Wrong Ride Home by: Donna Waters

07/24/2026

A quick reminder for the people trolling this page:

This page is not a courtroom for rumors, personal attacks, or recycled stories from people with grudges.

Comments containing misinformation, harassment, or deliberate distractions will be deleted, and the accounts posting them will be blocked.

I will not waste time defending Austin against every ridiculous accusation designed to pull attention away from the evidence.

The facts will continue to be posted. The documents will continue to be shared. And attempts to derail that work will not be given a platform here.

You are entitled to your opinion. You are not entitled to use my page to spread lies.

07/23/2026

A LITTLE TRUTH WRAPPED IN A LOT OF LIES IS STILL MISINFORMATION.

Let’s clear up a few things.

I have never spoken to this man in my life. We have only exchanged written messages—and those began when I confronted him about spreading stories he could not possibly know firsthand.

According to Austin, this man has spent time with the Roupes. Now, while Rickey and Mariah are posting that we “don’t know what’s coming,” he suddenly appears online repeating their narrative. People can draw their own conclusions about that timing.

Here are the facts:

• Austin was never Ruben Melendez’s bunkmate. They lived on separate ranges in a high-security prison.

• Prisoners from separate ranges are not ordinarily released into the common area together—especially while officers are secured inside the control bubble.

• Austin was preparing for a transfer to a lower-security institution when the incident occurred. Similar disruptions have repeatedly happened before his expected transfers.

• Austin was not showing anyone autopsy photographs. The coroner testified that the autopsy photographs had disappeared. The testimony can be read in the trial transcripts available on our website.

• People who genuinely knew Austin remember someone who treated others well. He was elected prom king and was described as well-liked by Brandon Sample in statements given by Josh White and Taylor Dunn to investigators.

Yet people continue crawling out of the woodwork claiming they “knew Austin,” while neither Austin nor our family has ever heard of them.

The information being repeated appears to trace back to people with personal grudges—including Brittany Mertin’s former husband, who developed hostility toward Austin because of her support for him. That is not firsthand knowledge. That is gossip traveling through people who already chose a side.

It is easy to accuse someone who is locked away and cannot immediately answer every lie. But attaching yourself to the Roupes’ misinformation campaign will not strengthen anyone’s credibility.

It will destroy it—especially when the new evidence is released.

You cannot build credibility by borrowing stories from people whose own stories keep changing.

07/23/2026

The 1st one is in jail for felony strangulation and aggravated assault with a $50,000 cash only bond, and the 2nd one has been bragging to everybody about framing Austin, because he is a "bitch". They both used running interference to get the heat off themselves 💯

06/17/2026

We just had a major breakthrough in Austin’s case.

For nearly 10 years, critical information was hidden — information that directly challenges the State’s timeline and exposes how false or misleading testimony helped build the story used to convict him.

Austin has said from the beginning that the accusations against him were false. Now, we have official confirmation that proves the State’s version of that night does not hold together.

A new appeal will be filed soon. When that happens, we will reveal exactly what was uncovered.

But I can say this now: this changes everything.

It undercuts the timeline. It exposes witness testimony that should never have been accepted as truth. And it supports what Austin has been saying all along.

They built a case around a timeline.

Now that timeline is falling apart.

And after almost 10 years of fighting, the truth is finally starting to break through 🙌

04/09/2026

This is where the case starts to take direction.

A timeline is given.
A name is introduced.
And from that point on… everything begins to narrow.

But when you actually listen to the interview—and slow it down—there are things that don’t quite line up.

Details that weren’t followed up.
Questions that weren’t asked.

This episode isn’t about conclusions.

It’s about the moment the investigation stopped expanding… and started focusing.

Episode 4 is live.

Wrong Ride Home: Beyond the Book · Episode

04/01/2026

The first 48 hours are supposed to matter most.

In this case…

they may have defined everything.

An abandoned car.
A missing person report.
Conflicting stories.
And decisions that started shaping the case before the full picture was ever understood.

This episode walks through those first critical hours—
what was followed,
what wasn’t,
and how quickly a direction was set.

Because sometimes…

it’s not what’s found that changes a case.

It’s what’s overlooked.

Episode 3: The First 48 Hours is live now.

Wrong Ride Home: Beyond the Book · Episode

03/19/2026

Celebrating my 1st year on Facebook. Thank you for your continuing support. I could never have made it without you. 🙏🤗🎉