Sentencing begins for a man convicted of murdering a Panola County deputy

LONGVIEW, Texas (KLTV) – The penalty phase begins Tuesday for a man convicted of murdering a Panola County deputy.

The jury found Gregory Newson, 50, guilty Monday of the 2019 murder of William “Chris” Dickerson. The state is seeking the death penalty for Newson, who opted to let the jury decide his punishment.

The state began its criminal case late Monday. On Tuesday, they called Investigator William Harkins of the Longview Police Department's gang unit.

The state produced a document from one of Newson's arrests in 1993. He signed this document and admitted that he was a member of a gang.

The next witness was Joey Hester, a retired Shreveport police officer. He testified about a 1993 armed robbery to which Newson pleaded guilty.

Hester said he was called to a pawn shop and found the owner suffering from a gunshot wound. The owner was able to describe where the suspects had fled to and police were able to arrest them.

Dickerson's partner, Jacob Samford, again took the stand and once again recalled the loss of his friend. Samford spoke about their time together in law enforcement, including starting in prison and moving up the ranks.

“There was no one in that prison who ever disrespected him,” Samford said.

Texts from Newson's phone were displayed in court. A text from 2018 states: “No police officer arrests me.”

The court adjourned for lunch around noon.

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