Woman was burned to death in Texas and a loyal labradoodle helped police identify her killer

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A labradoodle dog who refused to abandon his owner’s burned body after she was brutally murdered proved to be the missing piece to the puzzle after it led police to her remains and her killer.

The loyal pet was found barking frantically at the site of a woman’s remains in a field in Robinson, Texas, on April 5, 2023, the McLennan County District Attorney’s Office said Friday.

Derek Daigneault, 29, was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for the murder of his cousin, Mandy Rose Reynolds, 26, of San Marcos, Texas, according to the DA’s Office.

In April 2023, Robinson officers responded to calls of a “brush fire” on Heston Circle when they discovered a body “burned beyond recognition,” but it was identified as Reynolds through dental records, according to the McLennan County District Attorney’s Office.

Titan, a small fluffy labradoodle, defiantly stood on guard over her remains, frantically barking at police, refusing to leave the area or be corralled.

The morning after Reynolds’ body had been recovered, Titan remained at the same spot where the burning body had been, prompting a local to call Robinson Animal Control.

Authorities then detected Titan’s microchip, which led them to identify Reynolds as Titan’s owner.

At Reynolds’ home, police found her belongings had been ransacked and her black Honda Accord was missing, MCDAO shared.

It was only when authorities checked the Honda’s license plate, that they were able to track the missing car to Wichita, Texas. Three days after Reynold’s burning body had been found, the Wichita Police Department spotted her car and tried to pull it over. But, the driver made a dash, and a 100 mph chase ensued for almost 30 minutes, police said.

The frantic pursuit only stopped as the driver crashed into another vehicle, and ran inside a nearby grocery store, where he “hid on a shelf behind canned goods” before police apprehended him.

The driver was identified as Reynold’s cousin, Derek Daigneault.

As the investigation was underway, Wichita Police found a .380 handgun under the floorboard of the driver’s seat of Reynold’s car.

San Marcos Police also obtained Walmart surveillance footage that showed the moment Daigneault purchased a plastic container, along with a shovel and a gas canister.

At the scene, police determined that the woman’s body had been burned inside a large plastic storage container – identical to the container purchased in Walmart – and a shell casing that matched with the .380 firearm was also burned inside the same container, the press release stated.

All of the woman’s belongings were eventually found in an abandoned truck on April 7, 2023, only a few miles from her home.

After Daigneault was sentenced to life behind bars, chaos erupted in the courtroom after the defendant called out to accuse the victim’s brother of a crime while Reynold’s family gave their victim impact statements, KWTX reported.

A brawl then broke out between the victims’ family on one side of the room, while Daigneault’s brother-in-law, mother, and sister, retaliated from the other – police eventually got a handle on the situation and Daigneault was led out to prison, KWTX shared.

Assistant District Attorneys Ryan Calvert and Alyssa Killin said: “The keys to this case were a heroic and loyal dog named Titan and extraordinary cooperation between law enforcement agencies in multiple jurisdictions and states.

That combination has delivered justice for Mandy and safety from a violent and dangerous criminal.”