UPDATE: Coby Hudgins was sentenced to 99 years in prison Thursday afternoon for the murder of Hallsville teen Kayla Williams.
UPDATE: Coby Hudgins was found guilty of murdering Kayla Williams late Wednesday. His sentencing hearing was set for Thursday morning. Hudgins faces up to life in prison.
LONGVIEW (KYTX) – Prosecutors have rested their case in the homicide trial of Coby Hudgins, who is accused of fatally shooting a Hallsville teen at a Kilgore mobile home.
During testimony Wednesday, a police detective stated that between 8:30 and 8:45, Hudgins killed Kayla Williams and fired three more shots.
Crime scene photos show Kayla Williams was likely eating Reese's Pieces with socks, shorts and a t-shirt on a couch when she was shot dead in October 2013, a state prosecutor says.
Light sobbing could be heard from the gallery of about 40 people inside the 124th District Court while the photo was shown.
Assistant district attorney Chris Botto showed a photo of Williams' bloody body on the floor of Coby Hudgins' home on Mustang Drive in Kilgore. Hudgins faces up to life in prison in Williams' death, but defense attorney Daryll Bennett says the shooting was a reckless act, but that Hudgins did not have criminal intent. Bennett has filed an application for probation, if jurors convict in the case.
Det. John Rowe with Kilgore Police Department testified that bloody handprints were found inside Hudgins' Ford SUV.
There was also guardrail damage to the fm 2087 bridge where Hudgins wrecked after the shooting. Bennett told the jury Tuesday in opening arguments that his client was driving toward Longview, but guardrail damage was on the southbound guardrail.
Rowe told jurors that witness Leah Anderson that Hudgins cocked the gun a moment before shooting Williams, and that a half-second later, the gun discharged.
Attorneys for both sides have agreed with state Judge Alfonso Charles to try and finish testimony today, then return tomorrow morning for closing arguments. It's my fault my fault my fault
Prosecutors showed video from state trooper Jacob Muehlstein's dash camera of Hudgins when he was arrested after allegedly wrecking his truck while fleeing the crime scene. During his transport to the Gregg County Jail, Hudgins asked the trooper if he could get out of jail by the following Monday, and whether he could get probation.
During cross examination, Muehlstein testified Hudgins was charged only with drunk driving at that time.
A forensic expert later testified that Hudgins' blood alcohol level after the wreck was higher than 0.280 - more than three times the legal limit.
Firearms expert Nathan Tunnell testified there are several ways to make sure a gun is safe before discharging. The Steyr handgun used in Williams' shooting death also has at least two safety gauges, and requires at least five pounds of pressure to pull the trigger.
Tunnell told jurors that bullets and other evidence show that the bullet which killed Williams, and another shot near another woman at the crime scene, came from the dame weapon.
"My conclusion was that both of those billets were fired from the Steyr pistol," tunnell said.
Testimony has begun in the homicide trial of Coby Hudgins, accused of fatally shooting a Hallsville teen at a Kilgore mobile home.
Hudgins faces up to 99 years or life in prison for killing 17-year-old Kayla Williams in October 2013, at a home on Mustang Drive in Kilgore. Prosecutor Chris Botto says Hudgins shot Williams between the eyes, then fired another shot between Williams' body and another woman.
"We are inches away from capital murder," Botto told jurors.
Hudgins opened the trial with a not guilty plea.
Defense attorney Daryll Bennett says Hudgins admits to recklessly shooting her, but he did not have criminal intent. He called it a reckless act that could've involved anyone's child.
"Was this a stupid mistake, or did he intend to kill her?," Bennett asked the jury. "You've got to find whether he intended to kill this girl. That's the point."
Bennett says Hudgins will testify in the trial, taking place in the 124th district court at the Gregg County courthouse.
Leah Anderson was the state's first witness. She was the sister of Hudgins' girlfriend and was with him that night. They later picked up Williams, who was her best friend, and they all returned from Longview to Hudgins' house. She testified that they hung out for about 30-45 minutes before Hudgins revealed the gun. She says drinking and illegal drug use was involved.
About a half dozen friends and family of the victim stepped outside the courtroom, when prosecutors revealed crime scene photos to the jury.
