Abusive Relationships Can Kill!
If you find yourself in an abusive relationship run don't
walk to the nearest exit! The relationship will not get better but instead
the abuse will get worse in time.
Below is an accounting of Teal's abusive relationship with
her murderer. The story has been written in hopes that at least one young
woman will read it and get herself out of an abusive relationship before it is
too late. If just one young woman's life is saved or made aware of the
dangers of an abusive, controlling relationship Teal's death will not have been
in vane.
Characteristics of healthy versus abusive relationships - http://www.465.com/love/charact.htm
About Abusive Relationships - http://www.recovery-man.com/abusive/abusive.htm
Warning Signs - http://www.crescentlife.com/psychissues/warning_signs.htm
Profile of an abuser - http://www.crescentlife.com/psychissues/abuser_profile.htm
Profile of an Abuser - http://hopecenter.faithweb.com/profile.htm
Self Defense Tips for Women - http://www.safetyforwomen.com/
A Life Taken Too Soon
Teal Shaun Holland was Brutally Shot and killed execution style
12/17/00 by Landis Bryant Nelson
Hallman(24), 2609 GCR 344, Gonzales, TX 78629, a registered sex offender, a convicted felon on probation with a history of violence
against women and in possession of fire arms in Gonzales County Texas.
Bryant was the son of Virginia S. Nelson, Gonzales, TX who lived next door to Bryant.
The first month into Teal's relationship with
Bryant he maxed out her credit card paying his utility bills, retrieving his
possessions from pawn brokers and paying for repairs on his vehicle. He
also talked her into cashing in her savings bonds to catch up his trailer
payments. Proven by her credit card statement.
The second month Bryant began pawning any of
Teal's possessions of any value while she was working 12 hour days. After
her death pawn tickets were found and some of Teal's possessions were located at
pawn shops in the area. He
convinced her that they would have a great life together and being 19 and very
trusting, she believed Bryant. Teal had insurance payments
on her truck and other expenses that she paid and by the end of the second month
after paying her own bills she didn't have money to give to Bryant and her
credit card was maxed by then so he beat her brutally. 2 other people
were in the trailer and heard the events of the beating.
During the beating, after he knocked her down, he
kicked her and then bashed in the side of her truck and broke out the window of
her truck. Teal managed to get away, called the police and had him
arrested. Bryant's Mother, refused to let Teal get her
possessions and locked her out of the trailer telling her that until she rescinded
her charges against Bryant and talked to him she would not get her possessions.
After continuous phone calls and confronting Teal in person Bryant's mother
finally broke Teal down and got her to rescind her charges. She convinced
her that it wasn't as serious as Teal made it out to be. This is reflected
in the statement Teal hand wrote at the sheriff's department. I personally
called Bryant's Mother and pleaded with her to help do something to stop
Bryant's behavior and leave Teal alone before he hurt her and her response was
"You just don't understand.......I am going to go pray".
Teal described her as a woman with a bible in one hand and a booze bottle in the
other.
The third month Teal finally realized that she
was in a hopeless, controlling, violent relationship. Bryant continued to
threaten her, he continued to keep her from her friends and family, he would not
keep a job, he even took her truck keys from her to keep her from going
anyplace. She had things packed and hid in the garage for her
getaway. When she cashed her last paycheck he demanded her money and she
refused to give it to him and told him she had enough and wanted to go
home. He wanted to ride with her to her Father's house to get him so he could
help Teal move. He knew exactly what he was going to do.
(click pictures for larger view)
Dec 17th, 2000 -
On the day of Teal's murder Teal & Bryant drove to her Dad's
house. She ran in the house and told her Dad she was afraid of Bryant, she
was tired of working 12 hour days and him taking her money and he would not
work. Bryant sat in the truck waiting for her. She said she wanted to come home she had enough and she had made a
big mistake. She was crying and visibly shaken and terrorized. So her Dad
and Stepmother called me to tell me where they were going so I wouldn't worry
about them. I told them that maybe they should call the police but Bryant
took off with Teal before they could and they followed quickly behind.
When they arrived at his trailer, Bryant told Teal's Dad and Stepmother to
pull up close to the trailer so they could load up easier. Bryant went
into the back door of the house while her Dad opened the trunk of the car and
used a golf club to prop the trunk open.
As her Dad opened the trunk, Teal stood by him telling him that Bryant said he
was going to kill himself if she left him and she was crying.
Her Dad looked up and saw Bryant come out of the door with an 8mm deer rifle
and he walked directly passed her Dad and put it to her Stepmother's head. Her
Stepmother has blonde hair but longer than Teal's and she had her jacket over
the length of her hair and from a distance apparently she looked like Teal. Her
Dad looked up and saw what was happening and shoved Teal telling her to RUN.
Teal's Stepmother said Bryant looked her in the eyes smiling while he held the rifle to her head and stared at her for awhile and then said "I don't
want to kill you, I am going to kill Teal and her Dad.", all the while
smiling. Then very
calmly he turned and walked away from her and headed towards Teal and
her Father. Her Stepmother ran down the road looking for a house to try to use a
phone but heard a shot and hid in a pile of cactus after jumping a barbed wire
fence and getting tangled in an electric fence.
Teal's Father began to scream "Someone call the police he has a gun, he is
going to kill us all!!".
He shot at her Father who was standing behind the car. Somehow he missed
when her Father moved quick. He shot at Teal as she ran across the field
but missed.
Bryant then went after her Dad while he ran around the car trying to keep
from getting shot. Bryant shot at him 3 times but missed. Her Dad
felt a bullet pass very close and thought he had been hit. There is a hole
in his jacket that appears to be a bullet hole and some how the jacket must have
been open flapping in the wind and the bullet went through it but didn't hit him.
Then Bryant headed over a fence across the field after Teal. Her Father
grabbed the golf club out of the trunk, jumped in the car and drove right through the fence to try to get to him before
he could shoot Teal but it was too late. Teal heard the 4 shots and must have
thought her Dad was shot, turned to look and tripped. Roland could see her
in the distance starting to stand up when Bryant caught up with her.
Bryant stood right in front of Teal and and while she cried and begged him
"Bryant please don't, we can work this out", he shot her point blank
in the face. The force of the close range bullet blew the back of her
skull off. After executing Teal, Bryant screamed at her
Father "I killed your daughter, your daughter is dead" in ha ha I told
you so manner. Bryant laid down next to Teal, laid one arm across her, put the rifle
to his head and pulled the trigger again, blowing his jaw off leaving only his
tongue and upper teeth in his head. That bullet went through the back of Teal's
head blowing her face off.
When her Dad jumped out of the car he grabbed Bryant and pulled him off of
Teal and threw him backwards. Roland saw that Teal was dead and
almost fell to the ground seeing her mutilated head and still body. The
boy got up and got the rifle again off the ground. Her Dad saw his face
and couldn't believe he was alive much less getting up and trying to kill him
again. Her Dad grabbed the rifle by the barrel end, pulled it away from him and
broke it over his head.
Bryant jumped in her Dad's car and tried to run him over.
Her Dad used the golf club to break out the windows of
his car to try to stop the insanity. Finally her Dad drug Bryant out of
the car and beat him. Then once again Bryant grabbed the gun off the
ground and ran to the trailer.
Her Father fearing that he was going for more ammunition found a tree to get
behind. Just about then the sheriff arrived. Her Dad screamed at him
that Bryant had a high powered rifle and to look out. Then another shot
was fired and part of Bryant's head flew over the trailer and onto the road by
the sheriff's car. Bryant shot himself outside behind the trailer when he
realized the sheriff was there and he couldn't kill Teal's Dad with the reloaded
rifle.
There were 7 shots fired - 3 at Roland - 1 while Teal was running - 1 to kill
Teal - - 1 that shot his jaw off - 1 to kill himself - there were 2
bullets left in the Rifle.
My husband and I drove up shortly after. I thought there was a hostage
situation but soon was told by my son, Teal's Father, that my adorable
Granddaughter was dead. After I somewhat pulled myself together as best I
could and consoled my Son and Teal's Stepmother. I wanted to make
sure Teal was not still alive and laying there. My Son said in a voice
that made it quite clear, "Mom, she IS dead". Just the way he
said it and the look of terror in his eyes I didn't have to hear anymore to
figure out why they didn't want me to go to her.
I didn't know what to do at that point and really don't remember what I did do
but eventually one of the officers gave me a phone and the coroner I think asked
where they were to take her body after taking it to Austin for autopsy. So
I called with the sheriff's cell phone. I don't remember the conversation
very well but must have done it right because they did make all the
arrangements.
Then the sheriff was taking her Father and Stepmother one at a time and going
over and over the walk through of the events. I must have looked very ill
because hubby insisted we go back to the house. We left and as we drove
past the field my husband insisted I look ahead so I couldn't see Teal laying in
the field.
They took her Dad and Stepmother to the sheriff's dept after the bodies were
removed. The killing was at 1pm they removed the bodies about 5pm.
Then they took statements and the reporters, helicopters, TV cameras etc.
started coming. Teal's Father refused to talk to them and the sheriff
snuck her Stepmother and Father out the back way and sent them home.
They took finger prints and tested for gun powder and Teal's Dad never
touched anything but the barrel of the rifle.
Bryant's Mother insisted Teal's Dad struggled with Bryant and
the gun went off killing Teal but that is NOT what happened which was proven
during the investigation.
Teal nor Bryant were found to have alcohol or drugs in their systems during the
autopsy. How anyone could commit such a ruthless act and not be under the
influence of drugs is incomprehensible to me. Teal was not pregnant.
Bryant was not forced to commit suicide, it was his choice, unlike Teal who had no choice when Bryant intentionally, brutally
executed her while she pleaded for her life.
If anyone is to blame it is Bryant's mother who talked Teal into dropping
charges when he attacked and beat her and did great damage to her truck a few
weeks earlier. Had Bryant's mother left him in jail where he
belonged they both would still be alive.
And his previous girlfriend who he threatened with apparently the same rifle
that killed Teal. She had him arrested for beating her but failed to tell
the police of the threat with the rifle.
And the probation department for letting him out in the public when he had
violated his probation several times and they only sent him to anger management
classes - allot of good that did.
And the Judicial system for being so lenient with him and others like him.
Our hopes and dreams for Teal were shattered that day with one
gun shot
and the lives of an entire family forever changed.
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