The trial of a Kilgore man charged in a fatal shooting over nude photos begins

LONGVIEW, Texas (KLTV) – The trial began Tuesday for a Kilgore man accused of a 2015 murder in which a man was found in a truck with a gunshot wound to the head.

Jessie Clifford Brown, 42, was arrested in October 2017 for the murder of John Allen Franco of Liberty City. Back in May 2015, investigators discovered Franco in his truck with a single gunshot wound to the upper left side of his head, according to an arrest warrant. A witness claimed Brown and two other men were pulled up next to them when Brown allegedly got out and shot Franco through the driver's side window. The witness told the investigator that Brown wanted to attack Franco because Franco had threatened to show nude photos of his stepdaughter, with whom Franco was alleged in the documents to have previously had a relationship.

Brown appeared in Judge Alfonso Charles' courtroom on Tuesday, where he pleaded not guilty. The state called the case a murder and said Franco was killed with a revolver. In contrast, the defense asked the jury to “save the verdict until the end of the case.”

The state initially called one of Brown's neighbors, who said they often drank alcohol together and that he “thought he was an idiot” when he saw Brown with a gun. The man noted that “as parents and family members, we will never have all the details or every question we have answered about this situation,” but said he felt as parents they deserve answers.

The defense objected to this statement three times, but it was rejected. The trial lasted about two hours before going into recess, and when the hearing resumed, the defense questioned the witness.

The state then called a DPS trooper to the stand who showed the intersection in Gregg County where the shooting allegedly occurred.

The process continues.

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