Killer Relationship With Faith Jenkins is examining the callous murder of teenager Chris Daigle, who was gunned down by his so-called friend Richard Mendoza Jr in a field in Fort Bend County, south of Houston, Texas.
On November 7, 2002, 17-year-old Mendoza drove his friends, 17-year-old Daigle, 14-year-old Joshua Fretz, and 15-year-old Daniel Rodriguez, from their homes near Missouri City to a rural area with a plan to pick mushrooms.
Mendoza brought a shotgun, which he said was for hunting birds and squirrels. However, shortly after they arrived, Mendoza shot Daigle in the back of the head.
The two younger boys fled back to Mendoza’s truck, and the killer slowly followed them back. He didn’t turn the gun on his two buddies but drove them away instead.
The following day, Mendoza insisted that the trio return to the field where they dragged Daigle’s remains into an area of high grass and shrubs where the body would be hidden. Daigle’s whereabouts remained a mystery for over ten years.
Mendoza’s motive was jealousy; he was apparently angry because he believed his friend had been flirting with his 14-year-old girlfriend.
Richard Mendoza Jr linked to Chris Daigle killing ten years later
It took ten years for the truth to emerge. A friend of Mendoza’s, Tyler Hall, went to the police in 2009 and told them that Mendoza had admitted to killing Daigle a few weeks after the murder.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelAt the same time, the police learned that Mendoza, Fretz, and Rodriguez had been the last ones to see Daigle alive. The cops interviewed Fretz and Rodriguez, who decided to cooperate fully.
In 2011, Fretz and Rodriguez led the police to the field where they had left Daigle. The cops recovered two bones, and DNA analysis determined that the bones belonged to the Daigle family.
Richard Mendoza sentenced to 50 years for Chris Daigle murder
In 2013, a jury convicted Mendoza of murder, and he was sentenced to 50 years and fined $100,000. He was 28 years old when convicted. Mendoza is currently incarcerated at the TDCJ William P. Clements Unit prison in Amarillo, TX.
After the sentencing, Assistant District Attorney Lorretta Owen said, “The victim’s family suffered nine long years not knowing what had happened to their loved one while the defendant enjoyed years of freedom he did not deserve, but in the end, justice was finally served.”
Killer Relationship With Faith Jenkins airs Saturdays at 8/7c on Investigation Discovery.