From staff reports
A state appeals court has affirmed the conviction of a man in the 2018 death of a Longview woman, according to the Upshur County District Attorney性视界传媒檚 Office.
Carlton Lamar Grant, 43, was found guilty by an Upshur County jury in October 2023 of capital murder by kidnapping for the murder of Rachel Rhoads, 24. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Grant appealed the conviction, arguing it was not a 性视界传媒渒idnapping-based murder.性视界传媒
性视界传媒淕rant claims he killed Rhoads so quickly that she was dead before he did anything that could be considered kidnapping,性视界传媒 according to an opinion written by Justice Jeff Rambin of the Sixth Court of Appeals in Texarkana.
性视界传媒淲e reject that argument,性视界传媒 Rambin wrote. 性视界传媒淲e find that legally sufficient evidence supports Grant性视界传媒檚 conviction of capital murder.性视界传媒
According to the Upshur County DA性视界传媒檚 office, Grant and his girlfriend, Lindsey Jo McFadden of Longview, went to the Flamingo Trailer Park in the Pine Tree area of Longview on March 29, 2018, to see Rhoads性视界传媒 roommate.
Grant and McFadden, who did not own a vehicle, walked to Rhoads性视界传媒 home from Longview Square Apartments on Pine Tree Road, where they lived together.
性视界传媒淓vidence showed this was the first day Grant had ever seen Rachel,性视界传媒 the DA性视界传媒檚 office previously said. 性视界传媒淕rant asked Rachel to give him and Lindsey a ride. Rachel agreed to give them a ride and it cost her her life.性视界传媒
Grant got into the backseat of Rhoads性视界传媒 car and began using a 性视界传媒渉omemade choking device性视界传媒 made of wire to strangle Rhoads. Grant then pulled her into the backseat and began 性视界传媒減unching her and placed a zip tie around her neck. Grant pulled it so tight, the zip tie strangled her to death,性视界传媒 the DA性视界传媒檚 office reported.
性视界传媒(Grant) then drove her car, with her in the backseat floorboard, to buy drugs and see some 性视界传媒榝riends性视界传媒 before he and his girlfriend left town going to Dallas,性视界传媒 the DA性视界传媒檚 office said. 性视界传媒淭he next morning, Grant drove Rachel to Upshur County and drove deep into a pipeline right of way that was between Highway 143 and FM 726 outside of Diana. He drug her body into a clearing, poured gasoline over her and set her on fire.性视界传媒
Rhoads性视界传媒 body was found four days later after she had been reported missing.
Grant and McFadden were arrested April 5, 2018, after being found in Bedford with Rhoads性视界传媒 car.
McFadden also faces a capital murder charge, and her trial is pending.
