Grand jury indicts teen in murder

TEXARKANA, Texas - A Bowie County grand jury indicted a 16-year-old juvenile defendant for capital murder Thursday in an alleged drug-related robbery.

Antonio Grigsby Jr. will not face the same possible punishment as his adult co-defendant, Christopher Cross, 20, if convicted of capital murder. Adults convicted of the offense face life without parole or death by lethal injection. Under Texas and federal laws, juveniles are not eligible for the death penalty and become parole eligible after serving 40 years of a life sentence.

Grigsby was certified to stand trial as an adult earlier this month by County Court at Law Judge Craig Henry. Grigsby's case will now be heard in the same court as Cross' and is assigned to 202nd District Judge John Tidwell. Grigsby and Cross are accused in the Dec. 22 shooting of 18-year-old Amilleon Jackson.

Cross allegedly drove Grigsby to the scene of the shooting and Grigsby allegedly shot and killed Jackson because he wanted to steal his marijuana. Grigsby turned 16 while in custody. He was 15 on the day Jackson died in the parking lot of an apartment complex at 39 Riverbend.

Bail for both Cross and Grigsby is set at $1 million. Cross is represented by Mount Pleasant, Texas, lawyer Mark Lesher. Grigsby is represented by Texarkana lawyer Jeff Harrelson.

Cross has entered a plea of not guilty. He was indicted earlier this year. A date for Grigsby to appear before Tidwell for arraignment has not been set.

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