Woman’s Testimony Takes Attorneys by Surprise in Young Trial

SAN ANGELO, TX --  Prosecutors continued to call witnesses in a brief court session Tuesday morning in the John Young trial.  The morning session was short because a juror had to attend a funeral.  

Young is on trial for forgery, theft and money laundering in conjunction with the estate of John Sullivan.  Young had a will probated that left him Sullivan’s $6 million estate.  Ray Zapata was convicted of forging that will.  

San Angelo attorney Joe Hernandez was on the stand and the state passed the witness to the defense.  That’s how testimony ended Monday evening.  Hernandez was supposed to be cross examined by defense attorneys Frank Sellers and Dan Hurley Tuesday morning but he had a trial in Pecos so prosecutors called their next witness.  

Maria Sanchez Evans testified that she is a widow who had daily phone conversations with John Sullivan.  In questioning from prosecuting attorney Jonathan White, Evans testified that Sullivan was a smart man who spoke flawless Spanish and English and also spoke and wrote Latin.  She said he hated the Catholic Church after the changes that came out of Vatican II in the early 1960’s and preferred the traditional way of the Church.  

Defense attorneys had a running objection to Evans testimony as hearsay.  

Evans said she had conversations with Sullivan about religion and about his estate.  According to Evans, Sullivan told her he wanted to leave his estate to the Society of Saint Pius X and also set up a trust fund for the three boys he was accused of molesting.  

Evans said she met twice with John Young, once before Sullivan died and once after he died.  Prosecutors and defense attorneys seemed surprised when Evans testified she told John Young that Sullivan had a sister in Boston and that San Angelo attorney Rick DeHoyos was handling Sullivan’s estate planning including leaving his estate to the SSPX and setting up a trust fund for the boys.  Evans said Young told her, “All that has changed.”  

Both prosecuting attorney White and defense attorney Sellers said that was the first time Evans had made that statement.  Evans testified that Ray Zapata was present both times she met with Young.  

Evans also testified Tuesday that she took in a young man who was living at Sullivan’s house after he died.  His name is Otis.  Evans told the jury that Otis was distraught after Sullivan’s death.  She and Otis drove by Sullivan’s house shortly after his death and met with Ray Zapata, who gave her money for Otis’s psychiatric medication.  She observed Zapata and Sweetwater attorney Chris Hartman loading boxes from Sullivan’s house into a pickup.

After prosecutors passed the witness, Sellers began questioning Evans.  Sellers questioned how many times Evans met with prosecutors.  After several questions and when and where they met, Evans said, “Everything is muddled, I’ve been very sick and sometimes I don’t even know what day it is.”  

Judge Brock Jones recessed the trial at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.  Testimony resumes at 1 p.m.