UPDATE 3:53 p.m. July 16:
OLNEY (KFDX/KJTL) — A suspect has been charged with murder and booked into the Young County Jail.
The Young County Sheriff confirms it is in connection to the death of Olney teacher Manuela Allen.
According to the Young County jail log, Julius Mullins, 18, was charged with murder. Mullins is a senior at Olney High School and a running back on the football team. As of Tuesday, records indicate he is still enrolled in the school.
Mullins was apparently arrested in Olney overnight and booked into jail at 2 a.m. Tuesday.
Along with the murder charge, the log shows four previous arrests this year.
In March Mullins was arrested for possession of marijuana. In May he was arrested for tampering with identification numbers, failure to identify and possession of drug paraphernalia. Records show that he has no previous convictions.
According to information we gathered from social media and sources, Mullins previously dated one of Allen’s daughters.
Despite his previous arrests, sources connected to the school who knew Mullins expressed shock at learning of his arrest. They say they would not have connected him to such a crime.
The 49-year-old teacher’s body was found Sunday, July 7 near Lake Cooper in Archer County.
Allen’s home in the 600 block of Main Street in Olney was also sealed for a criminal investigation.
Texas Rangers, Olney Police and Young County Sheriffs Office are investigating her death as a homicide and so far have released no additional details on that investigation.
Sheriff Travis Babcock said Mullins thus far has provided no information to authorities in this murder investigation. It is not known if he has retained an attorney or will be appointed one.
Mullins’ bond has been set at $500,000.
In the affidavit provided to KFDX by the Archer County News, Texas Rangers said Allen was stabbed multiple times and was asphyxiated causing fractures to the neck.
Mullins was interviewed by authorities Monday where officials said he admitted to being in Allen’s car a month ago.
The same car investigators said was used to take the body to Lake Cooper.
Officials also said he admitted to being the ex-boyfriend of Allen’s daughter.
Rangers said there were bloodstains in multiple locations in her house and one of the socks worn by Mullins was consistent with an impression of blood on the floor of Allen’s home.
According to Young County Sheriff Travis Babcock, Mullins was arrested just after 7 p.m. Monday by Young County deputies in Olney.
Mullins has several prior arrests this year including possession of drug paraphernalia and giving false information and while arrested three times just this year, he has no prior convictions in Texas.