Sheriff’s Office says live-in boyfriend charged with murder after Vidor killing
Published 4:46 pm Thursday, March 16, 2023
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VIDOR — An arrest has been made in connection with the death of a woman whose body was found wrapped in plastic in a house near Vidor.
Orange County Sheriff Jimmy Lane Mooney said Russell Kinney, 38, of Port Arthur was picked up Wednesday by an interdiction officer in Liberty County and arrested on a traffic violation.
He will be extradited to Orange County in the coming days in connection with the death of Jenny Baxter, 35.
During the investigation, investigators suspected Baxter’s live-in boyfriend, Kinney, was involved in the death, authorities said.
On Tuesday, deputies with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to 206 FM 1131 in Vidor, in reference to a wellness check.
While searching the residence, deputies located what appeared to be a body wrapped in plastic.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division was called in to further investigate the scene with the assistance of the Texas Rangers and Jefferson County Crime Lab.
A search warrant was obtained, and after an autopsy, the decedent was later identified as Baxter.
Investigators went to the Liberty County Jail and spoke with Kinney, where he ultimately confessed to the killing of Baxter, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
With the assistance of the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, investigators obtained a warrant of arrest, charging Kinney for murder.
“Orange County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Texas Rangers, Jefferson County Crime Lab, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office and Liberty County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in this investigation,” a release from the OSCO said.
Baxter was the daughter of the late Gordon Baxter, who was a local radio host and writer. Baxter penned a book on her father in 2021.
Mooney said a judge signed a murder warrant for Kinney on Thursday afternoon.