Fort Worth man charged with capital murder in strangulation of East Texas woman

A 37-year-old man with ties to the Fort Worth area has been charged with capital murder, accused of killing a woman whom he and his girlfriend were trying to kidnap in Longview.

Carlton Lamar Grant and Lindsay Jo McFadden, 29, face charges in the death of 24-year-old Rachel Rhoads, whose body was found "badly burned" near Farm Road 726 in East Texas, according to police.

Grant and McFadden are being held without bail at the Upshur County Jail, and the county district attorney said the pair are facing capital murder charges because of the alleged kidnapping.

A person interviewed by police said McFadden and Rhoads attended drug rehab classes together. A person close to the case speaking on condition of anonymity to share details not publicly released told the Star-Telegram that Rhoads had offered to give McFadden and Grant a ride.

Grant and McFadden went to visit Rhoads on March 29, and all three left in Rhoads' vehicle, according to a police affidavit. But Grant, riding in a back seat, placed a bungee cord around Rhoads' neck and demanded that she let McFadden take over the driving, the affidavit says.

When Rhoads moved to the back seat, Grant wrapped a zip tie around her neck, choking her to death, the affidavit says. The Upshur County medical examiner's office has listed the cause of death as strangulation.

Two days later, Rhoads' mother filed a missing-persons report with Longview police.

On April 2, Grant and McFadden were in Rhoads' car in Bedford, where they were stopped by police. Bedford police said McFadden told them that the vehicle belonged to her "very best friend." But there were no warrants out, so officers let them go.

Upshur County Sheriff's Office investigators found Rhoads' vehicle on April 5 at an apartment complex in Fort Worth, where Grant and McFadden were arrested.

Grant's social media page lists him as a native of Longview but says he currently lives in Fort Worth.

He has an extensive arrest record in Tarrant County:

▪ On Jan. 1, 2013, he was arrested in Hurst for two theft charges. He received a 10-month state jail sentence.

▪ On July 19, 2013, he was arrested in Bedford on a charge of possession of a controlled substance.

▪ On Sept. 9, 2013, he was arrested in Euless and charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle for which he received a 10-month jail sentence.

▪ On Nov. 5, 2014, he was arrested in Keller on a charge of theft of $20,000-$100,000. He received a two-year prison sentence in that case in early 2015.

▪ Once out of prison, he was arrested again on March, 11, 2016, in Euless on charges of interference with an emergency call and assault causing bodily injury. He was given 100 days in jail on those charges.

▪ On Oct. 17, 2016, he was arrested in Hurst for two counts of theft totaling $2,500 and was given an 8-month jail sentence.

▪ On Aug. 29, 2016, he was arrested in Hurst for credit/debit card abuse and was given an 8-month jail sentence that began on July 18, 2017.

This story was originally published April 10, 2018 at 1:18 PM with the headline "Fort Worth man charged with capital murder in strangulation of East Texas woman."