Police ID Woman Found Dead In Grapevine Park & Arrest Suspect
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GRAPEVINE (CBSDFW.COM) - Nearly a week has passed since a burned and dismembered body was located in a heavily wooded area of a Grapevine park.
It was last Wednesday morning when the body of the then unidentified woman was discovered in Acorn Woods Park near Lake Grapevine. Today that victim was identified as 24-year-old Jacqueline Vandagriff of Frisco.
Vandagriff was a student a Texas Woman's University. After her identification the university issued a statement that said, in part:
"It is with a very heavy heart that I write to let you know we have lost one of our nutrition students this week, 24-year-old Jacqueline Vandagriff of Frisco, Texas. The death of a student affects the entire TWU community, and I know that all of us send our deepest sympathy to Jacqueline's family and friends. Jacqueline exemplified the spirit of learning and service that is the hallmark of our TWU community. She lived her life with a desire to serve others through her interest in nutrition."
Police arrested Charles Dean Bryant, 30, of Haslet. He was charged with Capital Murder and his bond is set at $1 million.
Investigators on Sunday afternoon searched a rented house along Sand Hills Drive in Haslet believing that one or more people there had some connection to the case. Crime scene investigators gathered and removed evidence well into the evening, as the neighbors watched in disbelief.
"They kind of kept to themselves," neighbor Graeme Miller said Monday. "One of them left, we'd see him leave every once in a while, then come back. They lived there. We really didn't make any conversation."
Officials with the Grapevine Police Department, the FBI and the Texas Rangers are working together on the case. Investigators have said that they believe the victim's body was burned at the park. Since discovering the body last Wednesday, police in Grapevine have stepped up patrols on area walking trails as a precaution.
As it stands, police still have not released much information about the crime or the investigation. A brief statement issued on Monday only identified the victim, noted the arrest and explained that detectives were working "around the clock."