NEW BOSTON, Texas-One of four defendants accused of conspiring to rob a couple of their marijuana was sentenced to 30 years in prison by a Bowie County jury this week.
Eric Lamont Turner, 21, was found guilty of aggravated robbery by a jury Wednesday and sentenced to 30 years in prison Thursday following a trial over which 202nd District Judge John Tidwell presided. Two of Turner's co-defendants, Katelin Marie Jordan, 20, and Asa Ryan Mannette, 23, have pleaded guilty and are scheduled to appear for sentencing before Tidwell later this month. A fourth co-defendant, Dakota Dewayne Firth, 18, is scheduled to appear before Tidwell for a pretrial hearing in April.
"We are pleased that our jury appropriately punished the dangerous behavior of this defendant," said First Assistant District Attorney Mike Shepherd, who is handling the cases along with Assistant District Attorney Katie Carter.
"Firing a deadly weapon while committing a robbery will not be tolerated," Shepherd said.
Mannette contacted a woman June 10, 2017, through social media and told her he wanted to try some of her husband's marijuana, according to a probable-cause affidavit used to create the following account. The woman and her husband agreed to meet Mannette and drove to a house in the 100 block of Miller Street in New Boston.
Mannette and Jordan approached the couple in their car, and Jordan told them she didn't like dealing with men. The wife and Jordan walked to the backyard of the house. Jordan asked the wife if she could smell the marijuana and knelt down as she held the substance.
Turner jumped out of the bushes where he was hiding. Firth was allegedly hiding in the bushes with Turner. Turner pointed a gun at the woman and told her not to scream.
But the wife screamed for her husband and Turner fired a round into the ground near her feet as Jordan ran off with the marijuana. Turner ran off after shooting the ground again and threatening to kill the woman.
As the wife took refuge in a nearby residence, the husband ran after Jordan and Firth as they jumped across a ravine. The husband managed to catch up to Jordan and grab her. Firth allegedly pulled out a BB gun as Turner came up behind the husband and fired at the ground at his feet. The husband saw the four defendants meet up and flee together.
Jordan and Mannette testified against Turner at his trial. Firth was not called as a witness. Turner was represented by Texarkana lawyer Josh Potter.
llarowe@texarkanagazette