Guilty Verdict in the 2012 Assault & Shooting of Lesbian Couple in Texas

Kristene Chapa Mollie Olgin

Kristene Chapa, then 18, and girlfriend Mollie Olgin, then 19, stopped by a park on their way to see a movie on June 23, 2012. A horrifying encounter with a stranger ended with both young women sexually assaulted and shot, left for dead in that park. Olgin died of her injuries, but Kristene Chapa survived and took the stand to testify against David Strickland more than four years later.

It took the jury less than six hours to return a guilty verdict. Four years, 3 months and six hours after their horrible ordeal, there was finally some justice for Mollie and Kristene and, hopefully, some closure for Kristene.

Arrest in the 2012 Shooting, Assault of Texas Lesbian Couple

Kristene Chapa Mollie Olgin

    In 2012, two teenaged lesbians were brutally attacked and left for dead in a Texas park. 19 year old Mollie Olgin died and her girlfriend Mary Kristene Chapa, then 18, survived with serious debilitating injuries. News of the arrest of the 27-year-old suspect brought to light the fact that one or both women […]

Forgiveness (and Peace) Begin With Me

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The Prompt: Share a story where it was very difficult for you to forgive the perpetrator for wronging you, but you did it — you forgave them. So – wow. This is a very difficult question to address. Forgiveness is not my strong suit. I’m more of a ‘let’s pretend everything is okay’ type – but […]

Talking About Boston and Sexual Assault and Helpers

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As I watched the news unfold last night, I felt a familiar pit in my stomach – the feeling of horror and anger and being upset and irrationally MAD about small things. I’ve never witnessed a shooting or been on the scene of such medical trauma. But I was alternating between being distraught and hunting […]

Change the Conversation: Untitled by Anonymous

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I am posting this contribution from Anonymous. Trigger Warning – Sexual assault, child molestation, victim blaming.  Sexual assault is a serious problem. According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) every 2 minutes, someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted. While Sexual assaults have decreased more than 60% in the recent years there […]

Changing the Conversation About Soap Operas?

A few months ago, I was asked to participate in a Change.org effort to send a message to the soap operas that “rape does not equal romance.” I declined. Why? Well, I do agree with the message but  I also know the soaps. And I thought it was pointless and wouldn’t work. I really regret […]

Daytime Television and Sexual Assault – Will DAYS do the “prison rape” story?

Trigger Warnings: Sexual Assault, Homophobia, Days of Our Lives has had a marvelous unfolding of their gay supercouple “WilSon” over the past year. Sonny Kiriakis and Will Horton are both legacy characters, easy to like and coping with the good soapy stuff any heterosexual couple faces – including a custody battle. They even have a […]

Sexual Assault and Rape Culture Are LGBTQ Issues

Trigger Warnings – sexual assault, rape, victim-blaming Coauthored with Ian Awesome. Originally posted on HuffPo Gay Voices. The conviction of two young men for raping an unconscious young woman challenges us to rethink our assumptions about youth, the legal system and sexual assault. We are both survivors of sexual assault. In the light of media responses to […]

Change The Conversation: Blogging About Sexual Assault – Planning Post

Change The Conversation: Blogging About Sexual Assault – Planning Post

Friends – The Pittsburgh Women’s Blogging Society is organizing a “Blogging Day” on Tuesday April 2. “Change the Conversation: Blogging About Sexual Assault” We need help to make this successful. Help us send a message of solidarity to our sister in Steubenville and all survivors of sexual assault. Help us begin the difficult conversations on […]

Sexual Assault Prevention Tips – Not What You Might Expect

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