Wayne County District Attorney, Michael D. Calarco announced on Friday (5/24) afternoon that Timothy Dean was convicted of Murder in the 1st Degree, Murder in the 2nd Degree, Conspiracy to Commit Murder and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the deaths of Joshua Niles and Amber Washburn.
The jury took 4 1/2 hours in deliberation before returning with the verdict. During the week long trial, Dean’s wife and co-defendant, Charlene Childers, testified against Dean. She said she and Dean plotted to kill Niles, her ex-boyfriend, after she lost custody of their children.
Dean is the former chief of the Sunray Police Department in Texas. An officer of the same department, Bron Bohlar, was charged in connection with the homicides. He also testified during Dean’s trial.
Defense attorneys raised questions throughout trial proceedings, including questioning why shell casings found at the scene were not tested for fingerprints, as well calling into doubt accuracy of testimony from a witness who said they saw Dean at the scene.
Sentencing has been adjourned until July 24, 2019, at 9:30 The defendant was remanded to the Wayne County jail where he will await sentencing.
Both Childers and Bohlar testified for the prosecution, providing the expected damning evidence against Dean.
So, with such a weighted case against Dean why did he opt for a jury trail? “I can’t jump into his mind, but he had nothing to gamble,” said Calarco. He stated that even if he had pled guilty to just the two cases of Murder in the Second Degree, he would have served a minimum of 25 years to life. He now faces 50 years to life.
Calarco said the local and Texas police agencies involved did an excellent job in bringing the case to the end. “This was a good thing for the families.”
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