Unbelievable Crimes

North Texas woman admits to killing husband and burying him in front yard

It's been more than four years since Ervin "Shorty" Robinson disappeared without a trace from his Tarrant County home. His wife, Neola Robinson, initially told police that her husband had run off with another woman.

But just as her murder trial was to begin on September 15, Neola pleaded guilty to killing Shorty and burying his body in the couple's front yard. She was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

"After three years of being stuffed in an air mattress and buried in his own front yard, he was found," prosecutor Joshua Ross said.

Authorities believe Neola strangled Shorty to death on May 31, 2010. When the 57-year-old failed to show up for work for two weeks, his boss filed a missing persons report with the Pelican Bay police.

Investigators extensively questioned Neola, who maintained that Shorty had left on Memorial Day weekend with another woman. Police found this story hard to believe, especially considering that Shorty's car and motorcycle were still parked at the couple's home and Neola was forging her husband's signature to cash his checks.

Without any sign of Shorty, the investigation languished for years until the Texas Rangers joined the case in the summer of 2013. According to a statement from the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office, Neola led Texas Ranger Clair Barnes to Shorty's body, which was "buried a mere 15 inches into the ground" at the couple's home on Partridge Court.

"Much may be said about the investigation and the delay in locating his remains, but the important consideration is that after three years of being concealed from his family, his friends, and everything important to him; after three years of being stuffed in an air mattress and buried in his own front yard, he was found," prosecutor Joshua Ross said. "A person he should've been able to trust the most, his own wife, was responsible for putting him there."

In exchange for Neola's guilty plea, prosecutors dropped a separate charge for tampering with evidence. The 63-year-old woman will have to serve at least nine years before she is eligible for parole.

Neola Robinson, 63, pleaded guilty to murder.

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Animal News

Wills Point, Texas man charged with cruelty for abandoning 18 animals

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Lucas Wayne Penrod, charged with animal cruelty

Another animal cruelty case has emerged from Van Zandt County, resulting in the arrest of a Wills Point man: Lucas Wayne Penrod was charged with Cruelty to Nonlivestock Animals, a 3rd degree felony.

It began on Friday, October 24, when the Wills Point Police Department performed a welfare check at a mobile home within the city limits. Officers became concerned when they heard multiple dogs barking along with a foul odor of animal waste.

On October 25, after obtaining a search warrant, Wills Point PD and the SPCA of Texas ACI Unit entered the residence and found multiple animals living in deplorable conditions.

The mobile home was filled with trash and animal feces. The team discovered a total of 8 cats, 2 guinea pigs, 4 adult dogs, and 4 puppies, cruelly confined to the unsanitary living conditions on the property.

Two dogs were confined to filthy crates with no access to water.
Three puppies were in a small bathroom covered in urine and feces; one of the puppies was deceased and decomposing.
The guinea pigs were found in a cage without access to food or water.

Most of the animals showed signs of long-term neglect and were in dire need of urgent medical intervention. The animals were seized by the SPCA of Texas and transported to the organization's Dallas location for veterinary care.

Dog in cage Wills Point Lucas Wayne Penrod Dog abandoned in Wills Point by Lucas Wayne Penrod.SPCA

On October 26, Lucas Wayne Penrod, the owner of the animals, contacted an SPCA of Texas Investigator regarding the animals. The Investigator determined that Penrod had unlawfully allegedly abandoned the animals, failing to provide them with proper care, resulting in the death of one of the puppies and the critical state of the surviving animals.

On October 28, the SPCA of Texas Animal Cruelty Investigations (ACI) Unit obtained an arrest warrant for Penrod, who was apprehended by Tyler Police Department and booked into the Smith County Jail with a $50K bond. Penrod was charged with Cruelty to Nonlivestock Animals, a 3rd degree felony.

On November 1, at a civil custody hearing at the Van Zandt County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 courthouse in Wills Point, Penrod relinquished custody of the 18 allegedly abandoned, cruelly treated animals to the SPCA.

"The squalid conditions these beautiful animals were living in were abhorrent--locked in spaces without food or water, in their own excrement," said SPCA of Texas ACI Unit Chief Investigator Courtney Burns, CAWA. "This is some of the worst mistreatment of domestic animals I've seen in my extensive career in animal cruelty investigations. In no small part, these pets owe their lives to the Wills Point Police Department. If it wasn’t for their quick thinking to involve us right away, I don't think the animals would have made it."

"This case perfectly illustrates the team effort that investigating and prosecuting animal cruelty cases in Texas is," Burns added. "We are extremely thankful to the Tyler Police Department for their efficient assistance in apprehending Penrod so that he can be brought to justice in the timeliest manner possible. And we are especially grateful to the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office and court system with whom we continue to partner to get justice for abused animals in their jurisdiction."