Victim's Dog Leads Officers To Owner's Dismembered Body

This episode is brought to you by TXU Energy. For the first time ever, Texans have an energy plan that combines free nights all year with daytime summer savings. It's called Free Nights and Cool Summer. You get free nights every night, all year long, plus a 25% bonus toward your daytime use all summer. It's a first-of-its-kind plan created for how Texans actually use energy. Discover how much more you could save with Free Nights and Cool Summer. TXU Energy. Energy for everything. Visit TXU.com for more information. Rep number 1-0-0-0-4. I need you to get fire, CID. Looks like a body that's burning. In the middle of this field lies the burning body of an unidentified woman. Unfortunately for Texas police, whoever did this chose the perfect night to cover their tracks. Is it a body? Yeah. Oh, Jesus. What is this hole, right here in the skull? Ironically, perfect storm. The perfect storm of destruction of evidence. As investigators analyze the crime scene for whatever evidence remains, a stray dog refuses to leave the place, circling the field as if he's trying to lead them somewhere. Detectives don't know it yet, but this dog is their only lead to a killer who spent years slipping through the justice system, walking away from violent crimes that should have put him behind bars long before this night. And worse still, this burning body may not be the only victim. There is possibly the victim's dog that's running around. Yes, hi, my name's Andy Reynolds, and I got a message that you guys found my dog. Get in your car! Get in your car! Yeah! You make any movement, you will be killed! It's approximately 10 p.m. in Robinson, Texas. A violent storm is sweeping through the area when police receive a 911 call about a possible brush fire. But in reality, it would be much more than that. Robinson, 911, where's your emergency? I was just calling, I tried calling the fire department to see there's a fire in our subdivision, but it may just be them burning brush because they're building houses, but I wasn't sure. We did have lightning, so that's why I wasn't sure, too. Okay. I can get someone to let that way to check on it. Given the severe weather, the call sounds routine. Still, dispatch sends Jason Atkins, a veteran corporal with more than two decades of experience, to assess the scope of the fire. But once he arrives and gets closer to the flames, he would spot something so vile, it would make him sick to his stomach. 12 to 04. I need you to get fire. CID and 04 out here, this looks like a body that's burning. Should I use my fire extinguisher to put it out or just leave it as it is to preserve any evidence? You can try to burn it out if they're out. I can maybe get it put out, but I'll try. All right. I'm going to try to get it out. I'm going to try and get it out. Everyone at the scene is convinced Detective Collins knows this is a homicide and his intuition would soon be proven correct. More than three hours in and investigators still have no idea who the attacker or even the victim is. Yet the answer has been sitting just feet away from them since the very beginning. They just need to catch it first. It's called Free Nights in Cool Summer. Discover how much more you could save. With Free Nights in Cool Summer. TXU Energy. Rep number 10004. To the body embarking. We haven't found it. It took off. She likes your truck. You want to put your tailgate down, see if she'll jump in it. Maybe the owner was a truck person, had a pickup. Hi. Come here. We'll come here, chicken. Well, come here, chicken. You big chicken. We can have a T-bone steak in our hands right now. It wouldn't do her good. Despite multiple attempts, none of the officers manage to catch the dog as it disappears towards the neighboring houses. Soon after, the body is transported for autopsy, while animal control is requested to arrive the next morning in the hope the dog will still be around the scene. As the scene is locked down, it becomes increasingly clear to TXU Energy that the dog is still in the house. As the dog is locked down, it becomes increasingly clear to TXU Energy that the dog is in the house. The dog is in the house. The dog is still in the house. past couple of weeks and she kept like talking about moving but yeah on sunday she was unloading everything is this just a one bedroom or two bedroom just a one bedroom broken glass on sunday leaving here nope because she was staying last time i talked to her there's a broken glass in that tub it looks like it's just strange her dog is somewhere different i mean i guess we could have asked you if she would have answered your phone call if you called um i tried calling her and i went straight to voicemail the last time she did this was when she was moving here just really concerned it's like getting stranger and stranger and obviously if she would have answered yet you might have a ticket but it's just like now she's out of here strangely officers discover mandy's apartment has been completely stripped out yet there are no signs of a struggle no blood and no evidence that a crime had taken place still to both diana and the deputies something doesn't add up shortly after midnight officers leave the apartment and head back to the station to review everything they've learned but before long they receive a call from the medical examiner confirming what they had feared through dental records the body is this episode is brought to you by txu energy for the first time ever texans have an energy plan that combines free nights all year with daytime summer savings it's called free nights and cool summer you get free nights every night all year long plus a 25 bonus toward your daytime use all summer it's a first of its kind plan created for how texans actually use energy discover how much more you could save with free nights and cool summer txu energy energy for everything visit txu.com for more information rep number one zero zero zero four definitively identified as mandy reynolds she suffered a single gunshot wound to the head inflicted some time before her body was set on fire with one of the investigations two biggest questions answered detectives finally begin gaining some momentum the following morning as investigators begin pursuing leads that could identify mandy's killer one of those leads unexpectedly comes to them robinson police yes hi my name is mandy reynolds and i got a message that you guys found my dog oh perfect um let me put you on just a brief hold here give me one moment and i'll get you with that person that can help you awesome thank you on the line is mandy reynolds but as dispatch transfers the call to detective perry it wouldn't take long for something to feel very off this is detective perry hi um i just got a message saying you guys found my dog uh we believe so so what is your dog uh he's a he's a pool retriever bank where does the dog belong well i was on my way to uh wichita kansas and i i live in uh san marcos and uh titan is his name he just he just ran off what was your name i apologize my name is mandy do you want me to come get him or i i don't understand is he at the pound so we we just put him at the pound but but we put a hold on him because we were trying to figure out who he belonged to how long ago is this that he's been out oh heck it's been um i don't know this would have been around one in the morning uh detective i hate to uh uh cut you off but you know i'm uh i'm actually at work i'm sorry you guys had to deal with that but yeah i'll just come uh i'll come get him what is it i mean 100 miles so about one o'clock last night oh jesus christ yes what i mean what is the interrogation about no no i'm just trying to make sure i understand why why that dog that's my dog you guys have let's get that straight detective okay and that's that's fine i understand that you know what i'll just come to the pound goodbye after hanging up perry is certain someone is attempting to impersonate the deceased victim believing he may have just been speaking with the killer perry immediately calls the number back while investigators race to trace the phone's location this is mandy mandy yeah hey this is detective perry i think we got off on the wrong foot so the reason i'm asking some questions i'm just going to be up front with you we found your dog in a field uh in the field was a uh a crime scene of a deceased person and i didn't want to give you all the details because that's kind of sensitive that is why i was asking some questions to verify how the dog got there what's going on oh wow i mean geez that field how i want good lord how i just wonder how long he was outside you know i can't even i can't even imagine what he went through and then now there's the deceased person like oh my god this so this number comes back uh to a different name do you are you on somebody's phone plan i'm going to be frank with you sir you know i'm sorry that this happened but i i cannot waste my my whole day speaking to you i'm just trying to figure out how long the pup was there that could if the puppy messed with the body if the puppy messed with the body dogs are you think you think my little titan would go oh my detective with all due respect do not call me back although the collar hangs up once again investigators finally get exactly what they needed the phone has successfully traced and the signal is pinged to the west side of wichita kansas with mandy confirmed dead a mysterious caller impersonating her and her honda accord still unaccounted for detectives issue a bolo for the vehicle before long flock cameras pick up mandy's honda traveling along may's road in wichita convinced one of their three suspects is behind the wheel officers move in to conduct a traffic stop but instead of pulling over the driver would do the exact opposite turn the sidewalk hey he's taking off give this guy the opportunity to get out of your way you gotta go around try to gain as much as you can is that him up there weaving through traffic still he's approaching tyler okay go go go get a perimeter no he's running west running west yep take us to the back side they've got three up here take us to the back watch that an on the bike this episode is brought to you by txu energy for the first time ever texans have an energy plan that combines free nights all year with daytime summer savings it's called free nights and cool summer you get free nights every night all year long plus a 25 bonus toward your daytime use all summer it's a first of its kind plan created for how texans actually use energy discover how much more you could save with free nights and cool summer txu energy energy for everything visit txu.com for more information rep number one zero zero zero four do we have suspect description did he run into yeah he ran into the dylan's white bill white shirt lock the dylan's down lock the dylan's down lock the dylan's down lock the dylan's down lock the dylan's down lock the dylan's down lock the dylan's down after the suspect hides inside the store officers outside quickly begin surrounding the building with dozens of innocent people potentially in his line of fire they draw their weapons and prepare to move in after the suspect hides inside the store officers outside quickly begin surrounding the building with dozens of innocent people potentially in his line of fire they draw their weapons and prepare to move in Get in your car. Get in your car. Come out. Come out. Come out. Come out. Come out. Hey, my man, get your family out of here. You're fine. Hey, come here. Come here. Where'd he go? Did you see him? Yeah. Where'd he go? They say they towards the back, but I've just been getting, but maybe he's over there. I hear something yelling. You make any move it, you will be killed. I got hands. Crawl out. Crawl out towards the sound of our voice. Somebody get less lethal. Somebody's got to back off one direction or the other. Place lethal. Crawl out towards us. You're going to have to move over with me. Ready? Yep. Pull him out. 283. They're there. They're there. They're there. One in custody. In less than four minutes, officers finally locate the suspect hiding inside a store shelf. As they move in to arrest him, they notice he's drifting in and out of consciousness, leading them to suspect he's under the influence of. Despite his condition, officers managed to identify him as one of the three suspects connected to Mandy. Her cousin, Derek Diagonal, believed to be suffering from a drug overdose. overdose, Derek is taken to the hospital where he's treated overnight. During this time, investigators begin digging into his background and what they uncover is deeply concerning. Not only does Derek have a lengthy criminal history including aggravated assault and burglary, but he's also wanted in connection with another homicide. Just weeks earlier, his girlfriend, Shanoa Hanzel, had been found dead in a ditch under mysterious circumstances. Investigators now realize they may be dealing with someone far more dangerous than they anticipated, and under no circumstances can they afford to let him back out onto the streets. The next morning, Derek is transported to the Sedgwick County Jail for questioning, where detectives need to figure out his role in not one, but two homicides. Hey Derek. Detective Chisholm, this is Sergeant Hardy. What's that one for? Which one? The big one on your arm there. Oh, Family Forever. Family Forever, sure. Would you like to get a pretty good handle of what's going on, why you're here, why we want to talk to you? I'm just trying to make sure you're in a position where you can answer questions. I fully understand my situation. I'm not exactly sure why you guys want to talk to me, unless it has to do with Shanoa. And besides that, no. I am the detective that's been investigating Shanoa's death. Shanoa was your girlfriend, right? And Shanoa was my best friend for two years, just since I was released from prison the first time. So pretty much January goes by, man, and me and Shanoa, we're not talking. We might be here and there, but like I said, it's beyond repair, it's gone. And I'm okay with letting, I'm not about to go do my life in prison over a female. I told, last thing I said to Shanoa, man, I don't know, I'll be my son. I said, bitch, if you leave, don't come back. Could it have been an accident? Sure. An accident. But I don't know. I don't see it, but did I do it? No. As expected, Derek calmly denies any involvement in his ex-girlfriend's death. From the beginning, detectives believed the evidence tying him to her murder was weak at best, but the same cannot be said. You want to know what quality sounds like? It sounds like a Ford Super Duty towing up to 40,000 pounds before the sun comes up. It sounds like a Ford Mustang doing what a Mustang does. Ford, J.D. Power's number one in initial quality among mainstream brands. Ready, set, Ford. When properly equipped, max towing varies based on cargo, vehicle configuration, accessories, and number of passengers. For J.D. Power 2026 U.S. initial quality study award information, visit jdpower.com/awards. About Mandy, and as questioning continues, the conversation is about to take an inexplicable turn. Where'd you get the car? I'm going to tell you something, and I'm going to leave it at this. The cartel in Texas is very real. When the person I went down to Texas with was knee deep in debt with the cartel. But how's that have to do with the car you ran from us in last night? What do you mean? Well, I mean, where'd you get the car? The car was my cousin's. Did she give you the car? No, she didn't. I took the car, and it wasn't my choice. If it makes sense, it makes sense. If it doesn't, the cartel told me, "Go dig this grave." Right? This was the grave I dug. My grave. Mm-hmm. They emptied a couple of slugs right into my chest. I said, "I'm going to dig this grave." Mm-hmm. They said, "You want a beer?" Mm-hmm. And I turned. Yep. I take two to my chest, man. And I got a bulletproof vest on with a plate in it. You know? Do me a favor real quick. Lift up your shirt. Just let me see your chest. Whereabouts do you think you got shot? Pretty much center mass there. Uh-huh. Okay. As the detective examines his chest, there is no bruising on Derek's body, something investigators would expect to see had he truly been shot twice, even while wearing a bulletproof vest. By now, detectives realize that by avoiding direct confrontation, they've gotten virtually nowhere. So now, they would attempt to pick apart his account piece by piece. But this approach is about to backfire. I get out of the grave, and I go home, and. Where's home? Home is in San Margos, at Mandy's apartment. It wasn't right in there. What do you mean? It was just an eerie feeling. It was like, "I don't know what's going on here. I don't know where I'm going. Oh, yeah. Like, there was a certain that she wouldn't have left that was left. If someone made you kill her, or made you watch her get killed, now's the time to let us know. Look, man, I'm done talking about the cartel with you guys, period. I'm done talking about the situation. You know, like, are you guys trying to get me killed? No, we're trying to find out if you killed her. No. Uh, you still want to talk to your mom? We talked to her a little earlier, and she said she wouldn't talk to you. It's just up to you. Yeah, can I call her? They're asking where Mandy is. They got her, Mom. The cartel? Yeah. I know you do. You feel me? But I'll tell you one thing for sure, two things for certain. It ain't gonna be because I killed Chenoa or Mandy. That's not why I'm going back to prison. Oh, I know you didn't. I know you didn't. I know you didn't kill Chenoa. I know you didn't kill Chenoa and definitely not your cousin either. While Derek's mother remains adamant that her son is innocent, detectives outside the interrogation room have just finished reviewing surveillance footage from across San Marcos, and the evidence tells a very different story. Piece by piece, investigators begin reconstructing what they believe happened to Mandy. Just weeks after Chenoa's death in March, Derek had an active warrant and was wanted in connection with the case. That's when Mandy decided to let him stay at her apartment in San Marcos. By early April, the situation had deteriorated. Mandy was struggling to live with Derek and decided she would drive him back to Wichita around April 4th. Investigators believe Derek knew he was about to be kicked out. Prosecutors allege that sometime on April 3rd, Derek shot Mandy once in the head inside her apartment using her own stolen.380 caliber handgun. Before taking her cash and belongings, the following morning, Derek purchases a large plastic storage container, the same type used to later conceal Mandy's body, along with a shovel, gas can, duct tape, and garbage bags. Fifteen minutes later, CCTV captures him loading the items into Mandy's Honda Accord, and sticking his head out of the passenger window is Mandy's dog, Titan. That afternoon, investigators believe Derek returned to Mandy's apartment, where he cleaned, cleaned, and staged the scene before loading her belongings into a Penske moving truck. Later that evening, he drove two hours to Robinson, Texas, where he dumped Mandy's body and set it on fire, a crime executed almost perfectly, if not for Mandy's dog he left behind. In November 2024, Derek Dagonault is convicted of murdering his cousin, Mandy Reynolds, and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 2054. He has not been charged or convicted in connection with the death of his girlfriend, Shanoa Hansel, and that investigation remains ongoing. And as for Titan, he was happily taken out of the pound and is now living happily with Mandy's best friend, Diana.