Josue Flores Trial: Jacket worn by suspected killer submitted as key piece of evidence
Josue Flores Trial: Jacket worn by suspected killer submitted as key piece of evidence
The jacket, prosecutors say, Josue Flores' killer wore as he stabbed the 11-year-old to death was admitted into evidence Wednesday. This comes as the defense continues to ask the judge to drop the charges against Andre Jackson.
HOUSTON - The jacket prosecutors say Josue Flores’ killer had with him as he stabbed the 11-year-old to death was admitted into evidence today as the defense continues to ask the judge to drop the charges against Andre Jackson.
BACKGROUND: Josue Flores death: Andre Jackson’s trial to begin for murder of Houston boy
That green jacket, which prosecutors say tested positive for Flores’ DNA, is a big reason defense attorneys are asking for the case against Jackson to be dismissed because they say Houston Police investigators handled the jacket before securing a search warrant. Something detectives say is not true, and the judge has repeatedly denied the defense’s requests for dismissal.
RELATED: Flores family spokesperson speaks ahead of trial for Andre Jackson
Some members of the community who are left devastated after the murder of the 11-year-old were sitting in the trial disgusted, as the courtroom became a verbal battlefield with Jackson’s defense attorney accusing the Houston police lieutenant that arrested Jackson of changing his story as he testified in court, although the detective says he simply misspoke.
"The defense is being overly aggressive in attacking the police officer, attacking his memory. It’s been six years. The defense is being very aggressive," Agustin Pinedo with LULAC says.
The defense also accused the prosecutor of shaking his head to give a testifying witness an answer. "It’s very frustrating that they (the defense) can get away with this," Pinedo adds.
Investigators say after obtaining a search warrant they recovered the green jacket, which has distinct lettering on the hood, from the back of a chair in the room at the Salvation Army where Jackson was staying. They say they recognized the jacket as the one the accused killer was wearing in surveillance footage, as he left the area after the 11-year-old was stabbed more than 20 times in an unprovoked attack.
CONTINUOUS COVERAGE OF THE JOSE FLORES CASE
Flores’ dad was once again in court supported by several members of the community. "We hope and pray that justice prevails at the end of this ordeal because the family is hurting, the community is hurting," Pinedo says.
Four witnesses also testified; two of them cried on the stand saying they rushed to help after seeing what they thought was a man wandered over to the child and started punching him, and they say as quickly as the man attacked, he suddenly ran away.
MORE: Surveillance video shows final moments of 11-year-old's life
One man jumped in his van to chase the killer and followed him for several blocks before losing sight of him. That man says before Josue Flores died he said, "I just want to go home."