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Affidavit: Man was beaten, bound and robbed before dying in Dallas motel room

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Affidavit: Man was beaten, bound and robbed before dying in Dallas motel room


Four people conspired to rob a man of a few thousand dollars before two of them beat him unconscious and tied him up in a far northeast Dallas motel room where he was later found dead, according to an arrest-warrant affidavit.

Shaun Michael Smith, 48, was found dead by police at about 11:45 a.m. on Aug. 11 in the 11500 block of Plano Road, police said Wednesday. Four people, Byron Louis Nelson, 56; Jared Collin Russell, 27; Deanna Marie Palmer, 23; and Marissa Krystin Mitchell, 36; have been arrested and face murder charges in his death, police said.

Dallas police: Four facing murder charges in August death

According to a Dallas police arrest affidavit, police were called after a housekeeper entered a room at the motel and found Smith dead with his hands and feet tied behind his back. The furniture in the room was in disarray, consistent with signs of a struggle, investigators wrote in the affidavit.

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Police learned Smith had rented the motel room at about 4:30 a.m. Aug. 10. Officers reviewed surveillance footage and found Smith had spent the day coming and going from the motel room with a woman, who was identified as Mitchell after police determined the two had arrived at the motel in a car registered to her.

During the evening of Aug. 10, Mitchell and Smith were inside his motel room when a Ford F150 arrived at the motel, the affidavit said. Three people were seen on security footage entering Smith’s motel room, and shortly after they entered, Mitchell and a woman, later identified by police as Palmer, left the room. Mitchell was then seen leaving the motel in her car, and shortly after, two men left Smith’s motel room.

The two men and Palmer then got into the F150 and left the scene.

Police later interviewed Mitchell, who told police she and Smith had spent several days together at her house before going to the motel. Mitchell told police Smith was in possession of a large amount of cash, roughly a few thousand dollars, and said she left the motel room after she and Smith got into an argument.

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Mitchell stated the first names of the two men, the affidavit said. The F150 was found to be registered to Russell, and Mitchell also provided a phone number that police connected to Nelson. Mitchell later identified Nelson and Russell as the two men at the motel room when shown pictures by police, the affidavit said.

Police then obtained a robbery warrant for Russell, and he was arrested Aug. 28. Palmer was with him at the time of his arrest, and both were taken to Dallas Police Headquarters. Palmer told police she, Russell and Nelson were informed Smith had a large amount of cash on him, and were called to the motel room by Mitchell with the intent of robbing Smith.

Russell told police after Mitchell and Palmer left the room, he assaulted Smith by punching him in the ribs and putting him in a chokehold, leaving him unconscious. Russell then said he took money from Smith’s pocket and Nelson tied him up with a phone charger, the affidavit said.

The four then met later to divide the money, Palmer and Russell told police.

According to the affidavit, Smith was found to have injuries to his head and broken bones, and the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office told police Smith’s injuries and the restraining of his hands and feet contributed to his death. The medical examiner’s case file said Smith’s time of death was 7:50 a.m., roughly four hours before he was found by police.

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All four face a capital murder charge, according to jail records, while Russell also faces a robbery charge. Russell, Mitchell and Palmer were arrested in late August, while Nelson was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service on Tuesday.

As of Thursday, Russell is being held without bail in the Dallas County jail, while Palmer is being held on $250,000 bail and Mitchel is being held on $1 million bail in the Dallas County jail.

Nelson is in the custody of the Gregg County jail in East Texas on $1.14 million bail. It is unclear if any of the four have retained an attorney.



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Dallas, TX

Juvenile, 2 others face capital murder charges after child dies in Dallas shooting

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Juvenile, 2 others face capital murder charges after child dies in Dallas shooting



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DALLAS – A child has died and three suspects now face capital murder charges following a shooting in Dallas last month.

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Dallas police officers responded to a shooting call in the 3500 block of Wilhurt Avenue at about 8:20 p.m. on Nov. 22, according to a news release.

The preliminary investigation indicated that a child was riding in a vehicle when someone shot them, police said. Dallas Fire-Rescue responded and transported the child to a local hospital in critical condition.

On Dec. 2, 18-year-old Davon Sewell and a juvenile were arrested in Dallas and initially charged with aggravated assault. Balch Springs police arrested 18-year-old Jaden Watson on Dec. 8 and also charged him with aggravated assault, the news release states.

The child died from their injuries on Thursday, Dec. 26. As a result, police upgraded the charges against the suspect from aggravated assault to capital murder, according to the news release.

The juvenile’s name is not being released.

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Higher ed needs more viewpoint diversity

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Higher ed needs more viewpoint diversity


What’s the point of going to college? Building skills and networking for a future career are a big part of it, but exploring new ideas is a key piece too. That’s why it’s so important for college administrators to foster a diversity of viewpoints among faculty.

But a recent study from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression shows there are many professors who are self-censoring — especially among moderates and conservatives. It’s a disservice to students when professors aren’t free to discuss and explore diverse viewpoints.

The survey showed 27% of more than 6,200 college professors “feel unable to speak freely for fear of how students, administrators, or other faculty would respond,” according to the study. Researchers found that 35% say they have “recently toned down their writing for fear of controversy.”

Professors should avoid tipping their hand about political views in the classroom. Simply pushing one’s beliefs onto impressionable young people isn’t a good teaching method. A professor’s job is to foster conversation, welcome new perspectives and challenge those perspectives using the knowledge they’ve amassed.

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But when it comes to hiring decisions and conversations in the faculty lounge, administrators need to foster a culture that welcomes open discussion of controversial ideas.

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Those who responded to the survey indicated that the three most difficult issues to discuss on campus are the Israel-Hamas war, racial inequality and transgender rights, according to the study. The presidential election ranked at fifth place and abortion at sixth.

Those are some of the most divisive issues of our time. They can be hard to talk about. But all that means is that searching for middle ground and mutual understanding is all the more important. Just because we disagree with someone doesn’t mean we can’t have a civil, honest conversation.

It’s a badly kept secret that much of higher education is dominated by progressive points of view. The survey indicated 52% of conservatives and 43% of moderates said they worry about damaging their reputation because of someone misunderstanding them, compared to 35% of liberals.

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More concerning is that only 20% of faculty reported that a conservative individual would be a positive fit for their department, compared to 71% who say a liberal would be a positive fit.

While conservatives face the brunt of the impact, that’s not the whole story, the study says. Sometimes, broaching topics like racism and diversity, equity and inclusion can be hard in conservative states that have tried to tamp down those discussions.

We all need to learn how to discuss complex and touchy topics in a civil manner. Colleges and universities can be a much better setting for that than they currently are. Our nation and our students deserve better.

We welcome your thoughts in a letter to the editor. See the guidelines and submit your letter here. If you have problems with the form, you can submit via email at letters@dallasnews.com



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Drone show canceled as part of Dallas New Year’s Eve bash following Florida incident

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Drone show canceled as part of Dallas New Year’s Eve bash following Florida incident



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DALLAS – A North Texas-based company has informed Reunion Tower that it won’t be flying drones during the Dallas New Year’s Eve bash, less than a week after some of its drones collided and fell from the sky at a holiday show in Florida.

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Dusti Groskreutz, president of Reunion Tower, said Sky Elements Drones will not be participating in the show “out of an abundance of caution following a recent incident as they carefully review their processes for future shows.”

“Despite this change, viewers can look forward to a dazzling New Year’s Eve celebration with Reunion Tower’s 259 LED light show and the iconic fireworks spectacular lighting up the night sky,” Groskreutz said in a statement.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating colliding drones at a holiday Sky Elements Drones Show this past Saturday, Dec. 21, in Orlando, Florida. 

A 7-year-old boy was struck and injured by one of the plunging drones. His mothers spoke about the incident earlier this week.

The drones were permitted through the FAA, according to the Associated Press. The typically colorful flying devices started to fall into a crowd of thousands at Lake Eola Park on Saturday night.

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Earlier this week, Coppell-based Sky Elements Drones issued a statement expressing “our sincere hope for a full and speedy recovery” to those impacted at the Florida show.

“The well-being of our audience is our utmost priority, and we regret any distress or inconvenience caused,” the company said. “We are diligently working with the FAA and City of Orlando officials to determine the cause and are committed to establishing a clear picture of what transpired. 

“Millions of people see our shows annually, and we are committed to maintaining the highest safety regulations set forth by the FAA.”

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