Godley woman was shot at near point-blank range, medical examiner tells jury

UPDATE: 4:30 p.m.

A Godley woman killed during a two-county crime spree was shot by a handgun that was no more than 8inches from her head, Tarrant County Deputy Chief Medical Examiner Marc Krouse told jurors in the capital murder trial of Mark Anthony Soliz.

Krouse began testifying late Wednesday about the death of 61-year-old Nancy Weatherly, who died June 29, 2010.

Soliz is accused of being the gunman who killed her as part of string of crimes that also left Fort Worth beer deliveryman, Ruben Martinez, dead.

Soliz is also facing capital murder charges in Tarrant County in Martinez's death. Another man, Jose "Joe" Ramos, is also facing capital murder charges in the death of Weatherly and Martinez.

-Dianna Hunt

UPDATE: 1:30 p.m.

Accused killer Mark Anthony Soliz was written up by Johnson County authorities for moving the bracket on this "belly restraints" while being transported back to jail after court, prosecutors told the judge Wednesday in his capital murder trial.

Johnson County Assistant District Attorney Martin Strahan did not indicate if authorities considered him to be an escape risk, but said they wanted to notify state District Judge William Bosworth about the Tuesday incident.

The notification was made outside the jury's presence. Testimony then resumed with a former Fort Worth crime scene investigator.

-Dianna Hunt

UPDATE: 11 a.m.

CLEBURNE - It's been CSI: Fort Worth in the capital murder trial Wednesday of Mark Anthony Soliz.

A series of crime scene investigators from the Fort Worth police department have been detailing the evidence they collected at crime scenes all over town during what prosecutors say was an 8-day crime spree over two counties by Soliz and a co-defendant Jose "Joe" Ramos.

Investigators have found bullets, shell casings, blood and DNA from a series of stolen vehicles, drive-by shootings, armed robberies and the fatal shooting of beer deliveryman Ruben Martinez between June 22-29, 2010.

Soliz is standing trial in the shooting death of 61-year-old Nancy Weatherly, of Godley, who was killed during a robbery of her rural home. If convicted, Soliz could face the death penalty.

Ramos is awaiting trial in Weatherly's death, and both men have been charged with capital murder in Tarrant County in the death of Martinez.

The Tarrant County medical examiner is expected to testify this afternoon before state District Judge Bill Bosworth.

Among the members of the audience is an independent sketch artist who has begun sketching the courtroom action.

-Dianna Hunt

Comments

[ACitizen]

Public executions should be reinstated.