Naman Shrestha
The brutal killing of a beloved local teacher named Manuela Allen in her house in the summer of 2019 sent shockwaves across the small Texas town of Olney. When her remains were discovered a few miles away, the detectives linked the horrific crime to a former student at Olney High School — Julius Mullins. The entire case and the investigation that ensued are covered in a detailed manner in the episode titled ‘Killer on the Field’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘Murder Under the Friday Night Lights.’ Featuring interviews with family and friends of Manuela, the documentary delves deep into the impact Julius’ crime had on them and the community.
Julius Mullins Dated Manuela’s Daughter For a While
Born in the early 2000s, Julius Orion Xavier Mullins grew up in Olney, Texas, where he attended Olney High School. Described as a rather quiet and athletic student by his peers, he was an integral part of the school’s football squad. For a while, he was in a relationship with Melanie Allen, the daughter of Manuela Sabine and Peter Allen, both of whom were teachers at Olney High. During the course of their relationship, Julius visited the Allen household quite frequently. However, as he got into fights with others and arguments with her, Melanie broke up with him around early 2019.
Investigators speculated that the crime may have been motivated by Julius’ emotional reaction to the breakup. Either in the late hours of July 6 or early hours of July 7, 2019, he snuck inside the Allen property and went to Manuela’s bedroom, while Peter was asleep on the couch in the living room. The former Olney High student stabbed the teacher dozens of times while she tried to defend herself. He then proceeded to asphyxiate her to death. After dragging her remains and placing them in her car, he drove it to Lake Cooper, where the investigators later found the remains. However, the teenager left behind a trail of incriminating evidence in her room, including footprints and fingerprints. Moreover, after disposing of her remains, he returned home on his bicycle, whose tire marks were also present near the body.
Investigators Tied Julius Mullins to the Crime Scene Through Physical Evidence
On the same day, the authorities investigated the crime scene that had bloodstains in different areas of the room in the Allen residence. After eliminating the family members as suspects in the case, they focused on other possible suspects, including Cory Taylor. At his house, the detectives spotted a bicycle with tires matching the tire marks found on Lake Cooper. When he claimed that it belonged to Julius Mullins, they zeroed in on him. Just a few months ago, he was charged with the possession of less than two ounces of marijuana and released from Young County Jail on March 9, 2019. On May 26, he was arrested for tampering with identification numbers on personal property, possession of drug paraphernalia, and failure to identify by giving false/fictitious information, but was released a couple of days later.
Soon, the detectives brought in Julius for questioning, as he had a mountain of physical evidence against him. They noticed that he reportedly had cuts along his arms and legs, indicating that he had been in a physical struggle recently. At first, he denied having anything to do with Manuela’s murder. However, as they confronted him with the evidence, he admitted to the crime. He further claimed that he was hired by her husband, Peter Allen, to kill her. However, authorities found no corroborating evidence and did not pursue charges against Peter. On July 15, 2019, the 18-year-old was arrested and charged with the murder of 49-year-old Manuela Allen.
Julius Mullins is Serving His Sentence at a Texas Prison Facility Today
Less than a year later, on May 28, 2020, Julius Orion Xavier Mullins pleaded guilty to three different charges in connection with Manuela Allen’s killing, including one count of murder, one count of changing or tampering with physical evidence with intent to impair a human corpse, and one count of burglary of a habitation. Later, the 19-year-old killer was sentenced to 55 years for the murder charge, 20 years for the burglary charge, and 20 years for the abuse of a corpse charge, with all the sentences to run concurrently. Furthermore, he was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine for a lesser-included offense. Currently, 24-year-old Julius is incarcerated at James V. Allred Unit in Iowa Park, Texas, with his parole eligibility date scheduled for January 2047.
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