AUGUST 30, 2005
KATRINA DESTROYS NEW ORLEANS
AUGUST 30, 2006
HIALEAH HOUSE FIRE-HOUSTON
AUGUST 30, 2006
MONTGOMERY COUNTY WEST NILE DEATH
AUGUST 30, 2007
KENNETH FOSTER DEATH PENALTY COMMUTED TO LIFE SENTENCE
Hours before his scheduled execution as a disputed accomplice in a 1996 murder, Kenneth Foster won a rare commutation to life in prison on Thursday after Gov. Rick Perry followed the recommendation of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles and granted a death row reprieve.
The case had raised international protests because Mr. Foster, 30, was not the gunman but the driver of a getaway car in a San Antonio robbery spree that ended in murder. He was convicted under a Texas law that makes co-conspirators liable in certain cases of homicide.
“It makes me feel wonderful,” said Mr. Foster’s father, Kenneth Foster Sr., who had been visiting his son at the death house in Huntsville with other family members when word of the board’s clemency recommendation came.
“He was very excited; he jumped for joy,” the elder Mr. Foster said.
Since taking office in 2000, Mr. Perry has granted death row commutations recommended by the pardons board only twice before, and has once overruled the panel’s recommendation, the governor’s office said.
Mr. Foster’s lawyer, Keith S. Hampton, who had run out of options except for a final — and sixth — appeal to the United States Supreme Court, said, “I’m very relieved, for Kenneth and all his supporters.” Mr. Hampton said Mr. Foster could conceivably be released from prison some day, perhaps after serving 30 more years. He has served 10.
AUGUST 30, 2007
PHI AIR MEDICAL RESPONDS TO FORD ROAD CRASH
AUGUST 30, 2007
MILITARY TRAIN THROUGH CONROE
AUGUST 30, 2013
WALDEN AUTO-PEDESTRIAN CRASH
DPS Troopers just finished the scene investigation a short time ago after an earlier auto-pedestrian crash.
Just after 10:30 a teen was leaving Walden on Walden Road just past La Torretta at a high rate of speed when for some reason he lost control running into the ditch.
A groundskeeper for the property was also in that ditch using a weed eater when he was struck. The 2007 Toyota Scion rolled at least twice before landing back on Walden Road.
The yet unidentified groundskeeper was transported by MCHD to Ben Taub Hospital in Houston where he remains in critical condition.
The teen who has not yet been identified by DPS was also transported to the hospital in stable condition along with his passenger.
Walden Road was closed down to two lanes most of the afternoon as DPS continued their investigation. The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office is also assisting in the investigation.
Another vehicle was in close proximity to the Toyota at the time of the crash but did not stop.
DPS Troopers would like to speak to anyone who saw the crash or the vehicle that was traveling and did not stop.
AUGUST 30, 2017
CONSTABLES RECOVER HUNDREDS OF BOATS
Harvey passed and left Lake Conroe well above its normal stage. With the lake coming up and the winds, hundreds of boats went afloat. Many were not tied down, many others were tied so secure that when the lake came up the lines snapped, others as the lake rose were so secure they were pulled under. Some are also allied to docks that broke loose and went afloat. Wednesday morning with most rescues complete, Montgomery County Precinct 1 Constables started to identify boats. The original plan was to tow the boats to a location for owners to identify and recover them. Within an hour that changed when it was discovered there were hundreds of boats and not just a few. Constables are now making the perimeter of the lake, locating and identifying boats by registration numbers. They are then going to locate the owners and pair them with the property owner where the boat now rests. Many are seen up in yards, in living rooms, several have jet skis are still tied down to the dock with the dock completely located. Constable Cash has all his men assigned to this duty until it is complete. Lt Cade reminds people the lake remains closed to boating traffic until the level drops further. He stated there is a lot of debris, and docks just under the water surface. It has not yet been determined if the lake will be open for the upcoming Labor Day Weekend.
AUGUST 30, 2018
WOMAN FROM DOORBELL CAMERA IDENTIFIED
On August 29, 2018, at about 11:00 AM the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a welfare check in the 18400 block of Sunrise Pines, which is located in the Sunrise Ranch Subdivision in Montgomery, TX.
Upon arrival, deputies met with a female who stated that she had received a concerning text message from her ex-husband and was concerned he may have hurt himself and that she believed his girlfriend was the woman seen in the doorbell videos.
Deputies attempted to make contact with the male by phone and by knocking at the door but received no response. Due to the content of the messages received by the ex-wife, deputies forced entry into the residence and found the male deceased in bed with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Detectives responded to the scene and found evidence that the girlfriend is the woman in the video, including text messages from the deceased explaining what occurred.
Detectives were able to locate family members of the girlfriend in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and through those family members, made contact with the female. Texas Rangers in that area met with the female and confirmed her identity, and she provided information that only the female in the video would have known.
The female described her actions that night in detail (as confirmed by area videos), and mentioned items of evidence located at the residence known only to the detectives at the scene. The female also described the restraints seen on the previously released video as restraints commonly used in private intimate encounters.
Due to allegations of sexual assault, we will not be naming the victim at this time. We are confident, based on the totality of the circumstances, and the evidence available to us, that we have identified the female in the doorbell video and that she is safe.
AUGUST 30, 2018
CRASH SH 249 AT WOOD TRACE
Just after 9 am and a vehicle pulled out in front of an 18-wheeler that was southbound on SH 249 at Wood Trace. The truck pulling a trailer with a skid steer applied the brakes but he was unable to stop from hitting the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle was entrapped as Magnolia Firefighters worked to free him. He was transported to Memorial Hermann in The Woodlands in critical condition. DPS worked the crash, southbound traffic was closed for at least an hour. The driver of the 18-wheeler was not injured.
UPDATE-FAMILY SAYS THE DRIVER IS RECOVERING AFTER SURGERY AND SHOULD BE OK. He IS RESPONDING TO COMMANDS AND WANTS TO HOLD HIS WIFE’s HAND.
AUGUST 30, 2019
AMTRACK CRASH IN LIBERTY COUNTY
At 4 pm the Sunset Limited Amtrack train enroute from Los Angles to New Orleans was had just passed through Huffman and was approaching Dayton when at County Road 621 the train slammed into an 18-wheeler crossing the uncontrolled intersection. The driver of the truck was able to get out with only minor injuries. Atascocita Fire responded with the Mass Casualty Bus to assist in transporting a total of 23-persons to the Liberty Dayton Hospital. All with what are described as minor injuries. Medics were seen carrying handfuls of cervical collars at the scene. Part of the train did derail but is described more as jumped off the rail and was easily set back on the track. It then started a slow roll back toward Houston. Gisselle Hernandez who has lived just about 100-feet from the tracks the last few years said she didn’t hear the horn on the train. She was in the house when she heard the crash and worried it was about to come into the house. She said as a train comes by the television often flickers and shakes interrupting the signal. A large piece of steel gashed the oak tree within 12-feet of the house. Another piece of the truck landed next to the rain downspout. DPS, Liberty County Firefighters, Dayton Firefighters, and Liberty County Sheriff’s Office responded to the crash. There were no serious injuries or deaths.
AUGUST 30, 2021
MONTGOMERY COUNTY DEPARTMENTS RESPOND TO NEW ORLEANS
When Louisiana called Texas for mutual aid thirty-five pieces of equipment were sent from around the state. Six of those departments which sent men and equipment were from Montgomery County. At noon today Porter, South Montgomery County, Needham, North Montgomery County, and Conroe left out heading to Louisiana on a deployment that will last about two weeks. That includes two days travel time and fourteen days on the ground. Harris County is also sending pieces of equipment from five departments. In addition, East Montgomery County sent equipment over the weekend on a mutual aid agreement they have with St Martins Fire Department in Louisana. Others are coming from the Dallas Metroplex. Texas is also requesting twenty water tankers as the water supply in New Orleans was disrupted. All this is part of the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS).
AUGUST 30, 2021
NAVY SEAL-(THE LONE SURVIVOR) MARCUS LUTTRELL GUEST SPEAKER AT EMC LAW ENFORCEMENT DINNER
Monday night Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell, the Lone Survivor was the guest speaker at the East Montgomery County Law Enforcement Appreciation Dinner. Marcus spent close to an hour talking to the group about his life.
Marcus Luttrell and his twin brother Morgan were born and raised in Texas. They both attended Sam Houston State University. Both began training for the Navy SEALS at age 14 with Billy Shelton a former United States Army soldier. As youngsters, they loved to hunt and fish and wrestle alligators.
Marcus joined the United States Navy in March 1999. He began Basic Underwater Demolition (BUDS) training with Class 226 in Coronado, California. He graduated with Class 228 after suffering a fractured femur early in his training. Marcus graduated 18 Delta in 2001, making him a team Medic.
On June 28, 2005, Luttrell and three other SEALs were assigned to Operation Red Wing, a mission to kill or capture Ahmad Shah (nom de guerre Mohammad Ismail), a high-ranking Taliban leader responsible for the killings in eastern Afghanistan and the Hindu-Kush mountains. The SEAL Team was made up of Luttrell, Michael P. Murphy, Danny Dietz, and Matthew Axelson. A group of goat herders stumbled upon the SEALS, the four SEALS immediately took control of the situation and discussed what to do with the herders. The herders were subsequently released and disappeared over the mountain ridge. Luttrell believes they immediately relayed the team’s location to local Taliban forces and within an hour, the SEALS were engaged in an intense gun battle. In the ensuing battle, the rest of the SEAL team members were killed.
An MH-47 Chinook helicopter was dispatched with a force consisting of SEALS and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, “Nightstalker’s” to rescue the team, but the helicopter was shot down by an RPG. All 16 men in the Chinook were killed. Luttrell was the only survivor. Badly wounded, he managed to walk and crawl seven miles to evade capture. He was given shelter by an Afgan tribe, who alerted the Americans of his presence, and American forces finally rescued him six days after the gun battle.
Following his physical recovery from Operation Red Wing, Lutterell returned and completed one more tour before being medically retired. He wrote the book “Lone Survivor, to share the amazing story of his brothers who paid the ultimate sacrifice. In 2013, Lone Survivor became a major motion picture starring Mark Whalberg.
Luttrell’s second book, Service, answers questions remaining from Lone Survivor and gives honor and praise to other members of the military.
Today, Luttrell is married to the woman of his dreams, Melanie. The couple has a son, Axe, who is named after SEAL Matthew Axelson, and a daughter, Addie. In 2010, Luttrell established the Lone Survivor Foundation for Veterans and their families. He is also involved in the Boot Campaign, a charitable organization that focuses on military personnel and the hardships resulting from their service.
AUGUST 30, 2022
MURDER SUSPECT SHOOTS AND KILLS HIMSELF AT KROGER AS POLICE CLOSE IN
Monday night a male shot two sisters in Friendswood killing one and critically injuring the other. Harris County Sheriff’s Office Detectives have spent the night tracking the suspect. He was found asleep in his vehicle in the Kroger parking lot at I-45 and FM 1097 in Willis. As undercover officers surrounded the vehicle the suspect woke up and shot himself in the head. He has been transported in critical condition to HCA Conroe by MCHD but died a short time later. Willis Police and Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office are now on the scene. They will be working on the investigation of the Willis incident along with the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office. None of the undercover officers discharged their weapons in the incident. The two sisters were shot in the 4700 block of Backenberry at Constitution in Friendswood. The sisters were 18 and 20 years old. Harris County investigators believe the shooting may have stemmed from an argument with the suspect. Harris County Detectives had been up all night tracking the suspect. It was a welcome sight for them when Krogers management pushed a cart loaded with pastries and Starbucks coffee out to them. The scene cleared close to 10 am as Barsh Towing moved the vehicle to the Crime Lab for further processing.
