The Center works with its partners to meet the needs of the community in areas such as safe and affordable housing, education, employment, health care and family support. In 1979, a federal grand jury in Midland, Texas, indicted Chagra on drug smuggling charges. They tortured her for no (reason). From online or printed sources and from publicly accessible databases. The map led the feds to learn that the murder weapon had been purchased by Harrelsons wife, Jo Ann. In 2019, we had a staff of three and were serving maybe 150 individuals. How Florence ButtNot Her SonLaunched the H-E-B Empire. But it also spotlighted allegations that federal investigators and prosecutors treaded on constitutional rights such as attorney-client and marital privilege and the secret recording of private conversations. Liz got a 30-year sentence. Encyclopedia.com. Editor's note: This story originally published in a 2017 series honoring the 300th anniversary of San Antonio.A man named Bill Bannister registered at the Town House motel on Loop 410 on Memorial Day 1979. But the Partner benefit with the greatest impact to us and our families is being within arms reach of so many other amazing nonprofits and the Harrelson Center team. Jo Ann had purchased the rifle under a false name, Mrs. "Fay King." A portrait of Federal Judge John H. Wood, Jr. hangs at the Federal Courthouse. The only other person in the world who knew that Harrelson did the hit on Judge Wood was Jimmy, who ordered it. Reports suggest Prince Charles will live "in a flat above the shop" when he becomes king. On May 29, 1979, Judge John H. Wood was killed in San Antonio, Texas, by a shot from a high-powered rifle to the back of the head. When he went to Las Vegas, he went to offer his talents as a murderer.''. Florida woman runs ultra-marathon distances for 23 consecutive days. Chagra was once held by Colombian authorities after his drug-smuggling plane crashed there. Wood was called 'Maximum John' for his tough sentencing policies. Investigators suspected that the murder was somehow connected to the growing drug trade in Texas. Suspected burglar inside New Brunswick home was a panicked deer. In addition to the testimony of Joseph Chagra, the government had evidence drawn from more than 1,000 recorded telephone and face-to-face conversations, most of them involving Jamiel Chagra in various prisons. See FameChain's massive Trump family tree. Chagra asked Harrelson if Wood could be bribed. Mr. Harrelson also said that a high-powered Weatherby hunting rifle, the kind the Government said killed the judge, purchased by his wife 12 days before the slaying, was actually given to Mr. Kay. Harrelson's jury found him guilty of murder of a federal employee, and he was also convicted on the charges of conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to obstruct justice. The case was unique in that the courts all the way up the line blessed the decisions below, Campion said of appeals that followed. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. At one point in a rambling dialogue, Jimmy warned Joe that he was up to his neck in the murder plot. SIGNIFICANCE: Charles Harrelson was convicted for a hit-man killing of Judge John H. Wood, the only federal judge to be assassinated in the twentieth century. Jo Ann, convicted of conspiracy to obstruct justice and perjury, was later paroled. Mr. Chagra testified not only that Mr. Harrelson had told him he had killed Judge Wood, but also that his brother had suggested killing the judge and had identified Mr. Harrelson as the man he paid to do so. But in the interviews, Chagra described himself as a megalomaniac.. By Wayne King, Special To the New York Times. Whats Up With All the Kangaroos on the Loose in Texas? 10/19/1981 - Charles V. Harrelson, charged in the murder of U.S. District Judge John H. Wood, in court. Jimmy Chagra was sentenced to 30 years for his original drug-trafficking charges, plus 10 years for the lesser charges he was convicted of when he was tried for the Wood murder. The $450,000 they took from the office safe was money Jimmy owed to mob boss Joe Bonanno, Sr., for a busted drug deal. Talented With Cards. Joseph Chagra, 50, Lawyer Linked to Assassination, Dies, https://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/15/us/joseph-chagra-50-lawyer-linked-to-assassination-dies.html. He was a cheat, he was a con man and he was a murderer. 'She has reached a point where the evidence is up to her ears and she's floundering in it. You cant imagine the shock when Jimmy Chagra was acquitted.. It is believed to be correct at the time of inputting and is presented here in good faith. At the end of the hearing, Jamiel turned to his brother and attorney, Joseph Chagra, and said he would never have a fair trial. In her 2022 memoir The jury started deliberating on Feb. 3, 1983. 'The hearing will continue when I hear further from the government or the witness (Mrs. The collaborations and friendships are blessings to me and to our organization. Good Fella Texas Monthly Through these collaborations, we have been able to extend our reach to help more families in our local community. Judge Woods 1979 slaying by Charles Harrelson was crime of the century, San Antonio Zoo has a long but spotty history with giraffes. Because he was a model prisoner Joe ended up spending only six and a half years behind bars. Murder is perhaps the single most serious criminal offense. Depen, Chicago Mobsters Convicted of Decades-Old Murders "I truly appreciate the way you assisted me. She was previously convicted of using a The defendants were charged under Federal statutes governing the killing of a Federal employee. Ive published three articles in this magazine about Wood and the Chagras, but Ive never written all I knowuntil now. To provide a humanitarian services campus of nonprofit organizations that offer hope, opportunity, and empowerment. (February 23, 2023). Judge Wood was the first Federal judge to be assassinated in this century. On another visit Jimmy told Joe, Youre the one who said, Do it, do it, do it. Joe tried to conceal his shock by talking tough, saying he never thought his brother would hire an asshole like Harrelson. UNITED STATES v. HARRELSO | 705 F.2d 733 (1983) - Leagle Adding further to their indignation, the trial was presided over by then-federal Judge William Sessions, who was a pallbearer at Woods funeral and delivered a eulogy, Campion said. But Joe absolutely refused to testify against his brother as a matter of family honor. 3 children killed, 2 hospitalized in North Texas domestic incident. Defendants: Charles Manson, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, Leslie Van Houten But he had some luck when the prosecutors decided to put criminal Jerry Ray James on the stand to testify against Chagra. Another juror collapsed in her chair after the verdict was read and had to be helped from the courtroom. Minnesota officer removes jar from raccoon's head. Kentucky man stops for breakfast, wins $50,000 lottery prize. He has published 21 books and screenplays, including many on Las Vegas history and historical figures. The Center provides its nonprofit partners social and educational opportunities, marketing and promotions, volunteer recruitment and a place of collaboration for them to help those in need in our community. Three years later, after moving to the Harrelson Center, we have a staff of 18 and are serving some 1500 people. But his wife was not released and died of ovarian cancer at age 41. Harrelson claimed to have killed 50 The three had risen from an unremarkable middle-class upbringing to live among El Paso's wealthiest residents. Instead, that day he was shot as he was leaving for court. On Express-News.com: Judge Sarah Garrahan-Moulder, who helped prosecute hit man Charles Harrelson in San Antonio, dies at 84. In his testimony, Mr. Harrelson said he was ''set up'' by George Edward (Pete) Kay, another gambler. In the 1970s, Jimmy Chagra was the marijuana kingpin of the Western world. March 3 (UPI) -- A Kentucky man who stopped to buy some breakfast said he lost his appetite when he won $50,000 from a scratch-off lottery ticket. He called himself ''a card mechanic'' so talented with a deck that he could deal any hands requested around a table. ", - Kim Ceasar, Executive Director, Soaring As Eagles, "The Harrelson Center changes the lives of people in amazing ways. He set up his family on a farm in Kansas. Joseph testified as well against his own sister-in-law Elizabeth Chagra, and Harrelson's wife, Jo Ann. Just after Judge Wood was killed, Joseph Chagra, then 31, said the slaying was the worst thing that could have happened to his other brother, Jamiel, 32, who was known as Jimmy. Noah Harrelson{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Noah Harrelson", "gender": "Male" }, Beckie Harrelson{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Beckie Harrelson", "gender": "Female" }, Joel Sparks{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Joel Sparks", "gender": "Male" }, Lemma Sparks{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Lemma Sparks", "gender": "Female" }, Voyde Harrelson{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Voyde Harrelson", "gender": "Male" }, Alma Glover{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Alma Glover", "gender": "Female" }, Daisy Harrelson{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Daisy Harrelson", "gender": "Female" }, Leonard Humphrey Harrelson{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Leonard Humphrey Harrelson", "gender": "Male" }, Claude Elegan Harrelson{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Claude Elegan Harrelson", "gender": "Male" }, Sybil Nunley{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Sybil Nunley", "gender": "Female" }, Edward Leon Harrelson{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Edward Leon Harrelson", "gender": "Male" }, Woody Harrelson{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Woody Harrelson", "gender": "Male" }, with Diane Harrelson{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Diane Harrelson", "gender": "Female" }, Jordan Harrelson{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Jordan Harrelson", "gender": "Male" }, Brett Harrelson{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Brett Harrelson", "gender": "Male" }, born 1963, age 55 This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. ", Louise Hicks, Executive Director, Community In Schools of Cape Fear, "We are grateful for the resources and partners the Harrelson Center has introduced to us. If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. Russian defense minister visits front lines as Ukraine's hold on Bakhmut slips. Elizabeth Chagra, the wife of Jamiel (Jimmy) Chagra, the drug dealer who is to be tried in a separate proceeding on charges of paying Mr. Harrelson $250,000 to murder the judge, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to obstruct justice. The next morning, May 29, using a high-powered rifle fitted with a scope, that man fired a shot that would be heard around the world. ''O.K., honey,'' Mrs. Chagra said she replied. Jimmy Chagra, the high-stakes gambler who faced sentencing by Wood in a drug case shortly before the judge was killed, was cleared of conspiracy. A place where needs are met, dreams are fostered and hope abounds. An appeal was expected. A day after talking to Harrelson, Joe relayed what had been said about the Wood killing to his arrogant and tempestuous brother, who was furious. CHAGRA: LIFE IN LAS VEGAS ANDMARIJUANA KINGPIN. Thats not the problem I have, Ray Jahn quoted Jimmy Chagra as telling Harrelson. March 3 (UPI) -- A New Brunswick couple who initially thought a burglar had broken into their home discovered the invader was actually a panicked deer. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. However, there was no physical evidence and investigators had to rely on circumstantial evidence and informants. Harrelson also testified that Kay had borrowed his own distinctive gold-colored Oldsmobile, similar to one seen near the judge's apartment on the day of the killing. Jo Ann Starr Harrelson: conspiracy to obstruct justice. As each juror affirmed the vote of guilty on counts of conspiracy to murder, murder and conspiracy to obstruct justice, several had tears in their eyes and one woman shook visibly and broke into sobs. Thursday, May 28: Oscar's "Case of the Century": The Life March 3 (UPI) -- In a cost-saving move, retail giant Amazon announced Friday that it will delay construction on a planned second corporate headquarters dubbed "HQ2" in Arlington, Va. President Joe Biden thanks German chancellor for his nation's help in Ukraine. Chagra and his wife, Liz, and young daughter relocated to Las Vegas in 1978 and moved into a house across the street from attorney Oscar Goodman. National Park Service: 'Never push a slower friend down' in a bear encounter, March 2 (UPI) -- The National Park Service offered some sage advice for park visitors who encounter bears: "Never push a slower friend down. He gave us details that only he knew, Ray Jahn said. Jimmy Carters Peanut-and-Egg Taco Made Quite the Impression on San Antonians. New York Times (December 15, 1982). I promised Samantha that I would write that Joe was a good father, and I know damn well he was. To cut costs, Amazon delays completion of second headquarters, closes retail stores. Charles Harrelson Trial: 1982-83 | Encyclopedia.com Daniel Vaughn is the countrys first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have. It was just incredible, said Millsap, the former district attorney. Therefore, its best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publications requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. Jo Ann Harrelson was summoned before a federal grand jury in the Western District of Texas investigating her husband's complicity in the murder. According to the Jahns, Harrelson offered to kill people suspected of killing Jimmys older brother, attorney Lee Chagra, who was murdered in his El Paso law office two days before Christmas in 1978. Firefighters hoist horse stranded in backyard swimming pool. We mesh and balance each other., - Jerri Holliday, Executive Director, Philippians 3 Ministries, 20 North 4th St. STE 214 Wilmington, NC 28401, But the Partner benefit with the greatest impact to us and our families. Mr. Chagra was one of three sons of a Lebanese rug merchant who had emigrated from Mexico to El Paso. '', The fear, the Government asserted, was that of Jamiel Chagra, once described on an F.B.I. Joes testimony put Harrelson in prison for life; ironically, in his separate trial, Jimmy was acquitted, thanks largely to Joes unwillingness to testify against him.