RACHEL NICOLE PITTMAN || Why Did Teen Rachel Pittman Kill Amanda Doss and Her Two Kids? | Autographed Letter, Signed

Rachel Pittman. Autographed Letter, Signed. Handwritten, Commercial #10 (4.125 × 9.5 envelope). Dallas, TX. Pmk: December 21, 2023. Content unknown. SEALED.

Amanda Doss' Death: Accident or Arson?

Police and emergency services responded to a house fire on May 11th, 2011, in rural Redwater, Texas. However, when investigators arrived at the scene, they quickly realized that something was just not right.

The bodies of 34-year-old Amanda Doss and her two children – 11-year-old Guinevere Doss and 8-year-old Texas Johnson – were pulled from the burning home on that day. Incredibly, Amanda Doss' parents Glen and Wanda Prewett arrived at the scene before emergency services, responding to a phone call from their granddaughter Guinevere screaming for help.

Glen and Wanda were able to pull Guinevere from the wreckage, but she was deceased before they reached the hospital.

Amanda's parents could only watch in horror as the house burned to the ground, knowing their daughter and grandson were still inside.

Autopsy Reveals Foul Play

The victims were so badly burnt that their injuries were not immediately evident, but gut instinct told investigators that these deaths were not a result of an accidental house fire. Once they started investigating the scene, what they found only furthered their suspicions.

After autopsies were performed on the bodies, the cause of death cleared away any remaining doubt: All three victims were stabbed to death before the fire, which was an act of arson intended to mislead police and destroy evidence.

Killer on the Loose

Detectives realized that there was a brutal murderer on the loose, and unfortunately, they had no real suspects. After months of investigation and over $145,000 in reward money offered, they were still no closer to solving this tragic and heinous crime.

Even after the smoldering remains of the house were confirmed as arson, and the community realized that this was no tragic accident but a cold-blooded, brutal triple-murder, no one seemed to have any idea who could have committed such a horrid crime, or why anyone would have wanted to murder Amanda, Guinevere, and Texas.

It was a tip called into police that ultimately led them to the killer. No one would ever have suspected that the culprit was a 16-year-old girl. Almost as shocking as the identity of the killer was the identity of the person who brought her to justice: Teenager Rachel Pittman was turned into police by her own mother.

Rachel Pittman Confesses

In August, over three months after the crime, Rachel confessed to her mother who then called the police and recounted her daughter's words. Rachel went willingly with the police to the station, where she again confessed, telling investigators details about the murders that had not been made public.

Police said evidence found at the scene backed up her confession; including cartridge casings, a pocket knife, hair and blood samples. Rachel was arrested, and charged with capital murder.

Plea Deal and Sentencing

While initially arrested as a juvenile, which meant that her name was not released to the public, prosecutors successfully petitioned the court and Rachel Nicole Pittman was officially charged as an adult and indicted with three counts of capital murder in February 2012.

Though she was being tried as an adult, she was still subject to special sentencing because of her juvenile status. While an adult can face the death penalty in Texas, Pittman didn't face capital punishment because she was a minor.

In 2013, Rachel agreed to a deal with prosecutors and went before a judge at the Bi-State Justice Building in Texarkana to plead guilty to first-degree murder. She was sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 40 years.

After the 16-year-old was charged and the shock of the murders faded, the question on everyone's mind was one simple word: Why?

Clues of Pittman's Motive Emerge

Amanda's parents Glen and Wanda Prewett stated in court during an impact statement that Rachel was a family friend, who worked for their daughter and babysat the children. The Prewetts said that Amanda "trusted and befriended" Rachel and that the teenager lived just a few miles from the Doss home.

The question remained: If Rachel was a family friend, why did she kill her and her children?

Despite a gag order imposed after the plea, details of the investigation emerged, revealing that Rachel Pittman carefully planned and concealed the killing and displayed a shocking level of premeditation and cruelty.

Descent Into Psychosis

According to investigators and prosecutors, on the night of May 11, 2011, Pittman stowed a wooden-handled kitchen knife and a two-liter soda bottle filled with gasoline in her shorts. She approached Doss's residence, where she had been a frequent visitor and babysitter for the children.

After a seemingly ordinary conversation, Pittman attacked Doss with the knife before brutally murdering Guinevere and Texas. She then set the victims on fire using the gasoline-filled bottle and fled the scene as the house burned.

Demonstrating consciousness of guilt, Pittman took careful measures to hide her involvement and remove any potential evidence. She incinerated her clothing and shoes, broke the knife blade into pieces, and scattered them in the woods behind her house. She even cleaned the fence she jumped over during her escape.

The teen reportedly claimed her motivation for the murders stemmed from a belief that an adult friend, who had moved away months before the incident, wanted her to commit the acts. However, mental health experts described Pittman as descending into psychosis and exhibiting symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia that included hallucinations of ghosts and snakes talking like demons.

Pittman's defense attorneys, Jerry Rochelle and Tonda Curry, argued that Pittman's delusional religious beliefs and distorted perceptions led her to believe the murders were the right thing to do.

Rumors and Theories

Although Rachel has been the only person arrested and charged in this case, many people believe she did not act alone. The suspicion isn't just expressed by people who knew Rachel; even friends and neighbors of the victims have questioned if Rachel could have so carefully carried out the murders and cover-up by herself, especially given her deteriorating mental health.

Amongst the rumors are stories of a mystery woman – presumably the adult friend from Rachel's odd statements of motive – who pressured Rachel or threatened her family to force her cooperation. However, this woman never surfaced in the flesh and police seem to believe she was largely a product of Rachel's delusions.

There are also stories of a failed polygraph by someone else who was interrogated by police, as well as rumors that the prosecutor and police were aware of other perpetrators' involvement but wanted to "wrap up" the case.

However, authorities stated that all the evidence strongly corroborated the theory that Rachel Pittman acted alone when she brutally murdered Amanda Doss and her children. A detective on the case further stated that police do not expect to make any more arrests as Rachel herself hasn't accused anyone else of being involved or indicated to police that she was in any way coerced to kill the Doss family.

Where Is Rachel Pittman Now?

According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice website, Rachel Pittman is currently incarcerated at the William P. Hobby Unit in Falls County near the city of Marlin, Texas, where she is serving a life sentence.

Her first parole eligibility is in August 2041, when Rachel will be in her mid-40s.

VIDEO: The Doss Family Murders | Amanda Doss & Rachel Pittman | True Crime Documentary 2023 | https://youtu.be/KauFo5zxt1o

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