The Murder of Stacy Stites

In the early morning hours of April 23, 1996, 19-year-old Stacy Stites vanished while driving to work in Bastrop, Texas. Hours later, her body was discovered along a rural roadside. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled with a belt.

Almost immediately, investigators began searching for her killer. Eventually, DNA evidence led authorities to a local man named Rodney Reed. Prosecutors argued that Reed abducted Stacy during her early morning commute, raped her, and murdered her before abandoning her fiancé’s truck near Bastrop High School.

But Reed has always maintained his innocence. While he admitted that the DNA found on Stacy belonged to him, he claimed the two had been involved in a secret consensual relationship — one Stacy allegedly kept hidden because she was engaged to police officer Jimmy Fennell.

At trial, forensic evidence became the center of the case. Prosecutors relied heavily on testimony about sperm cells found during Stacy’s autopsy, arguing that the presence of intact sperm tails suggested the sexual activity occurred shortly before her murder. Reed’s defense challenged that interpretation, arguing that the science surrounding sperm degradation was far less precise than prosecutors claimed.

Over the years, the case has only become more controversial. Witnesses later claimed Stacy may have been involved with a Black man, and questions emerged about evidence and statements that were allegedly never turned over to the defense. Meanwhile, Jimmy Fennell’s later conviction for kidnapping and sexual assault while serving as a police officer caused some to question whether investigators focused too quickly on Reed.

Today, Rodney Reed remains on Texas death row, while courts continue to debate requests for additional DNA testing — including testing on the belt used to strangle Stacy.

Nearly three decades later, the murder of Stacy Stites remains one of the most debated criminal cases in the country. Did DNA solve the case? Or did it only tell part of the story?

Listen now to this episode of Forensic Tales wherever you get your podcasts.