A 19-year-old named Nicholas Hudson has been indicted on a murder charge in connection to a tragic incident that took place at the Royal Crest apartment complex in March. The indictment was handed down on June 15 by a grand jury in Smith County.
The shooting, which resulted in the deaths of two individuals, 19-year-old Donovan Dodd and 17-year-old Ladarius Jackson, occurred late in the evening. When the police arrived at the scene, they discovered the lifeless bodies of Dodd and Jackson inside a parked vehicle, each having sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
Initially, two other defendants were charged with capital murder related to the incident. However, the grand jury decided not to pursue charges against them, leading to a "no bill" decision. In the case of Nicholas Hudson, the grand jury chose to proceed with murder charges, and he remains in custody at the Smith County Jail. The total bond amount for Hudson has been set at $2 million.
Richard Vance, an official from the Smith County District Attorney's Office, declined to comment on the specific reasons why the grand jury proceeded with charges against Hudson while dismissing them against the others. Vance explained that grand jury proceedings are confidential. However, he did mention that Texas grand juries have the authority to consider justifications and defenses for crimes.
According to the arrest warrant, Hudson, along with Jackson and Dodd, had arranged to trade a Springfield XD 9mm pistol and $400 in cash for an AR-15 assault rifle with an individual in the apartment complex's parking lot. Hudson later informed the police that he was aware of Dodd and Jackson's intention to rob the individual involved in the trade.
The warrant states that during the encounter, Jackson unexpectedly turned around and shot the person they were trading with in the thigh using the Springfield pistol. Subsequently, that person managed to seize the pistol from Jackson and fired multiple shots at Dodd and Jackson, resulting in their deaths.
Hudson, as per the warrant, denied exiting the vehicle before the exchange and claimed to have fled the scene after the shooting ceased.
The date for Hudson's next court appearance has not yet been determined.
