WHAT WILL THE MARIJUANA ADVOCATES SAY ABOUT THIS POT CRIME?

Two McMurry University football players could face the death penalty after a grand jury indicts them on capital murder charges over the fatal shooting of a Fort Worth man during a botched marijuana robbery

by Ryan Osborne

Star-Telegram
May 3, 2017

FORT WORTH -- A grand jury last month indicted two McMurry University football players in the killing of a man in east Fort Worth in January, while declining to indict a third player, according to court records.

Dontrell Dock, 20, of Conroe and Brodrick Ross, 18, of Bryan were indicted April 13 on capital murder charges in the shooting death of Chris-Dion Russell, 29.

The grand jury declined to indict Ryan McBeth, 21, of Fort Worth, who was also arrested in the case.

The three played football for the small Methodist school in Abilene in 2016 and were enrolled at the time of their arrests in January. School officials did not respond to a request Wednesday for information about their status with the university.

Dock and Ross had named McBeth, a North Crowley High School graduate, as the gunman, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

However, the indictments pinned the shooting on Dock and Ross and said the two killed Russell while robbing him at his apartment in the 1700 block of East Robert Street on Jan. 11.

The affidavit had alleged that Dock, Ross and McBeth had gone to Russell’s apartment to steal marijuana.

Russell was shot in the chest and taken to the hospital, where he died about an hour later.

Detectives linked the suspects to the case after watching surveillance video from the night of the shooting and seeing a Chrysler 300 leave Russell’s apartment.

The car was traced to Ross’s brother, who told police that Ross had used it that night, according to the affidavits. The brother also told police that Ross told him the car was used to commit a robbery and that someone had been shot.

Attorney Leon Haley, who represented McBeth, declined to comment Wednesday. Jeff Kearney, another attorney for McBeth, could not be reached.

Attorneys for Ross and Dock did not respond to requests for comment. Court dates have not been scheduled for either defendant.

EDITOR’S NOTE: I know exactly what the marijuana advocates will say. If pot were only legal in Texas, these poor black boys would not now be facing the death penalty.