Dallas police revealed new details Tuesday into the murder investigation of 18-year-old Zoe Hastings, including a witness who may have seen the teen's killer getting into her minivan.
The teen's body was found in her family's white Honda Odyssey on the morning of Oct. 12, the day after she disappeared somewhere between her home and church.
Before today, citing the ongoing investigation, police have released few details surrounding the teen's murder other than that she stopped at the Walgreens near the intersection of Garland and Peavey roads to return a Redbox DVD and that there were obvious signs of homicidal violence found at the crime scene.
Tuesday, Dallas Police Department's Maj. Max Geron said a witness came forward who reported seeing a white woman talking with a black man outside of the Walgreen's location before the two drove away in a white minivan.
"We have been given information by a witness who describes seeing a black male, approximately 5 foot 10, 170 pounds, with a bushy Afro-style hairdo, speaking to a blonde woman in a white minivan at the Walgreens at 9937 Garland Road, around the time, immediately prior to when we believe Ms. Hastings disappeared," Geron said. "The witness described seeing the male then get into the minivan in the driver's seat and the female moving over to the passenger seat."
Geron said there is also evidence to suggest the driver, after leaving the Walgreens, crashed the minivan into a speed limit sign near Newcombe Drive and Peavey Road — about a mile away from the drugstore — between 4:40 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
Dallas police said they are aware of a woman who likely witnessed the crash and said they would like to speak with her, or anyone who may have seen the collision.
Geron said they are releasing the latest information with the hopes that it will jog someone's memory who may have seen something that afternoon.
Additionally, Geron said homicide detectives would like to speak with anyone who lives in the Peavey Road/Newcombe Drive area who may have home surveillance systems that recorded either the crash or the man believed to have been in the minivan.
Police are asking those who live near that intersection to check their home video recordings on Oct. 11, between 4:30 and 5 p.m., for anything that may help with their investigation.
John Sexton and his wife, who are friends with the Hastings family, lives near the intersection of Newcombe Drive and Peavey Road. He was stunned to learn investigators believe Zoe Hastings' van crashed directly across from his home.
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"To have part of it occur less than 50 yards from our front door, it rattles you to your core. We can't believe it. We can't believe it," Sexton said.
Sexton said neither he nor his wife were at home when the crash occurred, but that they would give anything to change that.
"I'm sure anyone would give anything to change that event or an event like that. The kind of second guessing you go through in your mind, 'Did our community let her down in some way? Were we not aware when we should've been somehow? Were there not enough safety nets or not enough cameras?'" he questioned. "It's impossible. It's an argument we'll have with ourselves forever, I'm sure."
In a statement released Tuesday evening through their attorney, the family of Zoe Hastings said:
"We thank everyone for their prayers, support and assistance in helping the Dallas Police Department in their investigation. We are grateful that the DPD has some leads and pray that the individuals living in the mapped area provided by the Police take action. Please continue to provide any information to help with the investigation. Our greatest fear is that some other family will suffer if this man is not apprehended."
Geron added that police have received a number of calls from people who believe they have seen the family's white Honda Odyssey minivan. The minivan was recovered with Hastings' body from the scene near Dixfield Drive on Oct. 12 and is currently in police custody.
"We have that van and are not looking for it. We are simply asking for people who saw her van between 4:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2015 to contact police," Geron said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Sayres at 214-671-3647. Tipsters may remain anonymous and could be eligible for a $10,000 reward sponsored by Oak Farms Dairy.
NBC 5's Amanda Guerra contributed to this report.
