Trial in 2020 Commerce capital murder moved to December

Brad Kellar, The Herald Banner, Greenville, Texas
·2 min read

Jul. 1—A capital murder trial is scheduled for December in connection with a double homicide in February 2020.

Jacques Dshawn Smith of Rowlett is under indictment on a charge of capital murder of multiple persons in connection with the Feb. 4, 2020, deaths of Abbaney Matts and her sister Deja on the Texas A&M University-Commerce campus.

Smith has pleaded not guilty.

During a June 13 hearing in the 196th District Court, jury selection, which had been scheduled for Sept. 19, was reset for Dec. 5.

Another pending Hunt County capital murder case, which involves two defendants from Rockwall County, may also be affected due to the change.

Smith, 23, remains in custody at the Hunt County Detention Center. He is being held in lieu of $2 million bond.

Smith is also accused of capital murder by Denton police as well as aggravated robbery and evading arrest from Dallas County.

Smith was reported to be the ex-boyfriend of Abbaney Matts.

In a separate case, Denton police allege that Smith and two other Rowlett residents, Jalin Hargrove and Earnest Rogers, committed capital murder in connection with the death of Steven Daniels on Dec. 31, 2019.

The Hunt County district courts are dealing with a backlog of murder cases that which developed during 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Another capital murder case is also currently scheduled in the 196th District Court on Dec. 5.

A trial date was set in March for Lauren Brooke Bohme, a Royse City woman charged with capital murder in connection with the death of a Greenville teenager in September 2020.

The trial was still scheduled on that date as of Tuesday and no additional hearings had been scheduled.Bohme, 19, has pleaded not guilty to one count of capital murder involving the death of Ismael Rincon, 15, of Greenville.

A separate defendant, Damien Christian Osborn, 20, of Rockwall, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder involving Rincon's death. He has also pleaded not guilty on a separate charge of aggravated assault.