Mr. Harrelson's wife, Jo Ann, was found guilty of conspiracy to obstruct justice, the only charge against her in this case. But his wife was not released and died of ovarian cancer at age 41. SHREVEPORT, La. March 3 (UPI) -- A Kentucky man who stopped to buy some breakfast said he lost his appetite when he won $50,000 from a scratch-off lottery ticket. Rob Condon, Executive Director, Young Scientists Academy, "We have been at the Harrelson Center for 3 years and it's been a dream come true! https://www.encyclopedia.com/law/law-magazines/charles-harrelson-trial-1982-83, "Charles Harrelson Trial: 1982-83 Whats Up With All the Kangaroos on the Loose in Texas? When Chagras former drug-smuggling partner Henry Wallace turned and became a witness, the charges against Chagra were increased and he faced the prospect of life in prison without parole. Judge Sessions gave Chagra only 10 additional years on his sentence, making him eligible for parole in 2007. In an earlier trial, Mrs. Harrelson's husband, Charles Harrelson, was convicted of the 1979 assassination of U.S. District Judge John H. Wood Jr. in San Antonio, Texas, the only such killing of a sitting federal judge this century. Harrelson's jury found him guilty of murder of a federal employee, and he was also convicted on the charges of conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to obstruct justice. On another visit Jimmy told Joe, Youre the one who said, Do it, do it, do it. Joe tried to conceal his shock by talking tough, saying he never thought his brother would hire an asshole like Harrelson. It was a big deal; there was a lot of interest in the case, said Millsap, who later served as Bexar County district attorney. Goodman made a six-hour final argument without a break. "Charles Harrelson Trial: 1982-83 March 2 (UPI) -- A Maryland woman scored a $100,000 prize from a scratch-off lottery ticket less than 12 hours after she scored an $11,000 jackpot at a casino. ", Emilie Hart, Regional Director for the Cape Fear Chapter of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Raleigh, "As other partners joined the Center, CIS was able to connect our families to more resources. As each juror affirmed the vote of guilty on counts of conspiracy to murder, murder and conspiracy to obstruct justice, several had tears in their eyes and one woman shook visibly and broke into sobs. Find out more about his hitman father, Charles Harrelson, here. Chagra was once held by Colombian authorities after his drug-smuggling plane crashed there. Space-X continues to reach for the stars. 'I have ordered the hearing continued and you can logically assume what that means,' Sessions said. They werent taking no for an answer, defense lawyer Brown said. Harrelson reported back that Wood could not be corrupted but had to be killed. A few days later they returned a not-guilty verdict to the murder charge. He gave us details that only he knew, Ray Jahn said. This is a carousel. Jo Ann Harrelson tried for perjury, and Jamiel and Elizabeth Chagra tried for tax evasion in Shreveport, Louisiana.Dates of Trials: October 7, 1982-December 14, 1982 (Charles Harrelson, Jo Ann Harrelson, Elizabeth Chagra); January 10, 1983-February 7, 1983 (Jamiel Chagra); March 1983 (Chagra trials for tax evasion and Jo Ann Harrelson trial for perjury)Verdicts: Charles Harrelson: guilty of murder of federal judge, conspiracy to murder, conspiracy to obstruct justice. Joe Chagra ended At least two grand juries have investigated the slaying for more than two years, and U.S. Attorney General William Webster last March said indictments were near, but no charges have been levied in the case. ", "We value the Harrelson Center for the resources that they give us every day for our community, "Since Voyage moved into The Harrelson Center in January, our partnership and combined programming has only strengthened. Donald asks the courts to let him tweet. On Dec. 14, 1982, a Federal jury in San Antonio found Mr. Harrelson guilty of conspiracy to murder, murder and conspiracy to obstruct justice. He set up his family on a farm in Kansas. He has also covered immigration, minority affairs and legal affairs as part of the projects team here and for other print, TV and radio outlets. The pair wed in 2001 and share four children, but their political differences during the Trump administration took a toll on their relationship. Texas Lege Watch: A House Republican Fights for Chicken Freedom, Texas Monthly Recognized by ASME in the 2023 National Magazine Awards. killed Judge Wood in exchange for a promised $250,000 payment by Jamiel Chagra. A lot of the early investigation went off on some tangents, and they rounded up some Bandidos, lawyer Campion said. "Charles Harrelson Trial: 1982-83 -- Jo Ann Harrelson, a former Las Vegas gambler and wife of the hitman convicted of killing a federal judge, was found guilty of perjury -- the latest in a string of convictions in the case. Thursday, May 28: Oscar's "Case of the Century": The Life Courthouse in San Antonio, Texas, Tuesday morning, September 28, 1982, to begin the trial for the May 1979 murder of Federal Judge John H. Wood, Jr.( AP PHOTO/ STEVE KRAUSS). 10/19/1981 - Charles V. Harrelson, charged in the murder of U.S. District Judge John H. Wood, in court. In death as in life, El Paso crime family scion Joe Chagra is getting a bad rap. ", & Dr. It was then, the Government asserted, that ''the fear began. Kathryn Wood, the widow of the slain judge, provided a five-page handwritten letter from Elizabeth Chagra, apologizing for her involvement in the murder. The Chagras said they were convinced that Judge Wood, who was scheduled to preside over Jimmy's case, had a bias against them. Judge Wood hated my brother Lee so much that he wanted a Chagra any way he could get him, Chagra said, according to a clip of the interviews posted on the internet. He claimed that a fellow gambler, George (Pete) Kay had bilked Jamiel Chagra by claiming that Charles Harrelson had killed the judge and should collect the $250,000 fee. Jimmy told me he was never going to get a fair trial and asked if I thought he should try having Judge Wood killed, Joe Chagra testified, according to newspaper stories at the time. The case has prompted Mrs. Harrelson to attempt suicide and caused her to temporarily disown her two daughters for having affairs with Harrelson during their marriage. But in the interviews, Chagra described himself as a megalomaniac.. Investigators suspected that the murder was somehow connected to the growing drug trade in Texas. Bikers and other street toughs were dragged in on hold-over charges. It is believed to be correct at the time of inputting and is presented here in good faith. Goodman is one of the nations best criminal defense attorneys and was named one of the 15 Best Trial Lawyers in America by the National Law Journal. As a result, people used him. "Foster Pantry moved on campus in May 2021 after joining the Harrelson Center initially as an Associate Partner in 2019. In 1979, a federal grand jury in Midland, Texas, indicted Chagra on drug smuggling charges. From online or printed Charles Harrelson was a master at creating alibis, screens and layers between him and his crimes, according to retired federal prosecutor Ray Jahn, who with his wife, LeRoy Jahn, prosecuted Harrelson and his co-defendants. Charles got double life sentences. The hearing was the first in which federal prosecutors have failed to obtain a contempt citation against people refusing to testify before the grand jury investigating the fatal shooting of U.S. District Judge John H. Wood Jr. Two of those people recently were released. One, Jerry Ray James, befriended Jamiel Chagra in prison and allowed his conversations to be secretly taped. By that time the FBI investigation into the judges assassination was more than two years old. Charles Harrelson's son, the actor Woody Harrelson, later supported a motion for a retrial, based on both the inadequacy of the original defense and the federal government's methods of gathering evidence. Judge Woods 1979 slaying by Charles Harrelson was crime of the century, San Antonio Zoo has a long but spotty history with giraffes. Bobby Harrelson said it best in Crazy Like A Fox, an article in Wilmington Magazine. Less than a year before Judge Wood was slain, Lee Chagra, Joseph's older brother, who had defended numerous narcotics suspects in Judge Wood's court, was killed in his office by armed robbers. circular of wanted people as a ''carpet salesman, professional gambler and narcotics trafficker.''. with Diane Harrelson{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Diane Harrelson", "gender": "Female" }. Support is Ive published three articles in this magazine about Wood and the Chagras, but Ive never written all I knowuntil now. And You Thought Feral Hogs Were Bad. Elizabeth Chagra died in prison of ovarian cancer in September 1997 at age 43. Mrs. Harrelson bought the rifle under a fictitious name, Fay King, or faking. March 3 (UPI) -- A 7-year-old Louisiana boy with a firm grasp of baseball rules is seeking a Guinness World Record as the world's youngest umpire. The reward was eventually paid out to a handful of people who included a horrible creton bankrobber who shared a jail cell with Charles Harrelson, a woman who delivered the $250,000 payout for the hit to Harrelson, and a kid who found a piece of the murder rifle in a creek bed, said Sam Millsap, who chaired the reward committee. He was a cheat, he was a con man and he was a murderer. The case was unique in that the courts all the way up the line blessed the decisions below, Campion said of appeals that followed. All relationship and family history information shown on FameChain has been compiled from data in the public domain. He also testified that Mr. Kay borrowed his car, a gold-colored Oldsmobile Cutlass, similar to one seen speeding from the judge's apartment complex the morning of the slaying. Jo Ann Harrelson was summoned before a federal grand jury in the Western District of Texas investigating her husband's complicity in the murder. The desire to give and serve others stems from a place of earnest compassion. He won the first ever Nevada Screenwriters Award in 1988 and the Lowell Thomas Award for outstanding travel writing in 1991. Instead, that day he was shot as he was leaving for court. Whether they are seeking financial help, spiritual help, whether they are looking for a job, clothing, food or encouragement, a listening ear or someone to help build them up, people can come here because it is not only in the heart of Wilmington but IS the heart of Wilmington. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. Judge Wood, known as ''Maximum John'' because of the sentences he had given drug dealers, set May 29, 1979, as the day the trial was to begin. Charles Manson Trial: 1970-71 It was such an iconoclastic case, because it was believed a federal judge could not be touched.. On March 4, 1933, Frances Perkins was sworn in as U.S. labor secretary, becoming the first female member of the Cabinet. The Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a mission to advance the public understanding of organized crime's history and impact on American society. Over time, we became friends. Elizabeth Chagra was convicted of conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Kerr, who had prosecuted several drug cases before Judge Wood, had barely escaped an assassination attempt some six months before Wood was killed. Without his brother's testimony, Jamiel was acquitted of conspiracy to murder charges. After the verdict, Mr. Harrelson said, ''It's just a necessary step in the progression of things.'' If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. Mrs. Harrelson faces up to 25 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. He enjoyed a high-rolling lifestyle at Caesars Palace and Binions Horseshoe but he was not a very good gambler. Dozens killed, injured as Jakarta fuel depot fire engulfs neighborhood. Middle brother Jimmy, the proverbial bad penny, used Joe as a wedge against Lee in a sibling rivalry that consumed both brothers and eventually the entire family, and as the unwitting liaison in his drug operations. National Park Service: 'Never push a slower friend down' in a bear encounter, March 2 (UPI) -- The National Park Service offered some sage advice for park visitors who encounter bears: "Never push a slower friend down. The verdicts concluded an 11-week trial that grew out of one of the most extensive Federal investigations in the nation's history, involving every one of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's 54 offices in the United States at varying times over more than three years. Jo Ann Starr Harrelson: conspiracy to obstruct justice. February 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? Meanwhile, the drug trial was held before Woods replacement, U.S. District Judge William Sessions. In a plea agreement, Joe Chagra got a 10-year sentence. But Mr. Jahn, the Federal prosecutor, said in his final argument Saturday, ''Charles Harrelson had three talents. But Im sure the Wood family feels like they were robbed, too. March 3 (UPI) -- A sheep spotted wandering loose on a British highway was given a lift back to its owner by a concerned bus driver on her first day on the job. The UK's supply crisis puts extra pressure on Prime Minister Boris. Thats how one former friend described the convicted killer. The only other person in the world who knew that Harrelson did the hit on Judge Wood was Jimmy, who ordered it. ." Harrelson claimed to have killed 50 The bug picked up Chagra talking with his wife and brother Joe about the judges murder. Jamiel Chagra was acquitted of murder and conspiracy to murder but convicted of conspiracy to obstruct justice and conspiracy to possess marijuana; he was later convicted of tax evasion. March 4 (UPI) -- Three children are dead and two others remain hospitalized Saturday after a domestic incident in a North Texas town, authorities said. Judge Wood denied any impropriety and refused to remove himself from the case. It was greed, the prosecution maintained, that had sent Mr. Harrelson, who had already spent 15 years in prison for killing a man for a $2,000 fee, to Las Vegas a month before, looking for Jamiel Chagra. Charles and Jo Ann Harrelson and Liz Chagra were convicted at trial. 3 children killed, 2 hospitalized in North Texas domestic incident, 'Saving Private Ryan,' 'True Romance' actor Tom Sizemore dead at 61, Dozens killed, injured as Jakarta fuel depot fire engulfs neighborhood, Syndicated show 'Rachael Ray' wrapping 17-season run, Migrant woman dies after U.S. Coast Guard stops vessel carrying 54. CHAGRA: ASSASSINATION OF JUDGE JOHN WOOD AND LINKS TO CHARLES HARRELSON, FATHER OF WOODY. Should you have information that conflicts with anything shown please make us aware by email. Then-FBI Director William Webster dispatched dozens of agents to San Antonio for a massive investigation that resulted in Harrelson and four others being charged in connection with Woods assassination a killing still etched in the citys lore. But unknown to Harrelson, the trial had been postponed, Ray Jahn said. To provide a humanitarian services campus of nonprofit organizations that offer hope, opportunity, and empowerment. She was previously convicted of using a Harrelson claimed that when the murder took place, he was in Dallas, 270 miles away. You know Harrelson knocked off the judge, Jimmy told him. Jo Ann Harrelson, whose daughter has been imprisoned more than three months for refusing to testify before a federal grand jury, walked away from the federal Charles, Jo Ann Harrelson and Elizabeth Chagra faced only the lesser charges. Joe Chagra ended up serving 6 years of his 10-year sentence, and he died in a car crash in El Paso in 1996 after his release. Governor of Philippine province, 5 others killed in gun attack. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. The trial is separate because Joseph Chagra, in exchange for a lighter sentence, made a deal with the Government to testify against all the defendants except his brother. Jimmy Chagra was sentenced to 30 years for his original drug-trafficking charges, plus 10 years for the lesser charges he was convicted of when he was tried for the Wood murder. The defense sought a change of venue, but the requests were denied. The government also taped other conversations, including some between Charles Harrelson and his attorney, and others between Joseph and Jamiel Chagra. Federal authorities claimed that attorney-client privileges did not protect conversations between Joseph and Jamiel Chagra, because Joseph (the attorney) was himself a suspect in the conspiracy to conceal the crime. Anyone can read what you share. Since arriving, our vision has become reality. U.S. District Judge John H. Wood was assassinated in San Antonio May 29, 1979, by Charles Harrelson. Defendants: Charles Voyde Harrelson, Jo Ann Starr Harrelson, Elizabeth Chagra, Jamiel ChagraCrimes Charged: Charles Harrelson: conspiracy to murder; murder of a federal judge; conspiracy to obstruct justice. See the Elon Musk family tree here at FameChain. SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- A convicted hit man's wife Monday won a first round in her battle with federal prosecutors who want her jailed for refusing to testify against her husband in the probe of the slaying of a federal judge. The three had risen from an unremarkable middle-class upbringing to live among El Paso's wealthiest residents. Daniel's 5th outing as Bond gets bums back on seats in the cinema. After invoking the and court testimony, Jamiel Chagra was ''the highest of high rollers,'' a man who flew in private jets, gambled at roped-off tables in Las Vegas and thought nothing of betting half a million dollars on a roll of the dice.