Two Indicted in 2009 Hallsville Murder

MARSHALL — A Harrison County grand jury returned two murder indictments in connection with the 2009 murder of a Hallsville man. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report Harley Blake Vaughn and Thomas Dean Richardson Jr. were indicted Thursday for murder in the death of Bobby Joe Inzer. The defendants were both 16 at the time of the crime. Because they are now 20-year-old adults, Harrison County Court-at-Law Judge Jim Ammerman, who presides over juvenile cases, signed an order earlier this month waiving juvenile jurisdiction for both defendants so that they could now be tried as adults in the 71st District Courtroom for the alleged crime.

According to information presented earlier this month during the certification hearing for the defendants, the two were initially detained at Willoughby Juvenile Detention Center following Inzer’s death on June 30, 2009. They were charged in conjunction with the homicide, but released from custody shortly after claiming self defense, alleging that Inzer tried to assault Vaughn and threatened to kill them both. A petition was never filed by the district attorney’s office to refute the claims. But, since that time, two new witnesses have come forward, casting some doubt to the defendants’ claim.

Arraignment for both defendants has been set for Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the 71st District Court, said Rick Hagan, special prosecutor appointed in the case. Defense attorney Scott Rectenwald is representing Richardson in the case; Vaughn is being represented by defense attorney Rick Castleberry.