Today is
Wednesday June 03, 2026
SMITH COUNTY – A man was taken into custody in Smith County on Tuesday on suspicion of sexually abusing a fifteen-year-old girl. Tony Rincker, 60, was placed in the Smith County Jail on a $500,000 bond after being accused of sexual assault of a minor. An arrest affidavit states that a student claimed to have seen a video on the teen’s Snapchat account showing the alleged victim being sexually assaulted. What looked to be a child’s bedroom was shown in the video. Read the rest of this entry »
HENDERSON COUNTY – A Scurry man who was found guilty of repeatedly sexually abusing a child in Henderson County, and given a life sentence, was upheld by an appeals court. Manuel Lynn Tijerina, 42, appealed his conviction to the Twelfth Court of Appeals, claiming the trial court had improperly admitted testimony from the victim’s relative, according to the Henderson County District Attorney’s Office. Testimony revealed Tijerina exposed the victim to pornography, touched her inappropriately, and made sexual remarks to her. Read the rest of this entry »
KILGORE – In Rusk County, an East Texas man was detained on suspicion of shooting a restrained goat to scare a family member. Roberto Castro, 34, of Kilgore, is accused of possessing marijuana, driving while intoxicated, driving with an invalid license, terroristic threat (family violence), and cruelty to a livestock animal. He has $56,000 in bonds. The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) reports that deputies responded to reports of domestic abuse and animal abuse on Sunday on County Road 117 North in the Kilgore area. Read the rest of this entry »
AUSTIN (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN) – In the litigation from false claims that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a government hoax, attorneys for Alex Jones and Free Speech Systems LLC, the Austin-based parent business of his Infowars media platform, returned to state court to contest collection efforts. In order to postpone efforts to sell or license Infowars assets to pay the Sandy Hook families, his counsel argued that the judge should impose a nominal bond. According to decisions in Connecticut and Texas, Jones owes the families around $1.5 billion.
Judge Maya Guerra Gamble of the State District Court in Austin stated that in order to continue delaying an order to start paying them, he must post a $4.3 million bond. The Onion, a satirical media site, may be able to purchase or license Infowars if he is unable to make the bond. However, the Texas 3rd Court of Appeals will make that determination. Last month, it ordered stays on collections in both the Connecticut and Texas rulings.
The judge rejected the testimony of Jones’s and the company’s attorneys last week that he has a negative net worth of $1.35 billion. In her decision on Friday, she stated that she “had no faith in the integrity of evidence given by (Free Speech Systems) as to its own net worth.”
TYLER – As the City of Tyler celebrates the completion of phase one of their downtown revitalization plans, the intersection of North College Avenue and West Erwin Street will remain closed until further notice. “Due to a construction delay over the weekend, the streets originally scheduled to reopen on Monday, June 1, will remain closed temporarily,” the City of Tyler said. “The contractor was unable to complete the work as planned, which has delayed the final steps needed to safely reopen the area.” Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – Jury selection for the trial of the man accused of the 2023 murder of an 18-year-old Tyler woman will begin in September. Jamaurea Jermaine Britton is accused of capital murder in connection with the September 2023 beating, strangling, and stabbing death of 18-year-old Dejah Hood, according to the police.
During a hearing on Monday, the state, defense and judge discussed scheduling ahead of the trial in the 114th District Court. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Sept. 14. The jury summons for a panel of jurors will be sent out in August. The trial is set for Oct. 5. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – East Texans are starting to feel relief at the gas pump this week as the statewide average per gallon has dropped following Memorial Day weekend. According to AAA Texas, the average price of gas is currently $3.92 per gallon, 17 cents lower than last week. However, the average price of gas is currently $1.18 higher than it was at this time last year. In East Texas, Tyler residents are paying an average of $3.88 per gallon of regular gas, while Longview residents are paying $3.93 per gallon. San Augustine County residents are paying the most, with an average of $4.16 per gallon. In major cities across the state, El Paso residents are currently paying the most to fill up their tanks at $4.10 per gallon while drivers in McAllen are paying only $3.74 per gallon to fill up their cars according to AAA. Nationally, the average price of gas is $1.26 higher than it was on this day last year and 14 cents lower than last week.
TYLER – On Wednesday, a Longview man was taken into custody in Smith County on suspicion of sexually abusing a young girl and sending her explicit messages. Longview resident Nakerey Gardner, 27, is accused of both online solicitation of a minor and aggravated sexual assault of a child. On Wednesday, he was booked into the Smith County Jail. A mother claimed in an arrest affidavit that her daughter had sex with a man she first thought was 17 years old. Read the rest of this entry »
NEW BOSTON (CBS19) – An East Texas murder case will be at the center of a Netflix documentary. “Maternal Instinct” addresses the 2020 killing of Reagan Simmons-Hancock in New Boston. Prosecutors say Taylor Parker attacked the pregnant 22-year-old and removed the unborn child, who did not survive. Parker was later arrested in Oklahoma and convicted in Bowie County, where a jury sentenced Parker to death. The documentary will premiere June 12. The description from Netflix reads:
“The documentary follows the story of Taylor Parker, a young woman claiming to come from a wealthy family, who fell for Wade Griffin, a local hog trapper in a small East Texas town. Their relationship appeared perfect, and within months, she was pregnant, proudly showing off her baby bump all over social media. As her due date approached, however, questions around her pregnancy mounted, and her family, her devoted partner, and her wider community began to voice their doubts. But when the shocking truth finally surfaced, it brought consequences too horrifying for anyone to have imagined.”
HARRISON COUNTY – After receiving calls Tuesday evening, Harrison County Sheriff’s deputies were initially sent to a shooting at 165 Pine Valley Road in Harleton. They discovered that Jamail Boer, 38, was dead and that his brother had been shot. According to reports, Boer’s brother filed a report alleging that Boer had stolen multiple firearms, which led to the altercation. Then Boer went into the tiny bedroom and declared his intention to murder his brother. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – According to police, a man is incarcerated after a woman was threatened and held at knifepoint during the robbery of a Tyler Dollar General. Aggravated robbery is the charge against 62-year-old Richard Gerard Taplin. On April 25, an officer was dispatched to a Dollar General in the 2300 block of West Erwin Street. According to an arrest document, a store employee told the officer that a man, later identified as Taplin, had approached her behind the counter and held a knife up to her side. Taplin, she claimed, insisted that she open the register. The woman told the officer that she believed Taplin would stab her when he said, “If you tell them anything, I will work on you,” as two male customers started to enter the store, according to the affidavit. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY – Tyler police officers arrested a man over the weekend for allegedly bringing two women into a house he did not own and sexually abusing them. A 911 text was sent by the women, leading to authorities finding and assisting the victims. An arrest affidavit states that an officer was sent to a Walton Road residence after receiving a 911 text that said “help.” Two women were “completely naked and appeared to be afraid,” according to what the officers saw through a window. When the officer asked the women if they were alright, they shook their heads and indicated a room where suspect Heath Butler was. Read the rest of this entry »
FRANKSTON – According to a Federal Aviation Administration report, the plane crash in Henderson County that left its pilot dead on Tuesday morning occurred “under unknown circumstances.” Around 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday, a small plane crashed in the Frankston neighborhood of Aero Estates, killing a man who was flying it. The Texas Department of Public Safety reports that the Fokker Dr.1 Dreidecker plane crashed close to a private airstrip within the community. The pilot was identified as Frankston-native Mark Whiddon by Henderson County Pct. 4 Justice of the Peace Milton Adams. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY – K-9 Lobo, a devoted partner and protector, is being honored by the Smith County Pct. 1 Constable’s Office. Along with his partner, K-9 Lobo, Smith County Pct. 1 Deputy Constable Jose Terrazas, a proud K-9 handler, departed from the sheriff’s office in February. The news of K-9 Lobo’s death was released by the constable’s office on Wednesday. For almost eight years, K-9 Lobo bravely and devotedly fought beside his companion on the front lines. From September 2018 to February 2026, the Dutch Shepherd was employed by the Constable’s Office. According to a statement, during this trying time, they are praying for Terrazas, his family, and every member of the sheriff’s office.
TYLER – On Wednesday, an East Texan was given a 20-year prison sentence for allegedly distributing illegal substances, namely crack cocaine. In the 475th District Court, Derrish Graydon, 44, entered a guilty plea to participating in organized crime. According to court documents, he was subsequently given a 20-year term for the offense. In relation to the alleged crack cocaine ring that operated in buildings close to nearby daycare centers and schools, Graydon is the third person to enter a guilty plea and get a term. On May 7, Samatraus Forge, who was found to be the leader of a criminal organization with others serving as his drug salespeople, was given a life sentence after entering a guilty plea to three charges of organized crime. Read the rest of this entry »