Father wins decade-long fight for justice after daughter killed in Texas by illegal migrant

A father's decade-long combat for accountability has yet led to justness for his 13-year-old daughter, who was killed by an illegal migrant successful a 2014 Texas car crash. 

Chris Odette, a seasoned and azygous begetter who present lives successful New Hampshire, had conscionable mislaid his woman to bosom crab 15 months earlier. He ne'er imagined that the time helium dropped his lone girl disconnected astatine a sleepover would beryllium the past clip helium would hug her. 

"My woman died 15 months earlier my girl was killed," Odette said. "And past to person my girl killed, I mislaid my full household successful the span of 15 months to a illness that couldn't beryllium prevented. And then, to a transgression that was 100% preventable. I made a committedness to my woman earlier she died that I would instrumentality attraction of my daughter, and I consciousness similar I failed that promise." 

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Odette recalls being hesitant to fto his past 13-year-old daughter, Chrishia, be a sleepover astatine a friend’s house. However, they had conscionable moved to Rockwall, Texas, and she was excited astir gathering friends astatine a caller school. 

"I conscionable kept proceeding successful my head, my precocious woman saying, 'Don't beryllium truthful protective, fto her bask life, fto her acquisition life,'" Odette recalled. "So, I took her over. It was about 9 p.m. when I dropped her off."

Minutes aft helium arrived home, Odette received a call: Chrishia had been deed by a car portion crossing a street. According to police, she was crossing extracurricular a ineligible crosswalk erstwhile the clang happened. 

Chrishia Odette was deed by a car and killed successful Rockwall, Texas. The operator was amerciable migrant Ramiro Guevara successful 2014. (Chris Odette; Rockwall Police Department)

The driver, Ramiro Guevara, was an amerciable migrant from Mexico. He was arrested by the Rockwall Police Department for driving without a licence and for not having an operator’s license. Records amusement helium spent astir 35 minutes down bars earlier helium posted a currency bond.

According to ICE, Guevara was encountered by Border Patrol twice, with a voluntary instrumentality some times to Mexico successful 1994 and 2004. At the clip of the crash, determination was besides a 2010 warrant retired for him from the Texas' Mesquite Police Department for usurpation of driving without a licence and for speeding. 

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Despite this, Guevara was released backmost into the assemblage pursuing the deadly clang successful 2014. A expansive assemblage yet "no-billed" the case, meaning the assemblage decided determination wasn’t capable grounds to enactment transgression charges.

"They said that due to the fact that helium had nary drugs oregon intoxicant successful his system, determination was nary impervious of negligence successful his quality to run the vehicle," Odette said. "So, they wouldn't complaint him with immoderate felonies. So, helium was fundamentally cleared of immoderate wrongdoing for sidesplitting my daughter." 

Chrishia Odette was deed by a car driven by amerciable migrant Ramiro Guevara successful 2014. A assemblage decided determination wasn’t capable grounds to enactment transgression charges against Guevara. (Chris Odette)

Guevara's migration lawsuit spanned years. According to ICE, Guevara filed a petition connected March 10, 2016, for alleviation from removal. His petition was denied connected July 28, 2017, by an migration judge, and helium was ordered removed connected Aug. 23, 2017.

"This feline is watching his children turn up portion my girl is dead," Odette said. "She would beryllium 24 close now. She would person graduated college. She would commencement precocious schoolhouse astatine 13. She was exceptionally intelligent, exceptionally talented. She was an astonishing light. When my woman died, she's the 1 that told maine I needed to halt crying. She was the 1 that helped propulsion maine backmost unneurotic alternatively of maine being that stone for her."

Odette has tirelessly sought justice, reaching retired to elected officials and advocates. For years, helium said, helium was denied repeatedly. 

"If the laws were really enforced the mode they're expected to be, alternatively of trying to find an casual mode to marque beingness much comfy for radical who travel crossed the borderline illegally, my girl would beryllium live and thousands of others volition beryllium alive," Odette said. 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Ramiro Guevara, a 46-year-old Mexican nationalist and amerciable immigrant, connected March 26, 2025, aft being ordered removed connected Aug. 23, 2017. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Few radical took involvement successful his case, but erstwhile U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, told Odette helium was touched by his story. In 2019, helium spoke astir Chrishia’s communicative connected the House floor, highlighting the value of securing the border. 

Odette besides reached retired to Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who precocious enactment him successful interaction with borderline czar Tom Homan. 

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On March 26, aft years of warring for justice, ICE arrested Guevara, who is present successful ICE custody pending removal proceedings. 

"I had told her erstwhile she was live that if idiosyncratic wounded her, determination was nary region that I wouldn't spell to support her," Odette said. "And I anticipation I spot her again 1 time and I tin look astatine her with an unfastened bosom and archer her dada did everything helium could."