Shelly Susan Thompson, 41 of Freeport was transported to the Liberty County Jail Friday afternoon by Clevland Police Detective John Shaver and Texas Ranger Brandon Bess. She is being charged with the April 15, 2005 murders of Luiz Rodriguez and Antonio Rodriguez. On April 15, 2005, Carol Tejeda had gone to her parent’s home at 103 Waco Street to fix them lunch. As she walked into the house she thought they were asleep when they didn’t answer her as she entered. She then saw her father severely beaten and on the floor. Going to her mother’s room she found, Luiz Rodriguez lying in bed. She had also been beaten and was deceased. Just a few months earlier their grandson, Bernardino Banos age 30 was found in a shallow grave along FM 1010 on November 22, 2004. He had been fatally stabbed. Jose Shofa Monreal Jr. age 30 and Manuel Monreal age 22, both brothers were charged in that murder which stemmed from a grudge. Cleveland detectives have worked for years on the case. However, there was DNA collected at the scene including a bloody fingerprint found on a denture container. That information was entered into the FBI Combined DNA Index called CODIS. That also had no matches until March 2, 2021, when it identified Thompson after she was arrested on unrelated drug charges. Police believe she was not alone in this act. Ranger Bess and the detectives traveled to the prison in Gatesville and conducted an extensive interview with Shelly Susan Thompson. They obtained a buccal swab from her to compare to the DNA obtained from the crime scene inside the Rodriguez home. The suspect denied any knowledge of the crime, had ever been to Cleveland or Liberty County, and denied any knowledge of the Rodriguez family. The officers conducted an extensive investigation into Thompson’s background and criminal history. They found that she had been investigated for numerous drug and property-related offenses, but no felony convictions led her to prison until 2021. In 2022, the Texas DPS Lab confirmed the DNA match. The investigators conferred with the Liberty County District Attorney, Jennifer Bergman. DA Bergman reviewed the case and concurred that there was sufficient cause for an arrest warrant to be issued. On July 5, Justice of the Peace Ralph Fuller issued a warrant for the arrest of Shelley Susan Thompson-Lemoine for Capital Murder and set a $1 million bond. Shelley Susan Thompson-Lemoine had been released from prison and currently lives on Duncan Dr. in Freeport. On July 8, she was arrested at the parole office in Angleton by a Texas Ranger and detectives from Cleveland PD.
Juanita Espinosa reacted today to the arrest of 41-year-old Shelly Susan Thompson of Freeport who was arrested today by the Texas Rangers. She is charged with brutally murdering Juanita Espinosa's parents Luiz Rodriguez and Antonio Rodriguez, a World War II Veteran, on April 14, 2005, in Cleveland. She said when the family learned of the arrest that they were so happy that justice has been served. Espinosa said she has no idea who this woman is who would have been in her 20s at the time of the murder. She said she was working at La Casita Restaurant on FM 1314 in Porter which the family has owned for many years. Her sister Carolina called her and told her to come home and not to stop. She arrived at her parent's home and was greeted by police cars and crime scene tape. She was then informed by police that her parents had been murdered. That night two suspects were arrested but were quickly cleared of the crime. For years Cleveland Police investigated but with nothing but dead ends. Espinosa thought they would never get justice but today they did. She said she thanks God, the Rangers, Cleveland Police Detective Premo, and everybody that put their heart into it. She said the case went cold until her U.S. Marine brother Martin returned from Iraq. After he started talking with Detective Primo the case started to move again but still nothing.
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By Scott Engle/MCPR
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