Three Texas sisters aged 5, 8 and 9, thought to have drowned in neighbor's pond were STRANGLED first, cops reveal - but say they don't have a suspect

[DOS_patos]

• The three sisters were found dead in a neighbor's pond after vanishing
• The district attorney revealed Thursday that the girls were strangled, lacerated
• The victims were Zi'Ariel Robinson Oliver, 9, A'Miyah Hughes, 8, and Te'Mari Robinson Oliver, 5

Three Texas sisters who were thought to have drowned in their neighbor's pond were actually strangled before they were dumped, an autopsy has found.

It was originally believed Zi'Ariel Robinson Oliver, 9, A'Miyah Hughes, 8, and Te'Mari Robinson Oliver, 5, drowned after a dive team pulled their bodies from the pond on a neighboring property on July 22, 2022.

But Cass County District Attorney Courtney Shelton said in a statement Thursday the girls died by strangulation and suffered lacerations to their faces.

The investigation has been ongoing for the past eight months and Shelton says it will continue, with her office, as well as the Texas Rangers and sheriff's office all asking anyone to come forward with information.

'Multiple witness statements have been obtained, DNA testing is ongoing, and the investigation will continue,' Shelton said.

• Three young sisters were found dead after vanishing from their Texas home while by babysat by a family friend. Nine-year-old Zi'Ariel Robinson Oliver is pictured. This week, it was revealed that officials now believe the girls were murdered

Zi'Ariel Robinson Oliver, 9, A'Miyah Hughes, 8, (left) and Te'Mari Robinson Oliver, 5, (right) were reported missing from their small town residence Friday night

The district attorney did not make any mention of potential suspects or a motive in the killings.

Zi'Ariel, A'Miyah and Temari went missing from their Atlanta, about 200 miles east of Fort Worth, home around 10pm on the July 22, prompting a multi-agency search for the girls.

A family friend had been watching the trio and their other siblings while their mother, Shommaonique Oliver, 28, was at work. The babysitter called 911 to report their disappearance.

Officials received reports that the girls were found in a pond near Highway 77 around 2am July 23.

Police centered their search around the pond after a pair of shoes and other items of clothing were found scattered near and in the water.

'We located items of clothing around a pond and in a pond,' Texas Game Warden Shawn Hervey told KSLA.

'So, we centered the search around that small body of water, and with the use of divers we were able to recover three victims at approximately 2am

• A family friend had been watching the trio and their other siblings while their mother, Shommaonique Oliver (pictured), 28, was at work. The babysitter called 911 to report their disappearance

• Cass County District Attorney Courtney Shelton (pictured) said in a statement Thursday that the girls died by strangulation and suffered lacerations to their faces

• A dive team pulled their bodies from a private pond on a neighboring property early morning July 23. Their cause of death has not yet been revealed

• Police centered their search around the pond after a pair of shoes and other items of clothing were found scattered near and in the water. Video taken at the scene also showed a bicycle abandoned on the property

Video from the scene showed a bicycle abandoned on the property, seemingly close to the pond. It is unclear if the bike belonged to the girls and if they rode it to the property.

'We have no idea what the girls were doing there,' Cass County Sheriff Larry Rowe told the Texarkana Gazette shortly after the murders.

'Nobody has been accused of anything,' Rowe said.

Harvey echoed: 'This is not an everyday occurrence, but it does happen.'

Shommaonique told DailyMail.com at the time she was heartbroken over the loss of her daughters and not conducting interviews at this time

 

[deadeye]

Wish I hadn't seen the kids' faces, but this is just sad all the way around.

I'm thinking the babysitter did it.

Simply because the local authorities wouldn't go out of their way to protect a black suspect.

A black suspect would be arrested just off suspicion alone.

 

[orgen]

Very suspicious, may they rip

 

[Goldie]

1 kid drowning in a pond? Shit happens

3 kids?

 

[OGDirtyD]

Got a almost 2 year old and i always feel extremely weird about leaving my kid with anybody but my parents and my wifes parents. I couldnt take no shit like this happening.

 

[orgen]

8 months & no arrest made

 

[Disanthrope]

I shouldnt have clicked this

Ruined my appetite

 

[Allah_U_Akbar]

This happened in July of last year and I’m just now hearing about it?

And they’re revealing the TRUE cause of their deaths only NOW????

EIGHT MONTHS AFTER THE INCIDENT?

Imagine 3 white girls “drowning” in a pond.

Then finding out they were actually STRANGLED!

That woulda been on the national news for at least an entire month straight!

 

[IUTpt2]

Babies, just babies. RIP to them.


Lacerations to their faces should've told the authorities all they need to know. Covering up demons and what they do.