Verna McClain: Murder of Kala Marie Golden/Abduction of her son Keegan Schuchardt - TX -- 4/17/12

This is an update to the Verna McClain capital murder case which we followed, on Developing Stories at THM, as it unfolded on April 17, 2012, in Montgomery County, TX.

Montgomery County is adjacent to Harris County (Houston, TX).

All court proceedings are in Conroe, the county seat of Montgomery County.

Verna McClain is being held in the Montgomery County Jail - Conroe, Montgomery County, TX.
~~~


State to hand over grand jury testimony in McClain case


Verna McClain is led out of the courtroom
after a hearing Thursday in the 9th state
District Court in Conroe.


Posted: Thursday, May 24, 2012 12:35 pm
Updated: 11:12 pm, Mon May 28, 2012.

By Nancy Flake
The Courier of Montgomery County
Conroe, Tx


With her family – but not her children – in the courtroom, Montgomery County prosecutors asked a judge Thursday to allow them to turn over any grand jury testimony to defense attorneys for Verna McClain, accused of shooting and killing a young mother and then abducting her baby.

The state filed two motions to request defense attorneys Tay Bond and Steve Jackson turn over any mitigating evidence they have to prosecutors, and to allow prosecutors to give the defense any mitigating evidence presented to a grand jury in the days following the April 17 murder of Kala Marie Golden and the abduction of her newborn son, Keegan Schuchardt.

Read more:

http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/courier/news/state-to-hand-over-grand-jury-testimony-in-mcclain-case/article_6bcbbe13-91cb-5a97-9897-ef222c453516.html

Court appearance for woman accused of killing a mom, kidnapping her baby

Thursday, May 24, 2012

KTRK - Houston, Tx



Court appearance Thursday for Verna McClain who's
accused of killing a mom and kidnapping her baby


HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Another court hearing today for a woman accused of killing a Montgomery County mother and kidnapping her newborn son.

Read more:

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=8675620

Also, at the above Link, you can click on and read Related Content (previous articles):

Related Content

Photos: Images of fatal shooting, baby abduction

Story: DA: Death penalty possible in mom killed, baby kidnap case

Story: Nurse accused of murder, baby theft due in court

Story: Friends, family say goodbye to slain mother

Story: No bail for nurse accused of murder, baby theft

Story: Community comes together for children of slain mother

Story: Alleged murderer and abductor under suicide watch

Story: Cops: Nurse kidnapped baby after miscarriage

Story: Kidnapped newborn of fatally shot mom found alive

Story: Mom killed, newborn kidnapped

Here is the start post for this case

http://www.realitychatter.com/t3785-mother-shot-dead-newborn-taken-near-houston

This is such a scary story, you expect to be able to take your newborn to the pediatrician safely.

I drove near the scene that afternoon, not realizing what was happening. I saw the helicopters and even commented to my daughter that it was strange the roadsign announcement sign didn't say "amber alert" just said "kidnapped child, light blue Lexus" - we were both looking for light-blue cars on the interstate & the whole way home. I couldn't believe the story when I saw it on the news that evening.

Another tragedy in The Woodlands this past weekend, murder-suicide while 2 kids were in the home. Thank God the father did not harm the kids. http://www.click2houston.com/news/Children-home-during-murder-suicide/-/1735978/14245378/-/n22xgr/-/index.html

CubsFan, I've been following the murder/suicide case. Very tragic. She was a practicing vet in The Woodlands.

She and her husband were getting a divorce and were to appear in court on June 1 (I think it was on the first). She had a restraining order against him because of an incident some time ago where he came to her office with a gun.

Monday afternoon he parked down the street and walked to her home. I guess he took her by surprise. So very tragic that the children were in the home. Now they have no parents.

Sorry, I'm getting this thread off topic. Oh well, there won't be much activity on McClain's case any way that will warrant media coverage.

TX does not do doc dumps and it may be up to two years (possibly longer) before McClain's case goes to trial. Maybe Montgomery County District Attorney's Office will surprise us and try this case within a year. I doubt it though.

Nurse accused of kidnapping baby, killing mother indicted on capital murder charge



Credit: KHOU 11
Verna McClain and Keegan Schuchardt


by khou.com staff
KHOU - Houston, TX

Posted on June 26, 2012 at 6:06 PM
Updated today at 6:10 PM


SPRING, Texas—A woman accused of shooting a mother outside a pediatric center and stealing her baby has been indicted on a capital murder charge.

Read more:

http://www.khou.com/news/local/Nurse-accused-of-kidnapping-baby-killing-mother-indicted-on-capital-murder-charge--160453845.html
_____



Credit: KHOU 11 News
Verna McClain appears in court on Thursday, April 19, 2012.



Credit: KHOU 11 News
Verna McClain entered the courtroom in a pink
striped jailsuit and hand and foot shackles.

Suspect accused of killing mom, kidnapping baby indicted
Verna McClain accused of killing Kala Golden Schuchardt, kidnapping Keegan Schuchardt

Published On: Jun 26 2012 06:53:06 PM CDT

KPRC - Houston, TX


HOUSTON -
A woman accused of fatally shooting a mother and then kidnapping her newborn baby has been officially indicted on a charge of capital murder.

Snipped:

District Attorney Brett Ligon said he has not decided if he will seek the death penalty.

McClain is expected to return to court again on July 1.

Read more and view video:

http://www.click2houston.com/news/Suspect-accused-of-killing-mom-kidnapping-baby-indicted/-/1735978/15290052/-/6707ow/-/index.html

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=8714571
KTRK - Houston, TX 6/26/12

Woman accused of young mom's murder, abduction of baby indicted on capital murder charge

http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/courier/news/grand-jury-indicts-mcclain-for-capital-murder/article_55e880b0-985d-56bb-a289-84f47abf9553.html
The Conroe Courier of Montgomery County - Conroe, TX --6/26/12

Grand jury indicts McClain for capital murder



Photo by: Karl Anderson
Verna McClain

The following is from VINELink - TX:
~~~

Name
MCCLAIN, VERNA DEANN

Date of Birth
05/05/1981

Age
31

Custody Status
In Custody

Agency/Reason
MONTGOMERY COUNTY JAIL

Reporting Agency
MONTGOMERY COUNTY JAIL
_______


Offender Details


Offender Name: VERNA DEANN MCCLAIN

Offender ID: 980544
Date of Birth: 05/05/1981
Age: 31
Race: African American
Gender: Female

Custody Status: In Custody
Location of Offender: MONTGOMERY COUNTY JAIL

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aliases
LNU, FNU

Source:

https://www.vinelink.com/vinelink/searchResultsAction.do?searchType=offender&siteId=44900&lang_value=en&searchWhere=state&agency=301&id=&lastName=McClain&firstName=Verna&dob=&ageRange=0&methodToCall=search
VINELink ver.2.0 - TX -- McClain, Verna Deann (Searched 6/26/12)

http://www.co.montgomery.tx.us/dept/departments_d/district_clerk/index.html
Montgomery County District Clerk - Conroe, Montgomery County, TX --
BARBARA GLADDEN ADAMICK......DISTRICT CLERK

From the Montgomery County District Clerk's Office - Conroe, Montgomery County, TX:

~~~


CAUSE: 12-04-04203-CR
NAME: MCCLAIN,VERNA DEANN
ADDRESS: 1956 SUGAR PINE CIR
CITY: HOUSTON
STATE/ZIP: TX 77090
BIRTH DATE: 05.05.81
RACE: B
SEX: F
LIC NO: 1596
PIN NO: 532817
SID NO:
COURT: 9TH
ARREST DATE: 04.18.12
OFFENSE DATE: 04.17.12
INDICTMENT: 06.26.12
ATTORNEY: JACKSON,STEPHEN D....936/756-5744
BOND COMPANY:


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OFFENSE/COUNTS INFORMATION

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OFFENSE: CAPITAL MURDER
DEGREE: F*
BOND AMOUNT:
DISPOSITION DATE:
DISPOSITION:
DISP.OFFENSE:

Source:

http://www.mctx.org/dclerk/Kiosk/UNIDATADETAIL.ASP?Type=CRIMINAL&Cause=12-04-04203-CR
Montgomery County District Clerk - Conroe, Montgomery County, TX
Criminal Inquiry/Cause # 12-04-04203-CR -- McClain, Verna Deann

Trial set in case of slain mom, abducted baby boy

by Associated Press
KHOU - Houston, TX

Posted on June 29, 2012 at 12:12 AM


CONROE, Texas (AP) -- A trial date has been set for a Houston woman accused of killing a mother and abducting her newborn son.

The Montgomery County district attorney’s office said Thursday that Verna McClain’s trial has been set for Oct. 8.

Read more:

http://www.khou.com/news/local/Trial-set-in-Texas-case-of-slain-mom-abducted-boy-160793025.html

http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/courier/news/mcclain-capital-murder-trial-set-for-oct/article_9e59629e-7d04-54d4-8969-9c455385e5a6.html
The Conroe Courier - Conroe, TX -- 6/28/12

McClain capital murder trial set for Oct. 8

Snipped:

“Judge (Fred) Edwards wants this case tried by November,” he said.

The case is being heard in Edwards’ 9th state District Court.


Snipped:

If the District Attorney’s Office does seek the death penalty against McClain, “it would be extremely difficult for us to be ready with the defense,” Bond said.

But prosecutors have not yet made that decision, Blackburn said, because they still need to examine evidence, talk to experts and allow the defense time to do the same.

This thread has not been updated since June, 2012.

The trial did not take place on 10-8-12.

If any one is interested in following/updating this case (when there are updates), maybe Julie or Justice4All could move this thread to "Awaiting Trial". If not, leave it in Developing Stories.
____________

http://www.khou.com/news/Prosecutor-will-seek-death-penalty-for-Verna-McClain-174791021.html
KHOU Houston, TX 10/18/12

Prosecutor will seek death penalty for Verna McClain




~~~~~

To the right of this Linked article, at KHOU's website, are numerous Related stories (previously on the news).

Verna McClain pleads to killing mom, taking baby; sentenced to life in prison

KHOU - Houston, TX

Posted on November 19, 2013 at 2:17 PM
Updated today at 6:06 PM





CONROE, Texas  -- A Houston woman charged with killing a mother and abducting her newborn son last year is avoiding a possible death sentence by pleading guilty and accepting a sentence of life without parole.

Verna McClain entered the plea Tuesday at a court hearing in Conroe.

Snipped:

Five generations of Golden-Schuchardt’s family filed into a Montgomery County courtroom Tuesday to hear McClain plead guilty to capitol murder.  The terms of the agreement:  no appeals.  No parole.

Read more and view video:

http://www.khou.com/news/crime/Houston-woman-pleads-to-killing-mom-taking-baby-sentenced-to-life-in-prison---232544041.html

Verna McClain pleads to killing mom, taking baby

The Courier of Montgomery County
Conroe, TX

Posted: Tuesday, November 19, 2013 7:07 pm

Associated Press |


A Houston woman accused of killing a mother and abducting her newborn son last year avoided a possible death sentence by pleading guilty Tuesday and accepting a sentence of life without parole.

Verna McClain was awaiting trial on a capital murder charge for the April 2012 fatal shooting of 28-year-old Kala Golden-Schuchardt. Authorities say McClain ambushed the new mother outside a pediatric clinic in the Houston suburb of Spring and snatched her 3-day-old son, Keegan, after shooting her.


Snipped:

Her defense team also included George Parnham, the lead attorney for Andrea Yates, the suburban Houston woman charged with drowning her five children in 2001. Yates’ capital murder conviction was overturned on appeal. In 2006, she was found not guilty by reason of insanity and sent to a mental hospital.

Parnham and Moncriffe said they did not pursue a similar defense for McClain, calling it a “hard sell” in part because they could find no evidence of insanity and no history of mental illness.

Ligon said McClain was a common criminal and not someone who had suffered a mental breakdown


Read more:

http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/courier/news/verna-mcclain-pleads-to-killing-mom-taking-baby/article_da4c4872-0bda-568b-83ae-6ef5948b0339.html

This case is now closed and no longer awaiting trial.  Also, no appeals and no parole.

It can be moved to "Closed Cases."

I received an e-mail from TX Statewide VINE Service in the wee hours.

Verna was transferred from the Montgomery County Jail (Conroe, TX) on 12/31/13.

My assumption is she has been transferred to a Texas Department of Criminal Justice facility (Texas prison). She will serve life in prison.

Just checked and McClain has been transferred to TDCJ. However, at this time, it does not list which facility.

She would be at a TDCJ intake facility for evaluation to determine which permanent facility she will be sent to.

She now has a TDCJ Offender ID.  Within TDCJ, she is known as Offender ID: 980544
~~~~~~~

Offender Name: VERNA DEANN MCCLAIN

Offender ID:980544

Date of Birth:05/05/1981

Age: 32

Race: African American

Gender: Female
 
Custody Status: Transferred

Location of Offender:Another Agency

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aliases

LNU, FNU

Source:

https://www.vinelink.com/vinelink/detailsAction.do?siteId=44900&agency=454&id=980544&searchType=offender