Two more capital murder cases filed

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August 22, 2012

Two more capital murder cases filed

By BRAD KELLAR Herald-Banner Staff The Herald-Banner Wed Aug 22, 2012, 09:33 AM CDT

GREENVILLE — Hunt County will be prosecuting two more capital murder cases.

Two indictments alleging capital murder are scheduled to be made public during arraignment hearings this morning in the 196th District Court.

The specifics concerning the charges alleged in the indictments were not immediately known as of press time, although the Herald-Banner has learned the names of the individuals indicted.

Markus Ladane Stephenson and George Washington Sharper are currently in state prison custody. Stephenson, 24, formerly of Greenville and Sharper, 33, formerly of Commerce, were scheduled to be bench warranted and returned to local custody as of today. Neither individual was listed as being in custody at the Hunt County Jail as of Tuesday.

The indictments alleging capital murder by terroristic threat/other felony were issued sealed by the Hunt County grand jury and will become open records when Sharper and Stephenson appear for their arraignments.

The pair were previously charged in connection with an armed hold-up in Commerce five years ago.

Sharper and Stevenson were among three people arrested on the night of July 23, 2007 after a report of an armed robbery in the 2500 block of Solomon Drive in Commerce, during which eight pairs of athletic shoes and three rings were stolen at gunpoint. Shoes, rings, two handguns and 11 bags of what was believed to be crack cocaine were found later that evening inside the vehicle in which they were riding. Stephenson was also alleged to have threatened a female victim with a handgun while sexually assaulting her.

Under a plea bargain arrangement, Stephenson was later sentenced to 12 years in the Texas Department of Criminal justice-Institutional Division after pleading guilty to possessing the cocaine.

Sharper was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including the robbery.

Capital murder carries an automatic sentence upon conviction of either life in prison without parole or death by lethal injection.

Hunt County currently has three defendants charged involving two alleged capital murders. The District Attorney’s Office is seeking the death penalty for each of the defendants, should they be convicted of capital murder.