Parts Unknown

Did Donnie Riley kill Tarron Dixon, or was he shooting at someone else in a different Houston neighborhood that night 13 years ago?

A A A Comments By Craig Malisow Thursday, Oct 14 2004

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Keys, who says she recently served time for drug possession, has a different story today. She says she does not remember hearing gunshots upon leaving Club Infinity that night, but that it's possible.

She says she's had no contact with Rookie, who has been in and out of jail for drug possession and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle since Dixon's murder. He could not be reached for comment.

Craig Malisow

Riley wants to prove to Dixon's parents that he didn't kill their son.

Todd Yates/The Brazosport Facts

Dixon's parents pleaded with the parole board to deny Riley's release.

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Patterson also could not be reached. Since Dixon's murder, he has served time for drug possession and auto theft.

Denied parole again, Riley is now counting on his October appeal. He says a sloppy HPD investigation landed him in prison, and only a second look by another agency can get him out. Specifically, he doesn't believe HPD properly examined the bullets recovered from the Patterson shooting one hour before Dixon's death.

"Who did that investigation? Did the crime lab? 'Cause they got a whole lotta problems," he says. "They've been caught lying on people."

In his mind, there is a relationship between three bullets that proves his innocence.

"I'd like to have an outside agency do all this -- take the May 15 [1991] Robertson incident, take the [Patterson] incident and take the Dixon incident and compare all of them. Compare all the shell casings and everything," he says. "There has to be a match there somewhere."

But there doesn't have to be. The match could be in the bag of bullets that Matthews lost. Or it could be in a .25 the prosecution says is at the bottom of Oyster Creek. It could be somewhere only the killer knows, and that could mean Donnie Riley knows, or it could mean he doesn't.