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Lexi Churchill

Lexi Churchill is a research reporter for the ProPublica-Texas Tribune Investigative Initiative.

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Lexi Churchill is a research reporter for the ProPublica-Texas Tribune Investigative Initiative. Before joining ProPublica, Lexi interned at CNBC, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Columbia Daily Tribune, and KCUR 89.3, Kansas City’s NPR affiliate. Her reporting on the University of Missouri’s Title IX appeals process won the GateHouse Public Service Award for 2018. Lexi graduated from Mizzou in 2019 with a degree in investigative convergence journalism.

Judge Rules Texas DPS Must Release Withheld Documents Related to the Uvalde School Shooting

The ruling marks the first step toward disclosing the extensive collection of police documents, though the state agency could choose to fight the ruling by appealing the decision.

Inside 30 Years of Former NFL Player Kenny Hansmire’s Troubled Businesses

Politicians across the country have allocated millions to the National Child Identification Program. The company stands out as a success amid a decadeslong string of businesses plagued by legal and financial problems.

The Army Increasingly Allows Soldiers Charged With Violent Crimes to Leave the Military Rather Than Face Trial

A federal watchdog called for ending the practice nearly 50 years ago, but the military pushed back. Now, soldiers leave the Army with a negative discharge, avoiding possible federal conviction and with little record of the allegations against them.

Under the Gun

Uvalde District Attorney Fights Release of Public Records Against Wishes of Most Families

Joining the Texas Department of Public Safety’s fight against the release of records, the district attorney claims the support of every family who lost a child in the 2022 mass shooting. Attorneys representing many of the families refute that claim.

He Was Accused of Sexual Assault, She of Using Drugs. The Military Dealt With Them Very Differently.

Comparing the cases of Pvt. Olivia Ochoa and Pfc. Christian Alvarado provides a striking example of Army commanders’ uneven use of pretrial confinement.

In the Army, You’re More Likely to Be Detained for Drugs Than Sexual Assault

On average, Army soldiers had to face at least eight counts of sexual offenses before their commanders jailed them ahead of trial.

Twice Accused of Sexual Assault, He Was Let Go by Army Commanders. He Attacked Again.

A first-of-its-kind analysis reveals that soldiers in the Army are more likely to be locked up ahead of trial for drug offenses than for sexual assault under a system that gives commanders control.

Help ProPublica and The Texas Tribune Report on the Military Justice System

We’re looking into how the military investigates service members accused of crimes, intersects with the civilian justice system and treats cases that do not make it to courts-martial. Guide us to important stories.

Under the Gun

Texas Agencies Fight Releasing Records That Could Help Clarify Response to Uvalde School Shooting

ProPublica and The Texas Tribune have submitted about 70 requests to state and local agencies for emergency response documentation surrounding the mass shooting at Robb Elementary. Most likely won’t be released publicly for months, if ever.

Fatal Outages

Carbon Monoxide Killed a Mother and Daughter. A Firefighter Was Reprimanded After the Response.

After half of a family was found dead from carbon monoxide poisoning, reporting by ProPublica, The Texas Tribune and NBC News revealed that a fire crew had failed to enter the house to check on them. A firefighter has now been disciplined.