Howdy y'all,

I'm seeking support from my fellow Aggies in a deeply personal matter. Thirty years ago, while my sister and I played upstairs, my mom was brutally attacked and sexually assaulted in the laundry room of our home in Surfside. The man responsible, Scott Travis Baughman, is now up for parole for the first time. My family is determined to do everything we can to ensure he remains behind bars where he belongs.

In 2022, nearly half (41%) of parole eligible violent aggravated sexual assault offenders were granted parole. This is why every voice truly matters. I'm hoping some of you would be willing to take a few minutes to write to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles protesting his parole. Even a brief email with a single sentence can make a difference! Please feel free to share this request with your friends, family, and coworkers as well.

Here's how you can help:

• Email or mail your letter to:
  
  • TDCJ Victim Services Division
  • 8712 Shoal Creek Blvd. Suite 265
  • Austin, TX 78757
  • Email: victim.svc@tdcj.texas.gov
• Include this information about the inmate:
  
  • INMATE: Baughman, Scott Travis
  • SID#: 05303615
  • TDCJ#: 00741221

To share more about my family's story, I've included links to my mom's letter and my letter below.

Vicki Osgood's Letter

Cody Osgood's Letter

I understand this is a difficult subject and any support is greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
The Osgood Family -- Vicki, David, Cody '11, Kelsey '15

God bless you and your family. I read both letters and it brought me to tears. Violent crime doesn't just affect the immediate victim, it makes victims of entire families.

Our family knows this all too well. Your letter in particular resonated with me. I sit in restaurants with my face to the door, I always park my truck where I can get out, I am always carrying. That's what the guy did to us.

I will have my letter in the mail today.

Thank you for the kind words and for writing a letter. I'm sorry that we share those traits and hope your family is doing well.

As an aside, I just had some electrical work done by your guys and receiving this response makes my already good experience feel that much better.

Thank you for asking! I'm sure other people have the same question. I'll start off by saying the parole process is long, and we've been preparing for his first parole review for a while now. We knew gathering a lot of support would take time, so we wrote our letters early. This allowed us to share our story effectively when asking for help, ensured our letters were first in his file, and helped us be prepared to answer questions about the process.

We actually started seeking letters of support last May through social media and word of mouth. This February, we were interviewed by Randy Wallace of Fox26 in Houston and my mom sat down with The Facts, the local newspaper back home to raise awareness. We've had mostly positive feedback, aside from a couple of instances. One being a friend of Scott's, after visiting him, sought my mom out on Facebook and argued that our family needed to find Jesus and forgive him and what we were doing was wrong. Personally, that incident reinforced how important it is for us to continue gathering support.

I was initially hesitant to post on TexAgs due to a previous negative experience sharing our story with another organization I am a member of. So, I reached out to the staff and it took them a few weeks to get back to me, but when they did they told me if I posted it on my regional forum that would be fine.

He was technically eligible for parole on August 2nd, 2024, but the parole board is behind schedule. Last week my mom was contacted to schedule her interview with the lead voter. So, we all booked flights to Amarillo and she had that meeting yesterday with my sister and I in the room for support. My dad knew he would be too emotional and waited outside. A normal parole vote only involves one office, but because this is an aggravated sexual assault, all 7 board members must vote, and Scott needs 2/3 approval to be paroled. Therefore, we need 3 votes to deny parole. The lead voter told us that the voting process usually takes a month or so.

We were told to continue sending letters of support because all letters become a permanent part of his file and will be considered in any future parole reviews or if he re-offends. If they deny his parole, the next review could be scheduled anywhere from 1 to 10 years from now. We've, of course, requested the maximum.

I know that was WAY more information than you originally asked for, but hopefully it answers your questions as well as any others people may have. Happy to discuss or answer anything.

Understandable. Thanks for clarifying.

If I can make a suggestion based off a few assumptions and information that can be found in short order. I would send a short/to the point email to every republican state rep whose district touches I10 and I45 from Katy to Galveston. I would also include Gov, Lt Gov and AG.

Something like…. By my best guess, Scott Travis Baughman most likely used the I10/I45 corridors before and/or after the crime for which he was convicted. This path just so happens to pass through each of your districts. Now maybe Mr. Baughman is a changed man, turned his life over to God, and will work everyday to try and make amends for his unspeakable crimes, maybe. However, it is also possible, Mr. Baughman has spent the last 29 years plotting, studying, and learning from some of the worst criminals our state has to offer. Maybe he is just waiting for the day he is released, the day he can hunt down his next victim, and maybe this time he doesn't leave any witnesses behind, maybe. The only reason I am writing you all is because that is too many MAYBE's for me, how about you?

I respectfully ask that you read the two attached letters and do the right thing. Please keep this animal in the cage he deserves to spend the rest of his life in.

Just a thought. All it takes is one rep to make a call and your votes will come.

Best of luck.

I agree, I would reach out to politicians and media. It's an election year so politicians will be eager to "appear" tough on crime.

Quote:

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Thank you for contacting the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) Victim Services Division. This is confirmation to inform you that the Victim Services Division has received your email and will place it in the offender's file for the Board's review. All letters are placed in the offender's file permanently and are kept confidential; the offender will never see any protest material submitted. We sincerely appreciate you taking the time to provide us with your thoughts on this case.


If we can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us toll-free at 1-800-848-4284, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Sincerely,
Texas Department of Criminal Justice Victim Services Division
8712 Shoal Creek Blvd. Suite 265
Austin, Texas 78757-6899

---

I wanted to share some great news! We received word this afternoon that Scott Baughman was denied parole, and his next review has be set for October 2031, giving us seven more years of peace before we have to face this again.

Words cannot express how grateful I and my family are for everyone who took the time to write a letter/email, offer advice, and share your love and support.

While this is a huge victory, we know this is only a reprieve. Come 2031, we will prepare and ask for support again. Until then, we are going to cherish this time, focus on healing, and hopefully giving back as much as we were given over the last year.

Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts.

Gig 'em and God bless,
The Osgood Family -- Vicki, David, Cody '11, Kelsey '15

And of course....BTHOlsu!

Great job putting all this together. Our parole system is broken. But when enough citizens get involved we can force it to work properly.

I just saw this post and I'm grateful that the violent offender that attacked your mother had his parole denied. I read your mother's letter and your letter also. Let me add that I'm a retired police officer. I've seen and read many, many horrific stories. Your family story is in the top two, with the other being a brutal murder. Bless you and your mother for sharing your stories. No doubt that you both have been able to help many sexual assault victims and victims of other violent crimes. Bless you and your family.

Thank you so much for your kind words and well wishes. I shared your message (and everyone else's) with my family, and they were deeply touched. I can't imagine all you've experienced in your career. Thank you for all your did to protect and serve over 30 years. Law enforcement played a huge role in catching him in just three days, which it still amazes me what they were able to do in such a short amount of time.

I also meant to add in my previous post -- the victim liaison informed us that letters or emails sent after the decision will still be added to his file for the next parole hearing. So if anyone comes across this thread and feels moved to send something, it will still be considered, and is helpful in our continued fight to see him serve his full sentence.