GUILTY TX - Tommy McGraw, Beth Wilburn & James Oatis, slain, League City, Nov 1983 *Arrest*

[Niner]

Thursday, May 18th:
*Trial continues (Day 9) (@ 9am CT) - TX - Thomas Earl McGraw, Jr. (28), Beth Yvette Wilburn (25) & James Craig Oatis (22) all slain in the Corvette Concepts garage, League City, Nov. 2, 1983. *Jesse Dean Kersh (25 @ time of crime/58/now 65) arrested & charged (1/26/16) & indicted (4/21/16) with 3 counts of 1st degree felony murder. Bond $150K.
Trial was set to begin on 10/10/22 with jury selection. Jury was selected, but trial has been cancelled.
Trial began on 5/2/23. Felony Division Chief Assistant District Attorney Kayla Allen is assisting First Assistant DA Kevin Petroff in the prosecution of the case.
Case & court info from 2/14/16 to 9/26/22, Jury selection (10/10/22) & Trial Day 1-6 (5/2-5/15/23) reference post #77 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...lain-league-city-nov-1983-arrest.32808/page-4
5/16/23 Tuesday, Trial Day 7: State witness: FBI Agent Richard Rennison back on stand. ?? Trial continues on Wednesday, 5/17/23 & expected to last the rest of this week.
5/17/23 Wednesday, Trial Day 8: No info available. Trial continues on Thursday, 5/18/23.

 

[Seattle1]

I was just looking at what his bond is... 150K for 3 counts of 1st degree murder???

@Seattle1 - what does the court site have? That has to be Wrong?! on what I have!

Confirming bail set at $150K

Suspect in '83 League City triple-slaying out of jail on bond

www.houstonchronicle.com

2/8/2016

The man arrested for the 1983 murders of three young people at a Corvette repair shop in League City has been released from the Galveston County jail after posting bond.

Jesse Dean Kersh, 58, posted bond Friday and was released from the jail, according to an official from the Galveston County Jail.

Kersh had been jailed since his arrest Jan. 26 on $150,000 bond. A call to Kersh's attorney was not immediately returned.

 

[Niner]

Not coming up with any current articles.

Friday, May 19th:
*Trial continues (Day 10) (@ 9am CT) - TX - Thomas Earl McGraw, Jr. (28), Beth Yvette Wilburn (25) & James Craig Oatis (22) all slain in the Corvette Concepts garage, League City, Nov. 2, 1983. *Jesse Dean Kersh (25 @ time of crime/58/now 65) arrested & charged (1/26/16) & indicted (4/21/16) with 3 counts of 1st degree felony murder. Bond $150K. Posted bond (2/5/16). Out of jail.
Trial was set to begin on 10/10/22 with jury selection. Jury was selected, but trial has been cancelled.
Trial began on 5/2/23. Felony Division Chief Assistant District Attorney Kayla Allen is assisting First Assistant DA Kevin Petroff in the prosecution of the case.
Case & court info from 2/14/16 to 9/26/22, Jury selection (10/10/22) & Trial Day 1-7 (5/2-5/16/23) reference post #81 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...lain-league-city-nov-1983-arrest.32808/page-5
5/17/23 Wednesday, Trial Day 8: No info available. Trial continues on Thursday, 5/18/23.
5/18/23 Thursday, Trial Day 9: No info available. Trial continues on Friday, 5/19/23.

 

[Niner]

The most current article coming up for me is 5/2/23 - so still no updates on what is happening in court. So I think the trial is ongoing...


Monday, May 22nd:
*Trial continues (Day 11) (@ 9am CT) - TX - Thomas Earl McGraw, Jr. (28), Beth Yvette Wilburn (25) & James Craig Oatis (22) all slain in the Corvette Concepts garage, League City, Nov. 2, 1983. *Jesse Dean Kersh (25 @ time of crime/58/now 65) arrested & charged (1/26/16) & indicted (4/21/16) with 3 counts of 1st degree felony murder. Bond $150K. Posted bond (2/5/16). Out of jail.
Trial was set to begin on 10/10/22 with jury selection. Jury was selected, but trial has been cancelled.
Trial began on 5/2/23. Felony Division Chief Assistant District Attorney Kayla Allen is assisting First Assistant DA Kevin Petroff in the prosecution of the case.
Case & court info from 2/14/16 to 9/26/22, Jury selection (10/10/22) & Trial Day 1-9 (5/2-5/18/23) reference post #83 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...lain-league-city-nov-1983-arrest.32808/page-5
5/19/23 Friday, Trial Day 10: No info available. Trial continues on Monday, 5/22/23.

 

[Niner]

I am guessing this trial is still ongoing - definitely NOT finding anything...


Tuesday, May 23rd:
*Trial continues (Day 12) (@ 9am CT) - TX - Thomas Earl McGraw, Jr. (28), Beth Yvette Wilburn (25) & James Craig Oatis (22) all slain in the Corvette Concepts garage, League City, Nov. 2, 1983. *Jesse Dean Kersh (25 @ time of crime/58/now 65) arrested & charged (1/26/16) & indicted (4/21/16) with 3 counts of 1st degree felony murder. Bond $150K. Posted bond (2/5/16). Out of jail.
Trial was set to begin on 10/10/22 with jury selection. Jury was selected, but trial has been cancelled.
Trial began on 5/2/23. Felony Division Chief Assistant District Attorney Kayla Allen is assisting First Assistant DA Kevin Petroff in the prosecution of the case.
Case & court info from 2/14/16 to 9/26/22, Jury selection (10/10/22) & Trial Day 1-9 (5/2-5/8/23) reference post #83 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...lain-league-city-nov-1983-arrest.32808/page-5
5/19/23 Friday, Trial Day 10: No info available. Trial continues on Monday, 5/22/23.
5/22/23 Monday, Trial Day 11: No info available. Trial continues on Tuesday, 5/23/23.

 

[Niner]

'I did not kill anybody,' man charged in Corvette Concepts killings asserts

Jesse Dean Kersh took the stand Monday as the Corvette Concepts triple homicide trial approaches its conclusion.

www.galvnews.com

May 23, 2023
Jesse Dean Kersh took the stand in his own defense Monday to assert his innocence against three murder charges from 40 years ago.


Unfortunately this is all I see. I subscribed to their paper - but that stupid pop up TO subscribe keeps popping up - and I am logged in....

Maybe someone with better luck can find another article.

 

[Niner]

Maybe the jury is going to start deliberations tomorrow...

 

[Seattle1]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1660850567508369410

 

[Seattle1]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1659036608048267265

 

[Seattle1]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1658321398912241664

 

[Seattle1]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1656147095638687746

 

[Seattle1]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1654697517446217729

 

[Seattle1]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1654335131149127680

 

[Seattle1]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1653972744248107015

 

[Seattle1]

Maybe someone with better luck can find another article.

I'm paywalled and don't think any other outlet but Galvnews covering this trial. Perhaps if you clear your cookies, you can log in and read links from the tweets I posted (all I could find).

 

[Seattle1]

'I did not kill anybody,' man charged in Corvette Concepts killings asserts

Jesse Dean Kersh took the stand Monday as the Corvette Concepts triple homicide trial approaches its conclusion.

www.galvnews.com

May 23, 2023
Jesse Dean Kersh took the stand in his own defense Monday to assert his innocence against three murder charges from 40 years ago.


Unfortunately this is all I see. I subscribed to their paper - but that stupid pop up TO subscribe keeps popping up - and I am logged in....

Maybe someone with better luck can find another article.

From the quoted link:

DEFENSE QUESTIONING​

Rekoff asked Kersh about his relationships with Wilburn and McGraw, who were dating at the time of the killings. Kersh testified that he and Wilburn had a good relationship and McGraw was a nice guy and very outgoing.

Kersh testified that on the night of Nov. 2, 1983, he left the shop about 7 p.m. and Wilburn and Oatis were still in the building. Prosecutors claimed the killings were triggered by complaints of sloppy work by Kersh, who “snapped” when Wilburn yelled at him. Rekoff asked Kersh directly whether he killed Wilburn for yelling at him and subsequently killed McGraw and Oatis.

“Beth never said anything about the customers being frustrated with the work,” Kersh said. “But that would be no reason to kill somebody anyway. I am not that kind of person.

“Tommy never showed me any disrespect. I did not kill anybody.”

That same night, Corvette Concepts employees, including Kersh and the victims, joked about co-owner Bob Currie having a date. Kersh stopped at several bars to see whether he could find Currie’s vehicle, before continuing on to “Rockers” to see a band, Kersh testified. Kersh also testified he was asked to leave the club after falling asleep and “had too many.”

[..]

Kersh said he stopped for food on the way home, noting the exact meal — red beans and rice — he had nearly 40 years ago, before returning to the home he shared with Currie and Currie’s brother, who were not back at that time.

Kersh continued to work at the shop for about another year before moving on and said he needed a change, going back to school and getting into the computer field. He was interviewed on Feb. 21, 1985, and told investigators that when he left work on Nov. 2, 1983, Wilburn, Oatis and McGraw were all in the building and alive. He also told Rekoff he didn’t believe he was a suspect at that time.

​

STATE QUESTIONING​

Petroff asked Kersh about his relationships with the victims. Kersh said he worked well with them and socialized with his co-workers. But Kersh said Wilburn could be condescending to employees, although he didn’t experience that any more than anyone else.

Questioning between Kersh and Petroff became heated as Petroff grilled him about the four bars he said he stopped at before reaching the show he intended to go to. Kersh appeared frustrated as Petroff rhetorically asked why he could remember his meal 40 years later but not the bars and the order in which he visited them.

The case stayed cold until October 2006, when Darryl Krogman told FBI agents he had been present when Kersh bought a .22-caliber pistol at a gun show, according to an affidavit.

Krogman also told investigators that, at Kersh’s request, he had made a “silencer” for a handgun shortly after that purchase and about six months before the murders.

Kersh had previously denied owning a .22-caliber handgun.

[..]

The jury could be handed the case as soon as Tuesday.

 

[Niner]

The first tweet article worked fine - but the rest asked again for a subscription. I did clear my cookies - so I do not know what is going on with the newspaper! Frustrated to say the least.

So the juror might have gotten the case today - so I will put that down & we will be on Verdict Watch as far as I can tell!

And thanks for all those tweets - but I am not going to go back & update my notes. If someone wants to know who the witnesses were - they can read all you posted!

 

[Niner]

I looked on The Daily News to see if they had any updates for yesterdays trial. To see if there was closing & jury received the case. All I can see on there is that the jury DID start deliberations yesterday. If anyone can find out - maybe WHEN they started & ended for the day. I like to keep notes on how many hours they spent. TIA!


The Daily News
@GalvNews
·
3h
A jury will determine the fate of Jesse Dean Kersh after both sides presented their closing arguments Tuesday.

Deliberations begin in 40-year-old triple-homicide case

A jury will determine the fate of Jesse Dean Kersh after both sides presented their closing arguments Tuesday.

www.galvnews.com

link: https://twitter.com/GalvNews?ref_sr...lain-league-city-nov-1983-arrest.32808/page-5

 

[Niner]

Wednesday, May 24th:
*Trial continues (Day 13)-VERDICT WATCH! (Day 2) (@ 9am CT) - TX - Thomas Earl McGraw, Jr. (28), Beth Yvette Wilburn (25) & James Craig Oatis (22) all slain in the Corvette Concepts garage, League City, Nov. 2, 1983. *Jesse Dean Kersh (25 @ time of crime/58/now 65) arrested & charged (1/26/16) & indicted (4/21/16) with 3 counts of 1st degree felony murder. Bond $150K. Posted bond (2/5/16). Out of jail.
Trial was set to begin on 10/10/22 with jury selection. Jury was selected, but trial has been cancelled.
Trial began on 5/2/23. Felony Division Chief Assistant District Attorney Kayla Allen is assisting First Assistant DA Kevin Petroff in the prosecution of the case.
Case & court info from 2/14/16 to 9/26/22, Jury selection (10/10/22) & Trial Day 1-11 (5/2-5/22/23) reference post #85 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...lain-league-city-nov-1983-arrest.32808/page-5
5/22/23 Monday, Trial Day 11: Defense witness: Jesse Kersh. No other info available. Trial continues on Tuesday, 5/23/23.
5/23/23 Tuesday, Trial Day 12/Verdict Watch Day 1: Could be closing arguments & jury deliberations started. Trial continues on Wednesday, 5/24/23 with jury deliberations.

 

[Niner]

Got an article in my alerts - that I can at least read!

Jury deliberates in brutal triple homicide trial from League City in 1983

A jury is deciding if a man murdered his boss and two others in a brutal triple homicide in League City in 1983.

www.fox26houston.com

May 23, 2023
LEAGUE CITY, Texas - A jury is deciding if a man murdered his boss at Corvette Concept, and two others during a brutal triple homicide in League City in 1983.

The trial is being held at the Galveston County Courthouse and closing Arguments wrapped up Tuesday around 3:15 p.m.
[.....]
Jurors are now deliberating trying to figure out if a man who worked at the shop is the killer.

"The evidence is indisputable," prosecuting attorney Kayla Allen told jurors.
[.....]
Defense attorneys are blaming the killings on the shop’s co-owner, Bob Currie, who was Wilburn’s ex-boyfriend. Currie was never charged with the triple murder.

"Bob still had passion for Beth, and he was jealous of Tommy," says Defense Attorney Kevin Rekoff. "We’ve learned Beth put him in a financial position, and he was up to his ears."
[.....]
Kersh who testified in his own defense says that isn’t true, and says he did not commit the triple murder. Jurors began deliberating around 3:20 p.m. and were sent home for the day at 5 p.m. and are expected to resume deliberations at 9 a.m.