Lamar County juries heard evidence and returned guilty verdicts in three separate trials between April 18th and April 26th, according to the Lamar County District Attorney’s Office.
On Thursday, April 18th, a jury found Landon Kyle Allen guilty of Intoxication Manslaughter and Intoxication Assault. Allen lost control of his truck after a night of drinking and rolled over, killing one passenger and injuring a second one. Allen pleaded guilty to a jury, who assessed punishment of 5 years in prison on the manslaughter count and probation on the assault count. Allen will be eligible for release on parole after two and a half years and begin his probation supervision once released.
On Monday, April 22nd, a second jury found Taj Lee guilty of one count of Possession of a Controlled Substance Less than 1 Gram and one count of Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance 4 to 200 Grams. While executing a warrant on Lee’s residence for an unrelated investigation, Paris detectives discovered 20 grams of cocaine, an amount consistent with distribution. The next day, after hearing about Lee’s prior prison sentences, the jury returned a sentence of 45 years in prison.
The third jury found Gabrielle McDowell guilty of Evading Arrest or Detention with a Vehicle on Friday, April 26th. McDowell fled the scene of a disturbance call and refused to stop when a Paris police officer responded to the scene. McDowell eventually stopped a few blocks away and was arrested. After being shown video of the pursuit, the jury returned a guilty verdict. McDowell agreed to probation in exchange for waiving her right to appeal, which will save Lamar County taxpayers thousands of dollars.
Lamar County District Attorney Gary Young said, “This week, our citizens worked very hard to resolve these cases. Another twenty-five cases were resolved by guilty pleas this month rather than face a Lamar County jury.”
The cases were all tried in the 6th District Court before Judge Wes Tidwell. Allen was prosecuted by Nick Stallings and represented by Paul Rosemergy. Lee was prosecuted by Gary Young and represented by David Turner. McDowell was prosecuted by Erin Lewis and represented by Paul Rosemergy.
