Joseph Colone—black, age 31
Sentenced in Jefferson County, Texas
By: a jury
Date of Crime: 7/31/10
Prosecution’s case/defense response: In retaliation for the victim’s having identified Colone in an aggravated robbery, Colone gunned down the victim and her 16-year-old daughter at their home. No information was found regarding the defense approach to the case.
Sources: 4/27/17 Beaumont Enterprise (2017 WLNR 12986536), 5/19/17 (2017 WLNR 14421276)
John Falk—white, age 40
Sentenced in Walker County, Texas
By: a jury
Date of Crime: 9/24/07
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Falk, a convicted murderer, and another inmate escaped from a prison by overpowering a correctional officer and stealing his gun. They went to a city service center and got control of a truck. Another correctional officer on horseback attempted to stop the escape. Falk fired back at her, then struggled with her for her rifle. The other inmate drove the truck into the correctional officer, killing her. The duo then carjacked a woman at a nearby bank, and then were then captured. Falk pleaded guilty to capital murder. No information was found regarding the defense approach to the case.
Sources: Huntsville Item 2/24/17 (2017 WLNR 5957965), 3/2/17 (2017 WLNR 6651652), 12/21/17 (2017 WLNR 39555291)
William Hudson—white, age 33
Sentenced in Anderson County, Texas
By: a jury
Date of Crime: 11/14/15
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Hudson lived adjacent to a campsite where an elderly couple resided. The campsite had been sold to the couple by a member of Hudson’s family. Members of elderly couple’s families came to camp at the site. Hudson socialized with them, but ended up murdering six of them, including a 6-year-old child. The elderly woman managed to hide and identified Hudson after the massacre. The prosecution contended that Hudson was resentful that the property had been sold outside his family. The defense presented no evidence at the guilt/innocence phase. In the penalty phase the prosecution presented evidence of other assaults and that Hudson had been a disciplinary problem while incarcerated. The defense presented evidence that Hudson was mentally impaired due to abnormalities in the part of the brain that accounts for impulsivity controls, and had a drinking problem.
Sources: Athens Daily Rev. 11/16/17 2017 (WLNR 35998107), Palestine Herald-Press 11/8/17 (2017 WLNR 35131756), 11/13/17 (2017 WLNR 35607497), Longview News-Journal 11/9/17 (2017 WLNR 34939468)
Billy Tracy—white, age 37
Sentenced in Bowie County, Texas
By: a jury
Date of Crime: 7/15/15
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Tracy beat a correctional officer to death. The prosecution also presented numerous witnesses to other acts of violence including other attacks against correctional officers. The defense presented evidence that Tracy has a cyst in the area of his brain governing impulsivity; that he had a horrible upbringing, and that many years of living in administrative segregation had made him worse.
Sources: Texarkana Gazette 11/13/17 (2017 WLNR 35344362), 11/16/17 (2017 WLNR 35701163)