The Justice Journal: Vol. 79 (English)

The Justice Journal: Vol. 79

A look at cases recently prosecuted by the Dallas County Criminal District Attorney's Office.

State vs. Denari Moore

Capital Murder

Lead: Jonathan Grant

2nd Chair: Erik Lisowski

DA Investigator: Duane Glenn

DA Paralegals: Sherrie Lacy, Marah Salazar

Investigating Agency: Dallas Police Department

On April 14, 2023, the victim was shot and killed in the parking lot of his apartment complex. Earlier that day, the defendant and his two associates drove throughout Dallas attempting to commit a “jugging” style aggravated robbery. The group surveilled multiple check-cashing businesses but was unable to identify a target. They then began driving through apartment complexes in search of potential victims.

Ultimately, the defendant and one of his associates approached the victim and two of his friends in the apartment complex parking lot in an attempt to rob them. The victim noticed the men approaching and attempted to retrieve his own gun. However, the defendant immediately opened fire killing the victim and shooting one of the other individuals present.

At trial, the State also introduced evidence of a separate aggravated robbery committed by the defendant on March 10, 2023, during which the defendant shot another victim in the course of the offense.

GUILTY and sentenced to LIFE in prison without the possibility of parole.

State vs. Hunter Harmon

Capital Murder

Lead: Marissa Trevino

2nd Chair: Emily Antram

Appellate Support: Chris Cundiff

DA Investigators: Alex Pinales, Abigail Cruz, Alex Lipsey, John Schingle

DA Victim Advocate: Melinda Shelton

Investigating Agency: Richardson Police Department

Special Thanks: Inv. John Ludwigs, Witney Donaldson, Christi Noebel, Greg Gambrell

The defendant, a drug user, recruited two others to rob the victim who was a drug dealer. The defendant and victim knew each other, however, the defendant did not like the victim because of his close relationship with the defendant’s on and off girlfriend and he allegedly owed the defendant money. The defendant formulated the plan, armed himself with a pistol, and drove himself and accomplices to the crime scene. When the victim answered the door, the defendant and accomplices bum-rushed the victim, knocking him to the ground. The victim allegedly had a gun and tried to shoot the intruders, but the gun jammed. The defendant shot the victim three times, killing him. The defendant an accomplices ransacked the hotel room taking drugs, money, designer clothes and the victim’s phones.

Surveillance footage captured the intruders entering and exiting the hotel room. From there detectives used cell phone mapping and other resources to identify and locate the defendant and ultimately found the murder weapon. The defendant did not appear remorseful at all.

The jury returned a guilty verdict after just five minutes of deliberation.

GUILTY and sentenced to LIFE in prison without the possibility of parole.

State vs. Adam Pierce

Intoxication Manslaughter

Prosecutor: Priscilla Pelli

DA Investigator: Ron Cathcart & Eric Knight

DA Paralegal: Maria Cantrell

Investigating Agency: Dallas Police Department

On March 13, 2025, around 3:20 pm the defendant was driving about double the speed limit with a Blood Alcohol Content that was around double the legal limit when he crashed, killing 85-year-old Bettie Brown.

Instead of the normal punishment range, the defendant was facing an enhanced range of five years to life in prison because of his criminal history out of Navarro County. In 2002, the defendant threatened a person with a gun and was placed on felony probation for Aggravated Assault. While on probation, the defendant shot and killed a man and was charged with murder. On the day he was supposed to start his murder trial in 2006, he pleaded guilty and received 20 years in prison for manslaughter. According to the defendant, he served 16 of that 20-year sentence and got out on parole around 2020. In August of 2022, he was arrested for public intoxication in Navarro County after he was found at 5:30 in the morning on the side of the road, passed out in the driver’s seat of a truck with an open beer.

The State asked that the defendant be sentenced to life in prison so that the defendant can never kill anyone on our streets again and Judge Mays granted that request.

GUILTY and sentenced to LIFE in prison.

State vs. Deonte Browning

Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child

Lead: Darryl Morris

2nd Chair: Megan Bisacca

DA Investigator: Lorraine Resendez

DA Victim Advocate: Nathaly Mendez

Investigating Agency: DeSoto Police Department

The now six-year-old victim bravely testified along with his mother detailing the abuse he suffered.

The State also presented additional evidence of the defendant’s prior conduct. This included testimony from an additional mother and son who traveled from Michigan to describe abuse they experienced from the defendant in the past.

The defendant elected to testify, expressing remorse and responsibility for his actions, however, the jury found his testimony lacked sincerity and ultimately rejected his attempt at accountability.

Overall, the family expressed that they were very pleased with the outcome of the case and felt they were finally able to obtain the closure they had been seeking.

GUILTY and sentenced to 60 years in prison without the possibility of parole.

State vs. James Moore

Aggravated Robbery x 2

Lead: Zachery Brown

2nd Chair: Miranda Salazar

DA Investigator: Zach Johnston

DA Paralegal: Madeline Garcia

Investigating Agency: Dallas Police Department

On June 19, 2024, the defendant took a gun and hopped the victim’s fence into their backyard and waited for them to come home in the middle of the day. The teenage son, Victim 1, came home and the defendant rushed him at gunpoint and held him while Victim 1’s father pulled into the backyard in his work truck. The defendant then took Victim 1 at gunpoint and demanded money from Victim 2, the father. The defendant then forced the two to unlock their home and took them inside threatening to kill them both and then kill himself if police were called. Once inside, the defendant taped and bound the two victims while searching the home. Additional money was found inside, and the defendant called a second suspect and gave him the money. That individual then left and has still not been apprehended. The defendant then untied the two victims and forced them to drive to a bank and withdraw additional money while keeping his gun pointed ta the teenage son threatening to kill him if his father did not comply. After the bank, the defendant forced them to take him to a gas station and had Victim 2 purchase him water and cigarettes. While in the store, Victim 2 had someone in the gas station call 911 for him and send the police back to their house worried his wife and younger children might be home soon. Victim 2 then convinced the defendant to take them to another property they were doing remodeling work on. Once at the second location, the defendant took the teenage boy and held him at gunpoint in the backyard while he ordered the father to go and find more money and valuables. Once the two victims were separated, the teenage boy was able to find an opening to jump the fence and flee and call his father to not return and instead go straight to the police station. The defendant took off on foot and was apprehended two days later at a gas station brandishing a firearm.

GUILTY and sentenced to 33 years in prison.

State vs. Julio Membreno

Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child Under 14

Lead: Delayna Griffin

2nd Chair: Amanda Boylan

Appellate Support: Christopher Cundiff

DA Investigator: Laura Brakefield

DA Victim Advocate: Flor de la Fuente

Investigating Agency: Dallas Police Department

This case involved a 10-year delayed outcry. The defendant committed several acts of sex abuse against the child victim who was four years old at the time.

GUILTY and sentenced to 30 years in prison without the possibility of parole.

State vs. Mackle White

Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance (Cocaine)

Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance (Methamphetamine)

Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance (Heroin)

Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Felon

Lead: William Davidson

2nd Chair: Jui Kothare

DA Investigator: Tom Naulty, Bonita Morgan, Eddie Lopez

Investigating Agency: Dallas Police Department

On October 3, 2023, two Dallas Police officers were performing an unrelated routine traffic stop when the defendant drove the wrong way into oncoming traffic after almost hitting the parked squad car. The officers stopped the car and saw a gun in the cup holder and a meth pipe in the defendant’s lap. A search of the car revealed 30 grams of cocaine, 40 grams of meth and 17 grams of black tar heroin on the driver’s floorboard. There was also another gun on the driver’s floorboard. The defendant was previously convicted of murder and was on parole until 2041.

The defendant was found guilty on all four charges and pleaded guilty to 25 years on each case.

GUILTY and sentenced to 25 years in prison.      

State vs. Marsean Stephenson

Aggravated Robbery

Lead: Jonathan Grant

2nd Chair: Paige Lynne

DA Investigator: Christopher Frosch

DA Paralegal: Sherrie Lacy

Investigating Agency: Dallas Police Department

On December 5, 2024, the victim was robbed outside his apartment complex. The defendant exited a black Ford Focus armed with an AR-style firearm and approached the victim. While pointing the weapon at the victim, the defendant stated, “dinero, dinero,” and reached into the victim’s pocket to take his wallet. The defendant then returned to the vehicle and fled the scene.

The next day, officers with the Dallas Police Department located the defendant approximately one mile from the robbery location. When officers tried to initiate a traffic stop, the defendant took off, leading police on a chase from Interstate 35 and Royal Lane to the Trinity Groves area. During the chase, the defendant threw an AR-style firearm from the vehicle window and drove at speeds exceeding 120 miles per hour. The defendant eventually abandoned the vehicle and attempted to run on foot before being apprehended by Dallas police.

GUILTY and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

State vs. Ezekiel King

Aggravated Assault in a Mass Shooting

Lead: Charles Warren

2nd Chair: Alicia Patterson

DA Investigator: JD Williams, John Schingle, Raul Obregon

DA Paralegal: Regina Taylor

Investigating Agency: Dallas Police Department

Special Thanks to the Dallas Police Gang Unit and Detective Justin Barger

On February 9, 2024, the defendant and three unknown co-defendants got in a car and went searching for certain members of a rival gang to shoot and kill. They went to an apartment complex where members of the rival gang were known to spend time. Passing the apartment, they saw a group of four people standing in the parking lot, talking. Thinking they were members of this rival gang, the defendant and two others got out of the car and shot 49 bullets into the group of four people. The defendant and his group then fled the scene.

The four people shot were not members of a rival gang, but a nine-year-old boy, his 12-year-old brother, a 16-year-old boy and a 26-year-old man. All four were hit by gunfire. An additional fifth victim was struck by a bullet that went through her bedroom window. The 16-year-old was in a wheelchair for several months and is learning, again, how to walk. The other victims have recovered physically but the mental toll will always be with them. No victims or witnesses were able to identify any details about who may have shot them.

Dallas Police collected the evidence from the scene and about three weeks later were able to connect the defendant to the shooting when two of the three guns used in the shooting were found in his car during a traffic stop. The Dallas Gang Unit conducted a thorough and time-consuming investigation by conducting interviews, reviewing social media accounts and combing through the contents of the defendant’s phone.

With the information from their investigation, a jury found the defendant guilty even when no witnesses were able to place him at the scene of the shooting.

GUILTY and sentenced to 10 years in prison.