Interim DA Named in Kaufman County

Keaton Fox, NBC 5 News

Police cars and a Texas Rangers trailer can be seen along the street where Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife Cynthia lived. Their bodies were found inside their home on March 30, 2013.

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Officials in Kaufman County are meeting to discuss potential replacements for slain District Attorney Mike McLelland.

The bodies of both McLelland and his wife Cynthia were found in their home Saturday.  Both were dead from apparent gunshot wounds.  Their bodies were found nearly two months to the day after Kaufman County Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse was gunned down while walking to work.

NBC 5 has learned that two attorneys have volunteered to fill McLelland's position in the interim and that two others have been contacted by the county as potential replacements.

The list of candidates will be sent to Gov. Rick Perry, who will make the appointment.  While the governor said Monday that he has no personal knowledge of the investigation, he advised everyone, especially public officials, to be extra cautious.

Until that time, Assistant District Attorney Brandi Fernandez is acting district attorney for Kaufman County.

The county released the following statement Monday afternoon:

"After the unfortunate events of this weekend, the position of interim District Attorney will be filled by Brandi Fernandez, First Assistant District Attorney, per the Texas Government Code, for a period of 21 days or until the Governor of the State of Texas appoints a successor for Mr. McLelland.  During this time frame, the office will continue moving forward to serve the community while working through these tragic events which have affected the lives and families of this office.  Our hearts and prayers go out to the family of Mike and Cynthia McLelland.  They will be deeply missed."

To date, police have remained tight-lipped about the investigation into the McLelland murders and have not revealed any connection to the Hasse slaying last January. Additionally, police have not released the names of anyone suspected in any of the deaths.

NBC 5's Randy McIlwain contributed to this report.

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Dallas Co. Beefs Up Security After Kaufman Slayings

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Dallas County officials confirmed Monday they will add new security precautions after the slaying of the Kaufman County district attorney and his wife.

Mike and Cynthia McLelland were found dead in their Forney home on Saturday.

"I'm dumbfounded," said First Assistant Dallas County District Attorney Heath Harris. "I can't believe that the Kaufman County district attorney and his wife are dead. I can't believe it. I can't believe that someone would have that kind of audacity to commit that type of offense."

The killings come two months after Mark Hasse, a Kaufman County assistant district attorney, was gunned down outside the county courthouse.

"All prosecutors are now going to have to question what we do," Harris said.

Dallas District Attorney Craig Watkins, the first black in Texas to be elected to that position, has reported receiving anonymous threats since taking office seven years ago.

He suggested security improvements for himself after Hasse's slaying but Sunday, County Judge Clay Jenkins, Sheriff Lupe Valdez and other county officials began planning immediate improvements.

The Dallas County changes will include better protection for Watkins, safer parking arrangements for all prosecutors and other measures that officials declined to reveal.

Harris said Dallas County prosecutors are already encouraged to become licensed to carry a concealed handgun.

"Nothing that's happened in Kaufman County or anywhere else is going to prevent us from doing our jobs," Harris said.

A.J. Irwin, a security expert with Yarbrough Strategic Advisors and former federal agent who worked on the Oklahoma City bombing case, said prosecutors should also be cautious in their daily routine.

"For instance, don't take the same route to work," he said. "Don't establish a routine where someone who may be watching you or casing you can figure out those patterns and take an opportunity to hurt you."

Irwin said the team of agencies working on the Kaufman County cases would consider insiders who might have better access to the victims, as well as organized criminal groups that might have a motive to kill prosecutors.

"The thing that strikes me is there seems to be a pattern," he said. "Typically, murders are violent, but they're not so brazen."

Oliver "Buck" Revell, former Dallas FBI special agent in charge, said public officials should be concerned about the Kaufman County slayings.

"If law enforcement can't do its job, then the citizens are at further risk," he said.

Revell said he believes the killings are the work of an organized group.

"These occurred within a very short period of time within the same office, a very small office which had been going after the organized criminal element, particularly the meth traffickers, and the DA had been very outspoken," he said.

Revell said investigators would not rest until arrests are made in the killings targeting law enforcement.

"Every available tool will be used," he said. "These guys aren't going to get away with it."

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NTTA Suing Toll Violators

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The North Texas Tollway Authority is filing lawsuits against drivers with unpaid toll bills.

As of the end of February, attorneys have filed approximately 75 lawsuits against violators who owe unpaid tolls and fines, the agency said.

The NTTA said it was in the beginning stages and expects to the number of lawsuits to "significantly" increase.

"The decision to file is based on whether filing a lawsuit is in the NTTA's best financial interest," the agency said in a statement.

Many drivers aren't happy that the NTTA is taking people to court.

"Maybe it would be justified if they were on the ball, getting their bills on time," said Eric Domuret of Houston. "The fact that they are taking people to court when they can't stay on the ball upsets me. Probably makes things easier for them; taking us to court seems backhanded to me."

Domuret said he's gotten a second late notice on more than one occasion after never receiving a first bill.

"It's ridiculous," he said.

The move is the agency's latest effort to collect unpaid tolls.

Last year, the NTTA began posting a list of its top toll violators. Since the list's inception in July, the agency has collected $2.8 million from 12,808 people who paid in full or made payment agreements.

As of March 1, the list contains nearly 25,000 names. It can be found on the NTTA's website.

According to the list of top 100 toll violators, the top 100 collectively owe millions in unpaid fines and fees. As of March 1, each person on the list owes more than $78,000.

The top 100 toll violators list names Melissa S. Martinez, of Sachse, as the top violator with $153,000 in unpaid tolls and fees.

The NTTA referred 6,000 randomly chosen offenders from the top toll violators list to six different law firms last fall.

"Firms have been contacting and, in some cases, negotiating with people assigned to them," the NTTA said in a statement.

In a list of the referred names on its website, the NTTA said that all of the violators had accumulated more than 100 unpaid tolls, received more than 16 invoices and had cycled through more than 180 days of requests for payment.

The list of drivers that were referred to attorneys can be found on the NTTA's website.

The agency is encouraging those contacted by law firms to work out a settlement.

Everyone on the list should contact the NTTA to resolve their outstanding tolls, the agency said.

Toll violators are also subject to criminal citations, the NTTA said.

The NTTA said it is currently asking the state Legislature to block the vehicle registration for an owner who has a significant amount of outstanding tolls.

NBC 5's Ray Villeda contributed to this report.

More: Top Toll Violators Referred to Law Firms

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Kaufman Co. Sheriff Unsure of Connection to Hasse Murder

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Kaufman County District Attorney, Wife, Found Dead in Home

Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife were found dead in their home Saturday night, police say.

Kaufman D.A. to Shooter: "We're Gonna Find You"

Criminal District Attorney Mike McLelland address the media about the shooting of Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse Thursday morning.

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Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife Cynthia were found shot to death inside their Forney home Saturday, nearly two months to the day after his top assistant was gunned down on his way to work earlier this year.

Kaufman County Sheriff's Department investigators confirmed the deaths to NBC 5 Saturday evening, but officials have had little else to say about the investigation since. Sources close to the investigation told NBC 5 Saturday evening that McLelland and his wife were found at about 4 p.m. that day by a concerned relative or friend who had gone to the house after being unable to reach the couple. Other sources told NBC 5 that the McLelland's front door had been forced open and that gunshots had been fired and that an assault rifle was used in the murders.

On Sunday afternoon, Kaufman County Sheriff David Byrnes spoke with the media, but offered little on the investigation thus far and wouldn't confirm details released by sources. Byrnes also wouldn't speculate on whether the murders are connected to the Jan. 31 slaying of Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse saying, "there is nothing to indicate that, for sure."

While there remains no immediate, confirmed link between Saturday's murders and Hasse's murder, the similarities between the cases prompted county officials to conduct welfare checks on all employees in the district attorney's office Saturday. All were OK, though one former Kaufman County prosecutor was "in hiding" Saturday evening and said others were as well. 

Meanwhile, as a connection between the Hasse and McLelland murders is explored, investigators continue to search for possible connections between Hasse's murder, the slaying of Colorado prison official Tom Clements and the shooting of Montague County Sheriff's Deputy James Boyd that sparked a wild car chase that ended with the fatal shooting of Evan Ebel last week in Wise County.

Byrnes also refused to comment on whether security measures have been put in place for the staff of the district attorney's office other than to say they are taking precautions. Byrnes did say that there would be an increased and visible security presence at the Kaufman County Courthouse on Monday.

"It's unnerving to the law enforcement community and the community at large.  That's why we're striving to assure the community that we are still providing public safety and will be able to do that," Byrnes said, about the McLelland murders.

A tip line has been set up for the investigation and anyone with information to share with investigators is asked to call 1-877-847-7522.

McLelland Vowed to Catch Hasse's Killer

While police officers are frequently the target of violence while trying to apprehend criminals, attacks on prosecutors are extremely rare, though not unheard of.  McLelland said as much in January when speaking about his slain friend when he said Hasse was aware of the dangers associated with being a prosecutor.

At the time, he described Hasse as a really, really good man that was an excellent friend and a spectacular prosecutor who wouldn't be easily replaced. He also vowed to catch Hasse's killers saying, "I hope that the people that did this are watching. Because we're very confident that we're going to find you, pull you out of whatever hole you're in, bring you back and let the people of Kaufman County prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law."

FBI agents and Texas Rangers, who were still investigating the unsolved slaying of Hasse, are now leading the investigation into Saturday's murders, according to a federal law enforcement source.

McLelland and his wife, Cynthia Woodward McLelland, have five children including two daughters and three sons.  One of the sons is a Dallas police officer.

NBC 5's Ray Villeda and Scott Gordon contributed to this report.

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NTTA Suing Toll Violators

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The North Texas Tollway Authority is filing lawsuits against drivers with unpaid toll bills.

As of the end of February, attorneys have filed approximately 75 lawsuits against violators who owe unpaid tolls and fines, the agency said.

The NTTA said it was in the beginning stages and expects to the number of lawsuits to "significantly" increase.

"The decision to file is based on whether filing a lawsuit is in the NTTA's best financial interest," the agency said in a statement.

Many drivers aren't happy that the NTTA is taking people to court.

"Maybe it would be justified if they were on the ball, getting their bills on time," said Eric Domuret of Houston. "The fact that they are taking people to court when they can't stay on the ball upsets me. Probably makes things easier for them; taking us to court seems backhanded to me."

Domuret said he's gotten a second late notice on more than one occasion after never receiving a first bill.

"It's ridiculous," he said.

The move is the agency's latest effort to collect unpaid tolls.

Last year, the NTTA began posting a list of its top toll violators. Since the list's inception in July, the agency has collected $2.8 million from 12,808 people who paid in full or made payment agreements.

As of March 1, the list contains nearly 25,000 names. It can be found on the NTTA's website.

According to the list of top 100 toll violators, the top 100 collectively owe millions in unpaid fines and fees. As of March 1, each person on the list owes more than $78,000.

The top 100 toll violators list names Melissa S. Martinez, of Sachse, as the top violator with $153,000 in unpaid tolls and fees.

The NTTA referred 6,000 randomly chosen offenders from the top toll violators list to six different law firms last fall.

"Firms have been contacting and, in some cases, negotiating with people assigned to them," the NTTA said in a statement.

In a list of the referred names on its website, the NTTA said that all of the violators had accumulated more than 100 unpaid tolls, received more than 16 invoices and had cycled through more than 180 days of requests for payment.

The list of drivers that were referred to attorneys can be found on the NTTA's website.

The agency is encouraging those contacted by law firms to work out a settlement.

Everyone on the list should contact the NTTA to resolve their outstanding tolls, the agency said.

Toll violators are also subject to criminal citations, the NTTA said.

The NTTA said it is currently asking the state Legislature to block the vehicle registration for an owner who has a significant amount of outstanding tolls.

NBC 5's Ray Villeda contributed to this report.

More: Top Toll Violators Referred to Law Firms

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Kaufman Co. DA, Wife, Found Dead in Home

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Kaufman D.A. to Shooter: "We're Gonna Find You"

Criminal District Attorney Mike McLelland address the media about the shooting of Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse Thursday morning.

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Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife Cynthia were found shot to death inside their Forney home Saturday, nearly two months to the day after his top assistant was gunned down on his way to work earlier this year.

Kaufman County Sheriff's Department investigators confirmed the deaths to NBC 5 Saturday evening, but had little else to say in the early stages of the investigation.

One source close to the probe said the top prosecutor and his wife were found by a concerned relative or close friend who had gone to the house about 4 p.m. after being unable to reach them.

Other sources told NBC 5 that the McLelland's front door may have been kicked in and that gunshots had been fired, though police have not independently confirmed that information.

There was no immediate confirmed link between Saturday's murders and the Jan. 31 slaying of Kaufman County Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse, but it would be hard to not speculate on possible connections.  With that in mind, officials contacted all Kaufman County officials to ensure their safety Saturday. One former Kaufman County prosecutor was "in hiding" Saturday evening and said others were as well.

While police officers are frequently the target of violence while trying to apprehend criminals, attacks on prosecutors are extremely rare though not unheard of.  McLelland said as much in January when speaking about his slain friend when he said Hasse was aware of the dangers associated with being a prosecutor.

At the time, he described Hasse as a really, really good man that was an excellent friend and a spectacular prosecutor who wouldn't be easily replaced. He also vowed to catch Hasse's killers saying, "I hope that the people that did this are watching. Because we're very confident that we're going to find you, pull you out of whatever hole you're in, bring you back and let the people of Kaufman County prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law."

FBI agents and Texas Rangers, who were still investigating the unsolved slaying of Hasse, are now leading the investigation into Saturday's murders, according to a federal law enforcement source.

McLelland and his wife, Cynthia Woodward McLelland, have five children including two daughters and three sons.  One of the sons is a Dallas police officer.

Investigators are expected to hold a news conference Sunday morning.  More information is expected to be released at that time.

NBC 5's Ray Villeda and Scott Gordon contributed to this report.

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NTTA Suing Toll Violators

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The North Texas Tollway Authority is filing lawsuits against drivers with unpaid toll bills.

As of the end of February, attorneys have filed approximately 75 lawsuits against violators who owe unpaid tolls and fines, the agency said.

The NTTA said it was in the beginning stages and expects to the number of lawsuits to "significantly" increase.

"The decision to file is based on whether filing a lawsuit is in the NTTA's best financial interest," the agency said in a statement.

Many drivers aren't happy that the NTTA is taking people to court.

"Maybe it would be justified if they were on the ball, getting their bills on time," said Eric Domuret of Houston. "The fact that they are taking people to court when they can't stay on the ball upsets me. Probably makes things easier for them; taking us to court seems backhanded to me."

Domuret said he's gotten a second late notice on more than one occasion after never receiving a first bill.

"It's ridiculous," he said.

The move is the agency's latest effort to collect unpaid tolls.

Last year, the NTTA began posting a list of its top toll violators. Since the list's inception in July, the agency has collected $2.8 million from 12,808 people who paid in full or made payment agreements.

As of March 1, the list contains nearly 25,000 names. It can be found on the NTTA's website.

According to the list of top 100 toll violators, the top 100 collectively owe millions in unpaid fines and fees. As of March 1, each person on the list owes more than $78,000.

The top 100 toll violators list names Melissa S. Martinez, of Sachse, as the top violator with $153,000 in unpaid tolls and fees.

The NTTA referred 6,000 randomly chosen offenders from the top toll violators list to six different law firms last fall.

"Firms have been contacting and, in some cases, negotiating with people assigned to them," the NTTA said in a statement.

In a list of the referred names on its website, the NTTA said that all of the violators had accumulated more than 100 unpaid tolls, received more than 16 invoices and had cycled through more than 180 days of requests for payment.

The list of drivers that were referred to attorneys can be found on the NTTA's website.

The agency is encouraging those contacted by law firms to work out a settlement.

Everyone on the list should contact the NTTA to resolve their outstanding tolls, the agency said.

Toll violators are also subject to criminal citations, the NTTA said.

The NTTA said it is currently asking the state Legislature to block the vehicle registration for an owner who has a significant amount of outstanding tolls.

NBC 5's Ray Villeda contributed to this report.

More: Top Toll Violators Referred to Law Firms

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Bees Are Buzzing Problem for Saginaw Family

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A Saginaw couple says aggressive Africanized bees are holding them hostage.

For the last five years, the bees have been swarming their backyard, Annie and Larry Antwine said.

"We can't live like this," Annie Antwine said. "It's like there's no freedom."

On a number of occasions, the bees have forced away contract workers there to do work on electrical equipment in the yard.

Aaron Garcia, a bee expert with Bee Charmer, told NBC 5 that Africanized bees are extremely territorial and very aggressive.

"If you're walking past an Africanized beehive, they're just going to hit you, sting you as hard as they can," said Garcia, who was working in the backyard of a Keller family that has had a bee problem for seven years.

Large Beehive Relocated From Denton Home

A beekeeper carefully removed on Thursday a massive beehive that had formed in the eaves of a home in Denton.

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The Antwines said they initially tried fixes such as setting fire to the bees and pouring Pine Sol on them, but none of their efforts were effective. Three years ago, the couple hired a beekeeper to help get rid of their unwanted guests, but even that didn't solve the problem.

Garcia suggests calling an expert if you have a problem with bees, saying the so-called "quick fix" home remedies are ineffective and often dangerous.

"The bees you see are just a fraction of what's on the inside -- thousands and thousands of bees," he said.

The Antwines said their bees are centered around the shed in the corner of their backyard and seem to come up from under it. They want to burn down the shed, but city ordinances do not allow it.

On Thursday, beekeepers relocated a colony of Africanized bees from a Denton home to private land out in the country. The large beehive had formed in the eaves of the Peggy Norton's home, even protruding into the attic.

"Right now is swarming season," Garcia said. "We're seeing a lot of swarming calls right now -- we've had 20 just today."

If you're unable to afford a professional, the best thing to do is simply leave the bees alone, Garcia said. He also suggests wearing light-colored clothes. Bees have a difficult time seeing lighter colors, which is why you regularly see beekeepers wearing white.

If an Africanized bee or any other of bee stings you, scrape the stinger with your fingernail rather than trying to pinch it out, Garcia said. Pinching makes it much worse, he said.

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AA's New Livery Soon Could Become Its Old Look

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American Airlines is looking toward the future, but the "new American" that was rolled out in January might soon be a thing of the past.

The Fort Worth-based airline debuted its new livery in January, holding a big rollout for its new look.

Some even speculated that the livery -- which was unveiled before American and US Airways voted to combine -- was a combination of the two airlines' looks and a hint at the merger.

But there's a chance the livery could change again.

Incoming American Airlines CEO and current US Airways CEO Doug Parker made remarks to flight attendants and pilots on Tuesday that suggested the airline's future look is uncertain.

"Maybe we need to do something slightly different than that," he said when asked directly. "It may be something dramatically different than that. I really don't know the answer."

"The only reason this is an issue now is because they just did it right in the middle, which kind of makes it confusing, so that gives us an opportunity, actually, to decide if we are going to do something different because we have so many airplanes to paint," Parker went on to say.

His comments sparked a number of questions about the future of will be the world's largest airline.

"A merger is a work in progress," said Mike Davis, and economist at Southern Methodist University. "It's going to take a long time to work out all of the details. This rebranding thing is a small detail. Symbolically, it's important, but there are many more things that need to be worked out before they're effectively merged."

American Airlines spokeswoman Stacey Frantz released the following statement Thursday:

"We remain committed to building the new American -- one fully reflective of the new, combined company. So, while we will be painting new aircraft as they come into the fleet this year and beginning to update signage and other environments throughout the system with our new look, we are mindful that we are now creating an even better brand through our merger. In other words, our new brand will be about far more than our new look. It will be about providing our customers with a robust and significantly expanded network, the best alliance partners, an upgraded fleet that will be one of the most modern in the industry, continued investment in products and services our customers value most, and a brand new American attitude reflective of our combined cultures. So a long way of saying stay tuned because there's a lot more great brand work in store. Doug Parker and the US Airways team have reviewed the extensive work that has gone into developing our brand strategy -- which goes well beyond logo and livery -- and are very interested to learn more as we work together to determine the best go-forward strategy as we move towards the proposed merger."

In an email, a US Airways representative referenced Frantz's statement, saying, "We concur with every word it contains."

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Family Survives High-Speed Crash Caused by Hogs

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A North Texas family wants everyone to know about the real dangers of driving along one of Texas' newest toll roads — and it has nothing to do with the 85-mph speed limit.

Jackie Anderson, of Mount Vernon, says her family was driving on Texas Highway 130 near Austin at about midnight last Friday when they hit 25 to 30 feral hogs crossing the highway.

"All of a sudden, it seems like I was 100 feet when I noticed them — a pack of wild feral hogs," said her husband, David Anderson.

Their SUV rolled 10 times.

"We must have rolled and flipped for 300 feet before the car landed on [the] driver's side," David Anderson said.

Family Survives Crash With Feral Hogs

Jackie Anderson's family was involved in a rollover crash on Texas Highway 130 after crashing into 25 to 30 feral hogs.

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The family, including their 5-week-old granddaughter survived the crash, but one of the family's dogs died. Another was lost but found four days later with a broken leg.

Jackie Anderson, who was in the front passenger seat, said she remembers thinking she wouldn't live through the crash. She sustained serious injuries — a concussion, seat belt burn and soft-tissue injuries all over her body.

Jackie Anderson said she wants Texas drivers to know about the very real feral-hog problem and questions why the state hasn't done more to warn drivers of the danger or try to keep them from entering the roadway.

The Andersons said they only saw one sign on the road, near Lockhart. More lighting and signage could have helped, they said.

"Knowing that I could have seen one light bar that said, 'Careful, feral hogs,' I would've taken a different route," Jackie Anderson said. "It just makes me sick."

There have been several reports of drivers hitting hogs and deer on the Texas toll road, which has the nation's fastest speed limit, since it opened in October.

The Lockhart Police Department released video in October that showed a pack of feral hogs roaming near the highway. 

NBC 5 DFW reported on the danger when the hogs cross the road at night and a program that pays hunters to kill feral hogs.

In October, SH 130 Concession Co., the private company that runs the 41-mile portion of Texas Highway 130, said it would put up temporary electronic message boards warning of wildlife in the area until permanent signs could be installed.

The Texas Department of Transportation said the safety of drivers is its top priority.

"Wildlife roadway crossings are a global problem. But we have already taken some measures to protect drivers on this highway. We currently have 'Wildlife Crossing' signs posted along the ROW of this highway," agency spokeswoman Veronica Beyer said in a statement Thursday. " We continue to work with the Concession company to identify what additional measures may be appropriate to improve driver safety. It's also important that drivers pay close attention and focus 100 percent of their attention on driving."

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