Sara Cassandra Nelson, a 29-year-old woman from Cypress, Texas, was tragically killed on May 8, 2015. The incident began on May 7, 2015, when her boyfriend, 34-year-old Kris Maneerut, was found dead inside his home in the 9900 block of Oakland Lane. Kris Maneerut had been shot, and Sara Cassandra Nelson was missing and believed to have been abducted. The following morning, her body was discovered in the 18500 block of Wallisville Road.
She had sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
The Harris County Sheriff's Office investigated the case and made three arrests in connection with the double murder and kidnapping. Santhy Inthalangsy and Amalinh Phouthavong were charged with capital murder, while Lindapone Phanprasa was charged with kidnapping. All three suspects were booked into the Harris County Jail without bail.
The investigation revealed that Sara Cassandra Nelson had witnessed her boyfriend, Kris Maneerut, being shot. Immediately afterward, Santhy Inthalangsy and associates escorted her from the crime scene. Later that day, she was killed. The motive behind the crime was linked to drug profits worth $70,000 that had been stolen, for which Lindapone Phanprasa, the drug dealer, held Sara Cassandra Nelson responsible.
The case went to trial, and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals reviewed the evidence. The court held that the evidence of Sara Cassandra Nelson's death was relevant and tended to prove an element of the charged offense. The probative value of the evidence was not substantially outweighed by its prejudicial effect, and the trial court did not abuse its discretion in admitting the evidence.
