an instructor or classmate who called to report her, not the roommate? Am I mis-remembering?

(I am in no way finding fault with the roommate. The sole person at fault is in police custody.)

 

[jjenny]

I'm confused about the timeline.

Haruka had an event/class on Sunday evening and texted her roommate (or is it a student friend?) around 9:30'ish stating she was leaving.

Criner was picked up on Monday by LE and brought to the homeless shelter. They were not aware of a missing person at this point.

Why the delay? Wouldn't the person Haruka texted be concerned at some point that night? Why not call LE then? And I thought I read somewhere that the UT police were notified first. Considering she was found right between her dorm and the last place she was seen - what took so long to find her?

I have been thinking this from the beginning and keep forgetting to ask.

They are college students (not her parents). So it doesn't surprise me that she wasn't reported missing until the next morning. University says a lot of students are reported missing, but they might just be sleeping in the friends' room, etc. So roommate might have believed she went to sleep somewhere else until she didn't show up for classes.

 

[jjenny]

I agree....though I think it was an instructor or classmate who called to report her, not the roommate? Am I mis-remembering?

(I am in no way finding fault with the roommate. The sole person at fault is in police custody.)

Roommate reported her missing.
"Weiser never arrived at her dorm or made it to class the next morning, and a roommate reported Weiser as missing on Monday, Gay said."
http://www.mystatesman.com/news/new...dead-is-ut-freshman-haruka-weiser-poli/nq2TF/

 

[SpanishInquisition]

I don't think it does either plus people rob when the opportunity is right and the girl's bike could have been the easiest one to take at the time.

What his family says is a little confusing. One says he is slow and the other said he is highly intelligent.

We seem to see a lot of family members lately of murderers who immediately come out and say they are mentally ill and when it goes to court it turns out not to be so and they are not ruled mentally insane by judicial standards but are found fit to stand trial. There are many people who are in prison locked away forever or even on death row who have some type of mental illness even the conditions he is said to have.

With him trying to burn some of the evidence it shows he did know what he did was wrong.

IMO

I think what has come out as confirmed from the police file on him was that he's been diagnosed as mentally ill, but someone can be legitimately DSM mentally ill, but just because someone is mentally ill, it doesn't mean that they'd be considered criminally insane as the requirements for criminal insanity are more than the requirements for clinical insanity. Texas does specifically require that the defendant didn't know right from wrong, which regardless of what mental problems he has, the fire to destroy evidence would seem to trump that as far as criminal concerns go:
https://www.versustexas.com/criminal/insanity-defense/