http://www.texasshooting.com/TexasCHL_F ... en+Jackson
Update:
March 26, 2008, 11:17AM
Houston man gets life for gunning down witness
By CINDY HORSWELL
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
A Houston parolee who faced a possible death sentence for the slaying of a volunteer firefighter who followed him from the scene of a robbery received a life sentence today after agreeing to a plea deal.
Keith Hines, 41, was to have gone on trial today on a capital murder charge. Instead of risking the death penalty, he received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. State District Judge Mary Lou Keel also approved a second life sentence for another gas station robbery.
In accepting the deal, Hines admitted guilt in the Dec. 5, 2006, shooting death of volunteer firefighter Steven Jackson on the feeder road off U.S. 59. Jackson had followed Hines in his car after watching him rob a Shell station in Humble and hearing the clerk's tearful plea for help.
Jackson, 47, was talking to a 911 operator about two miles from the gas station in the 1000 block of FM 1960 when he was shot twice through a window at close range.
Hines also showed little emotion in court today. He agreed to tell prosecutors the name of the get-away driver. The suspect remains at large and Humble police are searching for him.
Jackson lived in Porter and was a salesman for an oil-field-equipment business.
Investigators have said they have evidence linking Hines to at least seven gas station robberies in Harris County in a four-month period.
One of Hines' attorneys, Vivian King, said Tuesday that she and fellow defense attorney Skip Cornelius hoped to save Hines from the death penalty.
"Skip and I don't believe this guy should be on death row," King said. "His personality is so docile. If he did do it, he shouldn't be on death row — that would be our goal."
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5649967.html
Hines deserved the death penalty, but fortunately part of the deal was disclosing the name of the get-away driver... so that should get one more BG off the street.