BEAUMONT, Texas — A mistrial has been declared after the jury could not reach a unanimous decision Friday evening.
The trial will be placed back on the trial docket.
The widow of a 37-year-old Beaumont father gunned down while looking for a trio of teens who had broken into his truck took the stand Friday and described the night of his murder.
John Cook Jr., 22, is the last of four suspects to be tried in connection with the April 2019 shooting death of Anthony Wilson, 37.
Wilson was fatally shot on the street in the 6800 block of Madrid Dr. just a few blocks from his own front door in the West End of Beaumont.
Glenda Wilson was the final witness for the prosecution Friday morning and told jurors that her husband was murdered on their 10th wedding anniversary. She was pregnant with their third child at the time.
At about 8 p.m. that night Wilson discovered that his truck had been broken into and his wife's car had been ransacked in their driveway Mrs. Wilson testified.
When the couple checked their surveillance camera they saw several teens under their carport.
Wilson did not seem to be too mad saying "oh, it's just a couple of kids" after they watched the video she testified. Mrs. Wilson told jurors that her husband just wanted to get his stuff back from the "kids" and didn't plan to call police when he left to try and find them in their neighborhood.
He left before the couple could eat the anniversary dinner Mrs. Wilson had prepared for them she testified.
While Wilson was out looking for the "kids," Mrs. Wilson fell asleep and when she awoke she was surprised he had not returned.
She testified that when she called his phone and heard it ringing in their kitchen she knew something was wrong and called police.
After speaking to a Beaumont Police dispatcher she was told that there was an "incident" and that some detectives would be coming to speak to her at their home.
When detectives came to her home they told her that "there was an incident and Anthony didn't make it" she told jurors.
The defense had no questions for her.
Final trial in murder of Beaumont father, Anthony Wilson
When defense attorney James Makin presented his case in the afternoon he called only one witness.
Bryce Bell, who was 15 at the time of Wilson's death, took the stand wearing handcuffs and an orange jail jumpsuit. He testified that he had already been sentenced to 30 years in prison for the death of Wilson after pleading guilty.
He then claimed on the stand that neither Cook or Jamirious Jantrel Gardner were with him on the day of the shooting. In October 2022 Gardner pleaded guilty in connection with Wilson's death.
Gardner was set to be sentenced in June 2023 but his sentencing has been rescheduled for August 7, 2023.
“You haven’t watched the testimony you gave police lately, have you," prosecutor Mike Laird asked Bell during cross examination Friday afternoon.
Laird went through the contradictions in Bell's testimony and his sworn statement to police after he was arrested and showed him a copy of the statement he had signed at the time.
Bell continued to deny saying any of it and at one point became uncooperative and refused to answer questions.
The defense rested it's case following Bells testimony.
GET NEWS & WEATHER ALERTS | Download the 12News App to your mobile device
CRIME STOPPERS | Submit a tip @ 833Tips.com
CRIME STOPPERS APP | Download the P3 Tips App
If you have information about a crime you could earn a cash reward of up to $1000 by providing an ANONYMOUS tip to Crime Stoppers of Southeast Texas.
Call 833-TIPS (8477) or download the P3Tips App on your mobile device to submit your tip anonymously.