After mother's alleged murder, Anderson woman starts non-profit to help train law enforcement

ANDERSON — For more than seven months, Megan Tomlinson worked to bring justice to her mother, who was reportedly murdered by her husband.
Leslie Hope Houston died on Oct. 17, 2024; her husband, John Daughtery, was charged with her murder on May 27.
Tomlinson spent time after her mother died reviewing medical records, autopsy results and police reports seeking answers.
'There was an ongoing investigation,' said Andrew Hanna, chief deputy in the Madison County Prosecutor's Office. 'During the course of the investigation in this case, Megan provided essential evidence in the form of documents, recordings, and other information that helped bring criminal charges. We will continue to work with Megan in the prosecution of this case to ensure justice is served.'
On what would have been her mother's 47th birthday, June 14, Tomlinson publicly launched a nonprofit called Silver Lining of Hope, Inc.
'Silver Lining of Hope was created in memory of my mom, Hope, a woman who loved deeply, survived so much, and was ultimately killed by the person who should've protected her the most,' Tomlinson said. 'I refuse to let her become just another domestic violence statistic.'
Hanna said he supports the creation of the not-for-profit organization.
'Megan is making the best of an incredibly difficult situation to both prevent these kinds of cases from happening in the first place and to help provide training and information law enforcement needs to solve these cases when they do occur,' Hanna said.
'Their work bridges the gap between policy and lived experience, between research and reform,' he added.
Tomlinson spent the months after the death of her mother trying to get law enforcement and prosecutors to file murder charges against Daugherty.
One goal of Silver Lining of Hope, Tomlinson said, is to build trauma-informed resources for families, provide forensic case reviews with the support of professional volunteers, and train law enforcement and medical professionals to recognize signs of abuse, with an emphasis on strangulation.
Tomlinson said the night before her mother died, she requested a welfare check. She didn't learn until two days later that her mother had been admitted to the hospital and was determined to be brain dead.
'I want ensure my mother is more than just a statistic,' she said. 'I want to prevent another person (from being) murdered by a loved one.'
Tomlinson said because the charges against Daughtery are still pending, there is a lot she can't discuss publicly.
'I wish there had been a way that she could have gotten some help,' she said. 'It's about seeing justice done.'
Tomlinson said Daughtery was a 'highly manipulative person, and extremely violent.'
According to a probable cause affidavit, Anderson police officers were dispatched for medical assistance on Oct. 11, 2024, at the residence and found Houston on the floor where paramedics were performing CPR.
The court document states Daughtery was at the residence and told police he returned home from work and Houston had fallen and fell asleep in the kitchen.
The court document states that a CT scan at St. Vincent Hospital located a massive intracranial injury. A neurosurgical team in Indianapolis determined Houston's injuries were not survivable. She died on Oct. 17, 2024.
Indianapolis doctors noted Houston had numerous bruises and other injuries in various stages of healing, including on her feet, arms, legs, neck and breast, according to the court document.
'The extent and nature of the findings were consistent with domestic abuse and possible strangulation,' according to the doctors.
An autopsy showed Houston had an elevated level of ethanol in her system and listed the cause of death as an intracranial hemorrhage.
Several family members told Anderson police that Daughtery had been physically abusive toward Houston and at times hit her head on the floor since 2019, according to the probable cause affidavit.
Daughtery denied any physical abuse between the couple during an interview with police.
His brother Lonnie Daughtery was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2012 in Kentucky for the murder of his wife and her cat at a hotel in Elizabethtown, according to an article in the local newspaper.
Daughtery, of Noblesville, pleaded guilty to charges of murder and second-degree animal cruelty. He told police he strangled his wife, Michele D. Daughtery, because she wanted to commit suicide but could not complete the act herself.
He claimed to have acted out of compassion and at the request of his wife, whom he believed was depressed as well as 'terminally ill and in pain.' The couple had been married for 10 years at the time of her death and were in Elizabethtown on vacation.
Hardin County Coroner Dr. Bill Lee said Michele Daughtery's autopsy showed no signs of a life-threatening condition.
Although there were some gall stones and a high level of drugs in her system, Lee said there was nothing that would require medical treatment.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

CBS News

9 hours ago

• CBS News

Karen Read juror confident in verdict, says "we couldn't prove there was a collision"

Paula Prado is recounting the gravity and emotions of being one of the 12 jurors in the high-profile Karen Read retrial. She said it was an intense week and left court crying but is confident in her decision. "I was happy for Karen Read and her family of course. I think justice was served," Prado said. "But seeing John O'Keefe's family leaving the courthouse, was melt my heart. I'm a mother and I saw her pain through all those days." On Wednesday, the jury acquitted Read of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol, and leaving the scene of bodily injury in the death of her boyfriend, John O'Keefe, in Canton, Massachusetts. Read was only found guilty of operating under the influence of alcohol (OUI). "Investigators didn't do their jobs" "I just want to tell them it's not our fault that Karen Read was not convicted," Prado said. "Even if there is any chance that she is guilty of something, of hurt him somehow, the Commonwealth or the investigators didn't do their jobs to prove that to us." Prado is a lawyer from Brazil. She says part of the reason why the jury reached their verdict, was because of the police investigation, saying there were too many inconsistencies and not enough evidence that a crash occurred. "At first for me, I thought Karen Read was actually maybe guilty of manslaughter in the beginning. But as the weeks passed by, I just realized there was too many holes that we couldn't fill and there is nothing that put her on the scene in our opinion besides just dropping John O'Keefe off," Prado said. "And the taillight, the injuries on his arm didn't make much sense that come from a taillight for us," she said. She said the last witness from ARCCA did a very good job making it clear for her. "We couldn't prove there was a collision, and she was responsible for John's death," Prado said. Hopes O'Keefe's case can be reopened She now hopes that the amount of pressure and attention given to Read's case will be put into getting justice for Boston police officer John O'Keefe. "I really, really hope there is a way for the case to be reopened and they can investigate again and find who actually did that to John," Paula said.

News24

9 hours ago

• News24

Which way for the NPA?

EDITORIAL: Which way for the NPA? The National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), Shamila Batohi, faced an expectedly challenging appearance before the justice portfolio committee this week. While the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) could draw some solace from last week's Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) ruling in its favour in the Nulane case, significant concerns remain. Key issues include the NPA's mishandling of the rape case involving pastor Timothy Omotoso, as well as the Free State High Court's decision that the extradition of Moroadi Cholota - accused alongside former Free State Premier Ace Magashule in the asbestos corruption case - was unlawful. Adding to these concerns is the slow progress in prosecuting state capture cases, a point of criticism that continues to linger. With just six months remaining in Batohi's term before her expected retirement next year, questions are being raised about what lies ahead for the NPA. Notably, there has been little clarity or action from the Presidency on when the process to appoint her successor will begin. In this week's Friday Briefing, we examine the state of the NPA under Batohi's leadership. Has she delivered on her promises for reform since stepping into the role? News24's legal journalist, Karyn Maughan reflects on two cases where she argues the failure of NPA leadership to put out legal fires before they imploded fundamentally compromised the administration of justice. Casac's Lawson Naidoo explains why he believes the NPA has made some headway under Batohi's tenure. Additionally, News24's parliamentary reporter, Jan Gerber, evaluates Parliament's role in the NPA's challenges, including the impact of funding shortages on the institution. We also feature a Q&A with DA MP and former advocate Glynnis Breytenbach on what must be done to reshape the institution and restore its credibility. Lastly, advocate Lauren Kohn from the Law and Governance Academy of Southern Africa delves into the recent SCA Nulane judgment, shedding light on what it reveals about the current state of our judiciary. You can explore these perspectives and contributions in full below. Set up to fail or maliciously incompetent? What NPA losses tell us Despite high-profile court losses, prosecutions boss Shamila Batohi insists the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is doing a 'fantastic job'. But, Karyn Maughan writes that stance does not recognise how NPA leadership failures have jeopardised criminal accountability. here. Rebuilding justice: Nulane judgment offers redemption for the NPA While the NPA has issues that need addressing, it is difficult to agree with those who wish to portray the NPA as an institution in crisis, in need of a root and branch overhaul, argues Lawson Naidoo. Read the full contribution here. NPA crisis: A chronicle of a snafu foretold If you have been paying close attention to the National Prosecuting Authority's appearances before Parliament, as Jan Gerber has done, you wouldn't be surprised that the pawpaw has hit the fan at the prosecuting body. Read the full contribution here. Q&A with Glynnis Breytenbach | Saying NPA is 'doing a fantastic job' is 'bullsh*t' As scrutiny on the NPA intensifies after it bungled a number of high-profile cases, in-depth writer Muhammad Hussain speaks to DA MP and former prosecutor Glynnis Breytenbach on what it will take to turn the leaky ship around. Read the full contribution here. SCA Nulane judgment vindicates the rule of law and NPA's important work The real impediment to justice and equity was an affront to the rule of law perpetrated not by the National Prosecuting Authority in the Thabete case, but rather by the guardian of the rule of law itself, the judiciary – an affront that is now embodied for posterity in the Free State High Court's shockingly incorrect legal findings as set out in its judgment, writes Lauren Kohn.

CBS News

10 hours ago

• CBS News

Fugitive arrested in Peru nearly 30 years after Thanksgiving Day murder in Miami

Nearly 30 years after a 22-year-old was gunned down at a Miami gas station on Thanksgiving Day, authorities have arrested a longtime fugitive in Peru who had been living under a stolen identity and working for the government as an air traffic controller. Nicole Modrono still remembers the last photo ever taken with her younger brother, 22-year-old Jimmy Schwarz, smiling together on her wedding day. Schwarz was killed on Thanksgiving night in 1996. "The man in my life was my brother," Modrono said. "The only man that I trusted anyway, because the role models that I had were no good." A life cut short Schwarz had stepped into the role of protector early in life, looking out for Modrono and their mother, Eileen Motte, in a home marked by domestic violence. "He always thought he needed to protect us and be with us and make sure that we were okay," Modrono recalled. "Because he felt like at 10 years old, he felt like he was the man of our family." The family's final memory of Schwarz is from Thanksgiving dinner that year. He left afterward to see friends and never came home. "I didn't even think once that something so tragic could happen on such a day," said Modrono. "But I didn't get up, and I didn't hug him and I didn't kiss him goodbye." According to investigators, Schwarz was at a Mobil gas station on the 3200 block of NW 79th Street when he got into an argument with a man who deputies say was a gang member. That man pulled out a gun and shot him. "My brother would've been a good man, and it hurts me that he didn't have a chance to do that," said Modrono. A break in the case For nearly three decades, Schwarz's family held onto fading hope that there would one day be an arrest. That hope was renewed last week. Authorities in Peru arrested 49-year-old Christian Miguel Orosco, the man Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office detectives say was identified by witnesses as Schwarz's killer. After the shooting, Orosco vanished and assumed a new identity: Eduardo Enrique Albarracín Trillo. "We do believe that that individual was a member of the military here in Peru," said Det. Jonathan Grossman. "After that person left or passed, Mr. Orosco used that identity and continued to use that identity up until the time he was arrested here." Detectives said Orosco worked for the Peruvian government for decades, most recently as an air traffic controller. "They're not very proud of the fact that this guy was able to dupe them the way he did," said Det. Juan Segovia, "and work for their government for almost 30 years." The arrest was made possible after a tipster contacted Peruvian authorities, who reached out to U.S. law enforcement. Orosco's identity was confirmed through fingerprint records. "Thank you for not forgetting" While Orosco's extradition could take up to a year, Schwarz's family says they are grateful someone never gave up on the case. "Thank you for caring, thank you for getting him," said Modrono. "I'm so grateful that someone still had my brother on their mind." Detectives say they are now working with Peruvian officials to learn how Orosco obtained the false identity and how he escaped the U.S. after the murder.