Testimony begins in Upshur County murder trial - KYTX CBS 19 Tyler Longview News Weather Sports

GILMER (TYLER MORNING TELEGRAPH) -- Testimony in the murder trial of Glenn Wade Myers, Jr. opened today with the daughter-in-law of shooting victim Cindy Espinoza testifying she saw Myers with a gun near the shooting scene after she heard a gunshot.

Myers, 55, of Big Sandy, is charged with shooting his sister, 52-year-old Cindy Espinoza, outside her rural Nutmeg Road near Big Sandy last July 2. He pleaded not guilty Monday, one week after a 6-man, 6-woman jury was seated for the trial in 115th District Court.

Mrs. Espinoza's daughter-in-law, Nochell White, said she was talking on the phone in her home on the family property when she heard a gunshot.

"I saw Glenn running across the clearing" between his trailer and Ms. Espinoza's home, Ms. White testified. "He had a gun in his hand. . .He was moving at a fast pace, but he was hobbling because he had a limp."

The victim's daughter, Dawn Tigue, testified before Ms. White and wept as she testified about the events of July 2. She said she was sitting on her bed, reading a book when "I heard a boom."

She said she went out on the front porch, looked off to the side, and saw her mother lying on the ground. She said she called her mother's name, but got no response, and that she called 911.

After that, she said, she returned to her mother to find blood and "I saw that part of her mouth was missing." She said she then went to her brother's house and told Ms. White "something happened to mom."

Every time she screamed for help, Ms. Tigue testified, music from a radio in Myers's house "would just get louder and louder." She said her mother had just showered and was going over to collect rent from Myers, who lived on the property.

A recording of the scream-filled and sometimes-incoherent 911 call, apparently from Ms. Tigue and Ms. White, was presented to the jury before the women testified.

Assistant District Attorney Edward Choy is lead prosecutor on the case, while Gilmer attorney Tim Cone represents Myers. District Judge Lauren Parish is presiding over the trial, which District Attorney Billy Byrd said recently could last up to three days.