GUILTY TX - Ronald Shumway, 57, found buried at his Dallas home, 23 April 2015

[texmystery]

Since it seems like nobody saw any work done in the back yard, it seems like it might also possible that the deceased person was buried there before all these recent events. Maybe somebody RS previously killed (the ex-boyfriend?) or, depending on how long he owned the house, maybe even somebody buried by a previous owner.

It's frustrating waiting for results but probably every other case in the queue is just as important.

Neighbors had mentioned a bad smell, a stench in the area. This lends itself to the corpse being more recent.

 

[carbuff]

Neighbors had mentioned a bad smell, a stench in the area. This lends itself to the corpse being more recent.

Yes, I agree, that's far more likely, but with the possibility of more than one death, it occurred to me that perhaps the smell and the remains weren't the same person.

 

[Dogface]

Yes I know you don't have to pay off the lien of course it can be done at at closing by the title company, but somebody did go the trouble of paying off that $56,000 lien themselves before closing.

Why do you think they did that? For what reason would they have payed off that lien though they did not have to do so, its unsual that they did that and is duly noted !

I guess I missed something, will go back and read. I hadn't read that it was paid off before the first closing transaction. My apologies.

 

[texmystery]

The body in the backyard was officialy just identified as Ron Shumway and arrest warrant issued for the tenant/friend Christian Colbert......

http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/201...-mans-home-for-130000-dallas-police-say.html/

Dallas police are looking for a man suspected of selling a Kessler Stevens house for $130,000 by posing as its dead owner.
In September, 57-year-old Ronald Shumway’s remains were found in the side yard of his home, in the 700 block of North Winnetka Avenue, near West Davis Street. He had not been seen since April.
Police said Thursday that they were investigating the death as a homicide.
Location approximate

They suspect that Christopher Brian Colbert, 43, posed as Shumway after Shumway went missing, then sold the North Winnetka house.
An arrest warrant was issued for Colbert on Monday. He remained at large as of Thursday afternoon. He is accused of two felonies: securing execution of a document by deception and tampering with a government record.
Court records say Colbert, who had an outstanding warrant in Grand Prairie related to Shumway’s car, either lived with Shumway or next to him and had “access to his property” on Winnetka.
Colbert contacted a broker in May for an evaluation of Shumway’s house, according to his arrest warrant. He introduced himself as Shumway and signed a contract with the broker, agreeing to sell the house for $145,000, the warrant states.
Three days after the meeting, Colbert got in touch with the broker using Shumway’s email account and said he wanted to sell quickly, according to the warrant. The asking price was dropped to $130,000.
On June 22, when the escrow officer closing the sale asked Colbert for identification, he reportedly told her didn’t have his driver’s license with him but would fax it later. Investigators said he signed the closing documents, “Ronald D. Shumway.”
The next day, police said, Colbert faxed over a doctored version of Shumway’s license, one that had Colbert’s photo on it.
“Thanks! Nice to meet you,” he wrote in the fax, according to police.
The title company then wired the proceeds of the home sale, about $110,000, to a bank account that belonged to Shumway and his late mother. Police believe Colbert used Shumway’s debit card to make withdrawals from the account.
In late September, the house’s new owner found Shumway’s remains in a plastic bag covered by a cement slab in the yard.
Witnesses identified Colbert through a photo lineup as the person who had impersonated Shumway.
Shumway, a former Dallas Area Rapid Transit driver, bought the house in 1984 and lived there for more than 30 years.

​

 

[cbpearson]

I KNEW it was Christian Colbert!

Web sleuths! We DID it! Now let's find that slime ball!

- Cliff

The body in the backyard was officialy just identified as Ron Shumway and arrest warrant issued for the tenant/friend Christian Colbert......

http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/201...-mans-home-for-130000-dallas-police-say.html/

Dallas police are looking for a man suspected of selling a Kessler Stevens house for $130,000 by posing as its dead owner.
In September, 57-year-old Ronald Shumway’s remains were found in the side yard of his home, in the 700 block of North Winnetka Avenue, near West Davis Street. He had not been seen since April.
Police said Thursday that they were investigating the death as a homicide.
Location approximate

They suspect that Christopher Brian Colbert, 43, posed as Shumway after Shumway went missing, then sold the North Winnetka house.
An arrest warrant was issued for Colbert on Monday. He remained at large as of Thursday afternoon. He is accused of two felonies: securing execution of a document by deception and tampering with a government record.
Court records say Colbert, who had an outstanding warrant in Grand Prairie related to Shumway’s car, either lived with Shumway or next to him and had “access to his property” on Winnetka.
Colbert contacted a broker in May for an evaluation of Shumway’s house, according to his arrest warrant. He introduced himself as Shumway and signed a contract with the broker, agreeing to sell the house for $145,000, the warrant states.
Three days after the meeting, Colbert got in touch with the broker using Shumway’s email account and said he wanted to sell quickly, according to the warrant. The asking price was dropped to $130,000.
On June 22, when the escrow officer closing the sale asked Colbert for identification, he reportedly told her didn’t have his driver’s license with him but would fax it later. Investigators said he signed the closing documents, “Ronald D. Shumway.”
The next day, police said, Colbert faxed over a doctored version of Shumway’s license, one that had Colbert’s photo on it.
“Thanks! Nice to meet you,” he wrote in the fax, according to police.
The title company then wired the proceeds of the home sale, about $110,000, to a bank account that belonged to Shumway and his late mother. Police believe Colbert used Shumway’s debit card to make withdrawals from the account.
In late September, the house’s new owner found Shumway’s remains in a plastic bag covered by a cement slab in the yard.
Witnesses identified Colbert through a photo lineup as the person who had impersonated Shumway.
Shumway, a former Dallas Area Rapid Transit driver, bought the house in 1984 and lived there for more than 30 years.

 

[AliceInPain]

I KNEW it was Christian Colbert!

Web sleuths! We DID it! Now let's find that slime ball!

- Cliff

No surprise is it, but very sad.

RIP Ron.

Christian Colbert (inactive) FB:
https://www.facebook.com/christian.colbert.12

myspace:
https://myspace.com/christianbrian/photos

article/photo from dallasvoice:
http://www.dallasvoice.com/the-cutting-edge-1023710.html

Photos of CC from Ron's FB:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=848730588483455&set=a.100246329998555.329.100000395644480&type=3&theater
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=848730531816794&set=a.100246329998555.329.100000395644480&type=3&theater
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=848730468483467&set=a.100246329998555.329.100000395644480&type=3&theater

There are quite a few links out there but I think these have the best photos.

I wonder also if Mrs. Snodgrass has been in contact with police re the last conversation she had with him (CC) a few months back.
They may be able to track at least his then location.

I hope he's caught soon!

 

[cocomod]

The body in the backyard was officialy just identified as Ron Shumway and arrest warrant issued for the tenant/friend Christian Colbert......

http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/201...-mans-home-for-130000-dallas-police-say.html/

Dallas police are looking for a man suspected of selling a Kessler Stevens house for $130,000 by posing as its dead owner.
In September, 57-year-old Ronald Shumway’s remains were found in the side yard of his home, in the 700 block of North Winnetka Avenue, near West Davis Street. He had not been seen since April.
Police said Thursday that they were investigating the death as a homicide.
Location approximate

They suspect that Christopher Brian Colbert, 43, posed as Shumway after Shumway went missing, then sold the North Winnetka house.
An arrest warrant was issued for Colbert on Monday. He remained at large as of Thursday afternoon. He is accused of two felonies: securing execution of a document by deception and tampering with a government record.
Court records say Colbert, who had an outstanding warrant in Grand Prairie related to Shumway’s car, either lived with Shumway or next to him and had “access to his property” on Winnetka.
Colbert contacted a broker in May for an evaluation of Shumway’s house, according to his arrest warrant. He introduced himself as Shumway and signed a contract with the broker, agreeing to sell the house for $145,000, the warrant states.
Three days after the meeting, Colbert got in touch with the broker using Shumway’s email account and said he wanted to sell quickly, according to the warrant. The asking price was dropped to $130,000.
On June 22, when the escrow officer closing the sale asked Colbert for identification, he reportedly told her didn’t have his driver’s license with him but would fax it later. Investigators said he signed the closing documents, “Ronald D. Shumway.”
The next day, police said, Colbert faxed over a doctored version of Shumway’s license, one that had Colbert’s photo on it.
“Thanks! Nice to meet you,” he wrote in the fax, according to police.
The title company then wired the proceeds of the home sale, about $110,000, to a bank account that belonged to Shumway and his late mother. Police believe Colbert used Shumway’s debit card to make withdrawals from the account.
In late September, the house’s new owner found Shumway’s remains in a plastic bag covered by a cement slab in the yard.
Witnesses identified Colbert through a photo lineup as the person who had impersonated Shumway.
Shumway, a former Dallas Area Rapid Transit driver, bought the house in 1984 and lived there for more than 30 years.

​

Wow! It is the friend of Mrs. Snodgrass that has the warrant issued. I am so sorry for our fellow websleuther!!

 

[cvaldez1975]

That is so crazy!!!!

Wow! It is the friend of Mrs. Snodgrass that has the warrant issued. I am so sorry for our fellow websleuther!!

 

[younggreenanne]

I've been following this case since the beginning because, first, the house where this occurs is about 4 blocks from where I now work, and secondly, because I think Ronald Shumway was my bus driver about 3 years ago.

I used to have to take the 376 from Cockrell Hill PTL to work in the late afternoon, and I remember the driver as a man who looked like Ronald, and who was always very polite and talkative. I’m about 90 percent sure that driver was Ronald Shumway. He was always polite and gentlemanly as a driver.

I think it’s fairly obvious what happened here, after reading literally everything on the Internet I could find about this case.

I think Ronald was murdered by someone he met – probably the drifter that Mrs. Snodgrass knew – and the murderer assumed Ronald’s identity to fraudulently sell Ronald’s house, and to impersonate Ronald on Facebook to throw people off the trail. Then he hid Ronald’s body under the concrete slab at the house and fled.

Here’s the way I think it went down (using all the clues published in the media):

Ronald met the man I’ll call “Drifter,” whom he most likely considered a romantic partner. I think the final Facebook picture posted by “Ronald” before he disappeared was taken by Drifter. Ronald seems to be posing for someone, outdoors. Considering that Ronald was smiling and seemed happy, I think Ronald was unaware at that point that Drifter was a bad guy.

Drifter conned Ronald into letting him move in. I’m not sure whose idea it was, but based on what Mrs. Snodgrass reported, the Drifter moved into the next door duplex that had recently been vacated by the people that had spray-painted all over the walls and that Ronald had some trouble evicting.

At some point shortly before or after Drifter moved in, he decided to rip off Ronald.

About the time Ronald disappeared, Drifter impersonated Ronald in an email message to DART, and quit Ronald’s job with DART via email. Drifter also seems to have contacted a cousin and said he had terminal prostate cancer.

I believe Ronald was probably still alive at this point, but being held against his will in the house on Winnetka by Drifter. I think Drifter began forcing Ronald to reveal information to him, so that Drifter could assume Ronald’s identity, steal everything Ronald had, and sell Ronald’s house for money.

I think Drifter was sending the fake Facebook messages from the house on Winnetka, possibly even using Ronald’s own computer or cell phone to do it. (It’s also possible he had already killed Ronald and got enough from Ronald’s computer, cell phone, or personal belongings to assume his identity and steal his house, and never needed Ronald alive.)

The goal in sending the fake email to DART, message to the cousin alleging cancer, and fake Facebook messages was to make it appear that Ronald ran away with a new boyfriend and sold his house on the fly. Drifter wanted to throw people off the trail.

Drifter lived in the house on Winnetka for a while, as he concocted his plan to sell Ronald’s house and flee. I think this accounts for the filthy state of the house, and the beer and rum bottles found by the new owner of the house. (It would be an important clue if Mrs. Snodgrass knows whether the drifter she knew drank beer and/or rum).

I think it’s possible that Drifter was drinking and hanging out at the house as he held Ronald and forced him to reveal identity-information – or that both Drifter and Ronald may have been partying together for a while before Drifter killed Ronald and stole Ronald’s house (most likely scenario IMO).

Drifter then killed Ronald and buried him under a concrete slab in the backyard of the house on Winnetka.

Drifter then went online looking for someone he could sell the house to quickly, possibly even for cash. He found a guy who buys and sells houses for cash for a living. I’ll call him “CS.” CS advertises himself as a real estate investor who does that very thing – his website indicates that he pays cash for houses and does quick turnarounds.

Drifter then conned CS – and later the notary public mentioned in the stories – into believing he was Ronald. He then sold the house for cash.

What I think happened is that Drifter had somehow gained enough information from Ronald by living with Ronald and either conning him, forcing him, or snooping around – to be able to kill Ronald and assume his identity well enough to get fake ID sufficient enough to fool a notary public.

Drifter had lied to and fooled CS into a fraudulent transaction and literally stole Ronald’s house while Ronald was decomposing under a concrete slab in his own backyard.

Drifter then drifted away.

The reason why police had a mugshot of the man Mrs. Snodgrass knew, the drifter, was because the police did what police do – they canvassed the neighborhood and learned a description and possibly the name off anyone living there with Ronald. They then compared notes with the notary, CS, and the person who had bought Ronald’s house, and discovered the name and identity of Drifter – who I think was Mrs. Snodgrass’s friend. (They may have also found evidence of the drifter’s identity from clues left in the house).

Because the body under the concrete slab has not been positively identified yet as Ronald Shumway, and because of the remote possibility it could be Drifter or some other person, police are not revealing that they are suspicious of Drifter until they know for sure that the body is Ronald. When and if they identify the body as Ronald, which I believe they will, I expect that Drifter’s name and mugshot will be all over the news.

To sum up, I think the person who killed Ronald and buried him in Ronald’s own backyard is an extremely cunning sociopath who is very talented at fraud, forgery, and identity theft, and who has most likely done this before for him to be as skilled at it as he seemed to be. I think he likes to drink beer and rum. He may or may not be truly gay, and he is capable of “homicidal violence” to achieve his ends.

I think we are looking at a talented, skilled, experienced identity thief, who might have killed before, and who had intended to con Ronald and get his house or whatever else he had of value right from the start.

Finally, I’m sure the police have looked at Ronald’s financials. I’m willing to bet they tell an interesting story. I’d be very interested to know if Ronald’s credit cards or checking account was active after the time he went missing, and where any transactions were and what was bought. (I suspect Drifter is too smart to leave a paper trail, and most likely cleaned out Ronald’s bank accounts as fast as he could in one sitting for as much as possible, in an attempt to stay off the grid – like going to ATMs, etc. I wonder if we’ll be seeing ATM camera footage on the news).

In conclusion, I am really haunted by this murder and I really, really hope to see Ronald’s killer brought to justice. I am confident that the police are going to find the murderer very soon, and I’m on pins and needles watching the news and waiting for justice.

WOWWWW. SPOT ON. Today the facts came out on Ron Shumway's disappearance and your synopsis is eerily accurate. Well done.

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

 

[cvaldez1975]

Her husband is his friend on fb!

No surprise is it, but very sad.

RIP Ron.

Christian Colbert (inactive) FB:
https://www.facebook.com/christian.colbert.12

myspace:
https://myspace.com/christianbrian/photos

article/photo from dallasvoice:
http://www.dallasvoice.com/the-cutting-edge-1023710.html

Photos of CC from Ron's FB:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=848730588483455&set=a.100246329998555.329.100000395644480&type=3&theater
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=848730531816794&set=a.100246329998555.329.100000395644480&type=3&theater
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=848730468483467&set=a.100246329998555.329.100000395644480&type=3&theater

There are quite a few links out there but I think these have the best photos.

I wonder also if Mrs. Snodgrass has been in contact with police re the last conversation she had with him (CC) a few months back.
They may be able to track at least his then location.

I hope he's caught soon!

 

[texmystery]

Still more aspects of the story was it unravels.

They mention he dropped the price to 130,000 from 145,000 when he called back after 3 days.

They said the closing transferred $110,000 into the Shumway account which Colbert accessed the funds.

Still dont know who/why a lien on the property of around 50K was supposedly paid off right before closing.

So from the 110,00 of the 130,000 beging transferred to Shumway account the other $20,000 must have possibly gone to the real estate guy as his cut for orchestrating the deal, although he is not a licensed broker so curious how that is done.

Not only that , this property is a DUPLEX and income prpoerty in a hot improving area. It is Winnetka Heights and the Kings Highway area is the new designation for that neighborhood...NOT KESSLER STEVENS as mentioned in the paper but still the property deal was huge score that a buy houses for cash dealer would salivate over.


The property was flipped to around $249,000 which is still a deal in that area for a duplex I think.


So C.S. the real estate guy ( former pro poker player) had a big motivation to get this deal thru for the quick 20K and more....


maybe enough to persuade the notary title agent to wait for the fax ID, which they got promptly.

If the body wasnt found in Shumways's back yard he probably would have gottent away with it.



btw, Shumway has a half brother apparently making noise about the fraud and title company and notary at fault, might be only family Ron had so they will be vying for reparations on this deal, done fraudulently.

 

[texmystery]

from an older article on the Shumway case


http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dalla...s-house-is-sold-with-a-forged-deed-hmmm.html/

• On July 10, someone went to City Hall and paid off a $56,250 lien that the City of Dallas had placed on Shumway’s property, dating back to 2002. The lien was for a private construction company to carry out work on behalf of the Dallas Housing Department. Who paid off the lien? The document doesn’t say.

*******************************

• A warranty deed dated June 22 but filed June 25 lists Sean Chien, a Plano real estate agent, as the deed recipient for the house at 725 N. Winnetka in Oak Cliff.
• On June 25, Chien signed over the property to Alpha 8 Investment Properties in Plano. Alpha 8′s address, PO Box 866802 in Plano, happens to be the exact same address listed for Chien himself. (I called Chien’s office, but the person who answered the phone said Chien wasn’t available.) Other Alpha 8 property documents identify Ivy Lee Chien as a representative of the company.
• On July 10, someone went to City Hall and paid off a $56,250 lien that the City of Dallas had placed on Shumway’s property, dating back to 2002. The lien was for a private construction company to carry out work on behalf of the Dallas Housing Department. Who paid off the lien? The document doesn’t say.
• Three days later, on July 13, Alpha 8 signed over the property to Donna Savariego Homes, a Dallas company.
• On Aug. 10, Donna Savariego Homes signed over the property to True Option Realty, a company based in Allen. No transfers have occurred since then.

 

[Mrs.Snodgrass]

Yes it seems we lived above a killer for about two years. Hope they catch him. Unfortunately we dont have much more info other than what we already told them.

 

[AliceInPain]

Yes it seems we lived above a killer for about two years. Hope they catch him. Unfortunately we dont have much more info other than what we already told them.

Did the police come back later and ask if you had had any type of conversation with him?
You don't have to reply here as long as you know the answer yourselves, however if either you or husband spoke or interacted with CC in any way while this body was "unidentified", you need to let them know, although, I am sure you already know this.

I feel so sorry for you, it must be so confusing / scary / weird, ...or I would think so, anyway.
Just remember he wasn't a murderer when you shared your house with him.
Do you think he went crazier and crazier? Lost his mind gradually?
After looking at his SM media and the articles about him, but without ever knowing him, I do.

But there is no excuse for murder, and my sympathies are with Ron and his family.

Again, Rest In Peace Ronald Shumway

:rose:

 

[Mrs.Snodgrass]

We told them any and every detail we could to help, especially considering we had originally thought it was Christian himself that was dead. He has no family and didnt want him to end up unidentified. But considering that his face is now plastered all over fox 4.... its just like "wow... what did he get himself into this time." Very disappointed that I ever gave him the benefit of the doubt. In my opinion I think what happened is Ronald told him to leave, tried to rid himself of Christian and Christian threw a temper tantrum as Ive seen him do many a time and it got physical and went too far. Him and his old boyfriend would duke it out in the yard sometimes, never saw it get too bad. Theyd take a couple swings and be fine an hour later. But anything I ever thought about him before I am now questioning... to go thru all of those motions.. the murder, the bagging of the body, burying him, leaving him under concrete, impersonating him.. thats just sad and mustve been well thought out. I feel so very sorry for the Shumway family. He was trying to help. I just realized I keep calling him Christian, thats because he always told us that was his name. And yes we did tell them about the contact we had with his friend, they honestly dont seem to want any info from us. Guess they got enough on him so far.

 

[cvaldez1975]

So we can get an identified on this?

 

[Mrs.Snodgrass]

Hes been arrested in California!!! Google his name its like the third article down. Great news!

 

[cvaldez1975]

Found it!

Was RS remains just a torso? I read an Article from Feb in Dallas Voice that said so.

How grisly! Was the rest of his remains located, or a crime scene? Did CC act alone? He has not yet been charged with homicide so I will await further news I guess.

Hes been arrested in California!!! Google his name its like the third article down. Great news!

 

[Ray_of_hope]

Do you have a link for the arrest? I can't find it.

 

[Ray_of_hope]

Found it, good they've got him! Not being charged with murder...yet.

"Christopher Brian Colbert, 43, was arrested by U.S. Marshals Thursday in Los Angeles on charges of money laundering, tampering with a governmental record and securing/executing of a document by deception, according to Dallas Police Maj. Max Geron."

http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/201...n-suspected-of-posing-as-dead-homeowner.html/

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Ma...eighbor-Arrested-Dallas-Police-370987811.html