SAN ANGELO, Texas – Senior District Judge Barbara Walther threw out several photos of Jakob Jones' autopsy Wednesday afternoon after defense attorneys objected to them being too gruesome. Prosecutors had called Forensic Pathologist Dr. Luisa Flores to the witness stand to explain in detail the gunshot wounds Jones suffered early New Year's Day 2024 in the fatal shooting by Fat Boss Pub, 114 S. Chadbourne St., in San Angelo. Ryan Renfroe is standing trial for murder in the shooting death which started with a road rage incident days earlier and spilled out into the Facebook realm.
Judge Walther paused the testimony from Dr. Florez when defense attorneys objected to some of the photos prosecutors had planned to introduce as evidence. Dozens of the photos were from the autopsy Dr. Florez performed and included images of Organs, bullet wounds, x-rays and the victim's face where he was shot in the right eye.
Walther dismissed the jury and went through the photos one by one holding one in each hand and requiring prosecutors 'pick one' thereby eliminating the others. After about 30 minutes, the process was complete and the remaining photos were admitted into evidence over the objections of the defense. The judge then had the bailiffs bring the jury back into the courtroom and prosecutors went through the photos.
As prosecutors showed the jury the disturbing images, Dr. Florez described the wounds Jones suffered. The jury saw images of the single gunshot wound just below his right eye. There was also a piece of glass embedded in his right eye. Dr. Florez told jurors the fragment came from his glasses when the bullet shattered them before striking him in the face. There was also an entry wound to his left chest and exit wound to his right back. That bullet also entered his right arm and lodged in it at the elbow. X-ray photos of Jones' head showed massive injuries and several bullet fragments lodged in his neck and head.
Dr. Florez testified that the bullet that entered his chest and lodged in his elbow meant his right arm was at his side and could not have been around behind his back as Ryan Renfroe had stated in his interview with police. Renfroe said Jones was reaching for a 'blade' behind his back when Renfroe shot Jones. The photos showed that not to be possible.
The autopsy also showed Jones had a blood alcohol content of 0.119 which Dr. Florez said was 1.5 times the legal limit.
Dr. Florez said Jones could have survived the gunshot wound to his chest, but the wound to his head was fatal.
Also on the stand in the murder trial was Jase Wilson. Wilson was a passenger in the pickup Jones was riding in during the road rage incident and the night of the murder. He testified that he also had an argument via Facebook messages with Renfroe over the weekend. He testified that Renfroe ran a red light before their pickup pulled out in front of him starting the confrontations. Jase said during the Facebook messages, Renfroe messaged, "Come to Angelo and I'll ligit shoot the 1's." Wilson considered that a threat.
Several employees from Fat Boss Pub also testified about what they saw that night.
Testimony resumes Thursday in the murder trial which is scheduled to conclude Friday.
Previous articles about the Downtown NYE Murder Trial:
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