2016-04-29
One man admits to crime in McDonald's parking lot murder
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Posted: April 29, 2016 - 6:51pm | Updated: April 29, 2016 - 7:57pm
By AARON DAVIS
One of three defendants indicted on murder charges in the homicide of a man in a McDonald’s parking-lot in January admitted on record that he did it along with his female accomplice, according to court documents.
Michael Alan Moore, 33, James Micheal Propsom, 29, and Erika Hudson Bautista, 27, were indicted on murder charges in February in the Jan. 6 slaying of Zachary Scott Cooper, 28, of Canadian.
Cooper was found dead in the seat of his vehicle in the parking lot of McDonalds, 1815 S. Grand St. Video evidence showed two men exit Cooper’s vehicle and enter another vehicle driven by a third person and drive off.
According to Moore’s complaint, he admitted in a recorded oral statement to Sgt. Michael Dunn of the Amarillo police that he committed the murder along with Bautista.
However, Moore’s defense attorney, Dianna McCoy, urged the public not to jump to conclusions.
“I hope that the public doesn’t make up their mind prior to knowing all the facts and hearing the actual case and evidence presented in court,” McCoy said. “Because of the nature of this type of case, it is a lengthy process. A couple years is not unusual.”
McCoy has yet to see the evidence in the case because it is said to be quite a large electronic file.
“It’s so voluminous that I haven’t been able to download it yet. My guess would be there are several thousand photos,” McCoy said.
The three defendants might be waiting a while for their day in court as James Wooldridge, the defense attorney for Propsom, has also said that around 3,300 electronic documents and evidence were shared with them.
“The state has firmly attempted to disclose the case, but they have some horrible system that they have attempted to give the electronic discovery (documents) through,” Wooldridge said. “Potter County brought this TechShare system that is a technological nightmare.”
Propsom, Bautista and Moore are still held in Potter County jail on $1 million bonds.