Josue Flores death: Andre Jackson’s trial to begin for murder of Houston boy

HOUSTON - The trial for the man charged in the 2016 deadly stabbing of 11-year-old Josue Flores is set to begin on Monday.

A grand jury indicted Andre Jackson in 2019 for the murder of the Houston boy who was killed while walking home from school.

MORE: Andre Jackson indicted in murder of Josue Flores

Nearly three years after his arrest, Jackson will now stand trial. Jury selection wrapped up on Thursday, and opening remarks are expected to begin on Monday.

Deadly stabbing of Josue Flores

Josue Flores died in a stabbing in Houston on May 17, 2016.

Josue was stabbed multiple times as he walked home from Marshall Middle School in Houston’s Near Northside neighborhood on May 17, 2016.

Around 4:45 p.m., a citizen flagged down officers near Fulton and James Street to report the stabbing. Officers found the boy in the grass near the intersection.

He was transported to the hospital, where he later passed away from his injuries.

MORE: 11-year-old laid to rest; Josue Flores stabbed to death walking home from school

According to the investigation, Josue was on the sidewalk walking southbound on Fulton Street when he was approached by a man walking northbound on the same sidewalk.

Witnesses told police they heard screaming and saw Josue and the man struggling with one another. Josue collapsed, and the suspect fled on foot northbound on Fulton Street.

Arrests in the death of Josue Flores

The day after Josue’s death, a man was charged with murder. That charge was later dismissed when investigators confirmed his alibi.

A few weeks later, on June 2, 2016, police released a surveillance video and photos of a man they called a person of interest.

The video showed a man running down a sidewalk wearing a shirt, black pants, and a green jacket with the letters "LYMEN" visible on the back. Police described the person of interest as a black male, 25 to 30 years old, about 6’ tall, weighing 180 to 200 pounds, with a mustache, and possibly a goatee.

Houston police released these images of a person of interest in the death of Josue Flores.

The next day, a new suspect, Jackson, was arrested. Investigators believed he was the man seen in the surveillance video. He was charged with murder.

Andre Jackson DNA evidence

But DNA results at the time turned out to be inconclusive, so in 2017 the murder charges were dropped. Jackson was let go while police still labeled him a person of interest.

MORE: Community still seeks justice for Josue Flores, 11

Two years later, a new team of cold case detectives took over the investigation. They shipped evidence to a different lab in Utah, in the hopes of a DNA match.

Then on June 18, 2019, a grand jury indicted Jackson on a murder charge. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg made the announcement during a press conference, saying "newly-tested scientific evidence" became available to present to the grand jury, which led to the indictment.

Jackson was arrested again and has remained in the Harris County Jail since. His bond was set at $500,000.

MORE: Court date for Andre Jackson in Josue Flores case

If convicted, Jackson faces five to 99 years in prison, or life.