Dallas, TX

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

Published

6 days ago

September 20, 2024

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Chi Omega Christmas Market gets a September start at Dallas Market Hall

Published

6 mins ago

September 26, 2024

Press Room

Chi Omega Christmas Market gets a September start at Dallas Market Hall

DALLAS — It’s not exactly curl-up-by-the-fireplace weather, but the Chi Omega Christmas Market is this weekend and in a new location: Dallas Market Hall.

“They’re like, ‘Wait, I’m not ready! I’m not ready for Christmas!’” said the 2024 Chi Omega Market co-chair Nancy Woodall with a laugh. “But the weather cooperated with us. It got a little bit cooler this morning.”

Inside Dallas Market Hall, the shopping is heating up as guests grab their red shopping bags and head down the colorful and well-stocked aisles.

“It’s Candy Land” exclaimed Josie Yanez with a delightful laugh. She’s experiencing the market for the first time with her daughter, Candace.

“Well, I just feel like you can get truly one-of-a-kind gifts for anybody on your shopping list: your best friend, your husband, your husband’s business partner, whoever,” says Candace Yanez.

Chi Omega Christmas Market shoppers said it’s not too early to start holiday shopping.

“I’m already ahead of just the Christmas holidays,” said Josie Yanez. “There are the [Thanksgiving] holidays… Halloween… you can find it all.”

Organizers say the September start means fewer conflicts for vendors, and the move to Market Hall gives them more space.

“We’re just not here for Christmas shopping. We’re here for everything,” said Woodall. “And then Dallas Market Hall has been a spectacular venue to host a show. It’s light, it’s bright, it’s large, and we have filled every square inch of this space.”

More than 200 vendors offering unique items ranging from clothes to toys to decor compete for spots in the long-running holiday market.

“It is tough to get a slot. We have tried probably for 10 years,” said Candace Williams, who owns The Toy Maven. “We are strong believers in supporting our community, and so it’s a thrill. We’re thrilled to be a part of the market this year. It’s a great opportunity for business.”

While the start date and location are new, the purpose remains unchanged: charity.

“We like to say we shop for a purpose,” said Woodall, “and whenever a shopper comes in and buys a ticket, they are helping us fund these great beneficiaries.”

Over the years, the Chi Omega Christmas Market has raised and donated more than $10 million to local charities. Debbie Lang and Karen Hunt are also 2024 market co-chairs.

Beneficiaries this year are Bonton Farms, the Stewpot, Genesis Women’s Shelter, Make-A-Wish, TITAS/Dance Unbound, Network of Community Ministries, Behind Every Door, Swan Strings, Together We Thrive, Family Compass, Young Women’s Preparatory Network, the Children’s Craniofacial Association, and Ascend Dallas.

“You’re hitting the jackpot coming to this Christmas market!” said Candace Yanez.

The Chi Omega Christmas Market is open until 9 p.m. on Thursday and opens at 9 a.m. Friday and runs through 5:00 p.m. on Saturday at Dallas Market Hall.

Robbie Owens

Robbie grew up in northeast Texas, in a tiny town where her family’s history spans six generations.

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Dallas, TX

Cowboys at Giants: How to watch, game time, team roster, odds and more

Published

11 hours ago

September 26, 2024

Press Room

Cowboys at Giants: How to watch, game time, team roster, odds and more

The Dallas Cowboys will visit the New York Giants in Week 4 of the 2024 NFL season. Both teams have a 1-2 record heading into this NFC East showdown.

The Cowboys are coming off another loss, this time to the Baltimore Ravens, a game that they were never really a threat to win until a strong fourth quarter comeback. But time ran out on Dallas and they will need to start much faster this week to not end up in a big hole trying to come back.

The Giants enter the game fresh off their first win of the year over the Cleveland Browns. Malik Nabers is looking like a true weapon and will be a key for the Cowboys defense to contain if they want the win.

The Cowboys have dominated the Giants in recent history, but this game isn’t quite the slam dunk it might have been seen as when the schedule came out.

Cowboys vs Giants game info

Important links: Cowboys depth chart | Roster

Date: Sept. 26, 2024

Game time: 8:15 PM EST

Location: MetLife Stadium – East Rutherford, New Jersey

TV channel: Amazon Prime

Coverage Map: 506 Sports

Radio: 105.3 The Fan | SXM

Streaming: Amazon, Sling

Cowboys record: (1-2)

Giants record: (1-2)

Odds: Dallas -5.5, courtesy of FanDuel

Prediction: Cowboys 31 – Giants 20

Enemy blog: Big Blue View

Twitter: @BloggingTheBoys

Facebook: Please Like us!

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Dallas, TX

Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki to headline celebrity pickleball event

Published

22 hours ago

September 25, 2024

Press Room

Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki to headline celebrity pickleball event

Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki is set to play in the Deep Eddy Vodka Celebrity Pickleball Showdown on Nov. 7 at Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch.

The Deep Eddy Vodka Celebrity Pickleball Showdown returns to the Lapiplasty Pickleball World Championships held in Dallas.

Nowitzki, John Isner, Scottie Scheffler, Tony Romo, Jason Kidd and Marty Turco participated in last year’s 3,000+ sold-out tournament.

“For me the amazing thing is to see how far this thing has come … This is like rockstar level,” said NBA legend Dirk Nowitzki before taking the court at last year’s event. “I’m super impressed with the set-up, how many players are here. It is insanity on another level, how big this sport has gotten.”

“The Deep Eddy Vodka Celebrity Pickleball Showdown was one of the highlights of the 2023 event – the stands were packed and the energy of the fans was palpable,” said Connor Pardoe, Founder and CEO of the Carvana PPA Tour. “Dirk Nowitzki is a Dallas sports legend, and we’re so excited that he’s coming back to play in the showdown!”

General admission and VIP tickets are now on sale online here.

Thousands of amateur and professional players are expected to compete at the Lapiplasty Pickleball World Championships on 80-plus courts, and thousands more fans and attendees are expected to take part in the pickleball action.

More information about the event can be found here.

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