Official site of Tribune News serving Tomball, Magnolia and Waller

A family sits shattered, after a brother stands accused of killing his sister, restraining his significant other and stabbing himself early last week. 

Photo: Montgomery County detectives work a scene where they say Jordan Boijseauneau, 19, beat his sister to death, tied his girlfriend up and stabbed himself several times. He was released from the hospital July 26 and is in the Montgomery County Jail on $500,000 bond. (Tribune Photo/Caleb Harris) 

Jordan Abel Boijseauneau, 19, of Hockley, is now in the Montgomery County Jail on charges that he beat his sister, Estephani Boijseauneau to death at their family home on Marshburn in the Glenwood area, July 24. 

Montgomery County sheriff’s deputies, Magnolia Police and Montgomery County Precinct 5 deputy constables all responded to a 911 call from a neighbor who said Jordan’s 15-year-old girlfriend had escaped the home by cutting through duct tape restraints. She told detectives she had been held for nearly three hours.  “The suspect’s girlfriend was in the house at the time,” Montgomery County Sheriff’s Lt. Bill Bucks said. “She escaped the residence and called police.” 

Officers found the body of Estephani Boijseauneau just inside the home’s front door. Detectives said she had been beaten throughout the house, by unknown objects. 

They made a quick sweep of the home and determined that Jordan had fled the scene. A short time later they found a man inside an abandoned home nearby, but determined it was not the suspect. 

After another search of the home, deputies found Jordan underneath a pile of clothes in a closet. He was suffering from self-inflicted stab wounds and was under the influence of some unnamed drugs, according to detectives. He was rushed to the hospital, treated and jailed on Thursday afternoon.  Family members sat at the scene in complete shock. “They’re obviously devastated,” Bucks said. “They lost one child to a murder and another who is in custody for it.”

Jordan Boijseauneau was recently released from the Harris County Jail, on charges of sexual assault of a minor. Police sources believe that the minor was the same 15-year-old who escaped from Jordan. 

According to Tomball detective A. Chambers, Jordan Boijseauneau was caught engaging in sexual activity by Tomball patrol officers, May 12. 

“The patrol officers drove up on a suspicious vehicle at Jeurgens Park, made contact and observed Jordan and a 15-year-old female in sexual activity,” Chambers said. “He lied about his age and told officers he was 16.”

Jordan was arrested at the scene and charged with Sexual Assault of a Minor and Failure to Identify. He later posted a $30,000 bond. 

Jordan’s Facebook page shows a smiling couple, who he says is his girlfriend, however some law enforcement sources told the Tribune that the pair had recently traveled to Mexico to marry, after Jordan was freed from the Harris County Jail. 

Notes from various friends and relatives posted to Jordan’s Facebook page, expressing sadness and also encouragement for the suspect. 

The following comment is one of several posted to his Facebook page and is not edited for content or grammar. 

“Hey cousin. (Our) family had been watching the news a lot lately (and) words getting out of the situation that occurred. I know this must be hard for you to wake up in the hospital and realize what you have done to Estephani, but like I said earlier today -- no matter what happens or happened we are family and we will stay strong (with our) head up for fighting for your sister and stand by you. That wasn’t you I know and the family and friends know the drugs (took) control,” the comment stated. 

Jordan Boijseauneau’s bond was set at $500,000. As of press time his first court appearance had not been set.

It’s less than a month until the 2012-13 school year begins and some new educator faces will greet incoming students at Magnolia ISD. 

 Brad Schnautz, last year’s principal at Magnolia Junior High, was chosen from more than 40 applicants to become the new Magnolia West High School Principal.

Before coming to Magnolia Junior High in 2010, Schnautz had been at Magnolia West for four years. He is looking forward to his new position.

“I am very excited about this opportunity. It’s good to be back at Magnolia West,” he said. “I feel lucky to know three quarters of the students already – the current seniors were freshmen when I was here before and I got to know this year’s freshmen and sophomores when I was at Magnolia Junior High.”

Schnautz looks forward to re-establishing relationships with students, their parents, the staff and the community and wants to help build a culture of academic excellence at Magnolia West. He feels his biggest challenge will be to implement the necessary changes at the school that will be needed to serve the collective vision for the estimated 1,785 students. He believes it is important for the school to produce well-rounded students that are prepared for the next phase of their lives. 

Schnautz came to Magnolia West in 2006, working first as a math teacher and baseball coach and then as assistant principal. He received a master’s degree in educational administration from Sam Houston University and is currently pursuing his doctorate in educational administration from Texas A&M, where he also received his bachelor’s degree. He was an educator at Conroe ISD and Bryan ISD before coming to Magnolia ISD.

Meanwhile, Brenda Marfin has been promoted to fill Shnautz’s previous job at Magnolia Junior High.

Marfin has more than 20 years of education experience, which includes serving as the MISD Social Studies Director and as the principal of Williams Elementary, as well as several years as a classroom teacher. She has been with MISD for 16 years. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in educational leadership from Prairie View A&M. She has a master’s degree in education and supervision from Sam Houston State and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston.

The district also welcomed Kendra Wiggins as the Director of Special Education. Wiggins is new to MISD, having worked at Tomball ISD for several years, most recently as the Assistant Director of Special Services. She was also a special education teacher and ARD (Admission, Review and Dismissal) Facilitator for the district.

Wiggins received her master’s degree from Sam Houston State and her bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M, and is pursuing her doctorate from Lamar University.

All three administrators say they are hard at work preparing for the coming academic year. MISD continues to grow as people move into our area and district officials expect to have approximately 12,000 students this year.

After a skiing accident left her with 17 years of constant pain, Magnolia’s Helen Dearman went through everything imaginable, in order to deal with it.

“I had been living with the pain for decades,” she said. “It wasn’t until years later when I got diagnosed with a broken back.”

Her journey is similar to many with chronic pain. Years of telling numerous doctors her problems before finally finding one that would listen.

“For many, many years I was a really angry and depressed person,” Dearman said. “I couldn’t play with my kids the way I wanted to, it impacted my career and I couldn’t get anyone to listen to me.”

After years of searching and battling those doubters, she finally found a doctor that listened -- and helped. She was retrofitted with an internal pump that delivers medication directly into her spine.

“It used to be that I would hover around a 7 to 9 (out of 10) on the pain scale,” she said. “Now I am down to a three.”

Her struggles and outspokenness eventually led her to work throughout the nation with various pain organizations, a weekly pain management internet radio show and patient conferences. She also became a member of the Texas Medical Center Pain and Palliative Care Task Force.

“I have a teaching background and one of my doctors asked me to get involved,” Dearman said.

Eventually Dearman decided to write a book about her experiences and how to seek help. It took her nearly five years to complete it.

“So many people have pain and it’s not validated by their doctors, family and friends,” she said. “You can live with pain and have a great life.”

“The essence of the book is focused on four key statements,” she said. “One, that you are not alone. Second, it’s your body and it’s your choice. Third is to go easy on yourself and that it’s ok to say no and finally to control pain before it controls you.”

Dearman said the book draws from opinions and the advice of pain experts across the country, including doctors, scientists, psychologists, rehabilitation specialists, massage therapists, acupuncture specialists and several other sufferers of chronic pain. The book and her lectures have allowed her to work with several notable people including Jerry Lewis and Dr. Patch Adams.

“It was interesting and enlightening to see and hear about (Patch Adams) work with children in pain,” she said. “He is as interesting a person as you can imagine.”

Dearman said that while the book talks about her personal struggle with pain, it is much more than merely stating, “look at what I did, I am fixed now.”

“I never advocate my personal treatment on others because everyone is different,” she said. “There is no missing puzzle piece, but hopefully the book can help you find your way towards something that works for you.”

Dearman’s book Pain Tamers: To inform, empower and equip the person with chronic pain, can be found at her website, www.paintamers.com, or purchased at amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.

Magnolia City Council convened a special session Aug. 2 to consider a proposed change to the property tax. Montgomery County Assessor and Collector J. R. Moore, Jr., outlined the steps that would be necessary for the council to lower the city’s tax rate to $0.4786 per $100, from $0.4814 per $100 of value.

The council passed a motion to propose the new rate and to undertake those steps.

As explained by Moore, the council must conduct two public hearings on the tax rate, while his office must advertise the new rate in newspapers.  The public notices must also be published on the city’s website. All of this must be accomplished before the end of August.

The proposal will increase total tax revenue from properties on the tax roll in the preceding tax year by more than five percent. That occurs because the proposal will allow for more of the collected revenue to be distributed to the city’s maintenance and operation budget, rather than the debt service fund. The city is estimated to have more than $50,000 additional to work with for operation and maintenance costs.

Individual tax rates will be lower, as long as the assessed valuation of the property isn’t higher. If the council adopts the proposed tax rate, the tax on an average Magnolia home would be $449.07 on a home valued at an average of $97,667. Last year, the amount of taxes imposed on an average home was $470.17 on a home valued at an average of $93,830.

The additional tax revenue will be used for city maintenance and operations. The rate of $0.4786 is the maximum amount that can be adopted by the city for next year’s budget.

“After the public hearings (the city) can adopt a rate that is less but cannot adopt a rate that is more,” stated Moore.

Only properties inside the Magnolia city limits will be subject to the tax.

The council scheduled the two public hearings for the evenings of Tuesday, Aug. 14 and Tuesday, Aug. 21. The public hearings will have a separate agenda.

“People will come here to talk about the tax rate. They cannot discuss the budget at these two meetings,” Moore clarified. 

The meeting to vote on and adopt the tax rate is set for Wednesday, Aug. 29.

All meetings begin at 7 p.m. at the Magnolia City Hall at 18111 Buddy Riley Boulevard in Magnolia. Residents of the city of Magnolia are encouraged to attend the meetings.

On a steamy Saturday morning, several people stood watching as an excavator crunched into a dilapidated, abandoned building on a quiet neighborhood street.

Thanks to the Magnolia Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association (MCPAAA), the demolition at 158 Roy Street was finally taking place, as a result of volunteer efforts from businesses and citizens.

The MCPAAA was originally formed by Magnolia Citizens Police Academy graduates, and Williams Elementary teachers, Jill Gabriel and Summer Foltz. They approached Magnolia Police Chief Domingo Ibarra about projects that might build a stronger bond between citizens and the police department. He immediately suggested they try to find a way to demolish the Roy Street structure. It had long been a problem for the city because of code enforcement violations, but Ibarra was reluctant to take the property owner to court due to extenuating family circumstances.

“The ladies (Gabriel and Foltz) felt this project was out of their league, but I knew this group would find a way to do it -- and they did,” said Ibarra. “Now we know what they are capable of.”

The MCPAAA rallied a group of volunteers and engaged the services of local businesses. The demolition, was first scheduled for early July, but was delayed because of heavy rains that affected the area. On Aug. 4, the project got off to an early morning start. DLG Timber and North Houston Trucking provided the heavy equipment, WCA provided debris removal and Texas Star Propane disconnected the gas lines and removed the propane tank on the property -- all free of charge.

Many residents on Roy Street came out to support the effort, happy to have the dangerous structure eliminated.

The MCPAAA will be tackling other similar projects in the near future.

“We have other unsafe structures to raze and want to begin some projects for our senior citizens,” said Gabriel. “The Magnolia Citizens Police Academy taught us how we can get involved in the community and help make a difference.”

Magnolia residents who are at least 18 years of age can participate in MCPAA projects, and will soon be able to view information about upcoming events online on the Magnolia Police Department website at www.cityofmagnolia.com. A new Citizens Police Academy will begin starting Sept. 6. Classes run from 6 to 9 p.m. for a nine week period and are free of charge. Class size is limited, so officials say that those interested should call the police department office at 281-356-2500 soon to apply.

 Photos by Cheryl Garcia

In what’s quickly becoming a highly anticipated annual event, the City of Magnolia and the Magnolia Community Foundation (MCF) have set Aug. 18 as the date for the second annual Magnolia Tailgate Party on the Stroll.

‘Last year’s turnout was amazing,” MCF President Deborah Rose Miller said. “And this year, more is being planned for all ages. It is a great way to end the summer with a family-friendly evening that celebrates all school activities with the entire community.”

Miller said there will be a few enhancements to this year’s event.

“The biggest change is two-fold,” she said. “First the bands and other groups will have performances throughout the evening on four side streets around the Stroll, instead of just one big performance. The other will be a district-wide pep rally at Sullivan Park at 7:30 p.m.”

Groups performing will be the various bands, drill teams, drumlines, cheerleaders and others from the Magnolia schools.

Karaoke has been added to this year’s event, while the Magnolia Rotary Club will have a dunking booth. Football coaches and principals from both Magnolia High School and Magnolia West High School will be inside the booth taunting tossers who will pay $1 for each throw. Proceeds from the dunking booth will benefit the Magnolia ISD athletic programs.

“The dunking booth we have this year is brand new and bigger,” Miller said.

Booster club’s from the various schools will have booths set up to sell spirit items, while other vendor and food booths will be set up along the Stroll. Vendor and food booth spots are still available for $50.

MCF has also set up a contest that offers a $500 cash prize to the school that receives the most likes on the MCF Facebook page.

“The evening will not only be a great party for all ages, but will benefit our community in tangible ways, especially the children,” Miller said. “Seeing all the kids come together in one place is something I am really excited about.”

Miller said the idea for the tailgate party came after a brainstorming session of MCF members.

“The tailgate was a creation of the Stroll committee and Ravelle Smith, who originated the concept,” she said.

There is no charge to attend the tailgate, however alcohol is not allowed. Students are encouraged to wear their activity uniform or attire to the event.

The entrance to the Stroll is located at Sullivan Park, at the intersection of FM 1488 and FM 1774. For more information or to purchase booth space call 713-806-3453, visit magnoliacommunityfoundation.org, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Magnolia ISD employees should get a break for the coming year in the form of a three percent raise across the board. According to Chief Financial Officer Erich Morris, the MISD board of trustees is expected to pass a final budget totaling $79.8 million, which is more than $1.3 million higher than the previous year, at its monthly meeting Aug. 20. Along with personnel raises, up to 16 new staff positions (six teachers and ten paraprofessionals) are anticipated, based on specific district needs.

Morris stated the budget should be balanced and would result in a surplus of up to $400,000 at the end of the year, which can help with the budget for the following year. This year’s new funds are a result of slightly higher Montgomery County property appraisals and new student growth, which is projected to be about one percent.

“The property tax rate for schools will remain the same as in 2011-12,” said Morris. “We are adopting a very conservative approach to the budget because we do not know what the next state legislature will do in regard to school funding. We are in the second year of the current two-year state finance system, which means there will be no big uncertainty in funding for the 2012-13 school year. However, there could be changes as a result of the next legislative session.”

Morris indicated that other factors could increase the amount of funding received by MISD, such as greater new student numbers than expected or higher property tax collections. However, he agreed the best approach to the budget was a conservative one, in order to meet the overall needs of the district and ensure no new layoffs.

MISD will also be increasing the lunch price for students that are not receiving reduced-price meals in order to cover rising food costs and to adhere to federal guidelines outlined in the Healthy Hunger-free Kids Act of 2010. The new lunch price will be $2.15 for elementary students and $2.40 for secondary students, an increase of $0.10 in both cases. There will be no increase in breakfast charges.

The Magnolia City Council wrapped up the summer Aug. 14, with a lengthy agenda of activities and resolutions. The oath of office was administered to City Secretary Lynne George, Municipal Court Judge Jimmy Thornton and Municipal Court Administrator Karla Bussey.

The council agreed to annex several acres adjacent to the Canrig Drilling Technologies offices, along FM 1488 in Magnolia, which pushes the city limits eastward. They agreed to consider a contract for improvements to Commerce and 10^th streets, near the Walgreens store that is being constructed. They also agreed to award a new contract for city janitorial services to Alpha Cleaning Concepts. Approximately eight bids were received and council decided that Alpha provided the most services for the cost.

The council will allow a variance of less than the required five feet on one lot within the Magnolia Ridge subdivision, because the permit has already been issued for a home to be constructed, but they wanted to state that any additional lot deviations would need to be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Residents of Connie Street, near Nichols Sawmill Road, requested city action regarding a serious drainage problem that they said caused flooding to several homes three times within the last two years. The council agreed to consider a corrective action of larger culverts at that corner to accommodate high rainwater volume.

Mayor Todd Kana proclaimed the first full week of September to be National Payroll Week for Magnolia, as a means to promote economic health and to educate the business community and the public about responsible payroll practices, laws and guidelines. The American Payroll Association, which promotes itself as the nation’s leader in payroll education, has declared September 3-7, 2012 as National Payroll Week to celebrate America’s 156 million wage earners and the payroll professionals who pay them.

Kana also presented a City of Magnolia flag to Magnolia ISD Superintendent Todd Stephens. The flag, which was designed by a Magnolia student, will be displayed at the Celeste Graves Education Center.

The council terminated an agreement with Magnolia ISD regarding joint maintenance for the planned recreation center pool and tennis courts, based on the recommendation of Deborah Rose Miller, president of the Magnolia Community Foundation. She has helped develop a plan that will allow Magnolia ISD to take on full maintenance of the facilities, and indicated that this would be reasonable because the facilities will be utilized by the schools and students.

Police Chief Domingo Ibarra reported a high rate of arrests being made by Magnolia police officers, as well as the benefit to the city from restitution for vandalism to Unity Park, a recently confiscated automobile as a result of the asset forfeiture rule and $113,000 received from fines as a result of the city’s red-light camera at the corner of FM 1488 and Buddy Riley. The camera has helped promote the safety of residents by reminding drivers that they need to come to a complete stop at this busy intersection. 

Ibarra stated he was very proud of the recent success realized by the joint efforts of the Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association, local businesses and residents, which resulted in the demolition of a dilapidated structure on Roy Street being accomplished free of charge by volunteers. Several Magnolia police officers and city council members attended the demolition.

“The neighbors on that street are so happy with the outcome,” said council member Anne Sundquist. 

City Administrator Paul Mendes reported that the better records being kept by the public works department has resulted in greater water conservation. He also stated the municipal court is in the process of removing outstanding warrants for persons who are no longer in the area, which should allow it to manage the recoverable warrants more effectively.

A public hearing was held just prior to the city council meeting regarding the proposal to make a change in tax revenues from properties on the tax rolls during the last year. This change from $0.4814 per $100 of appraised value to $0.4527 per $100 of appraised value could result in greater or lower taxes for individual properties, depending on their county-appraised value. The tax will apply to properties within the Magnolia city limits only.

This was the first of two public hearings to be held on the subject – the second one will be on Tuesday evening, Aug. 21. The council will vote on the proposal the evening of Wednesday, Aug. 29. No citizens spoke up during this first public hearing. 

A recent weekend offered two community events just hours apart for Magnolia residents to enjoy. The second annual Tailgate Party, held on The Stroll Aug. 18, had a large turnout – that is, until a major thunderstorm drowned out the festivities a bit early. Football teams, marching bands, cheerleaders and flag drill teams from both Magnolia high schools provided a celebratory spirit to get everyone in the mood for cheering.

Magnolia Community Foundation President Deborah Rose Miller initiated enhancements to this year’s event, such as rotating performances at several Stroll locations, rather than just one main location and a combined pep rally for both area high schools. The crowd enthusiastically applauded the performers and chomped on goodies from the food stands. A dunking booth, sponsored by the Magnolia Rotary Club, was a popular attraction that offered people a chance to soak the high school coaches and principals. All proceeds benefited the Magnolia ISD athletic programs.

This year’s Tailgate Party had 36 vendors and an estimated 2,000 attendees, which was approximately a 10 percent increase over last year.

“Things had just started really buzzing and then a huge thunderstorm forced us to shut down,” said Miller, “but we expect next year’s event to be even bigger and better.”

The Community Foundation wants the Tailgate Party to continue to build community spirit among residents and students.

Also that evening, the Montgomery County Search & Rescue organization held its annual fundraiser at the Montgomery County Community Building in Magnolia. The barbeque plate sales and silent auction raised more than $18,000 this year.

The organization operates solely with volunteers, but needs money for operational expenses, training and equipment repairs, according to Vice President J. Carter Miller.

Montgomery County Search & Rescue offers services to people in need of locating missing family members. For more information, or to volunteer to help the organization, visit the website at www.moscar.org.

Also on hand at the fundraiser were booths from civic and emergency response organizations such as Montgomery County CPS, Texas Parks and Wildlife, the Montgomery County Sheriff Citizen’s Academy, Texas Wheels of Justice and Montgomery County Emergency Management.

The Magnolia Parkway Chamber of Commerce recently announced that it has hired Tammy Carnley as its new day-to-day leader.

Carnley was hired recently as the group’s new president, bringing with her several years of publishing and marketing experience. She has owned three different publications in Houston over the past 18 years, which covered everything from resorts and spas to restaurants, entertainment and décor.

“I am excited to be living and working in an area so beautiful,” she said. “I now get to work with some great businesses. Everyone has been super supportive and welcoming.”

Chamber board chair Jason Rinn said that Carnley will bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the chamber.

“I am excited to have Tammy as part of the team,” he said. “MPCC will continue to expand and serve the community under her leadership.”

Carnley said she is excited to work with Rinn and all the chamber members.

“Jason has helped me a lot,” she said. “He and the entire board have been extremely supportive and helpful. They, along with our administrative coordinator Katy Daenzer have done everything possible to help me settle in.”

Carnley said she has hit the ground running and already has several ideas she is working on presenting to the board.

“I want to be able to help increase revenue for every business in the area,” she said. “We are working on some things now like our goals as far as distribution and goals for campaign ideas for individual businesses.”

Carnley said she likes to take a listen-first approach to what she does, believing that she can learn something from everyone she meets.

“Knowledge is power,” she said. “I want to talk to businesses owners and their clients and learn something from them all. You have to be open to ideas, change and growth.”

Carnley said that she is ready to get to work and wants to be a positive influence on others.

“It’s time to get things going,” she said. “I’m a positive person and we will build on this already great chamber and help everyone do even better.”