In Too Deep

A College Girl Gets Caught Up In A Gruesome Murder Case

(CBS)  This story was first broadcast on Jan. 22, 2008.

In the summer of 2005, a young woman named Laura Hall found herself caught up in a gruesome murder case; the body of another woman was in her boyfriend's bathtub, and some time after the killing, the body was horribly mutilated.

As correspondent Maureen Maher reports, police did not focus on Laura as a suspect in the killing, but wondered if she was somehow involved in what happened after the murder.

Was Laura an innocent victim herself - a "good girl" - or someone much more frightening?

---

It was just after dawn on August 17, 2005, that Laura arrived at her boyfriend's apartment.

Laura says her boyfriend, Colton Pitonyak, let her inside the apartment. She says Colton answered the door kind of "paranoid" and "fearful" and that she saw another woman's purse and keys on the table.

"And I'm kind of like sitting up, 'Colton, where, where, where are, who’s hiding… what the deal, what's going on?' I'm kind of starting to freak out. A little bit. And he says 'Come here, come here,'" she recalls.

Colton led Laura to his bathroom. He had begged her to come over, telling her he needed to talk. But it wasn't so much what Colton wanted to say to Laura; it was what he wanted to show her.

"It looked like there was a woman's body in there and I said 'That's a mannequin.' I mean that's how much I did not believe or wanna believe," she says.

At first Colton told Laura that men with guns had broken in and that there had been a fight. But then he changed his story and said he didn't remember what had happened.

Laura says it was obvious Colton had been drinking and that he began to threaten her with a knife. "I remember him goading me out of the bathroom with a knife that had blood on it up to the hilt," she says, "I was like, man, 'Oh my God, you know what happened?'"

But then, surprisingly, Laura says Colton just let her go. Terrified, Laura says she went home, locked the door, and told no one what she had seen.

Asked if it never occurred to her to call police, family or friends, Laura says, "It didn’t seem like a good move. I mean, look, he had tried to kill me. I didn't know what was gonna happen if I called the police, ok? There was nothing I could have done to save her life at that point."

The woman in the bathtub was 21-year-old Jennifer Cave, another pretty girl who hung out with Colton. Jennifer lived in Austin and just that week had begun a new job at a law firm.

Her parents lived in Corpus Christi. Her mother Sharon remembers getting a call from her daughter's law firm. "He said 'Well, there's a problem,' and he said, 'We're concerned.' He said, 'Jennifer didn’t come to work today.’ And I said 'What?'"

Sharon began frantically calling around to find her. "I started calling the numbers on the cell phone bill. That's when I got Colton's phone number," she recalls.

Sharon called Colton, and at first he denied seeing Jennifer.

Sharon knew very little about Colton. Jennifer had told her he was cute, and smart, a business student at the University of Texas. But Colton also had a serious problem with drugs, especially cocaine.

"And I'm like, 'Jennifer, please, just don't, just stay away from that,'" Sharon says. "And she's like, 'Mom, he's my friend and he needs my help.' And I'd be like, 'Jennifer, please stay away from that.'"

But Sharon knew it was in her daughter's nature to try and help. "Part of Jennifer's nature, and part of the pleasing and part of the loving people, is she had a real problem with stray dogs, and I'm not talking the four-legged kind," she says.

Jennifer had her own history with drugs. In recent months though, she had started to pull her life together. She appeared to be on a new path, with new friends and a promising new job at a law firm. But on that hot August night in Austin's party district, Colton reached out to Jennifer one more time.

"Colton called her, he said, 'You know, I really need a friend. Would you please help me. I just want to see you for a little bit. I’ll take you to dinner to celebrate your new job,'" Sharon says. "And Jennifer would fall for that line every time, 'I need a friend.'"

The two ended up partying with friends, and around midnight took off by themselves. It was the last time anyone saw Jennifer alive.

It was the next day that Sharon got the call that Jennifer never showed up for work. Hours had now passed since anyone had seen or spoken to her daughter and Sharon was panicked.

When Jennifer's stepfather Jim got home from work, Sharon told him Jennifer was missing.

Jim tried to reach Colton, but he didn't pick up. "It went to voice mail and I said, 'Colton, this is Jim. We're looking for Jennifer. We know you were the last person she was seen with. If you have any idea where she is, you need to call me,'" he remembers.

Eventually, Colton called back. "On her phone. 'Hey dude, I'm eating pizza, don't bother me any more. Quit calling me,'" Jim remembers.

[bifuna]

WHAT MAKES MAUREEN MAHER THE BEST REPORTER IN THIS MYSTERIES IS THE WAY SHE BALANCES THE STORY BETWEEN ALL THE PARTIES CONCERNED. AND THIS IS ONE OF HER BEST.

[karen7868]

I watched this episode the first time it aired this past January. Is it just me, or did they cut out several things from the first time it aired. I didn''t see the part where she said "that''s just how I roll", nor the part about her handwriting was the one that wrote the list of things for Colton to pick up from the hardware store, hacksaw, Febreeze, etc. If he was supposedly so messed up on drugs, he would not have the sense to come up with things like "Febreeze." I think he took the fall for her on this one. She''s just a psychotic *(&%^& that flew into a jealous rage and killed this poor girl. What person in their right mind would have the guy''s name tatooed on her ankle AFTER the murder???? But I was wondering why they cut these parts out of this episode. Anyone know????

[graceesmom]

This is s bad situation and I believe that Colton might not be guilty. I watched this before when it aired and Laura seemed to have an answer for everything. I think she killed this girl herself because she has a sociopathic personality. I cannot believe she only got 5 years for something so terrible. I hope the victims family is ok. May she rest in peace.

[morilcayes]

I agree with zgomer human behavior is very complex and not too many of us can claim that they understand it perfectly. A trapped animal will do anything to get out of a dire situation. Some individuals are masters of deceit: the pimps are but the extreme of this category.
Again, I am suggesting we look inside of ourselves and see what''s in there. The tendency is to judge and pass sentence without having a full view of the human condition.
We have a part of us that the media, the court system and us as citizens have no clue about, and if we do we choose to ignore it because it is very uncomfortable to bear.
So, before giving Laura 55 years why don''t we study what brings human beings to be the way they are. For when it comes to the fact we are being manipulated this case is the tip of the iceberg.
How many of us are willing to admit that we have not been that innocent in our dealings with lovers, family members, friends and neighbors?

[cmpool1]

55 years.

[cjmyler]

I have a hard time believing that Maureen Maher was able to keep a straight face throughout her interview with Laura Hall. Some of the statements Hall made and some of the assessments she made convinced me that Jennifer Cave''s mother was right -- Hall is a sociopath. I listened to the tape online of the interview Hall had with the police, and she described the situation at Colton''s apartment as if it were a joke, and it is clear she is just not mentally balanced. I don''t buy any of her act, just from watching how she would smile at the camera or make light of things. She knew exactly what she was doing.

[smurfcrusher]

Perhaps she''ll start a new club in prison: "Dismembers Only".

[morilcayes]

Another view:
I have followed the story closely and read all the comments on this blog.
I am not advocating guilt or innocense, but only this: to me the media, the prosecutor and the defense have overlooked the simple fact that when on is on drugs and that relationship is abusive, the prey just cannot get away form that locked relationship.
Laura may have helped, she may even have suggested the gruesome scene, but for anyone who understands the psychology of abuse, in all its forms, the lying, the lack of logic in testimonies are but the result of this trapped ''psyche'' that we underestimate so much in our society.
A good way to honor and remember Jennifer''s death properly is to look deeply into ourselves, and see how much or a Colton or a Laura we are not.

[misterzoo]

Lauren Hall got away with murder because she did it and Colton helped her cover it up and she loves him for that. It''s so obvious and just goes to show you how stupid DA''s are because they''re more interested in busting strip bars and prostitutes then getting murder cases right. What about busting the drug dealers that gave the cocaine to these kids because it wreaked their minds. The whole situation makes me sick. All these people involved are going to pay the ultimate price one day for eternity unless they repent and change their ways.

[misterzoo]

Lauren Hall got away with murder because she did it and Colton helped her cover it up and she loves him for that. It''s so obvious and just goes to show you how stupid DA''s are because they''re more interested in busting strip bars and prostitutes then getting murder cases right. What about busting the drug dealers that gave the cocaine to these kids because it wreaked their minds. The whole situation makes me sick. All these people involved are going to pay the ultimate price one day for eternity unless they repent and change their ways.

[tattoogirly1]

Does anybody know when they will post this one online to watch? I live in austin and would love to watch it!

[sunburn4]

LAURA IS GUILTY AS SIN. SHE CAN PUT A PRETTY GOOD ACT ON! MOST LIKELY SHE WALKED IN THE APT AND FOUND THIS POOR GIRL THERE AND THATS WHEN THINGS HAPPENED. SHE STATED SHE WAS CRAZY ABOUT THE GUY. SHE SURE DID''NT SHOW ANY EMOTION FOR THAT GIRL THE WHOLE TIME, EVERYTHING WAS ME ME ME! 5 YEARS IS A JOKE! SHE SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN 50 TO LIFE! SHE''S ONE COLD INDIVIDUAL! HOPE SHE BURNS IN HELL!

[yankeerebel7]

I lived in Austin during this and remember it clearly. One of my friends had met Colton a few times. Just a crazy situation. That chick Laura Hall is a freaking pyschopath.

[summerweeds4]

the saddest part is that the one person that would have been there for him, is the one person he will never see again, jennifer. yeah he should of called the police- but noone knows what type of situation he was in- whether it be his life on the line, or whether it be paranoia bc he did just get out of jail for coke possession right before this for having a party and called the cops on himself, because someone got in a fight and bashed out his neighbors window. i don''t know much about the case, but i do know that he has a good heart and that he was the guy that always stood up for people that others made fun of. yeah he was the life of the party but he wasn''t a druggie in highschool. he was like number 2 at catholic highschool for boys- and dude managed to get along better with girls than he did with guys because he actually was friends with them, not always trying to get some like the rest of us.

[summerweeds4]

i grew up with colton. we were actually really good friends. we ran around with the same crowd. i can say that colton is not capable of any of this. what he is capable of is feeling responsible that his best friend was killed and brutally dismemembered in his apartment. i heard from one of his best friends that he had fallen in with the wrong crowd and he actually was about to move back to little rock and that he actually had been threatened by drug dealers or enemies i don''t really know. but the colton that i alawys knew is the gentleman that would feel responsible for something even if it didn''t do it, but he would hold himself responsible because of his actions of making enemies or whatever he did- they took away his best friend.

[duster17]

she text messaged him that night before midnight saying ugh... you really should of called me. in her 48 hr interview you can see how mad she is that colton implicated her as the one that did the mutilating and that she regretted not testifying. BS- SHE SHOWED UP TO PLEAD th 5th AND WAS ROLLING HER EYES THE WHOLE TIME!!!! colton even seemed scared to speak the truth that it was her because he said every time he walked back there, noone was there. obviously she threatened him. unfortunately he took some bad advice in my opinion.

[duster17]

COLTON DIDN''T HAVE A MOTIVE! THE OBSESSED GIRL DID! WATCH HER INTERROGATION VIDEOS AND SEE HOW SHE SHIFTS FROM THE FAKE "OH IM TRYING TO PROTECT HIM" TO THE FAKE CRYING TO THE AGGRESSIVELY STRONG "WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW? WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT COLTON?"
HER facebook profile was updated the day before this went down and it said " i really should be more of a horrific person it''s in the works," another time she wrote something like - i don''t want my apartment becoming a crime friend, and if someone''s gonna pay its not gonna be me. something to that effect. why would she be calling this girl a *** a year after she was murdered?? she even said in a blog to someone- "whose to say someone didn''t make him go to the hardware store"- if someone is holding you at gunpoint waiting outside the store with a crew what the hell is he supposed to do? thats my interpretation.

[duster17]

COLTON IS INNOCENT. the only thing he is guilty of is being stupid enough to ever of taken the fall for this girl. HE TOOK THE FALL FOR THIS GIRL OUT OF FEAR-

[bayamon00960]

Wao this case is so creepy, does anyone know if the facebook profile of Laura and Colton is still available?????? let me know... and my opinion is that laura did kill Jenifer cause she found her in Coltons apartment and the rest of the story is easy to make it up

[drdavedmd]

POLICE!!!!! DISTRICT ATTORNEY!!!!! Are you reading these comments being posted???? There is no jury in the world that would see Laura Hall innocent of anything.... in fact, she should get the death penalty for her clear involvement. Laura Hall is eligible for parole after serving how many years in prison? Just a couple???? Is this really fair to the victim''s family and friends??? If I were lead prosecutor I would not hesitate and indict her of first degree murder. The evidence is beyond overwhelming. Don''t let her good looks fool you.... And don''t let a cold-blooded murderer walk scott free. It''s one of the most heinous crimes a person in the US can ever commit... Forget just murdering a person... she badly mutilated the body without any mercy! This is just so heinous and reprehensible that it offends the decency of all mankind... Throw her in prison, and then throw away the key! GUILTY.... GUILTY.... GUILTY....Prosecute her before she gets out and goes to Mexico again.