The family of Kaytlynn Cargill waited five years for justice, Thursday the man who killed her pleaded guilty.
A man who pleaded guilty to murdering a 14-year-old girl when he was a juvenile is expected to spend at least the next five years behind bars after taking a plea deal Thursday.
According to the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office, 21-year-old Jordin Roache pled guilty to homicide in the 2017 death of 14-year-old Kaytlynn Cargill, of Bedford.
As part of the plea deal, Roache, who was tried as an adult, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for first-degree murder. Roache, who will be listed as a felon, has been incarcerated since his arrest in 2017 and will get credit for time served.
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"This day has been a long time coming and we're grateful for the hard work and countless hours put in by Bedford Police officers, detectives, and forensic investigators along with the prosecutors from the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office," said Bedford Police Chief Jeff Williams. "The Cargill family remains in our thoughts as we reach the conclusion of this tragic case."
I think today was more important about making it about her. Today wasn’t about him, it was about her. I want people to remember who she was.
Trisha West, Kaytlynn Cargill's mother
Cargill's mother, Trisha West, told NBC 5 Thursday afternoon the sentence will provide a little bit of relief for their family.
“I’m angry," West said. "I’m sad. I’m almost a little bit relieved that we can finally find a way to maybe to move forward.”
But she isn't satisfied with the outcome.
“I think more than anything I just want them to know that there’s been a huge injustice done today on behalf of my daughter’s life and our family,"”
During victim impact statements West told Roache how she feels about this plea deal.
“I also shared with him that I feel as if he was offered the deal of a lifetime where we have to deal with this every day for the rest of our lifetime,” West said.
A statement read for Bo Cargill, Kaytlynn's father, recalled favorite memories, including how his daughter participated in Easter Egg Hunts and excitedly opened Christmas presents.
"She was not yours for the taking, but you did it anyway," her father's statement said. "I am tormented every day about what she endured. It plays out in my mind.
"My hope is that every day you remember what you did to Kaytlynn," her father wrote.
GIRL'S BODY FOUND AFTER BEING REPORTED MISSING IN BEDFORD
Kaytlynn Cargill was reported missing from her apartment complex off Forest Ridge Drive on June 19, 2017.
Police said they identified Roache, who was 16 at the time, as a possible suspect in her disappearance the next day after a witness reported seeing them together.
After two days of searching, Cargill's body was found in the Arlington landfill.
Investigators found Cargill's blood on the walls and floor of Roache's girlfriend's apartment, where he was living at the time, along with a claw hammer. A warrant obtained by NBC 5 in 2017 said Cargill went to buy marijuana from Roache when she disappeared.
If anyone has any additional information about the case, please contact the Bedford Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at 817-952-2411.
VICTIM'S AUTOPSY PERFORMED BY FIRED MEDICAL EXAMINER
The Tarrant County District Attorney said in a statement Thursday that Cargill's autopsy was performed by Dr. Marc Krause, who was later suspended from employment with the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office and then terminated.
The manner of death was listed as a generic finding by Dr. Krause, and, in part, unknown to the Tarrant County grand jury due to the condition of Cargill's remains.
An audit of 40 homicide cases found a suspended Tarrant County coroner made 59 mistakes, according to a copy of the document obtained by NBC 5.
The extraordinary review of 10 months of autopsies and death investigations by deputy medical examiner Dr. Marc Krouse contains several errors itself, according to a review by NBC 5.
The audit was conducted by longtime Tarrant County Medical Examiner Dr. Nizam Peerwani in 2021. After 42 years, Peerwani retired late last year.
