What was expected to be a very emotional trial, took an unexpected turn Monday.
Jury selection began Monday in the Intoxication Manslaughter trial of Jerrod Lee Watkins, who was indicted on two separate occasions for the deaths of Robert Jackson and Jillian Blanchard after two separate accidents that occurred on June 13, 2020. Watkins was scheduled to face a jury in Jackson’s death, as well as the failure to stop and render aid charge. The trial in the Blanchard case would follow.
The jury selection in the Jackson case took four hours and they were scheduled to come back into Judge Rex Peveto’s courtroom following lunch at approximately 3:15pm.
But there wouldn’t be a trial. Watkins decided to plead guilty to the two counts of Intoxication Manslaughter and one count of failure to stop and render aid. He received a sentence of 40 years which was the maximum in the death’s of Jackson and Blanchard (20 each). The 20 year charge for failing to stop will run concurrently with the Jackson case.
The two deaths were within minutes of each other about 3am on June 13.
Law enforcement reported Watkins was driving a Ford F-150 pickup truck that crashed head on into a Nissan Altima driven by Blanchard who was from Groves. The accident was on West Roundbunch Road, also know as FM 1442.
Minutes after the crash was reported, someone found the body of 45-year-old Jackson lying in the roadway of Ferry Drive off Texas Avenue in Bridge City. Jackson, who was riding a bicycle, had been hit by a vehicle.
Watkins was driving home from a bar in Mid-County to his home in Orange County. Investigators were able to retrace his path down Ferry to Roundbunch, which included finding pieces of his truck on Ferry Dr. where Jackson had been struck.
Orange County Prosecutor Krispen Walker said, in her opinion, the work done by her office, the DPS Crime Lab, and especially the Bridge City Police Department, the evidence against Watkins was overwhelming.
“We had almost 200 exhibits,” she said. “Although I was surprised at what happened today, it was good that the families won’t have to relive this in court. The victims families were satisfied with the sentence and some concession can be made by the defendant for taking responsibility. But if he stops after hitting Jackson, Blanchard is still alive.”
Both families gave victim impact statements before Watkins was taken into custody.
-Gary Stelly, KOGT-
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