Dickinson man sentenced after killing man in front of his mother behind gas station
HOUSTON - A Dickinson man has been sentenced to decades in prison for killing a man he was trying to help behind a gas station.
Christapher Jones, 30, was convicted for shooting and killing 37-year-old Richard Allen Powell in a field behind a gas station in the 200 block of Eldorado Boulevard in Webster on July 9, 2021.
He was sentenced to 20 years for the murder on Wednesday, says the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
"There was absolutely no reason that the defendant had to pull out a gun and start shooting," Ogg said. "Gun violence in our community is an epidemic, and we will continue to prioritize seeking justice for the families of victims of senseless gun murders."
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Officials say Jones and Powell both drove to the gas station where they were well known. Both were said to have used methamphetamine.
According to the DA’s Office, Powell’s car got stuck in the mud in a field behind the gas station. Another man tried to help but his car also got stuck. Jones was asked to help pull both of their cars out with his truck.
Christapher Jones (Courtesy Harris County District Attorney Office)
Jones, who was armed with a gun at the time, testified he was using meth and sleeping in his truck in the days before the murder.
Powell got his car stuck in the mud in a field behind the gas station. Another man tried to help him get the car out, but his vehicle also got stuck. The building owner then got upset with both of them, and Jones was asked to help pull both of the cars out with his truck.
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Jones was armed with a handgun and testified that he had been using methamphetamine and sleeping in his truck in the days before the murder.
After a while, Jones started arguing with the other people behind the gas station and pulled out his gun to threaten Powell and the others.
By that time, Powell’s elderly mother showed up to help.
Richard Allen Powell (Courtesy Harris County District Attorney Office)
Authorities say Powell told Jones he was going to call the police but as he turned to walk away, Jones shot him several times in the side and back.
Powell died in his mother’s arms, officials report.
Assistant District Attorney Bryan Honeycutt, a chief in the DA’s trial division, and ADA Tieranee Jones prosecuted Jones in an eight-day trial.
"This defendant killed a father, who leaves behind three children who will never see their dad again and an elderly mother who misses her son every day of her life," Honeycutt said. "This is what happens when you mix drugs, a short temper and guns. In addition to the murder weapon—a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun—he had a short-barrel shotgun, an assault rifle and more than 1,000 rounds of ammo."
Jones was facing the possibility of life in prison and decided to have his punishment determined by state District Judge Ana Martinez.
During the trial, Honeycutt noted how Jones had a criminal record including an assault when he was a juvenile. When he committed the murder, he was free on a $100 bond after being arrested for driving around with guns, ammo, and body armor in the same area.
"We knew this guy was dangerous, and we’re grateful the jury saw through his lying and manipulation and that it wasn’t self-defense," he said.