WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — A jury has yet to be selected in the capital murder trial in the first of four defendants accused of fatally shooting a beloved Wichita Falls dance teacher in her driveway in the early morning hours of January 26, 2020.
Zaeveion Denson, 21, of Wichita Falls, is charged with engaging in organized crime capital murder for his role in the fatal shooting of the dance instructor during a robbery in the early morning hours of January 26, 2020.
If convicted, Denson faces an automatic life sentence. Since he was under the age of 18 when the alleged crime was committed, he will be eligible for parole after serving 40 years of that sentence.
Jury selection continued on Tuesday afternoon, August 8, 2023, at the MPEC’s Ray Climer Exhibit Hall in downtown Wichita Falls, where a 12-person jury will be selected from a pool of 100 Wichita County residents.
Dobie Kosub, Wichita County’s First Assistant District Attorney and lead prosecutor for the state asked the jury pool to consider if they felt they would be able to reach an impartial verdict knowing a conviction would mean an automatic life sentence for Denson.
The prosecution concluded their voir dire proceedings before the panel broke for lunch. Then on Tuesday afternoon, Denson’s defense team, led by Arlington attorney Gary Smart, conducted their voir dire proceedings.
It appeared a jury would be selected by the end of the day on Tuesday, however, presiding judge Meredith Kennedy called the jury panel back, stating an issue had arisen that would require further questioning. She then dismissed the panel and told them to return to the MPEC on Wednesday morning, August 9, 2023.
As of the publication of this story, a jury has yet to be selected for the capital murder trial of Denson.
Voir dire will continue into a third day on Wednesday. Once a jury has been seated, opening statements will be made by the prosecution and the defense before testimony officially gets underway.
While there is no timetable on when voir dire proceedings will conclude at the MPEC, opening statements are expected to begin sometime late Wednesday morning or early Wednesday afternoon, with testimony set to follow shortly thereafter.
This is a developing story. Stick with Texoma’s Homepage for updates as more information becomes available. All individuals charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
