NEW BOSTON, Texas -- A Bowie County jury sentenced a man to 60 years in prison Friday after finding him guilty of murder in a December 2020 shooting.
The jury opted to convict Kristopher "Flip" Wilson, 26, of first-degree felony murder rather than capital murder in the Dec. 27, 2020, shooting death of Chase Porier. Porier, 27, who was shot in the neck in the living room of his home on Forest Circle in the Liberty Eylau area of Bowie County.
Assistant District Attorneys Bradley Akins and Randle Smolarz argued that Wilson and his co-defendant, Brandon Parkman, 19, went to Porier's home to rob him of THC vaping cartridges Porier was in the business of selling. Parkman is scheduled for trial in June before 102nd District Judge Jeff Addison. Addison presided over Wilson's trial as well.
Porier's friend, Dewayne Terry, testified that he pulled up to Porier's home the night of the shooting at about the same time Wilson and another man arrived in a small, cobalt blue two-door with an unmatching black bumper. Terry said Wilson was crouched down, looking through a box of "carts" in varying flavors when he stood, turned and fired the shot that struck Porier in the center of his neck.
Terry said both men left but quickly returned to take his cell phone, the only way he had to call for help. Terry summoned the assistance of a neighbor who was outside on his porch. Porier died before first responders arrived.
Wilson denied his guilt to the jury when he testified Thursday under questioning by Texarkana lawyer Derric McFarland. Akins and Smolarz argued that his version of events, which placed all the blame on Parkman, didn't make sense in light of the physical evidence.
A mixture of Porier's and Wilson's DNA was found on a pink handgun fitted with an extended magazine which was recovered from a dresser in Wilson's residence in Atlanta, Texas. Spots of blood found on Wilson's jacket and one of his boots were a match for Porier's DNA.
"This was a hard fought case. At the end of the day this was a robbery gone wrong," Akins said. "We hope this 60-year sentence sends a message that you can't come to Bowie County and engage in this type of violence and not face the consequences."
Akins said he hopes the lengthy prison sentence offers some solace to the Porier family. Porier's mother testified that her son was a "miracle child" because she'd been told she couldn't have a baby.
McFarland expressed gratitude to the jury.
"I really appreciate the jury's service," McFarland said. "They reached the right decision on the intent. This was a very tragic event. Several lives and families have been devastated by this."
Wilson will be held in the Bowie County jail until he is transported to a unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to serve his time.