Rowlett Neighbors Trust In Police To Solve Mother's Murder
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ROWLETT (CBSDFW.COM) - Rowlett neighbors are trusting police to find a killer, after a mother was found murdered in her own home.
Laura Aumiller (also known as Laura Grillo) was found dead of a single gunshot to the head Friday morning.
Police say she had returned from dropping off one of her children at school. The time of death is placed between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m.
With no sign of forced entry, police believe whoever shot Aumiller either followed her inside or was already there when she got home.
Monday, neighbors stopped by the home on America's Cup to dry off the memorial of flowers, candles, and handwritten notes.
A family across the street organized a vigil the night before, which drew dozens of people.
"It's hard but we'll get through this as a community together. We'll get justice. I feel like [police] will find out what really happened, and she'll get the justice she deserves," said Desiree Meza, who helped organize the gathering along with her father.
One witness told CBS11 News he was in his yard on Friday, when the brother of Aumiller approached him around noon, asking for help calling 911. The witness says the woman's brother told him he was looking for a phone to borrow, because a woman was laying unresponsive on the kitchen floor.
Detectives returned to the home on Monday. They picked up Aumiller's brother, who police say is autistic, to take him to talk with detectives. Rowlett police say he is not in custody, and they give no indication he is a suspect.
The family has yet to return requests from CBS11 News for comment.
Aumiller lived in the home with her three children and her fiancé. Both were volunteers with the Rowlett Police and Fire Departments. Members of the Volunteers In Police Service organization say the couple recently went through the citizens academy.
Neighbors say the couple were planning to get married next weekend.
Rowlett police took surveillance cameras outside the front entrance of the home to a lab for analysis, in case they captured a person of interest coming or going Friday morning.
Police told CBS11 News they are following several investigative leads, but officers would not hint at how close the department may be to making an arrest.
"It's a very quiet neighborhood. No crime or anything. It's sad and I would never think something like this could happen, especially across the street," said Meza.
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