High Profile Shreveport Murder Trial Is Abruptly Stopped
The murder trial of the man accused of killing a local couple in Shreveport has been halted. Dewayne Willie Watkins is on trial for the murder of Heather and Kelly Jose. He faces two counts of first degree murder.
Jury selection kicked off on Monday and just before opening arguments were to start, Caddo District Court Judge John Mosely halted the proceedings and declared a mistrial in the case. The lead prosecutor tested positive for Covid-19 and a key witness was also symptomatic.32-year-old Heather Jose and her 43-year-old husband Kelly Jose were killed after allegedly giving Watkins a ride from Mall St. Vincent in 2018. He stopped them as they were walking to their car and asked to use a cell phone. He then asked for a ride and they agreed to give him a lift.
He allegedly forced Heather Jose to withdraw money from her ATM. The couple was found burned beyond recognition in a vehicle in the carport of a vacant home on Penick Street in Shreveport's Queensborough neighborhood. Watkins was arrested after a standoff with police several days after the alleged killings.
The Jose family is disappointed with this decision, but the District Attorney says he can not assign another prosecutor to the case because they would not be up to speed on the details of the case.
Prosecutors and the defense attorneys agreed to the mistrial and a new trial date, which was set for August 22.