Special to The Monitor
ATHENS–The Henderson County Jury that returned a guilty verdict against 30 year old Daniel Joseph Scott on Tuesday, heard from two additional witnesses Wednesday morning before sentencing him to 70 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Institutional Division. Under current Texas law, he will not become eligible for parole until 2046.
Scott shot his wife of 12 years, Alisha Weaver Scott, in the head with a .357 revolver two days after Christmas, 2016. The couple had three small children who were not home at the time.
Scott claimed on the night of the murder that he had been playing with what he thought was an unloaded gun by practicing his “quick draw” in the living room while Alicia was in an adjoining room on her phone. He described to investigators that he was “spinning and clicking” the gun multiple times and that on the last time, the gun went off shooting his wife in the forehead as she walked into the room. He speculated that his wife had heard the clicking of the gun which prompted her to come into the room.
After Henderson County Sheriff’s Investigators obtained a search warrant for the house, they located the pistol on a couch in the living room. It was a six-shot revolver fully loaded with five live rounds and one shell casing. None of the live rounds had a primer strike indicating that it had been struck by the firing pin which occurs when the hammer falls.
“It was immediately apparent to officers that his story about spinning and clicking the gun was not possible,” said District Attorney Mark Hall who prosecuted the case with First Assistant Nancy Rumar. He also told lead Investigator Ray Yockey on a recorded conversation that Alicia stepped in front of the gun all of a sudden, which was inconsistent with his statements that he “aimed” the gun and “pulled the trigger” while he was “looking right at her.”
“It is simply not plausible that she could be fast enough to step in front of a bullet that has been ‘aimed’ by a person ‘looking right at’ the victim” when he pulls the trigger,” said Hall. “When that is added to everything else that was and had gone on between the two not just in the few days leading up to her death, but for years, the jury obviously believed that he intentionally and knowingly shot and killed his wife.”
Scott had told investigators that they had not been having any problems or arguing prior to the shooting. But when the cell phones of both Scotts’ were forensically examined it revealed that there had been some type of ongoing dispute since Christmas Day leading up to minutes before Alicia’s death. In addition, it showed that Daniel had been communicating his desire to find a new love interest in some sort of internet classifieds, within hours of the shooting.
In both the guilt-innocence and sentencing phases of trial, a longtime friend of the Scotts that had lived and traveled with them extensively for a number of years, related in graphic detail a pattern of sexual and physical abuse that he had observed over the years. His warnings to the family of Scott about Daniel’s violent nature and the abusive acts toward Alicia, had gone unheeded.
The defense vigorously questioned and attacked the thoroughness of the overall investigation and highlighted other things that could have been done, however as Investigator Yockey responded, “This was not a ‘Whodunit’”
“Even though the defendant tried to come up with an explanation as to why this was an accident, it just didn’t wash, according to Hall. As far as the quality of the investigation was concerned, Ray Yockey did everything necessary for us to be able to put together a strong case. It’s not uncommon for the defense to attack the investigation when that is the only thing you have to hang your hat on.”
“Ray Yockey and the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office mobilized every resource and person necessary to immediately begin working this case, and they delivered. I just wish that everyone in the county could fully comprehend what it takes, and what they do on a daily basis to keep us safe. I for one, and most certainly speaking for many in our community, am proud of the work they do.”