Christian McPhate

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City of Denton Reporter, Denton Record-Chronicle

Dallas, Texas

Crime and Justice, U.S. Regional

As seen in: Denton Record-Chronicle, Rolling Stone, Substack, Flipboard, Miami Herald, The Dallas Morning News, Washington Times, The Sacramento Bee, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, MYSA, D Magazine and

Covers: Crime, environment, government, mental health, music

Doesn't Cover: Fashion

Part-time professor, full-time writer. Bylines at @Dallas_Observer, @DentonRC, @CI_Magazine, @keranews, @RollingStone, etc.

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Christian McPhate’s Biography

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I've been working as a journalist for several years, writing for many more. For more information, visit my LinkedIn page at https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianmcphate/

Christian McPhate’s Journalist Portfolio

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The Heavy Metal Grifter

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Bringing Back Some Pot Edibles From Colorado? Texas Has a Nasty Surprise for You.

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Chronic Pain Sufferers Say They're Paying the Price for Opioid Epidemic

The pain felt as if someone took an ice pick, stuck it in a fireplace, and rammed it between Scott Garrett's …

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Relatives of a Former Fort Worth Drug Kingpin Open a Restaurant to Try to Bring their Brother Hom...

The Sotelo family gathers on the patio of Tia's on the Bluff as a guitarist fingerpicks Spanish tunes. It's a…

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Denton's Scandal-Prone Sheriff

Denton County Sheriff William B. Travis sits in his office, surrounded partially by confiscated weapons, clin…

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Articles

Nonprofits want to hydrate and shelter more of Denton’s homeless but say city barriers are in their way

Sep 04, 2026 |

By Christian McPhate

| Denton Record-Chronicle

Hungry and thirsty, the young person marched up a home driveway in a desperate manner Tuesday afternoon. Dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, he said he had been seeking shelter under a bridge and asked for food and water. After a few minutes, he stuffed his backpack with several cold water bottles. He’s part of a homeless community whose numbers have increased 282% in Denton — from about 160 in 2019 to over 600 in 2025 — although advocates say the real number is much higher.

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After the loss: North Texas resources can help suicide survivors face a different kind of grief

Sep 01, 2026 |

By Christian McPhate

| Denton Record-Chronicle

The plastic gloves the funeral home made the pallbearers wear didn't fit my hands. I sat inside the sanctuary of the funeral home, pulling at the plastic to avoid the silver coffin that held my cousin’s remains in front of me. I'd been told diseases were ravaging his body since he wasn't embalmed in Dallas before his journey home to Oklahoma. Nearly two weeks had passed since Stevie died by suicide.

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A Denton-area animal rescue has gained 100K fans. Social media and wildlife experts see concerns.

Aug 28, 2026 |

By Christian McPhate

| Denton Record-Chronicle

Jeremy Sons knew he had to jump into action. Todd the Beaver was struggling and swimming in circles, with his eyes cloudy and his body extremely thin. The young beaver had been in distress, not just in the pond at South Lakes Park but also on the road. Animal control had been previously called but when someone arrived, the beaver was either acting normal or couldn’t be located, according to a city spokesperson.