kaorder1999
01-06-2008, 11:24 PM
Sheriff: Tyler murder suspect said he cooked victim's ear
09:34 PM CST on Sunday, January 6, 2008
LEE HANCOCK / The Dallas Morning News
lhancock@dallasnews.com
TYLER, Texas – Cannibalism was possibly involved in a grisly murder here, discovered when a man summoned his mother to "see what he had done."
She saw his girlfriend's body in the back seat of his pickup, authorities said.
The suspect, Christopher Lee McCuin, called 911 Saturday morning and calmly described murdering his girlfriend and cooking her ear, said Smith County Sheriff J.B. Smith.
The 24-year-old sheetrock hauler surrendered after a brief standoff at his mother's home.
Deputies found a human ear boiling in a stovetop pan, and a hunk of raw flesh on a nearby plate, impaled with a fork.
"Either he was going to eat it, had been eating it, or that's what he wanted it to look like," Sheriff Smith said Sunday. "I'm not shocked any more – surprised that people can do such horrible things to each other – but not shocked. I've seen it all.
"This isn't the worst we've had," he said. "But it is my first cannibalism."
The slaying of Jana Shearer, a 21-year-old mall clerk from Whitehouse, capped a night of escalating violence by a man with a volatile history.
Last November, sheriff's deputies were called to Mr. McCuin's mother's home after his sister said he had hit her in the face. Last Friday, Mr. McCuin's estranged wife came to the sheriff's department to file papers accusing him of assault.
Mr. McCuin also had a lengthy rap sheet _ including arrests for DWI, disorderly conduct, public intoxication and a 2003 aggravated assault conviction.
Victim loved music, dancing
Ms. Shearer left a poignant MySpace page topped with photo of a pretty, trim, smiling young woman. The profile describes Ms. Shearer as a former drill team dancer whose mood was "lonely," whose interests were "music, dance, my friends, have fun!" and whose status was "in a relationship."
Her page, shedidthat06, bears the heading, "Jana loves life!!!!!!!!!!!," and the declaration: "I get along with any and everybody! I have my own style and love life. We only live once so you got to give it all you got!"
Beside the question, "How would you want to die," is the answer "quick."
Trail of violence
Lt. Larry Wiginton said Ms. Shearer and Mr. McCuin apparently had dated for several months. Mr. McCuin was previously married, and has a young daughter. His estranged wife told authorities that they were divorcing.
Police believe Mr. McCuin forced Ms. Shearer to leave the Whitehouse apartment she shared with her mother about 10 p.m. Friday. Ms. Shearer's mother said Mr. McCuin briefly came in with her daughter, and the two then left. Ms. Shearer's mother told investigators she believes her daughter went involuntarily because she left her shoes, purse and cell phone.
Mr. McCuin appeared after 3 a.m. at his estranged wife's home. There, police say, he broke in and brandished a knife at his wife's boyfriend. After the other man slugged him in the jaw, Mr. McCuin stabbed him in the shoulder. The man is in a Tyler hospital.
Sheriff's deputies, called to the home, spotted Mr. McCuin in his truck and gave chase, but he got away.
Mr. McCuin began calling people, including Ms. Shearer's mother and her friends, to boast of what he had done. On Sunday, Ms. Shearer's MySpace page included a description of one of those calls from a woman who identified herself as "a best friend."
"Why did this happen. All I hear is him on the other line telling me what he did," the entry said.
Lt. Wiginton said he's baffled that no one reported any of the calls to police until Saturday evening or later.
Mr. McCuin appeared Saturday morning at the neat brick home he shared with his mother near the Tyler airport and summoned her outside.
"He said come out and see what I did," Lt. Wiginton said.
After seeing the body, Mr. McCuin's mother and boyfriend ran from the house and flagged down a Tyler police officer.
Soon after that, investigators said, Mr. McCuin called 911.
Mr. McCuin sounded remarkably calm as he recounted murdering his girlfriend and gave his mother's address on Princess Drive, said investigators who've reviewed a recording of the call.
After a brief standoff, Mr. McCuin came out of the house wielding a kitchen knife but surrendered to sheriff's deputies. Once handcuffedhe kicked out a patrol car window, investigators said.
Murder scene unknown
Deputies found Ms. Shearer's body wedged between the back and front seats of Mr. McCuin's truck, clothed but with her pants unzipped. A large number of blunt-force wounds were visible on her face, neck and upper body.
A large hunk of flesh was also cut away from one bicep, the lieutenant said. The area around one temple was also cut away, as was an ear. There was little blood in the truck, however, and authorities believe Ms. Shearer had been dead for hours.
Mr. McCuin remained jailed Sunday night on a capital murder charge, with a $2 million bond. Investigators said he has been unemotional in questioning but has refused to say where he killed Ms. Shearer, saying only that he "blacked out" as he approached an area of south Smith County where she died.
Authorities continued searching in an area south of Tyler on Sunday for the murder scene.
"He's saying God told him to do it," Lt. Wiginton said. "He's saying he needs help. He just says that what he did a normal person basically wouldn't do."
09:34 PM CST on Sunday, January 6, 2008
LEE HANCOCK / The Dallas Morning News
lhancock@dallasnews.com
TYLER, Texas – Cannibalism was possibly involved in a grisly murder here, discovered when a man summoned his mother to "see what he had done."
She saw his girlfriend's body in the back seat of his pickup, authorities said.
The suspect, Christopher Lee McCuin, called 911 Saturday morning and calmly described murdering his girlfriend and cooking her ear, said Smith County Sheriff J.B. Smith.
The 24-year-old sheetrock hauler surrendered after a brief standoff at his mother's home.
Deputies found a human ear boiling in a stovetop pan, and a hunk of raw flesh on a nearby plate, impaled with a fork.
"Either he was going to eat it, had been eating it, or that's what he wanted it to look like," Sheriff Smith said Sunday. "I'm not shocked any more – surprised that people can do such horrible things to each other – but not shocked. I've seen it all.
"This isn't the worst we've had," he said. "But it is my first cannibalism."
The slaying of Jana Shearer, a 21-year-old mall clerk from Whitehouse, capped a night of escalating violence by a man with a volatile history.
Last November, sheriff's deputies were called to Mr. McCuin's mother's home after his sister said he had hit her in the face. Last Friday, Mr. McCuin's estranged wife came to the sheriff's department to file papers accusing him of assault.
Mr. McCuin also had a lengthy rap sheet _ including arrests for DWI, disorderly conduct, public intoxication and a 2003 aggravated assault conviction.
Victim loved music, dancing
Ms. Shearer left a poignant MySpace page topped with photo of a pretty, trim, smiling young woman. The profile describes Ms. Shearer as a former drill team dancer whose mood was "lonely," whose interests were "music, dance, my friends, have fun!" and whose status was "in a relationship."
Her page, shedidthat06, bears the heading, "Jana loves life!!!!!!!!!!!," and the declaration: "I get along with any and everybody! I have my own style and love life. We only live once so you got to give it all you got!"
Beside the question, "How would you want to die," is the answer "quick."
Trail of violence
Lt. Larry Wiginton said Ms. Shearer and Mr. McCuin apparently had dated for several months. Mr. McCuin was previously married, and has a young daughter. His estranged wife told authorities that they were divorcing.
Police believe Mr. McCuin forced Ms. Shearer to leave the Whitehouse apartment she shared with her mother about 10 p.m. Friday. Ms. Shearer's mother said Mr. McCuin briefly came in with her daughter, and the two then left. Ms. Shearer's mother told investigators she believes her daughter went involuntarily because she left her shoes, purse and cell phone.
Mr. McCuin appeared after 3 a.m. at his estranged wife's home. There, police say, he broke in and brandished a knife at his wife's boyfriend. After the other man slugged him in the jaw, Mr. McCuin stabbed him in the shoulder. The man is in a Tyler hospital.
Sheriff's deputies, called to the home, spotted Mr. McCuin in his truck and gave chase, but he got away.
Mr. McCuin began calling people, including Ms. Shearer's mother and her friends, to boast of what he had done. On Sunday, Ms. Shearer's MySpace page included a description of one of those calls from a woman who identified herself as "a best friend."
"Why did this happen. All I hear is him on the other line telling me what he did," the entry said.
Lt. Wiginton said he's baffled that no one reported any of the calls to police until Saturday evening or later.
Mr. McCuin appeared Saturday morning at the neat brick home he shared with his mother near the Tyler airport and summoned her outside.
"He said come out and see what I did," Lt. Wiginton said.
After seeing the body, Mr. McCuin's mother and boyfriend ran from the house and flagged down a Tyler police officer.
Soon after that, investigators said, Mr. McCuin called 911.
Mr. McCuin sounded remarkably calm as he recounted murdering his girlfriend and gave his mother's address on Princess Drive, said investigators who've reviewed a recording of the call.
After a brief standoff, Mr. McCuin came out of the house wielding a kitchen knife but surrendered to sheriff's deputies. Once handcuffedhe kicked out a patrol car window, investigators said.
Murder scene unknown
Deputies found Ms. Shearer's body wedged between the back and front seats of Mr. McCuin's truck, clothed but with her pants unzipped. A large number of blunt-force wounds were visible on her face, neck and upper body.
A large hunk of flesh was also cut away from one bicep, the lieutenant said. The area around one temple was also cut away, as was an ear. There was little blood in the truck, however, and authorities believe Ms. Shearer had been dead for hours.
Mr. McCuin remained jailed Sunday night on a capital murder charge, with a $2 million bond. Investigators said he has been unemotional in questioning but has refused to say where he killed Ms. Shearer, saying only that he "blacked out" as he approached an area of south Smith County where she died.
Authorities continued searching in an area south of Tyler on Sunday for the murder scene.
"He's saying God told him to do it," Lt. Wiginton said. "He's saying he needs help. He just says that what he did a normal person basically wouldn't do."