7-year-old baseball umpire seeks Guinness World Record. Courthouse in San Antonio, Texas, Tuesday morning, September 28, 1982, to begin the trial for the May 1979 murder of Federal Judge John H. Wood, Jr.( AP PHOTO/ STEVE KRAUSS). But Mr. Jahn, the Federal prosecutor, said in his final argument Saturday, ''Charles Harrelson had three talents. When the murder trial got underway in San Antonio, in exchange for a guilty plea to commit conspiracy to murder and a sentence of 10 years, Joseph Chagra testified against Harrelson, who he claimed was the hit man. March 4 (UPI) -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu made a rare visit to frontline troops in Ukraine on Saturday as Kyiv's grip on the embattled city of Bakhmut appeared to be slipping. But theres a postscript: I feel certain that the youngest of three brothers in El Pasos infamous Chagra crime family knew nothing about Woods murder until months after the fact. However, there was no physical evidence and investigators had to rely on circumstantial evidence and informants. Assistant United States Attorney Ray Jahn, the chief prosecutor, expressed his thanks for the verdict, saying, ''When Judge Wood died on May 29, justice did not die.''. After 18 hours of deliberation, a Federal jury, several members in tears, found three defendants guilty today on six counts of planning, carrying out and trying to cover up the assassination of Federal District Judge John H. Wood Jr. After the collective verdicts were announced, each of the nine women and three men on the jury, which began deliberating Saturday, was polled individually on all six counts. Charles Harrelson's son, the actor Woody Harrelson, later supported a motion for a retrial, based on both the inadequacy of the original defense and the federal government's methods of gathering evidence. Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. In a recent interview with the San Antonio Express-News, Joe Chagras widow, now known as Patty Chagra Russell, defended her husband, saying the prison recording showed that Jimmy Chagra was a bully toward her husband. Image of Jimmy Chagra in handcuffs courtesy of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Jimmy Carters Peanut-and-Egg Taco Made Quite the Impression on San Antonians. Federal District Judge William S. Sessions, who was a pallbearer at the slain judge's funeral and who, as chief judge in the district, appointed himself to preside in the case, said he would impose a sentence March 8, after the trial of Jamiel Chagra in Florida. Tips poured in. He was serving a 30-year sentence there that he received on the drug charge that was to be tried before Judge Wood. March 3 (UPI) -- A Massachusetts library said a book was recently returned with a note apologizing for the tome being 56 years overdue. But they would have had leaves on them at the time of the murder, rendering the witness testimony not credible. separate, there is cohesiveness. Harrelson also testified that Kay had borrowed his own distinctive gold-colored Oldsmobile, similar to one seen near the judge's apartment on the day of the killing. Guillermo has also worked in Central America, Mexico, New Mexico, Arizona and California and his work has appeared in various publications, including the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, New York Post, Newsday, Denver Post and the Albuquerque Journal. Bring on the Shiplap. On Feb. 26, 1979, he was indicted on five counts of trafficking in marijuana and cocaine. '', It was at a pretrial hearing on April 2, 1979, as he listened to Judge Wood deny a score of defense motions, that Jamiel Chagra turned to Joseph Salim Chagra, his brother and attorney, and said, according to Joseph Chagra's testimony later, ''that he was never going to have a fair trial and if I thought he should have Judge Wood killed.''. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The Harrelson Center | Home 1985) Annotate this Case US Court of Appeals for the Governor of Philippine province, 5 others killed in gun attack. To provide a humanitarian services campus of nonprofit organizations that offer hope, opportunity, and empowerment. According to newspaper stories citing trial testimony, a drug trafficker and flamboyant gambler originally from El Paso, Jamiel Jimmy Chagra, paid Harrelson $250,000 to kill Wood because Chagra feared a trial and sentencing by Maximum John. Wood earned the moniker for his reputation of giving tough sentences to drug traffickers. You know Harrelson knocked off the judge, Jimmy told him. Harrelson, 69, died of a heart attack in March 2007 in a federal maximum-security prison in Colorado. Mrs. Harrelson, who had said she was '99 percent sure' she would be jailed Monday, is the wife of convicted hit man Charles V. Harrelson, who is imprisoned in Houston on state charges. JERRY LARA, Staff / San Antonio Express-News. In effect, he was being tried for murder, when he claimed that his only involvement was in a con-game to get the murder pay-off money for a killing performed by someone else. Joe Chagra ended It was then, the Government asserted, that ''the fear began. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. From online or printed sources and from publicly accessible databases. It was a big deal; there was a lot of interest in the case, said Millsap, who later served as Bexar County district attorney. At one point in a rambling dialogue, Jimmy warned Joe that he was up to his neck in the murder plot. The evil sought to be avoided by pr, A sentence whereby a convict is released from confinement but is still under court supervision; a testing or a trial period. But as his lawyer, Harrelson reasoned, anything Joe discovered about Woods murder would have to be kept confidential because of attorney-client privilege. It was the crime of the century, in San Antonio for sure, said local defense lawyer Alan Brown, who represented people who were rounded up during the investigation but never charged in the murder. Therefore, its best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publications requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. It's an amazing way to provide a warm handoff so that people have all of their needs served. He believed in the justice system, but it didnt do right by him., Do I feel like he got robbed? There was a lot of internal pressure.. Harrelson thought that was the day he had to kill the judge.. On Christmas Eve 1978, two thugs robbed Lees law office and killed him. The evidence gathered against Harrelson was somewhat tenuous, and included testimony from Joseph Chagra in return for a reduced sentence, and a letter from Elizabeth Chagra that claimed she had delivered money to Harrelson as a payoff for the murder. Reports suggest Prince Charles will live "in a flat above the shop" when he becomes king. They talked about assassinating Judge Wood. Chagra made frequent trips to Las Vegas, arriving with suitcases stuffed with millions of dollars in cash. Without his brother's testimony, Jamiel was acquitted of conspiracy to murder charges. Copyright 2023 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The gun rap seemed routine until Harrelson was arrested following a cocaine-induced standoff near Van Horn, at which time his motive became clear. March 3 (UPI) -- A sheep spotted wandering loose on a British highway was given a lift back to its owner by a concerned bus driver on her first day on the job. Joseph Chagra did not testify. He was bringing in freighter ships of marijuana in the 70s.. The map led the feds to learn that the murder weapon had been purchased by Harrelsons wife, Jo Ann. Jamiel Chagra: 15 years and $120,000 fine. Jo Ann Harrelson Family Tree & History, Ancestry & Genealogy They pulled out all the stops. Wood died in 1979 when he was assassinated by Charles Harrelson. The Center works with its partners to meet the needs of the community in areas such as safe and affordable housing, education, employment, health care and family support. Woody Harrelson, the actor who played the part of the affable bartender in the television series Cheers, and also the lead in The People vs. Larmy Flynt, mounted an appeal in 1998, hiring famed criminal attorney Alan Dershowitz. Jimmy's trial was scheduled to begin on the day the judge died. The sensational case resulted in a book, Dirty Dealings, by the late journalist Gary Cartwright, television crime dramas and a mention at Las Vegas Mob Museum. He could have gone unnoticed for a long time, but he couldnt resist going to Las Vegas to see a cosmetic surgeon. If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. While awaiting trial, Chagra came into contact with career criminal Charles Harrelson, father of actor Woody Harrelson, in Las Vegas. Joe was a genuinely nice guy who was congenitally unable to say no. Jamiel Chagra: separate trial on murder, conspiracy to murder, conspiracy to obstruct justice; drug conspiracy and trafficking charges; separate indictment on income tax evasionChief Defense Lawyers: Charles Harrelson: Thomas G. Sharpe, Jr.; Jo Ann Harrelson: Charles Champion; Elizabeth Chagra: Warren Burnett; Jamiel Chagra: Oscar B. GoodmanChief Prosecutor: Ray JahnJudge: William SessionsPlaces: Charles Harrelson: San Antonio, Texas. Joes testimony put Harrelson in prison for life; ironically, in his separate trial, Jimmy was acquitted, thanks largely to Joes unwillingness to testify against him. Chip Gaines Bought Larry McMurtrys Historic Texas Bookstore. The prosecution produced no murder weapon or any eyewitnesses. In 2006, he did some videotaped interviews with Las Vegas journalist Jack Sheehan. 3 ARE FOUND GUILTY IN ASSASSINATION OF FEDERAL JUDGE When Chagras former drug-smuggling partner Henry Wallace turned and became a witness, the charges against Chagra were increased and he faced the prospect of life in prison without parole. Woody Harrelson's assassin father dies in prison - chron.com Because he was a model prisoner Joe ended up spending only six and a half years behind bars. Drug Dealer's Wife Is Guilty. Jo Ann, convicted of conspiracy to obstruct justice and perjury, was later paroled. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. British bus driver stops to give loose sheep a lift. SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- A convicted hit man's wife Monday won a first round in her battle with federal prosecutors who want her jailed for refusing to testify against her husband in the probe of the slaying of a federal judge. Years later, the trial of Charles V. Harrelson revealed that Bill Bannister was a pseudonym Harrelson used to help track the judge, who was shot in the back outside his Alamo Heights townhome less than 2 miles from the motel as he was leaving for work.