Final Pre-Trial For Mapps Set for July 15; Trial Set for August 8

ksst ksstradio.comA pre-trial hearing was conducted Thursday and the final pre-trail hearing is set for July 15th, as the District Attorney’s office moves toward an August 8th trial date for Joshua Isaiah Tilton Mapps, 21 . Mapps is scheduled to be tried for murder, a Felony 1 and Tamper/Fabricate Physical Evidence with Intent to Impair, a Felony 3. Mapps is accused of the murder of Jonathan Trahern Young at Pacific Park on June 8, 2015. Since July 2, 2015, he is being held in Hopkins County Jail on a $1 million bond for murder and two $20,000 bonds for tampering with evidence.

Mapps became a suspect in the murder after local law enforcement questioned several witnesses at the park. Police obtained a warrant for Mapps arrest the day of the shooting. At that time, Mapps, who was known to live in Greenville, was considered armed and dangerous and area citizens were asked to report his whereabouts to local law enforcement.

Mapps allegedly shot Young multiple times and disposed of the fire arm after he admitted to throwing the weapon into an unspecified body of water. SSPD Criminal Investigator David Gilmore had said at the time that one of the key pieces of evidence in a homicide is the murder weapon. Gilmore said Mapps was very vague regarding what body of water the weapon was thrown. Tampering with evidence is a felony 3 carrying 2-10 years in a state penitentiary.

Mapps proved to be elusive. On June 11, 2015 KSST News reported that Texas Ranger John Vance, the U. S. Marshal’s office, and the Criminal Investigation Division of the Texas Department of Public Safety were assisting in the search. They felt hampered in the search because, as they stated, the family members and associates of Mapps are not law abiding citizens and were assisting Mapps in eluding law officers. Mapps was arrested in Fort Smith Arkansas on Monday June 29, 2015.

Mapps, along with his girlfriend, Tressa Macon, were located by the U S Marshal’s office. Marshalls along with Ranger Vance, Sgt. Gilmore, and the Fort Smith Police made the arrest at an apartment complex where the pair and others were staying. Mapps was being assisted in his attempt to evade arrest by several individuals, according to Gilmore. A decoy car was used in an attempt to draw law officers away from the scene. After the first vehicle had left with two police cars giving chase, a second vehicle was used in which Mapps laid down in the back seat and, in an attempt to hide from view, pulled a pink swimming pool floaty over him. Gilmore said that the Marshal Service and the Fort Smith police worked together with a part of the force apprehending the first vehicle while the remainder of the force continued to watch the apartment. That group of officers was able to apprehend the second vehicle as Marshals converged on the vehicle as it was pulling away from the curb. Gilmore stated that even though the law officers had not worked together before, they were able to orchestrate the arrest as though they had worked on other arrests.

Author: Staff Reporter

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