Family of missing Texas A&M student wants search conducted

Thursday, March 22, 2007

(3/22/07 - HOUSTON) (KTRK) -- Murdered and dumped, and right now there are no plans to even look for the body of a missing Texas A&M student. Meanwhile, her ex-boyfriend sits behind bars this evening, charged with her murder.

We know investigators have not yet searched the two landfills Tynesha Stewart's body may be in. Tonight the Harris County Sheriff's Department says it will not search the landfill for the body.

"We want her body so we can give her a proper burial," said Gale Shields. "She's not trash."

Stewart's ex-boyfriend, Timothy Wayne Shepherd, 27, allegedly confessed to strangling the Texas A&M student, reportedly over a new boyfriend. He told investigators, Stewart's body was dumped into an apartment dumpster. We've learned that dumpster's contents were likely taken to an Atascocita landfill or possibly to one in Angleton.

"I don't know that we can positively say that any particular item as gone to either one of those landfills," said Lt. John Martin of the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

Because of that and the sheer volume of trash needed to be searched, sheriff's officials say they will not search the landfills at all. That search could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

"You can see how this is going to be expensive, and there is little confidence that it would even turn up anything," said Lt. Martin.

But Tynehsa's family members, who haven't seen the young woman for more than a week, say they are owed the opportunity to bring her home. An opportunity that has eluded them even with a suspect is behind bars. They say if investigators won't search, they certainly will.

"If we have to get the clearance and take the shot to do what we need to do, and go check that trash, then by all means, my sister will be found," said Tynesha's sister Gayla Taylor.

Bond is set for Shepherd at $250,000.
(Copyright © 2007, KTRK-TV)

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