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U.S. NEWS Monday 13 May 2019
Prosecutor: Dogs detected decomposition in missing girl case

sition in the vehicle,” Stay- Vence only for Saturday’s police.” Police have de-
ton said. Investigators also hearing, had asked a mag- scribed Vence as Maleah’s
found blood at the apart- istrate judge to set bond at stepfather, but Maleah’s
ment, both in the hallway $5,000, saying Vence was a mother, Brittany Bowens,
leading to the bathroom low flight risk and had lived said through a spokes-
and on surfaces inside the in Houston most of his life. man that Vence is her
bathroom, Stayton said. Stayton argued that Vence former fiance. Quanell X,
At Saturday night’s hearing, was a flight risk and there a local civil rights activist
Vence said he planned to was “evidence of decep- who spoke to reporters on
hire a defense attorney. tion on the part of the de- Bowens’ behalf on Friday,
Rodney Brown, an attorney fendant with regard to also said that Vence had
appointed to represent information he gave to abused Maleah.q

This undated photo released by the Houston Police Department
shows Maleah Davis.
Associated Press
By JUAN A. LOZANO his story kept changing
Associated Press and didn’t add up.
HOUSTON (AP) — Trained Vence, who had lived with
dogs detected the scent Maleah and her mother,
of human decomposition reported that his silver Nis-
in the vehicle of a man ar- san Altima was taken in the
rested in connection with abduction, but surveillance
the disappearance of a video showed that vehicle
4-year-old Texas girl, ac- was used to drop Vence
cording to a prosecutor. off at the hospital. Police
Derion Vence, 26, re- found the car Thursday.
mained jailed Sunday on Dogs trained to find ca-
a $1 million bond after be- davers reacted to the trunk
ing arrested a day earlier of the car, Pat Stayton, a
on a charge of tamper- prosecutor with the Harris
ing evidence, specifically County District Attorney’s
a human corpse. His next Office, said at Vence’s
court appearance is set for probable cause court
Monday. Houston police hearing Saturday night.
said investigators have not Surveillance video from a
found Maleah Davis and neighbor showed Vence
the investigation is continu- carrying a large, blue laun-
ing. Authorities have de- dry basket with a large
clined to say whether they trash bag from his apart-
believe Vence killed Ma- ment on May 3, Stayton
leah. But prosecutors said said. Vence returned three
in court documents filed minutes later without the
Saturday that Vence could basket and later he was
face additional charges, seen leaving the apart-
including murder. ment with cleaning sup-
The investigation began af- plies, including bleach.
ter Vence told police that In the silver Nissan, police
men in a truck on May 4 found a laundry basket that
had abducted him, Male- looked like the one Vence
ah and his 2-year-old son a took out of his apartment,
day earlier, but had freed Stayton said. “Both of the
him and the boy. Vence dogs reacted to the trunk
told investigators he was of the silver Nissan that the
left in the Houston suburb defendant had driven and
of Sugar Land and walked that the blue laundry bas-
to a hospital, where he re- ket was recovered from,
ported the girl’s abduction. indicating that the dogs
Sugar Land police, who ini- were responding to the
tially interviewed him, said scent of human decompo-