11/08/2024
29-year-old Derek Joseph Daigneault was sentenced to life in prison after a McLennan County, Texas jury convicted him of murdering his cousin, Mandy Rose Reynolds, in April 2023. The conviction came just a day after closing arguments, with jurors needing only 30 minutes to reach a guilty verdict.
Mandy, who was 26, was found dead on April 5th, 2023, after police responded to what they initially thought was a routine brush fire in Robinson, Texas. Instead, they discovered her body, charred beyond recognition. Her white labradoodle, Titan, refused to leave her side, remaining at the scene until officers arrived. Titan’s microchip led police to her identity.
Derek, on felony probation with an active arrest warrant in Wichita, Kansas, had persuaded Mandy to drive up to Kansas to pick him up a month before the murder. She allowed him to stay at her apartment in San Marcos. Mandy’s father later testified that she had shared her fears about Derek with him, & he had urged her to cut ties with her cousin for her safety.
The day before her body was found, surveillance footage captured Derek at a San Marcos Walmart, purchasing a blue plastic storage bin, a shovel, & a gas can—supplies prosecutors argued he intended to use to conceal her death.
Derek became a prime suspect early in the investigation. Robinson police reached out to Wichita authorities, & three days later, on April 8th, Wichita police spotted Derek driving Mandy's stolen Honda Accord. Instead of pulling over, he led officers on a 30-minute high-speed chase, ramming multiple police units before crashing the car near 13th & Tyler. Derek then fled on foot into Dillons, attempting to hide behind cans on a bottom shelf, where officers eventually found & arrested him.
At trial, a medical examiner testified that a bullet fragment & shell casings found near Mandy’s body matched a .380-caliber pistol that had belonged to her grandmother. The gun was later recovered from Mandy’s car after Derek's arrest, linking him to the crime.
During sentencing, Mandy’s mother, stepfather, & older brother delivered victim impact statements, sharing the devastating toll the crime has taken on their family. But as her brother spoke, Derek shouted across the courtroom, accusing him of a crime, sparking chaos among both families. Despite the judge's warnings to remain silent, Derek continued, prompting deputies to es**rt him out. Tensions escalated further when Derek's brother-in-law attempted to strike someone from Mandy's family, prompting officers to step in & detain him in handcuffs. He was released a short time later without charges.
In March of this year, Derek received a combined 9.6-year (111-month) sentence in Kansas for multiple charges. He was sentenced to 4.3 years (52 months) for attempting to elude police, aggravated battery, & criminal possession of a weapon after leading officers on a high-speed chase. Additionally, he received 1.4 years (17 months) for theft, linked to his stealing two chainsaws, a vacuum cleaner, a tool kit, & a trash can from a Lowe's in Derby. Another 3.5 years (42 months) was added for a 2021 methamphetamine possession charge.
Derek has been listed on the Kansas Offender Registry as a violent offender since 2013, with a criminal history that includes multiple felony convictions for aggravated burglary, aggravated assault, methamphetamine possession, aggravated battery, & other serious offenses. His life sentence requires him to serve at least 30 years before parole eligibility.
Listen to the scanner audio from the Wichita police chase- cutt.ly/DeHzboeA
Read the affidavit that was released regarding the chase- drive.proton.me/urls/9CCX9NK1JW
Our posts covering this:
4/8/23 The Chase - bit.ly/43mGIcZ
4/11/23 Suspect Identified- bit.ly/3UAeAze
3/17/24 Sentenced in KS- cutt.ly/zeHzniq1
Family & friends of 40-year-old Shanoha Hansell, who was found dead in Wichita on February 28th, 2023, in the 1100 block of S Rock Road, also suspect Derek may have been involved in her death. However, he has not been charged in connection with her case.
- Shae
**Information in this post was obtained from public records, including police reports, court documents, audio from police, fire & EMS scanners, etc.**
