New grand jury may consider pending murder, manslaughter cases
Jul. 23—The latest edition of the Hunt County grand jury is set to meet this week for its first monthly session.
The panel is scheduled to convene Friday and begin a six-month term lasting until the end of 2021.
It will have a long list of potential cases to consider, including a recent murder, multiple reported intoxicated manslaughters, as well as pending armed robberies and aggravated assaults which have resulted in arrests during the past 12 months.
The grand jury can either issue indictments — or "true bills" — or determine its investigation did not find sufficient evidence to issue an indictment, in which case a "no bill" is issued.
The specifics of the cases which are presented to a grand jury are kept confidential until such time as the panel decides whether or not to issue indictments.
—Kerith Gilstrap, 43, of Greenville is being held in the Hunt County Detention Center in lieu of $1 million bond on one count of murder.
On the morning of April 13, personnel with the Greenville Fire-Rescue Department were dispatched to a report of a fire at a residence on Bourland Street which resulted in the death of Christopher James Hawkins, 43, of Greenville. Gilstrap was reported to have lived at the residence with the victim.
The fire was investigated by the Greenville Police Department, Greenville Fire-Rescue Department and the State Fire Marshal's Office.
Murder is a first degree felony, punishable upon conviction by a maximum sentence of from five to 99 years to life in prison.
—Dylan Mark Owen, 22, of Cooper has been released on $250,000 bond on two counts of intoxication manslaughter and one count of intoxication assault.
The Texas Department of Public Safety arrested Owen after the accident , which was reported at 2:49 a.m. Feb. 27 on State Highway 34 at County Road 2186.
DPS Sgt. Kyle Bradford said Owen was driving a 2006 Chevrolet pickup northbound on the highway when he crossed over into the southbound lane and struck a Honda Accord, resulting in the deaths of two people and injuries to one individual, all of whom were in the Accord.
Intoxication manslaughter is a second degree felony, with each charge punishable upon conviction by a maximum sentence of from two to 20 years in prison. Intoxication assault is a third degree felony, punishable upon conviction by a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
