TEXARKANA, Texas -- A man accused of shooting his wife and girlfriend in front of a child at a Texarkana, Texas, apartment complex in July pleaded not guilty Monday to murder, aggravated assault and child endangerment.
Tremayne Douglas Ware, 38, appeared Monday for arraignment in Bowie County before 202nd District Judge John Tidwell. Assistant Public Defender Clayton Haas entered pleas of not guilty for Ware on all charges.
First Assistant District Attorney Kelley Crisp said her office has turned all discovery materials over to the defense. Crisp said the state has not made a plea offer in the case.
Tidwell scheduled the case for a jury trial in late January.
Ware is being held in the Bowie County jail with bails totaling $2.75 million.
Ware allegedly pulled a white SUV into the Creekside Apartments on the afternoon of July 29 at the same time his wife, Bengie Cooper, 56, and girlfriend and the girlfriend's 4-year-old daughter were getting out of a different car, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The girlfriend reported that she saw Ware put a gun in his pocket as he got out of the SUV, prompting her to run with her daughter.
The girlfriend told Texarkana Texas Police Department investigators that she shoved her daughter out of the way as Ware approached and allegedly "shot her in the back at point blank range."
The bullet reportedly broke the woman's pelvis and left a bullet "dangerously close to her spine," according to the affidavit.
Ware allegedly next shot Cooper in the forehead before getting in his SUV and driving away. Cooper died of her wound two days later.
When police arrived to the apartments at 3333 Nichols Drive about 1:30 p.m. they found Cooper in the parking lot between two cars near the complex laundry room. The girlfriend was found in her apartment suffering from a gunshot wound to the back.
The girlfriend reported to police that she was in a "dating relationship" with Ware and that Cooper is his wife. She reported allegedly receiving threatening messages from Ware.
Witnesses who watched the shooting from balcony apartments allegedly provided corroboration of the girlfriend's account.
Ware faces five to 99 years or life in prison if found guilty of either murder or aggravated assault, family violence, with serious bodily injury. However, the minimum punishment could increase if a jury finds Ware guilty and finds that he has prior felony convictions.
Ware also has pending charges for evading arrest in a vehicle with two prior felony convictions in connection with an arrest in January by Texarkana, Texas, police. Ware was arrested Jan. 16 for evading and misdemeanor DWI.