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Episode of A&E’s ‘The First 48′ focuses on gay Dallas man’s murder, dismemberment
January 8th, 2009
Richard Hernandez (left), an openly gay man from Dallas, was murdered and dismembered inside his apartment in September. Police later arrested Seth Winder (right), a homeless 29-year-old with a a history of mental illness, and charged him with the crime. They found pornographic images of Winder taken inside Hernandez’s apartment on a camera recovered from his father’s home. It was a particularly, bizarre gruesome crime, and to this day, Hernandez’s full remains have not been found (they probably never will be). So it’s no surprise that A&E has chosen the Dallas Police Department’s investigation of Hernandez’s murder for an episode of “The First 48.” The episode reportedly aired once during the holidays and is scheduled to air again on Jan. 15, according to A&E’s Web site, but you can watch it online now by going here. I watched it the other night, and especially for someone who reported on Hernandez’s murder, it’s fascinating.
January 9th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Hope that maybe someone by watching this Episode could have a clue that might someday help us find our friend! Richard is deeply missed and not forgotten. If anyone knew Richard like I did, you’d know that he was a friend that would have done anything for you, and never complained. God rest his sole and those of us who know he’s gone.
January 9th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
I knew Richard from several years back when I worked at the bars on Cedar Springs. He was such a nice guy. I, too, hope that someday we find out what really happened.Thanks to DPD and A&E for making this case public like this. His memory will live on forever.
January 10th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
I lost a friend in much the same way. In December 2003, Jason Galehouse left a bar in Tampa Florida with two men. He was never seen again.
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/05/21/Hillsborough/Suspect_held_in_grues.shtml
I think that in the world today it is important to be involved in our community, and to keep a cautious eye on our friends.
January 12th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
I assume Winder is in jail……is he in Lew Sterret?
January 12th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Jack:
Winder is in jail awaiting trial. The crime occurred in the area of Far North Dallas that’s in Denton County, so he is in the Denton County jail, and the Denton County DA’s Office is handling the case.
January 12th, 2009 at 11:03 pm
Everyone! There will be a hearing on Thursday the 15th for Seth Winder, I’m not sure which court house, but you can count that I’ll be there. And on another note I would really like to take this time to honestly thank John Wright for all his hard work and in keeping us all posted on current updates etc. I appreciate your time and attention to this case John, you have really helped us alot more then you know…Thank you! Rudy Araiza
January 13th, 2009 at 9:30 am
367th district court at the Denton Co. Courthouse…
January 13th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
I have been asking the gay community to PLEASE stand up and start taking back the streets of our gay community before these kinds of cases become common place where we live and entertain. Unity Community Against Gay Hate Crimes is trying it’s very best to get the community involve in protecting ourselves, there to many assaults and crimes happening against gay folk in the Cedar Springs area.
If you want to get involved we meet every Tuesday night 7:00 at Bronx Restaurant.
Please stop by and see how you can help.
http://www.myspace.com/freedomfromhate
Facebook page (UCAGHC)
January 13th, 2009 at 10:32 pm
anonymous,
Thank you so much for the info. I really do appreciate it.
January 14th, 2009 at 9:51 am
Rudy,
Its probably a good idea to make your presence known, kind of as a subtle reminder to the judge that people like you and many others cared about Richard. Let them know that he should never be released again onto an unsuspecting public. Good luck and let us know on this blog what happened. Thanks.
January 15th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
A,
Thank you for those kind words, and I will when his trial starts. I want and will be heard in that court room, and I will let this guy Seth the pain he has caused not just his family, bestfriend, but his friends a tremendous amount of pain. The kind of pain that doesn’t wear away easily, and that’s because although “We” know he’s dead, his body remains missing, and that’s where our hearts are too….missing! Today we went to Seth Winders arrangement, and for the time and effort we as his friend put and to make sure that justice was done, were dissappointed because his lawyer asked to reschedule. Buying this guy more time, but on a good note he’s got a trial on Feb 26, and we hope that at this point in time “WE” get heard and I can speak from my heart. Please keep your postings coming, and if anyone wants to reach me please ask, we appreciate your support for Richard.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:38 am
Rudy,
May you have the courage and strength to walk through this journey for your friend. I wish you the best as you walk through this storm.
January 16th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
A,
Thank you! I really appreciate your kindness. And words of wisdom.
January 17th, 2009 at 10:12 am
Rudy,
I’m deeply saddened by Richard’s loss and for all of his friends. I’ve known Richard for over 20 years but lost touch with him. I would love to talk to you and be there in court for everyone who loved him but most of all for Richard. Rest in Peace my friend!
January 18th, 2009 at 8:12 am
Bryanna,
Thank you for your post, and we appreciate everything you said. I speak for myself and the friends Richard has touched here in the dallas area. I hope that his family finds peace, and knows that Richard is in God’s hands. I loved Richard to death, he was a very good friend, unlike any other, who never cast a stone on anyone. Everytime I see the show on A&E I’m reminded of “Our” great loss. To this day I still have his phone number on my cell, that I can’t get myself to delete. In hopes that my cell rings and I see his name on my caller ID.
February 25th, 2009 at 12:35 am
Dear Rudy,
My heart goes out to you and richard’s family for such a tragic and sensless crime it is beyond me what the guy who took his life was thinking maybe he wasn’t thinking at all .Richard from his picture was and still is a handsome man who was loved and will continue to be loved no matter what you may have lost a friend but heaven gained a angel he suffered in death but he’s painfree in spirit i was taught to love everyone just as god asked and whether or not he’s gay or straight he’s a beautiful child of god and i love him regardless of the fact that i don;t know him may richard finally rest in peace and know that he’s up above looking down below and smiling from ear to ear.MayGod bless you all and never give up hope.
March 30th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Rudy,
I have been out of touch due to personal circumstances. Richard is on my mind on a daily basis. I haven’t heard anything about the Feb. trial date. How did it turn out? I found my yearbook the other day with Richard’s letter to me about staying in touch long after we graduate. How I wish we could go back and redo time I miss him so!
March 31st, 2009 at 7:36 am
Thank you so very much for all the kind words. I really appreciate your thoughts, and support. I know that where ever Richard is, (God’s kingdom)he’s looking down on us and saying that he loves us all! Just keep us in your prayers, and hope that Seth helps us find and put Richard to rest in Peace.
March 31st, 2009 at 7:40 am
Bryanna thank you for staying in touch! As time has gone by, and all the good times roll around, there isn’t a day, song, word, phrase, or action that Richard has done that reminds me of him everyday! Richard is my dear friend, and at times I sit and wonder what I could have done to prevent what has happened too him. I feel a void in my life, and we all do..friends like that are hard too find. Although I have been blessed with his old friends, and we bind together in his memory and thoughts. let’s stay in touch and I’ll keep you poted on what ever I may find out.
April 21st, 2009 at 4:27 pm
What was the result of the Feb. trial? Does anyone know? Was the trial held, or was there a plea agreement? Psych study? What happened?
April 21st, 2009 at 4:39 pm
http://justice.dentoncounty.com/isapi/UVLink.isa/dentonco/WEBSERV/CriminalSearch?action%253Dview%26track%253D226548081
April 23rd, 2009 at 8:26 pm
Seth is being transferred for psychiatric stabilization or has been already. As a person who observed his mental illness long before Mr. Hernandez was murdered, I can say I believe him to be truly mentally ill. We all made repeated efforts to get him help. No one in authority would ever, ever listen. Our laws do not work. Family members should be able to have their mentally ill adult family members committed at least for evaluation. If he had been evaluated, I don’t think any of this would have happened. The army had already discharged him for mental illness in 2005. I always felt he was quite possibly dangerous and very disturbed. Sadly, I don’t think too many care about this issue. I have repeatedly talked with my legislators’ offices, written letters, launched an online petition, etc. I hate to feel all these efforts have been fruitless. Maybe someday something will change. I am not excuising what he did, just saying that he is mentally ill. Once he is stabilized with treatment, he will be transferred back to Denton County to stand trial for murder. I don’t believe ther eis a place in society for somoene once they have committed such a crime and neither does his father. We are all very sorry this happened, no one would wish such a thing to happen. We believe he should be held somewhere for life whatever the courts decide.
April 23rd, 2009 at 9:54 pm
Karen,
I thank you for all you have done, and I totally understand and agree that if you have a family memeber mentally ill, that they should be evaluated! The law should take steps to enssure that when someone calls and reports such a person, that they take immediate action, and not push it too the back burner as “Not” urgent! Seth does and will need to be put away for Life after what he has done, I would have never in a “Life” time thought that this would happen to a better person then Richard, a bestfriend, brother, family memeber etc. I knew Richard for 22 years, and that’s just something you don’t forget after 7 months of him being gone? I know that in my heart he’s in God’s kingdom, and that he’s much happier. But if there’s anything i can do to prevent this from happening to anyone else, I’m there!
April 24th, 2009 at 9:38 am
I know he was a nice person from all I’ve read. I talked to him a couple of times in the store as I shopped there for a number of years. I found it so odd that I had actually had interactions with Richard. He was always very nice and helpful to me as a customer. I can’t imagine the horror he experienced and truly feel sorry for you his friend and his other friends, coworkers and family. I dreamed a week before this happened that Seth murdered a baby. It disturbed me so much, I was very concerned about it, but I could not have known. I just felt it in my soul that something really bad was going to happen. I could not have imagined the heinous act that wuld follow and if I could have stopped it I would have. Please know I tried and tried with the police and sheriff’s office time and again before this happened. I guess I didn’t realize that the laws were the problem until after this happened to your friend.
Of course you will never forget your friend and you never should. Contineu t honor his memory in any way you can think of. I will continue to try to do what I can to change things for the future. Treatment Advocacy Center is a nonprofit working to change our laws. I hope with the new administration that some things will change in our society. Thank you for your response. My petition is still online at http://www.ipetitions/petition/Law4U if you or anyone else might like to sign it. It can be signed totally anonymously for anyone who would like to do that. Every little bit helps. It can help our lawmakers understand that there is a need for change. Richard’s life was important to all those who knew him and should be to society at large. If this could have been prevented, all the efforts in the world would have been worth it. So many of our homeless people are mentally ill and quite possibly a danger. Again, I would never excuse what Seth has done. I was quite frightened of him because of his bizarre behavior long before this happened and would always stay in the background when he would come by. It was so obvious that something was terribly wrong. Again, I’m sorry for your loss and I hope someday that you get the clolsure yoou desire. We know Seth should never be let out, we totally agree with you on that issue.
April 24th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
Karen,
I truely appreciate your reply, and it makes me feel good that you’re on my side, and through us justice will be served one day. I hope that congress, and the Laws find ways to stop this maddness from happening too anyone! I will sign the petition and it will make me stronger, because i know that Richard is worth all “WE” can do to help others like Seth in the future. I knew of Seth from before, and Richard talked about the times he helped him out etc. But now this is water under the bridge, and we all have to move on in our lives, but in “Our” hearts Richard will always be there. Too this day i still have his cell number in my phone, and in some way because I wasn’t even given a momento from Richard’s belongings, I feel like that his family didn’t even acknowledge the true facts, and just wanted all this to past. To this day they haven’t even set a memorial, funeral, or anything? Well i know God’s recieved an Angel with wings that are full of Life! Please stay in touch and let me know if there is anything that i could do to get invovled in future changes.
April 24th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
Rudy,
Have you ever thought personally of having a kind of memorial someplace for Richard for his friends who never got a chance to say goodbye? If you do, I would come to it if I could. Maybe, it would help those of you who knew him to memorialize him, just as his friends. If his family is unable or unwilling to do it, I see no reason at all why you can’t do something for him. I know they held a vigil for him at Walmart shortly after this happened for his co workers. Its a thought and I see absolutely nothing wrong with it. I had a lifelong friend once killed by a wreckless driver, not the same situaton, but I was so very devastated by her death and did not grieve properly and it just destroyed me. I learned back then that we all need to grieve and do it as much as you need to. There is no timetable for grief. No one has a right to tell you what or how to feel, theye are your feelings and you have every right to them. Keep his number on your phone forever if you want to! Its okay to do whatever you feel. I know everyone goes on with their lives, but all the same he was your friend for so long and you will never forget him. My dear friend has been gone many years, but I still think about her and still have her picture on my wall.
John Wright has my emal if you ever want it, I’d be more than happy to hear from you. Maybe with some more voices speaking out on the changes that need to be made, we can make a difference. It can’t hurt and you can do something positive for Richard’s memory. I know he was trying to help Seth. So many tried, he didn’t een seem aware of his own mental illness, but if you’d listened to his disjointed pseech or seen the bizarre things he did, you would have recognized that it was very off the norm. I’m really sorry and we have shed tears over this and felt very horrible about what happened too. I wanted to reach out ot you, but didn’t know if you would be able to accept it. I’m so glad you did. My thoughts re with you Rudy and I am very sincere in that.
August 1st, 2009 at 9:54 am
Karen your words are sweet and well taken! I really appreciate your reply and sorry for mine taking so long to get back too you. =) Well I’d like to stay in touch, you’re now my support group and person i can talk too about this. Everytime they (A&E) air that episode it just brings everything back to the surface. You can contact me at Mightyzx2@aol.com and we could stay in touch. I owe John Wright a big Thank you, because he has always made it a point to stay in touch and keep me posted. I feel a friendship with him now…very supportive.
August 1st, 2009 at 1:09 pm
John’s a good guy, I agree. Sent you an email Rudy! Thanks for the contact info!