TEXARKANA, Arkansas - A man facing the possibility of multiple life sentences in connection with a 2019 double homicide has turned down an offer from the state for a 40-year prison term.
Justin Dalton Wilson, 20, is scheduled for trial next week in Miller County for two counts of murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault and aggravated robbery. At a final pretrial hearing Friday morning, Wilson told Miller County Circuit Judge Brent Haltom that he "absolutely" declines a plea offer of 40 years.
Wilson's lawyer, Jeff Harrelson of Texarkana, said the state made the offer last week.
Wilson is accused in the deaths of Scott Wiegmann, 45, and Reginald Davis, 37, and of attempted murder in the shooting of Lajhonta Collier.
Also addressed at Friday's hearing was a motion Harrelson filed asking that witness identifications of Wilson based on a photograph taken from Facebook be ruled inadmissible. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney David Cotton called Texarkana, Arkansas, Police Detective Shane Kirkland to testify.
Kirkland said the photo was not taken from the social media site by police but rather was shown to investigators by a witness who allegedly saw Wilson running from an apartment on East 24th Street on Aug. 28, 2019, where two men were fatally shot and a third, Collier, suffered a life-threatening and disabling bullet wound to the neck while his child slept in a nearby bedroom.
Kirkland said that the first officers to respond to the scene initially thought all three men were deceased and that Collier's condition was so serious that doctors were unsure if he would survive. Kirkland said Collier identified Wilson as the shooter when interviewed at the hospital.
Haltom denied Harrelson's motion to suppress the witness identifications.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Wilson became angry because he was losing money in a dice game. Wilson allegedly shot the men and took their money before fleeing the apartment.
Wilson is charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of Wiegmann and Davis. If convicted, he faces 10 to 40 years or life in prison. If found guilty of attempted murder in Collier's shooting, Wilson faces six to 30 years.
If found guilty of aggravated assault involving the child who was in the apartment at the time of the shooting, Wilson faces up to six years. If convicted of aggravated robbery, he faces 10 to 40 or life.
Prosecutors have included firearm enhancements on three of the charges. If a jury finds those enhancements to be true, Wilson could receive additional terms up to 15 years on each enhancement which must be served consecutively to time ordered for the underlying felony.
An enhancement for committing a felony in the presence of a child is filed with the attempted murder charge. That enhancement could mean up to 10 additional years, which must be served consecutive to any sentence ordered on the underlying felony.
Jury selection in Wilson's case is scheduled for Monday morning at the Arkansas Convention Center. Opening statements and testimony are expected to begin Tuesday morning.
Wilson is currently being held in the Miller County jail with bail set at $1 million.