LONGVIEW, Texas (KLTV) – The trial began Tuesday for a Kilgore man accused of murder in the 2015 murder in which a man was found in a truck with a gunshot wound to the head.

Jessie Clifford Brown, 42, was arrested for the October 2017 murder of John Allen Franco of Liberty City. In May 2015, investigators found Franco in his truck with a single gunshot wound to the upper left side of his head, according to an arrest warrant. A witness said Brown and two other men pulled up next to them, and Brown allegedly got out and shot Franco through the driver’s side window. The witness told the investigator that Brown wanted to attack Franco because Franco had threatened to show him nude photos of his stepdaughter, with whom Franco claimed in the documents that he had previously had an affair.

Brown pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Judge Alfonso Charles’ courtroom. The state called the incident a homicide and said a gun was used to kill Franco. In response, the defense asked the jury to “reserve the verdict until the end of the case.”

The State called one of Brown’s neighbors to say they frequently drank alcohol together and that he “thought Brown was stupid” when he saw him with a gun. “As parents and family, we will never get all the details about this situation and answers to every question we have,” Adam said, but said he felt as parents they deserved answers.

The defense objected to this statement three times but was overruled. The trial lasted approximately two hours before being adjourned and when the court resumed the defense questioned the witness.

After that, the state called a DPS trooper to the stand who pointed out the intersection in Gregg County where the shooting allegedly occurred. They also called a patrol lieutenant from Harrison County and a retired deputy from the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office. The deputy discussed how gunpowder residue could have appeared in this case.

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