Jurors see heated messages between defendant, teen he is accused of killing

Kamorion Lamar Meachem
Kamorion Lamar Meachem

Note: This story contains language that some readers may find offensive.

NEW BOSTON, Texas -- The prosecution rested Thursday afternoon after hearing testimony about heated text messages between the defendant and the teenager is accused of killing.

Kamorion Lamar Meachem, 19, is charged with murder in the Oct. 25, 2021, shooting death of Ulises Martinez, 17. The two were students at Texas High School and had argued and cursed each other through text messages the afternoon Martinez was killed, a Texarkana Texas Police detective testified Thursday in Bowie County's 5th District Court.

Detective Tabitha Smith said Meacham had Martinez's number saved under the contact "B----" in his phone.

Meacham sent his address to Martinez and told him to "pull up."

"Pull up is a slang term to meet, and it has a negative connotation," Smith said told the jury.

A later text message sent from Meacham to Martinez said, "Pull up or I'm coming to you."

Martinez was found dead on Sidney Street near the Meachem home.

"Kamorion Meacham was very upset at what happened at school that day. I think he knew it was going to get ugly and that's why there was a gun available," Smith said.

Smith testified that Kamorion Meachem told her in his interview he shot Martinez after Martinez "stomped" his brother in the face. Smith testified that there was no evidence Kieran Meachem had serious injuries to the face.

Smith also testified that there were no weapons found in any of the vehicles that arrived at the scene of the shooting.

Several other witnesses, including the younger brother of Ulises Martinez, also testified Thursday about the day Martinez was killed.

Martinez' younger brother testified that he saw his brother collapsing and falling after he was shot.

"I tried to put my fingers in the bullet holes. I didn't know if he was bleeding out but he was not responding," he said.

The brother, who is now 17, told Assistant Bowie County District Attorney Katie Carter he was not involved in the physical fight outside the Meachem house and did not see his brother throw any punches.

The Martinez brothers were sent home from school the day of the shooting after an altercation between Ulises Martinez and Meachem in the school cafeteria.

"My brother was always the type of person who wouldn't let himself be pushed around or bullied," the younger Martinez said.

He described the incident at lunch that day as "trash talking and arguing" after another student took a juice box off the lunch table. He testified that he believed his brother was going to be in a fist fight with Meachem.

Stephen Hernandez, a friend of Ulises Martinez, testified that he and his younger brother, his girlfriend Karen Camacho and the Martinez brothers continued to discuss the confrontation after school.

"They were really mad because someone had taken his brother's lunch or juice box or something like that," Hernandez said.

Hernandez said the group went together to the Meachem house because he didn't want anyone "to get jumped."

Heath Hyde, Meachem's attorney, questioned Hernandez and the younger Martinez about the four in their group versus the two Meachem brothers.

"It would appear you are doing the jumping," Hyde said.

Hernandez and the younger Martinez testified that Kieran Meachem punched Ulises Martinez, starting a fight.

Hernandez testified that he heard the gunshot and saw Ulises Martinez trying to run but acting confused.

"He looked up at me and said, 'I'm shot, I'm shot,' and he dropped down," Hernandez said.

Camacho testified that she "kind of froze" when Ulises Martinez was shot. She said she told one of the guys at the scene to give her their shirt so she could put it on the wound.

Camacho said when police questioned her later, she had blood "from head to toe" from trying to help him.

Hernandez and Camacho both testified that they left to find Hernandez's cousin, who was also Ulises Martinez's girlfriend, but returned to the scene, where they were questioned by police.

Hyde questioned their reasons for leaving before police arrived and returning in the cousin's vehicle.

Testimony continues today at the Bowie County Courthouse.

Meachem's 20-year-old brother Kieran Markel Meachem was also originally charged with murder, but the charge was dropped.

Kamorion Meachem remains in the Bowie County Correctional Center with bail set at $400,000. If convicted of murder, he faces five to 99 years or life in a Texas prison.

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