|
|
| |
| |
Criminal Records - Most Wanted |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Profile |
|
| |
Name: David Rollins Cauthen
|
|
| |
Race: White |
|
| |
Age Now: 44 |
|
| |
Height: 5'9" |
|
| |
Weight: 165 lbs. |
|
| |
Hair (Color, Description, Facial Hair): Brown
Police say Cauthen is slightly balding, but may have shaved his head completely to alter his appearance. |
|
| |
Eyes (Color and Correction): Blue |
|
| |
Other Physical Characteristics: Cauthen has a chipped front tooth |
|
| |
Wanted for :
Murder, Lancaster County, SC;
Oct 17, 2004
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Location(s) |
|
| |
Last Seen : Marshville, NC
Police say David Cauthen was last seen leaving on foot from the Christ Bible teaching shelter in Marshville, N.C. |
|
| |
Possible Location : Tennessee
Florida
New Orleans, LA |
|
| |
Last Known : Unkown |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Traits |
|
| |
Witnesseses have told police that Cauthen is addicted to crack cocaine |
|
| |
Cauthen is a self-proclaimed handy man and enjoys working on cars |
|
| |
Cauthen is extremely controlling |
|
| |
Cauthen has experience working on a horse farm |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Case Story |
|
| |
David Cauthen The Charmer |
|
| |
Brenda Steen met David Cauthen innocently enough, when her car broke down and he showed up to help fix it in 1996. According to Brenda's family, the pair dated for several years and became serious. Despite rumors that her boyfriend had kidnapped a young girl in the past, and had a history of run-ins with the law, Brenda was in love. And why wouldn't she be, with Cauthen's big blue eyes and charming way?
In 1998, the couple had a baby girl -- and according to Brenda's family, that's when Cauthen began to show his violent side. Brenda's sister recalls Brenda being constantly covered in bruises from her beatings. Although Brenda knew he was trouble, Cauthen always managed to swindle his way back into her life -- until one day Brenda decided enough was enough and finally left Cauthen. But as those who'd experienced Cauthen's violence before knew, leaving him was a death wish.
Police say on Aug. 18, 1999, Cauthen went to the house where Brenda was staying with their 19-month-old daughter and forced the two to leave with him. Police say he brought them back to his house in Lancaster and beat Brenda until she was unconscious. When police arrived, they arrested Cauthen, and he served three years on domestic violence and assault charges.
Cauthen served his time, but police say he wanted revenge. On Sept. 11, 2004, cops say Cauthen showed up at Brenda's apartment and threatened to stab her in front of their daughter. Brenda, scared for her life, called her sister to tell her what was happening. Her sister immediately called 9-1-1, and when cops arrived, Cauthen was holding a knife to Brenda. When police tried to take him down, they say Cauthen jumped off of the second story fire escape and broke his neck. In the end, police say they were able to subdue Cauthen with tasers and arrest him. But a judge let him out on bail -- a huge mistake.
Cauthen Allegedly Makes Good On Threats
On Oct. 17, 2004, Police say Cauthen showed up at Brenda's home while he was out on bail. Brenda was home alone -- their child was staying with a friend for the weekend. One of Brenda's friends says she received a call from Brenda around 3:00 a.m. saying she was scared and couldn't get Cauthen to leave. Her friend told Brenda to come over and waited up, but Brenda never showed.
Police say Brenda never got the chance to go to her friend's house that night because Cauthen pulled out a knife and stabbed her to death. According to police, Brenda fought back, but in the end couldn't overpower Cauthen. Cops say she died from two knife wounds in her chest.
According to police, Cauthen put Brenda's body in her car and tried to drive off -- but the car stalled. When he couldn't fix it, he called his friend who owned a tow truck company and had him tow the car to his parents' house. Cops say his friend, unaware that there was a dead body inside the trunk, was happy to help. Later that night, police say Cauthen pushed the car about a mile from his parents' home and left Brenda's body under a small overpass.
Brenda's family knew Cauthen was bad news from the start -- but it wasn't until after Brenda's murder that they discovered how allegedly violent he really was. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
A Date With Terror |
|
| |
It was the summer of 1983 in Lancaster County, S.C. when the life of Cauthen's first known victim, Paulette, would change forever. Cauthen and 16-year-old Paulette had met through a mutual friend. The two had been out a few times, but it hadn't been serious -- that's the way Paulette preferred it. But on September 24, things became more serious than she ever imagined.
Driving around town one evening, Paulette bumped into Cauthen. He got into the car and the two drove around for awhile before reaching their destination -- a popular make-out point called Bethal Boat Landing. Paulette says the area was undergoing construction, so Cauthen drove them to a secluded field and parked the car. The two started making out -- but she started feeling uncomfortable. When Paulette tried to stop Cauthen, she says he became inexplicably angry and began choking her.
Paulette says Cauthen became increasingly violent, hitting her and telling her "I took your breath away -- I'll take your life." Paulette, frightened he'd make good on his threat, cried as Cauthen allegedly raped her. After he was done, Paulette says Cauthen tied her up with her purse strap, and set her car on fire using newspapers and a Bible he found in the backseat. As they walked down the isolated street, Paulette says Cauthen stopped her to listen to the car explode. Paulette says he told her, "The only reason you're not in the trunk of that car is because someone saw us together in town earlier."
Paulette thought back to the safety of town earlier, and remembered saying "Hi" to her cousin, who'd driven by as Cauthen got into her car. From the way Cauthen was acting, Paulette says she could tell he wasn't lying -- that he'd have killed her right then and there had her cousin not seen them together.
Cauthen eventually led her to his parents' house, and Paulette says she fell asleep there, her hands still bound by her purse strap. But the next morning, the horror continued. Paulette says Cauthen told her he was going to lock her in his shed, and went to open it. Paulette was left alone on the front lawn, waiting for Cauthen to open the shed. Her only chance at survival had presented itself -- and Paulette knew she had to take advantage of it if she wanted to live. She took off running through the woods until she came upon an open trailer, where she locked herself in and waited, armed with a shower rod in case Cauthen found her. But Cauthen never found her. Once she felt it was safe enough to leave, she ran next door for help.
Cauthen went on the run after allegedly raping Paulette, and by the time authorities were able to track him down, Paulette had moved on with her life, and decided to drop the charges -- a decision she would regret when she found out Cauthen's violence didn't stop with her. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
A Grave Situation |
|
| |
In 1991, police say 26-year-old Jeannie became another one of Cauthen's victims. According to Jean, she had broken up with Cauthen after several dates, and he seemed to have understood her position. But cops say the only thing Cauthen really understands is violence, and that he refused to be rejected.
On October 27, Jeannie, a bartender at the "Crow Bar" in Rock Hill, S.C., was driving home from work when she pulled up to a stop sign. Out of nowhere, Jeannie says Cauthen opened her door and punched her directly in the nose. She says he continued to beat her until she moved to the passenger's side of the car -- then he jumped into the driver's seat and sped off.
Desperate for her life, Jeannie says she was able to open the passenger's side door and was thinking about jumping out of the car. Jean says that although she knew she'd probably be injured in the fall, she was equally certain that if she stayed wtih Cauthen, she would die. But Cauthen wasn't about to let his victim go -- Jeannie says he held her by the hair as her feet dragged along the pavement at 35 miles-per-hour.
Then the situation became grave -- literally. Jean says Cauthen drove down a dirt road, forced her out of the car, and demanded she begin digging her grave with her hands. According to Jeannie, her mind began working quickly to figure out a way to stop Cauthen from going through with her murder. Jeannie says she thought if she reversed the situation by telling Cauthen she had made a mistake and really did love him, he might change his mind. It worked -- Jeannie says Cauthen believed her and even agreed when she asked him to drive her to a store to get a drink and some cigarettes to calm down. They went into the store together, but Jeannie says she decided to make a run for it when Cauthen's back was turned. She ran out of the store, and as fate would have it, Cauthen had left the keys in the ignition, so Jeannie hopped in and peeled off. She had just narrowly escaped Cauthen's wrath.
Several days later, Cauthen was arrested and served time for his attack on Jeannie.
Cops are certain Cauthen's long history of violence will not stop with Brenda. Now that they say he's experienced murder, the only way to stop him once and for all is to arrest him and make certain he stays in prison. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
| |
|
|