TYLER, Texas — Data from the phone of a Tatum man accused of killing a Tyler woman in 2023 revealed 200 deleted messages between them, an app used to mimic other phone number and suspicious Google searches.
Monday was the fifth day of testimony in the trial for Jesse Lee Williams, who is charged with murder in the disappearance of Paula Belonga, 51. He pleaded not guilty to the charge last week.
Williams was arrested after officials obtained evidence allegedly pointing to his involvement in Belonga’s disappearance last year. Belonga was last seen on April 7, 2023 leaving her apartment complex on Paluxy Drive in her Chevrolet Impala. She hasn’t been heard from since.
Dennis Matthews, who works at the digital forensics division at the Financial Crimes Intelligence Center in Tyler, testified at first there were only a few messages between Williams and Belonga in April 2023 around the time she went missing.
But Matthews later found 200 recently deleted messages between the two.
The first message was from Belonga, saying "it's Paula from FB," which Matthews assumed to likely be Facebook. Williams asks Belonga to tell him a little bit about herself, and they continue on with basic chatting.
Belonga and Williams exchanged photos of each other. On Dec. 25, 2022, Belonga said her son was leaving and she invited Williams over, but he responded he was sick.
In early 2023, a person claiming to be Williams' mom texted Belonga saying Williams was robbed and shot several times. In February 2023, Williams asked for $80 for money. Belonga said she couldn't as she was moving into her new apartment and helping her son.
Belonga said she was disappointed with him as Williams hadn’t even called her yet. Later on, their regular conversations continued. Around April 3, Williams asked Belonga to pick him up at a Tatum address, which she agreed to.
From the text messages, it would appear that Belonga picked Williams up from the address he texted her, Matthews testified. The next texts after that conversation that were on April 6 had not been deleted.
In another text thread with a contact called "My Baby," Williams and the person seemed to be arguing and in a relationship.
At one point in those messages, Williams said he never slept with any of them, which seemed to refer to other women, but he just communicated with them for money. The other phone number texted that Williams "cyber cheated” on her.
Williams’ phone had an app that allows a person to send messages as if they're coming from someone else's phone number.
In the app, a detective texted the number believing it was connected to Belonga. The app on Williams' phone said to leave Williams alone and that Belonga paid him to watch her dog. Calls from that detective also went to the number associated with the app and none were answered.
The texting app sent Williams' an image of Belonga's credit card. When contacted by another detective, the app again responded saying to call Williams because he would say where she's at. Another message told police to leave Williams alone.
Data shows that Williams had his phone's location data turned over on April 7, 2023. A photo of Belonga's license, debit card and the front of her checkbook were on Williams’ phone.
On April 6, in a conversation about buying a truck from someone online, Williams told the seller that he had money for the truck from his sugar momma.
The phone download also showed the following Google searches:
- How to muffle the sound of a gun
- Will hitting a person in the head with a gun kill them?
- How do the cops trace a cell phone
- Body found in Rusk County, Texas (multiple times)
- Henderson News
- Rusk County breaking news
- How to write checks of different amounts
- How long does it take for a body to decompose in the heat
- Missing woman Tyler, Texas. (multiple times)
Matthews testified that he did not download another iPhone that Williams had. Conversations with the "My Baby" contact had mentioned another phone.
Matthews said it's possible that Belonga had the app that disguises phone numbers as well. He said that these days it's hard for a person to disappear with a cell phone and digital banking.
The data is saying that whomever had Williams' phone made other Google searches and text messages, Matthews said. He testified that Google has predictive text that can automatically fill what it thinks the person is searching.
Matthews testified he didn't know there were news articles about a body found in Rusk County around April 6, 2023. Matthews later testified the Google search about a body found was made multiple times, including "body found in Rusk County today." Williams made several searches about body decomposition.
He told the state that there is evidence that Williams was the person operating the phone, including a selfie photo of himself.
On April 6, there was a search for "how do I get birth control out of my arm." Matthews said he would guess that the search was not made by Williams.
Paula Belonga's son, Brock Belonga, testified that his mom was sweet and kind. It was just the two of them for pretty much his whole life.
He testified she and him didn't really talk to each other about the men she dated. The last time he heard from his mother was on his birthday. Text messages between the mother and son showed back and forth messages of them checking in on each other.
On April 7, 2023, Paula Belonga was supposed to pick her son up from Lake Charles, Louisiana. He never messages about her running late, and she ended up not coming. On April 9, 2023, he texted her "mom," "are you okay? Everybody is freaking out about you right now. Plz call me."
Brock Belonga said he hadn't seen or heard from his mom since those text messages. He just knew something wasn't right.
He testified when his mom was going to pick him up, he was leaving Louisiana to move back to Tyler with his mom. He said there was a Jesse that his mom knew from Louisiana, but he's not sure if that was Williams.
He testified instances of bipolar disorder did not stop his mom from helping him, saying if he needed her, she was there.
Jacqueline Murphy, a woman who Williams met through Facebook dating, testified that they met up with each other a few times. They spoke to each other almost every day, but they stopped at the end of March 2023 because Murphy found out he was married or in a relationship with another woman.
Williams would ask for money for bills or cigarettes. Over time, the money she gave Williams added up to $7,100 and she gave him money for a phone as well, Murphy said.
Murphy testified he still hasn't given some rifles she gave him back.
Katelyn Lambert testified she met Williams on a dating app, but they never actually dated. On April 7, 2023, she was at a bar in Lufkin and Williams texted her asking what she was doing. He picked her up from the bar and took her to her home in Zavalla.
While he was in Zavalla, he drove Belonga's vehicle and he told Lambert that he was planning on buying it. On Wednesday, April 12, he picked her up from work early in Belonga's vehicle, and soon after she heard police banging on the door.
When she opened the door, Williams tried to jump out of the back door, Lambert said. She only knew that Williams was getting arrested for aggravated assault and the car was stolen.
She testified she immediately wanted the car towed and she hasn't spoken to Williams since the day he was arrested.
A man that Williams went hog hunting with testified the group of hunters went hunting with Williams on the night of April 7, 2023 and they met at a Walmart at first. Williams came to the Walmart in Belonga’s car. The man said he never gave, sold or saw that car before seeing Williams with it.
They planned to hunt longer, but Williams had to leave for an emergency. They only spoke about hunting and Williams was a little more agitated but seemed normal to him, the man in the hunting group said.
Williams said he was buying Belonga’s car and the man believed him. Williams was known to tell stories and exaggerate things, the man testified.
Scott Mendoza, who first met Williams on April 7, 2023 while hog hunting, testified the white car Williams came in looked beat up and dirty. Williams’ demeanor seemed off. Mendoza went hunting with Williams twice, and he never saw Williams again.
Glenn Ferguson, Williams' boss at a Henderson auto shop, testified that he saw Williams was arrested by U.S. Marshals in the main work area.
At the shop, Ferguson said he overheard Williams say, "he knows the best place to hide a body," in passing. Ferguson testified he just took it as shop talk and it was seemingly said in a joking manner. After Williams' arrest, Ferguson came forward with the information.
Ferguson identified a black nitrile glove as one that is commonly used at the auto shop. This type of glove was found near a rural part of Rusk County, where investigators found a necklace that looked like Paula Belonga's.
The trial will resume Tuesday at 9 a.m.
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