Summary:
Mary Kristene Chapa survived a 2012 attack at Violet Andrews Park in Portland where she and Mollie Olgin were assaulted and shot.
Chapa filed a civil lawsuit in 2017 against David Strickland, his father, and Taft Pharmacy seeking $10 billion in damages.
A jury in San Patricio County awarded Chapa $198 million in damages on March 11, 2026.
David Strickland was convicted of capital murder in 2016 and has maintained his innocence through appeals.
The survivor of a 2012 attack in a Portland park has been awarded $198 million in a civil lawsuit against her attacker, nearly 15 years after the attack and more than a decade since the murder conviction.
Records from the 343rd District Court in San Patricio County show that a jury reached a verdict in Mary Kristene Chapa's civil suit on March 11.
Mollie Olgin and Chapa were attacked on June 22, 2012, at Violet Andrews Park in Portland. The couple were bound, sexually assaulted and shot. The two were found by birdwatchers. Olgin, 19, died. Chapa survived but suffered critical injuries.
Four years later, a San Patricio County jury convicted David Strickland of capital murder. According to previous Caller-Times reporting, investigators shifted focus to Strickland after a letter from the perspective of a hitman framing a former friend of Strickland’s was addressed to Chapa’s father. A draft of the letter, which included details that hadn’t been shared with the public, was found on Strickland’s laptop.
Other evidence included bullet casings found at the crime scene that matched Strickland’s handgun.
Throughout the case and for years afterward, Strickland maintained his innocence, arguing that another suspect had committed the crime.
Strickland’s appeal was denied in 2020. In 2024, a state appeals court denied reconsidering his request. In September 2025, a federal judge denied Strickland’s request for a review of his incarceration. His lawyers filed an appeal of that decision in October, which is still pending.
The original case drew national attention, including a "Dateline" episode on NBC and a documentary.
In 2017, Chapa filed a lawsuit against Strickland, Strickland’s father, and the family’s business, Taft Pharmacy. A petition amended in 2021 showed that Chapa sought $10 billion in damages for the physical pain and impairment, mental anguish, medical expenses, loss of companionship, loss of earning capacity and household services, and costs of the lawsuit.
“Although she survived, Chapa’s life is forever altered,” a 2018 court document reads. “She has tunnel vision, walks with a limp, is in constant pain, and has undergone extensive physical rehabilitation and medical treatment. She will need treatment and substantial assistance with daily tasks for the balance of her life.”
"Kristene Chapa is a hero," Tony Buzbee, one of Chapa's attorneys, said in a March 11 Facebook post announcing the jury's decision. "She’s a fighter. She’s a sexual assault survivor. God bless her."
Attorneys for Strickland could not be reached for comment on March 12.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: “Survivor of 2012 Portland attack wins $198 million in lawsuit”
Reporting by Olivia Garrett, Corpus Christi Caller Times / Corpus Christi Caller Times