Teacher's brutal murder that rocked a small town to be featured on 'Dateline'
A new episode of "Dateline" will tell the story of how the brutal murder of high school teacher Manuela Sabine Allen in Olney left the tightknit community reeling and investigators searching for answers.
"Footprint at the Lake" will air 8 p.m. Friday on KFDX Channel 3, featuring interviews with family members, the convicted killer and a Texas Ranger in this episode of the true crime staple.
The investigation started as a missing person's case July 7, 2019, with a Texas Ranger assisting the Young County Sheriff's Office, court records show.
A bloody crime scene at her home led investigators to believe the 49-year-old wife and mother suffered serious injuries and likely died. Her body was discovered that afternoon at nearby Lake Cooper in a second crime scene.
Autopsy results would show she was stabbed multiple times, shot and murdered by asphyxiation that fractured bones in her neck.
More: Texas Ranger details investigation leading to arrest in Olney teacher's murder
Suspicion fell on former Olney High School football player Julius Orion Xavier Mullins. Then 18 years old, he was an ex-boyfriend of Allen's daughter.
On May 28, 2020, Mullins pleaded guilty to murder, tampering with evidence-a human corpse and home burglary in in 90th District Court in a plea agreement.
He was sentenced to 55 years in prison and a $10,000 fine for murdering Allen and 20 years for tampering with evidence on July 6, 2019.
He was also given a 20-year sentence for a home burglary on June 30, 2019. The sentences are running concurrently.
The maximum penalty for the first degree felony of murder is life in prison. Tampering and home burglary are second degree felonies punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
More: Memorial Service set for July 28 for murdered Olney teacher
Trish Choate, enterprise watchdog reporter for the Times Record News, covers education, courts, breaking news and more. Contact Trish with news tips at tchoate@gannett.com. Read her recent work here. Her X handle is @Trishapedia.
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Olney teacher's murder featured on 'Dateline'
