Murder of teen in Trinity remains unsolved 10 years later

TRINITY, Texas (FOX 26) - Police believe someone may have taken the truth about a small town decade-old murder mystery with them to the grave.

“Here in Trinity we have approximately 2,700 people,” said Trinity Police Chief Steve Jones. “We are a lake community, a small community.”

Trinity, just north of Hunstville, is one of those small towns where just about everybody knows everybody.

“If you don’t know somebody, you know somebody who knows somebody,” the chief said.

“I would never want nobody to go through the pain I’ve been going through these last ten years,” said Mary Stubblefield. “It’s hard.”

When we first met Stubblefield she was celebrating her 19-year-old son LaKendrick Simmons’ birthday at his gravesite.

“Nobody should ever go through that with a child, losing a child,” Stubblefield said. “My son had his whole life in front of him.”

For years, the story was Simmons was at this house at the wrong time. He was supposedly shot to death by one of three men who rushed in with guns.

“There’s no confirmed evidence that there were actually three people,” said Jones.

The Trinity police chief goes on to say Simmons was at the house visiting his girlfriend and her mother and brother were also present.

“The truth is going to come out of that house,” Jones said.

“I think people in the house know more than what they are saying,” Stubblefield said.

The mother has since passed away.

“Unfortunately I believe she took the truth with her to the grave,” said Jones.

Her son and daughter are apparently sticking with their original story about three armed men.

“I just want to know what happened to my son because he deserves justice and I want it,” Stubblefield said. “I’m not going to stop until I get that."