$198.2 Million Verdict for Sexual Assault Survivor Kristene Chapa Against Attacker and Family Pharmacy

On the evening of June 22, 2012, Mary Kristene Chapa and her girlfriend Mollie Olgin were attacked at Violet Andrews Park in Portland, Texas. David M. Strickland bound both women with duct tape, sexually assaulted them, and then shot each in the head with a .45 caliber handgun. Olgin, 19, died at the scene. Chapa survived, but the bullet caused a traumatic brain injury that left her with tunnel vision, a pronounced limp, chronic pain, and limited use of her left side.

Strickland was convicted of capital murder in 2016 and sentenced to life without parole. Chapa filed a civil suit in 2017 naming Strickland, his father Larry Joe Strickland, and Taft Pharmacy, the family business, as defendants. The premise of the civil claims extended liability beyond the shooter to the family and business connected to him.

The case was tried in March 2026 before Judge Janna K. Whatley in San Patricio County District Court. Tony Buzbee, Colby Holler, and Hall Sasnett of The Buzbee Law Firm represented Chapa. The jury heard testimony covering the physical and psychological harm she has lived with for more than a decade, including lifelong medical needs and the loss of her companionship with Olgin.

After roughly two and a half hours of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of $198.2 million: $98 million in compensatory damages covering physical pain, mental anguish, medical expenses, impairment, and lost earning capacity, plus $100 million in exemplary (punitive) damages. No reduction or remittitur had been reported as of the date of publication.

The verdict was among the largest civil judgments for a sexual assault case in Texas history.