A father’s decade-long fight for accountability has finally led to justice for his 13-year-old daughter, who was killed by an illegal migrant in a 2014 Texas car crash.
Chris Odette, a veteran and single father who now lives in New Hampshire, had just lost his wife to breast cancer 15 months earlier. He never imagined that the day he dropped his only daughter off at a sleepover would be the last time he would hug her.
“My wife died 15 months before my daughter was killed,” Odette said. “And then to have my daughter killed, I lost my entire family in the span of 15 months to a disease that couldn’t be prevented. And then, to a crime that was 100% preventable. I made a promise to my wife before she died that I would take care of my daughter, and I feel like I failed that promise.”
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Odette recalls being hesitant to let his then 13-year-old daughter, Chrishia, attend a sleepover at a friend’s house. However, they had just moved to Rockwall, Texas, and she was excited about meeting friends at a new school.
“I just kept hearing in my head, my late wife saying, ‘Don’t be so protective, let her enjoy life, let her experience life,'” Odette recalled. “So, I took her over. It was about 9 p.m. when I dropped her off.”
Minutes after he arrived home, Odette received a call: Chrishia had been hit by a car while crossing a street. According to police, she was crossing outside a legal crosswalk when the crash happened.
The driver, Ramiro Guevara, was an illegal migrant from Mexico. He was arrested by the Rockwall Police Department for driving without a license and for not having an operator’s license. Records show he spent roughly 35 minutes behind bars before he posted a cash bond.
According to ICE, Guevara was encountered by Border Patrol twice, with a voluntary return both times to Mexico in 1994 and 2004. At the time of the crash, there was also a 2010 warrant out for him from the Texas’ Mesquite Police Department for violation of driving without a license and for speeding.
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Despite this, Guevara was released back into the community following the deadly crash in 2014. A grand jury ultimately “no-billed” the case, meaning the jury decided there wasn’t enough evidence to support criminal charges.
“They said that because he had no drugs or alcohol in his system, there was no proof of negligence in his ability to operate the vehicle,” Odette said. “So, they wouldn’t charge him with any felonies. So, he was basically cleared of any wrongdoing for killing my daughter.”
Guevara’s immigration case spanned years. According to ICE, Guevara filed a petition on March 10, 2016, for relief from removal. His petition was denied on July 28, 2017, by an immigration judge, and he was ordered removed on Aug. 23, 2017.
“This guy is watching his children grow up while my daughter is dead,” Odette said. “She would be 24 right now. She would have graduated college. She would start high school at 13. She was exceptionally intelligent, exceptionally talented. She was an amazing light. When my wife died, she’s the one that told me I needed to stop crying. She was the one that helped pull me back together instead of me being that rock for her.”
Odette has tirelessly sought justice, reaching out to elected officials and advocates. For years, he said, he was denied repeatedly.
“If the laws were actually enforced the way they’re supposed to be, instead of trying to find an easy way to make life more comfortable for people who come across the border illegally, my daughter would be alive and thousands of others will be alive,” Odette said.
Few people took interest in his case, but former U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, told Odette he was touched by his story. In 2019, he spoke about Chrishia’s story on the House floor, highlighting the importance of securing the border.
Odette also reached out to Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who recently put him in touch with border czar Tom Homan.
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On March 26, after years of fighting for justice, ICE arrested Guevara, who is now in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
“I had told her when she was alive that if someone hurt her, there was no distance that I wouldn’t go to protect her,” Odette said. “And I hope I see her again one day and I can look at her with an open heart and tell her dad did everything he could.”
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