The Murder of Manuela Allen

Written By Kiley Baumgartner

For this case, I watched an episode of Murder Under the Friday Night Lights. It’s season 1 episode 3, titled ‘Killer on the Field.’

Background

Manuela Allen was born in 1970 in Germany. She met her husband Peter in 1996, and in 2008, they moved to the small town of Olney, Texas.

Peter and Manuela were both teachers at Olney High School, where Manuela taught German and English. The couple had four kids together.

Manuela was described as an amazing teacher. She really cared about her students, and always greeted them in the hallways. The Allen family loved to go to football games, as their sons had both played. Everyone said they knew Manuela was there because she always had a cowbell with her.

Manuela Allen

The Murder

On July 6, 2019, a Saturday, Peter and Manuela had been sitting on their couch watching TV. Two of their four children were at home in their bedrooms.

Manuela went to bed in the bedroom, and Peter fell asleep on the couch. Peter said when he woke up, he heard a small thumping noise, but didn’t think too much of it.

Later in the morning, the couple’s youngest daughter came into the room, asking where Manuela was. Peter said she was in the bedroom, but she told him that the door was locked, and there was blood in the adjacent garage.

Peter ran to the bedroom. He said there was so much blood, that he stepped in a puddle of it. He drove to the hospital, asking if Manuela was there. She wasn't, and Peter called 911 to report his wife missing.

The Crime Scene

By noon on July 7, the Allen home was surrounded by crime scene tape.

Manuela’s white SUV was missing. Some investigators stayed at the home, and some went to Lake Cooper to search for the car. Lake Cooper was a short 5 minute drive away, and it was a very popular spot for Olney residents.

Manuela’s car was found at Lake Cooper. The license plate was confirmed to be hers, and it was called into dispatch. There were light red and brown smears on the side of the car.

Near the fence line, an officer saw what looked like a pile of clothing or material. As soon as he walked closer, he could tell that something was wrapped in the material. It was the body of Manuela Allen.

Back at the Allen home, it was clear that Manuela’s last moments were terrifying and brutal. There was a lot of blood on the walls, dresser, and on the carpet. Several bloody hand and footprints were found.

There were also drag marks, leading the police to believe that Manuela had attempted to escape, and was dragged back into the bedroom.

Manuela’s autopsy showed that she had been stabbed a total of 47 times. She had several defensive wounds on her hands. She had tried to stop the blows to her head. Manuela had also been strangled, and there was a post mortem gun shot wound to her facial area. There was no sign of sexual assault.

The Family

On July 7, the Texas Rangers were assisting with the case, and were out at Lake Cooper. They found shoe prints in the mud, as well as tread marks from a bike. An APB (all points bulletin) was put out for a bike.

The police questioned the Allen family at the police station. They were a little confused as to how there were 3 people in the home at the time of the murder, and that no one had heard anything.

Peter told the police that it was normal for him to sleep on the couch, and that he was a very heavy sleeper. The Allen’s daughter Melanie had been in Arlington, Texas, at Six Flags. Their oldest son had been away at school, and the two youngest had been at home, but they had their headphones on.

The family all willingly gave DNA and fingerprint samples. Peter was ruled out when his footprints weren’t a match to the ones found in the home. The footprints were from someone who wore a size 9 or 10. The children were also completely ruled out.

Peter was the main talking head in this episode. He said he completely understood that his family had to be questioned to be ruled out.

Another Suspect

On July 8, two witnesses came forward. One was an oil field worker. He said he had been out in the field very early in the morning, when he saw a male riding a bike back towards Olney. He said the male had a backpack on, and dark shorts and shoes.

A woman driving also saw the same male, and gave the same description.

The police obtained a search warrant for the surveillance footage at a nearby bank. The male can be seen riding his back into town, wearing the backpack, and dark shorts and shoes.

The police had one suspect in mind. This person had recently committed a burglary, and had stolen firearms. The police wondered if this person could have killed Manuela, because Peter had several firearms in the home.

The police went to an apartment complex to speak to another possible suspect. While they were at the complex, one of the officers noticed a bike tucked in one of the corners. The tread marks looked very similar to the marks left at Lake Cooper. The police learned that the bike belonged to 18-year-old Julius Mullins, someone who was well known to the Allen family.

A Troubled Individual

Julius Mullins had once dated Melanie Allen. Peter recalled that he had discovered some bruises on his daughter’s arm, and that she confessed that Julius had punched her. Peter told Melanie to break it off with Julius. After a year of dating, Melanie broke up with Julius in December or January.

Julius didn’t take it well. He started to skip school, and began hanging out with a rougher crowd. He had once been a good football player, but had a unstable home life. He was allowed to shower and sometimes sleep in the high school gym.

Many people came forward, and said that Julius could’ve been involved in Manuela’s death. On July 15, a man who had taken Julius swimming with his family, said that they had gone to Lake Cooper on the day that Manuela was found. They saw all the police there, and he had asked what was going on. Julius made a comment that they must have found Manuela’s body.

Julius and Melanie had been texting shortly after the murder. Julius told Melanie how sorry he was for what happened to her mom. Melanie asked Julius if he was involved, because the footprints in the home led to her mom’s car keys. Julius knew the layout of the home, knew the garage code, and knew that the Allen’s always left their garage door unlocked.

The Confession and Conviction

After the police received confirmation that Julius’s DNA and fingerprints were a match to the ones found on the car, he was arrested. The bike tracks were also a match to his bike.

The police confronted Julius in the interrogation room. They asked him how his fingerprints, bike and shoes all placed him at Lake Cooper. Julius confessed, and described in disturbing details of how he attacked Manuela.

Julius said Manuela had escaped, which stunned him, and that she had made it halfway to the door.

Julius Mullins pled guilty to murder. He was sentenced to 55 years for murder, 20 years for burglary, and 20 years for abuse of a corpse.

Many people still wonder how Julius had dragged and put Manuela’s body in her car by himself. However, he was once a football player and lifted weights, so it was possible.

Julius changed his story many times about why he killed Manuela. The police don’t think they will ever know the truth. He’ll be able to apply for parole in 2047.

Julius Mullins

Kiley Baumgartner
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