NEW BOSTON, Texas-Jury selection is expected to begin this morning at the Bowie County courthouse for one of three defendants accused of murder in the 2015 shooting death of a Texarkana man.
Marquell Deonte Smith, 22, is the first of those accused in the February 2015 death of 24-year-old Christopher Guilbeau, whose body was discovered in a Texarkana, Texas, alley in March 2015. Also charged in the case are Brandon Eric Brown, 24, and Shamari Newton, 25.
Guilbeau's family reported him missing to Texarkana, Ark., police on March 4, 2015. The report prompted Arkansas-side investigators to flag his pickup in the National Crime Information Center database as stolen and wanted in connection with a missing-person case. The following day, Smith and Brown were arrested by police in Tulsa, Okla., driving the wanted truck.
Guilbeau's body was discovered in a Texarkana, Texas, alley March 6, the day after Smith and Brown were arrested. Investigators believe Guilbeau was actually killed Feb. 23, 2015, according to testimony at bond hearings in December. Newton, who was reportedly dating Smith, was arrested in Tacoma, Wash., a few months after the men were taken into custody.
According to notices recently filed in Smith's and Brown's cases, the state intends to call Newton as a witness against them. Newton was allegedly with the men in her apartment when investigators believe Brown gave Smith the gun used to kill Guilbeau.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin this morning before 202nd District Judge John Tidwell. Opening arguments and testimony are expected to begin Tuesday.
Brown and Smith are in custody. Bail for each is set at $1 million. Newton is free on bond.
If convicted of first-degree murder, the defendants face five to 99 years or life in a Texas prison.