Young Trial Explores Something About All That Document Shredding in Sweetwater

SAN ANGELO, TX —From the first minute Judge Brock Jones opened the theft, forgery and money laundering trial of John Stacy Young in front of the jury, one thing was abundantly clear:  both sides are focused on Ray Zapata.  

Young is on trial for theft, forgery and money laundering following the death of John Sullivan, a man both sides have described as a despicable person.  Opening statements showed that Sullivan’s estate was worth over $6 million and a handwritten will left the entire estate to John Young. The State argued Young conspired with Ray Zapata, who earlier this year was found guilty of forging Sullivan's last will and testament that gave Young the estate's riches.

The jury was seated late Tuesday evening.

Wednesday started out with the State calling Ray Zapata to the stand and being sworn in. As soon as he was sworn in, Zapata exercised his Fifth Amendment right to not incriminate himself by testifying in Young’s trial. Zapata was offered immunity by the State for his testimony, but still did not testify Wednesday.

Zapata was dismissed early Wednesday, but he was the focus of testimony presented throughout the day.  Young’s defense attorney wanted Zapata to testify as did prosecuting attorneys.

Texas Ranger Nick Hanna was the first witness to take the stand.  Hanna testified that he got phone records for Zapata, Young and Sweetwater attorney Chris Hartman who represented Young in filing the handwritten will which Zapata was convicted of forging. 

Throughout the day Wednesday, defense attorneys peppered the court with objections to Hanna’s testimony calling it hearsay.  Prosecutors had Hanna read Young’s own words from the transcript of Zapata’s trial and from his text messages taken from Zapata’s phone.  At one point in the days following Sullivan’s death, the Zapata text messages indicated Zapata was in Sweetwater.  He texted Young saying that the “Shredding in Sweetwater” was almost done.  

Judge Jones allowed prosecutors to call San Angelo Police Detective Rodney Black to take the stand Wednesday afternoon.  Black testified that he extracted phone records from Zapata’s cell phone for Ranger Hanna. Black was also one of the first officers on the scene after Sullivan died.  

In an interesting twist, the defense attorney Frank Sellers had Black describe the inside of Sullivan's home as one of the first law enforcement officers to arrive there. Black said he responded quickly to the "DB," or "dead body" report at Sullivan's home.

"Was is gross inside, smelly," Sellers asked.

"Yes," Black replied.

"Were there stacks and stacks of papers everywhere?" Sellers pressed.

"Yes," responded Black.

Sellers seemed to be making the point that whatever Zapata texted about shredding in Sweetwater later that week, it probably wasn't from the disheveled home of Sullivan. As in, if there was another will or whatever, how could anyone find it in that mess?

Sellers then asked Black why he handed Young the keys to Sullivan's house the day Sullivan was found dead.

"I knew he was Sullivan's defense attorney, so I thought it appropriate," Black said.

Hanna then was called back to the witness stand and testified that the evidence from Zapata’s phone showed that some messages had been deleted, but he was able to recover them.

Judge Jones stopped testimony at 5 p.m. Wednesday and let the jury go home.  Testimony began again at 9 a.m. Thursday.