Kristene Chapa: The 2012 Attack, Trial, and $198.2M Verdict

Kristene Chapa is a Texas woman who survived a 2012 attack at a Portland, Texas park that killed her girlfriend, Mollie Olgin. Shot in the head and sexually assaulted at age 18, Chapa recovered enough to testify against her attacker, David Malcolm Strickland, who was convicted of capital murder in 2016. In March 2026, a San Patricio County jury awarded her $198.2 million in a civil lawsuit against Strickland, his father, and the family pharmacy.

The 2012 Attack at Violet Andrews Park

On the night of June 23, 2012, Chapa, then 18, and Olgin, 19, were at Violet Andrews Park in Portland, Texas, a small city near Corpus Christi. The two were bound, sexually assaulted, and shot in the head in what authorities later described as an execution-style attack.¹ A birdwatching couple found them the next morning in knee-high grass near a scenic overlook. Olgin was pronounced dead at the scene. Chapa was unconscious but alive and was taken to a local hospital.²

The case drew national attention in part because the victims were a same-sex couple and the attack occurred during Pride weekend. It was never prosecuted as a hate crime. Portland Police Chief Randy Wright said investigators could not establish that the couple’s sexual orientation played a role, and the department stated there was “no current evidence to indicate the attacks were motivated by that relationship.”³

How David Strickland Was Caught and Convicted

The case sat unsolved for two years. The break came in 2014, when David Malcolm Strickland wrote a letter to a family member of one of the victims, writing from the perspective of a “hitman” and including details about the crime that had not been made public. After a two-hour interview with Portland police and Texas Rangers, Strickland confessed, then later recanted. He was arrested on June 20, 2014, in Helotes, Texas.⁴

He was charged with capital murder and aggravated sexual assault in San Patricio County. At trial, prosecutors presented his initial confession, the letter he admitted writing, and testimony from a Texas Department of Public Safety firearms expert who said a bullet casing found at the scene likely matched Strickland’s .45 caliber Glock handgun.⁵ Strickland claimed he had shot the victims because they had been rude to his wife at a restaurant, but prosecutors established that the victims had not been at that location on the night of the shooting.

A San Patricio County jury found Strickland guilty of capital murder. In September 2016, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, and a judge denied his request for a new trial that same month.⁶

Strickland’s Appeals Have Been Denied at Every Level

Strickland’s defense team, which has included attorney Cynthia Orr and members of the Innocence Project, argues that mitochondrial DNA testing unavailable at the original trial excluded him from a pubic hair found on Chapa’s body. Prosecutors have countered that the hair, even if attributed to another man who had been at the park that night, would not be enough to overcome the rest of the evidence.⁷

Every court has ruled against him so far:

The 13th Court of Appeals denied his state appeal on January 23, 2020.⁷
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals denied his state habeas application in January 2024 and denied reconsideration the next month, both without written order.⁸
A federal judge in the Southern District of Texas denied his habeas petition in 2025, rejecting claims of Brady violations, confrontation clause problems tied to a ballistics expert who destroyed photographs, and allegations of false testimony.⁸

Strickland’s attorneys filed an appeal of the federal ruling in October 2025. As of early 2026, that appeal remained pending.⁹

Chapa’s Recovery

The bullet damaged the part of Chapa’s brain that controls basic motor functions on her left side. She described going from independent to “back to a toddler.”¹⁰ Her mother, Grace Chapa, lived with her in a physical rehabilitation center for nearly four months. Beginning in November 2012, she started physical and speech therapy three times a week at CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital in Corpus Christi. She used a leg brace to help her walk and, in February 2013, threw a ceremonial first pitch for her former high school softball team.

By 2019, she had relearned to walk, talk, and smile, though she said her body “will never be 100% again.” She has reported struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and panic attacks. Court records from 2018 described tunnel vision, a limp, constant pain, and a need for “substantial assistance with daily tasks for the balance of her life.”⁹ She has taken college courses and said she wants to work as a counselor or occupational therapist assistant.¹

Speaking Publicly After the Attack

Chapa testified at Strickland’s criminal trial and later described the experience as empowering. “I took my power back to be able to stand up against him,” she said, recalling that Strickland would not look at her on the stand but would “smile at my family and taunt them.”¹

She spoke at the GLAAD Media Awards in May 2015, receiving a standing ovation. “It’s hard to be gay in South Texas, but I believe that God loves everybody, no matter if you’re gay or straight,” she told the audience.¹¹ She appeared on MSNBC in December 2014, on Dateline NBC in June 2019, and on ABC’s The View in October 2019 alongside Sunny Hostin, whose Investigation Discovery series devoted an episode to the case.⁶ She has also been working on a book about her life, Salt Wind Redemption: Love & Murder in South Texas, with co-writer Chivas Sandage.

The $198.2 Million Civil Verdict

In 2017, Chapa filed a civil lawsuit that initially sought more than $500 million from three defendants: David Strickland, his father Larry Joe Strickland, and the family business, Taft Pharmacy, where David had worked.¹² The suit alleged that Larry Joe Strickland knew of his son’s violent tendencies, acquired the .45 caliber Glock used in the attack, and entrusted it to David anyway. It further alleged that the father and the pharmacy “facilitated, encouraged, aided and abetted” David Strickland’s actions, either intentionally or through negligence.¹³

The theories pressed against the elder Strickland and the pharmacy included negligent entrustment of a firearm, aiding and abetting, vicarious liability tied to David’s employment there, and gross negligence. A 2021 amended petition raised the demand to $10 billion.¹⁴

The trial took place in the 343rd District Court of San Patricio County. Houston attorney Tony Buzbee, joined by Colby Holler and Hall Sasnett of The Buzbee Law Firm, represented Chapa. Michael Terry of Hartline Barger L.L.P. in Corpus Christi represented the defense. David Strickland took the stand and was cross-examined by Buzbee, who said afterward, “It didn’t go well, for him.” Despite his 2016 conviction, Strickland continued to deny responsibility during the civil case.¹³

On the evening of March 11, 2026, after two and a half hours of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of $198.2 million for Chapa, including $100 million in punitive damages. Buzbee’s firm called it one of the largest sexual assault verdicts in United States history.¹⁵ “Kristene Chapa is a hero. She’s a fighter. She’s a sexual assault survivor,” Buzbee said. Attorneys for the defendants could not be reached for comment, and no information has been reported on whether the verdict has been collected or appealed.¹⁴

1
ABC News. Texas Shooting Survivor Felt Powerful Testifying Against Attacker
2
South Texas News. Investigation Discovery’s Truth About Murder to Air Episode on Portland Teen
3
The Guardian. Texas Lesbian Teenagers Shot
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San Antonio Express-News. Dateline NBC David Strickland Shooting Rape Texas
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Caller-Times. Dateline Looks at David Strickland’s Conviction in South Texas Murder
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Caller-Times. TV Episode on 2012 Portland Murder and Attack to Air
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Caller-Times. David Strickland Denied Appeal in Killing of Mollie Olgin
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GovInfo. USCOURTS-txsd-2:24-cv-00050
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Michigan Lawyers Weekly. Portland Texas Survivor $198M Lawsuit 2012 Attack
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NBC News. Teen Shot in Head Heals, Mourns Her Girlfriend’s Death
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Autostraddle. Mary Kristene Chapa’s Vibrant Life After 2012 Shooting
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Caller-Times. New Trial Date Set for Survivor Lawsuit Against David Strickland
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KRIS-TV. Jury Awards Kristene Chapa $198 Million in Civil Case
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Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. Portland Texas Survivor $198M Lawsuit 2012 Attack
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PR Newswire. The Buzbee Law Firm Achieves $198.2 Million Verdict for Sexual Assault Survivor Kristene Chapa