In a disturbing incident in 2021, police were informed that a woman had been seen being kept in a cage, leading to the discovery of a missing woman who had been hacked to death. Finally, the full truth of the case is now becoming clear.
Keep reading to learn more.
Accused of killing Cassidy Rainwater were James Phelps and Timothy Norton. Norton asserted that he assisted Phelps in the murder of Cassidy, 33, whom he claimed had allegedly “stolen” from them.
James Phelps agreed to take Alford’s plea for Rainwater’s murder. When a criminal defendant enters an Alford plea, they admit guilt but maintain their innocence. The second accused murderer, Timothy Norton, has also agreed to a plea agreement. Both individuals were given life terms in jail without the chance of release.
The Dallas County court judge consented to drop the charges for first-degree kidnapping and abandoning a corpse in exchange for accepting the plea bargains.
33-year-old Rainwater was last spotted alive in July 2021. On August 25, she was reported missing. Dallas County Sheriff’s Office reportedly spoke to Phelps right away, who stated she had been staying with him but had departed a month earlier.
A few weeks later, the FBI got a tip regarding some pictures of a woman who was allegedly only wearing a bikini. She was being held in a cage on Phelp’s farm and matched Rainwater’s description. A gantry crane, which is frequently used to treat a deer carcass, was seen being used to gut and dismember the bones in further images taken on the property.
During an inquiry, authorities discovered skeleton remains on an adjacent property and human flesh in Phelps’ freezer, both of which were labeled simply 7/24. All remains were identified as Rainwater’s after DNA testing.
In Phelps’ phone, they also discovered pictures of Rainwater strapped to the crane and text messages between Phelps and Norton outlining their plans to kill her.
Norton reportedly admitted to the murder and “told FBI agents that Phelps had him come over while Cassidy was sleeping [on] the living room floor, so he had easy access to attack Cassidy,” according to reports.
The statement read, “Norton claimed that after entering the residence, he held Cassidy’s legs down while Phelps strangled her and threw a bag over her head. After his court appearance, he informed the local television station that everything “just kind of occurred” and “went sideways.”
Norton recalled, “The next thing I knew, he was choking her, and things were going awry.” “If you had looked into his eyes, you would have known that crossing him at that particular moment was the last thing I wanted to do. I am aware of his temper.
In his opening remarks, he claimed that “he and Phelps took a little break before bringing her body outside.” They continued, claiming that they utilized the gantry after which “Phelps chained her” to it and “began evisceration and amputation of Cassidy’s body.” After that, according to Norton, he assisted Phelps in bringing the body inside and putting it in the bathtub.
He claimed following his court appearance on Tuesday that he was aware that what he had done had earned him death. “I deserve to die, and I’m ready for it,” Norton remarked. It is wrong to take life. Everyone praises me. I’m a monster of a monster, you know.
He expressed his thoughts on the situation as a whole. Perhaps tonight, he added, “I’ll cry when I go to sleep.”