April 19, 2024
Community Connection Sale |
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 | Yasmeen Khalifa, Audience Engagement Producer |
Best of the Bayou
Today we're talking about the Brian Coulter case...
If you read one thing: James Stafford, a Houston defense lawyer for over 50 years, has defended those accused of some of the worst crimes imaginable. None were as unsettling as convicted child killer Brian Coulter's case, he said.
What is Coulter convicted of?
Coulter was convicted Monday of killing his girlfriend's 8-year-old son, Kendrick Lee, after leaving the child's body in an apartment for a year to decompose. Days of testimony revealed how Kendrick's siblings were abandoned in a west Harris County apartment following the child's October 2020 death.
Judge Kelli Johnson's swift verdict found 34-year-old Coulter guilty of capital murder and condemned him to life in prison without parole.
What is unique about the case?
A jurist studied the crime scene photos and listened to young voices recalling the fate of their brother to decide Coulter's verdict after he waived his right to a jury trial, a decision that Stafford deemed the wisest one he ever made. Had he not, the heavy responsibility of hearing morbid evidence and heart wrenching testimony about the abuse that left Kendrick's surviving siblings undeniably traumatized would have fallen on ordinary Houstonians.
"I think the jury would have jumped the rail and killed him on the spot," said Stafford.
The boys, now 10, 12 and 17, revealed in court their varying perspectives about life with their mother's abusive boyfriend, Kendrick's death and how their lonely lives went on for a year with his decomposing body on their mind but out of sight under a blue blanket.
How has the case affected those involved?
The case, which fell into Judge Johnson's court after a prior judge recused himself, took its toll even on her.
"Those children have haunted me this past week," Johnson said after her verdict. "They have interrupted my safe space when I leave this building."
Stafford, who is no longer Coulter's attorney, is eyeing retirement later this year. At times he questioned whether Coulter deserved a trial.
Read Nicole Hensley's full story here.
Stay in the Loop
Photo by: Susan Barber
📰 Need to Know
- HPD charged 27 people amid an ongoing review of 260K suspended cases. Investigators with HPD have cleared, suspended or inactivated more than 85% of the 4,017 adult sexual assault incident reports suspended through an internal code citing a lack of personnel.
- You might be paying too much in property taxes. These exemptions can help. Texas property owners can protest their appraisal value, but they can also make sure their taxable value is lessened by applying for exemptions.
- Harris County's guaranteed income program can move forward, a judge rules. A district judge on Thursday ruled Harris County's guaranteed income program can proceed, denying the Texas Attorney General's request for an injunction.
- A murder charge was filed against a man over the Brenham DPS semitruck crash. A Washington County man who last week was arrested after driving a truck into a DPS office has been charged with felony murder, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
- A Texas court agreed to toss a complaint against Trump lawyer Sidney Powell. In a scathing 25-page opinion, a panel of three Democratic judges criticized the state bar for filing a complaint against Powell with mislabeled evidence.
💼 Business
- A massive Samsung chip plant will demand electricity and water Texas has in short supply. The planned microchip plant highlights a debate over priorities, writes business columnist Chris Tomlinson.
- Tesla uses a new state law to shed Austin's environmental oversight of its factory. The move comes after Elon Musk said the factory would be like "an ecological paradise." Local advocates had pushed for more input.
- Congressional Republicans challenge the Biden administration over the LNG pause. The Biden administration is coming under renewed criticism from international allies and Republicans over the long-term consequences of its now three month-long pause on the permitting of new liquefied natural gas projects.
🚗 Outside the Loop
- A new Hippo Burgers spot, Tailgators Pub & Grill, is opening in Conroe. A Humble burger favorite, an all-you-can-eat sushi spot, a new Lake Conroe hangout and a new complex on the lake with several restaurants are all on the horizon for the Conroe restaurant scene.
- Splendora ISD teachers will see raises for the 2024-25 school year. Splendora ISD teachers are expected to see a $1,250 pay increase and a new starting pay of $61,550 as officials approve the 2024-25 school year compensation plan.
- Conroe canceled a meeting regarding the May 4 ballot emails. The city of Conroe canceled a special meeting Thursday to discuss the release of emails related to the recent May 4 ballot application controversy due to lack of a quorum.
- League City stopped checking library cards at Helen Hall Library. League City is "scaling back" its library book entrance policy in a move that modifies the controversial ordinance.
Point of View
Photo by: Yasmeen Khalifa
Houston makes hanging out hard.
Here's what stumbling across a speakeasy outside the Loop taught assistant op-ed editor Regina Lankenau.
- Montrose TIRZ plan is a $14.7M vanity project. There is a false narrative that the redevelopment of Montrose Boulevard is an either/or situation in which you can either have sidewalks or historic trees. That is nonsense, one reader writes.
- Climate activists are all young -- and other myths that need busting. Earth Day is Monday, and it'll be easy to get caught up in rhetoric. Don't be fooled, writes Dana R. Fisher, director of the Center for Environment, Community & Equity.
- Inflation is clobbering Texans. So don't ask more from local taxpayers. Houston-area governments are discussing new bonds, a new garbage fee and lifting tax caps. But c'mon: Have you seen the price of eggs? writes Charles Blain, president of the Urban Reform Institute.
Houston vs. All Y'all
Photo by: Godofredo A. Vásquez, Associated Press
On deck: Astros at Washington Nationals.
Budding star C.J. Abrams leads a Nationals team whose 33 stolen bases rank second in the majors.
- Unaccustomed to a start like this, the Astros best not wait too long to get on the ball. A team that's had so much success can fall into a rut of expecting good things to happen rather than making them happen. But these games won't win themselves, writes sports columnist Jerome Solomon.
- The Texans confirmed the look of the team's alternate 'H-Town' helmet that leaked. Just a few days before the Houston Texans officially reveal their four new uniforms that include three helmets, one of the helmets leaked.
- University of Houston football: 2024 transfer portal tracker. Here's a look at comings and goings for the UH football program as the NCAA transfer portal officially opens.
- Houston Dynamo extended coach Ben Olsen's contract until 2026. Under Ben Olsen, the Dynamo have had their best season in over a decade, including a return to the MLS Cup playoffs for the first time since 2017.
Get Out
Photo by: J.C. Reid
Barbecue joints are returning to their neighborly roots.
While many restaurants are leaning heavily into curbside, drive-thru and home delivery, barbecue joints can be places to make social connections with friends, family and neighbors, writes barbecue columnist J.C. Reid.
- Review: Alley Theatre's revamp of 'Jane Eyre' is a breath of fresh air. The Houston theater has totally upped its game with Elizabeth Williamson's smart and poignant adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's classic 19th-century novel.
- A highly anticipated upscale Asian restaurant set an opening date in the Medical Center. Molihua, set to open April 23, is led by two Hakkasan veterans with Michelin credentials.
- Devin the Dude, Talking Heads, Bowie are top picks on Record Store Day. Record Store Day marks the release of 350 titles to celebrate independent record stores. Here are 10 titles you can't miss.
Houston is once again entering its Taylor Swift era. Multiple events are scheduled throughout the city this weekend to celebrate last night's release of Swift's new album "The Tortured Poets Department." Have you taken listen, and if so, what do you think?
Have a good weekend!
Puzzle of the Day: Typeshift
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