LONGVIEW, Texas — Both the state and defense closed their cases Friday morning in the trial for a man accused of killing an East Texas deputy during a 2019 traffic stop.
Gregory Newson, of Shreveport, Louisiana, is charged with capital murder in Panola County Deputy Chris Dickerson's death during a Dec. 31, 2019 traffic stop. On Wednesday, he pleaded not guilty to the charge.
After the jury heard from Dickerson's widow, the state rested its case. The defense asked for an instructed verdict, claiming that the state did not prove the accusations against Newson beyond a reasonable doubt. Judge Christi Kennedy then denied the request.
The defense then rested its case without calling witnesses. The state and defense have both closed their cases.
Kennedy told the jury that she and the attorneys need to prepare the charge that will be read to the jurors. So the jury was released until Monday morning when they will hear the charge and attorneys will give their closing arguments.
If Newson were to be found guilty, the state estimated the punishment phase would take three days for their side, and the defense estimated their presentation of evidence would take two full days.
Dickerson's widow, Krista Dickerson Shows, who has since remarried, took the stand Friday saying that when former Panola County Sheriff Kevin Lake came to her door in the early hours of Dec. 31, 2019, she knew that he was there for a reason.
Lake then told her that Dickerson was involved in an incident and he didn't make it.
"I pretty much lost it," she said.
Before her husband went into work, it was a regular day for the family. She said that he pitched a ball with his 7-year-old daughter, went to the gym and came home and got ready for work.
Before he left for work, Shows remembered telling Dickerson to be safe and come home. She recalled him looking at her, smiling, winking and then saying, "always."
Around 1:45 a.m., she texted him that she couldn't go to sleep and he never texted back. The next thing she remembered was her mother-in-law waking her up. That's when Lake came to the house, notifying them that Dickerson was shot and killed in the line-of-duty.
At the time of Dickerson's death, their two daughters were just 7 and 1 years old, Shows told the jury.
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