Her Dog Led Police Right To The Man Who Killed Her, And It Turned Out To Be Her Own Cousin

Police searched Mandy’s car, and a .380 handgun was found in the driver’s seat floorboard.

Based on physical evidence where Mandy’s body was discovered, investigators realized that “the body was burned inside a large plastic storage container,” according to a press release issued by the DA’s office. A shell casing matching the .380 handgun was also found inside the container.

At the same time, police in San Marcos got surveillance footage from a Walmart that showed Derek buying a large plastic storage container, which was “identical” to the container Mandy’s body had been burned in, on the morning of April 4, 2023. Aside from the container, he purchased a gas can and a shovel.

Other surveillance footage from the same Walmart showed Derek leaving in Mandy’s vehicle afterward, and Mandy’s dog, Titan, could be seen sticking his head out of a car window.

All of Mandy’s belongings were located on April 7. They were discovered in an abandoned truck that was miles away from her house. Finally, an autopsy confirmed Mandy’s identity via dental records and that she’d died following a gunshot to the head.

The Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Laboratory also established that the .380 bullet recovered from Mandy’s remains and the shell casing were fired from the same handgun that was in Derek’s possession.

On Thursday, November 7, Derek was sentenced to life in prison for Mandy’s murder.

Her mother, Karleen Hardy, had set up a GoFundMe following her murder that is no longer accepting donations. The fundraiser detailed how Mandy had relocated from Idaho to San Marcos to be close to her best friend.

“She was excited about her future prospects and was considering college. She had a shining future ahead of her. She had everything to live for,” Karleen wrote.

Karleen claimed that Mandy’s cousin, Derek, had reached out to Mandy under “false pretenses, which resulted in Mandy traveling to Kansas to bring Derek to Texas for a brief visit.”

Still, the motive in Mandy’s murder remains unclear, despite Derek’s prison sentencing.