Adam's Story - The Murder and Trial

On May 29, 2008, Ryan Adam Moon, 26, was stabbed 5 times in a fight over money in Odessa, TX. I am very sure it was a drug deal gone bad. His girlfriend, Jameyea Brockett rushed him to Odessa Regional Medical Center. He died 30 minutes later.

Based on information provided by Jameyea, within hours Terrence L. Jackson, his girlfriend Sarah E. Fontenot, and Christopher David Lyson were found in an apartment in Midland, TX and detained by police. Christopher David Lyson was charged with 1st degree murder. The two others were released.

On May 30, 2008, Jameyea and I sat on my sister's front porch and talked for hours. She told me that she and Adam had gone to her friend Terrence Jackson's house to collect money. As Adam and Jameyea drove up, Sarah Fontenot drove up in another car with Jackson and Lyson. At the time the murder occurred she did not know Lyson. She or Adam had never met or seen him. She said Jackson walked up while Adam was still in the car. Adam pulled a screwdriver on Jackson and she took it away from him. Adam got out of the car and the two began scuffling. She saw Lyson get out of Fontenot's car. She stepped out of her car and told Lyson the fight was none of his business and she walked back to her car. She then said Adam walked to the car and told her he had been stabbed. She saw Fontenot drive away with Lyson and Jackson in her car. She said she did not see the stabbing.

As we were talking, Jameyea got a phone call from her cousin. Her cousin told her that Terrence Jackson had driven by her house several times. Jameyea was so scared she asked for a police escort to take her home to get clothes so she could stay elsewhere. She stayed at my brother's house for 3 days.

A day or so later my family tried to meet with the police. We were told the case was assigned to Odessa Police Department homicide investigator Adam Barbosa, but he was unavailable. We did meet Ector County District Attorney, Bobby Bland. He did not have information on the case but told us he tried ALL murder cases in Ector County and he had never lost one. We questioned why Terrence Jackson and Sarah Fontenot were not arrested. He said they did not have enough evidence to charge them. We asked if they had checked to see if either of them was on parole or probation. Perhaps they could hold them for a violation. A man named Joe Commander said their system would not have that information. He said they would know this only if the suspects told them. But Joe Commander did slip me the phone numbers of the parole office as I walked out the door. Even though Jackson had been convicted of numerous crimes, he was not on parole or probation, nor was Fontenot.

A few weeks later, my mother, Adam's grandmother was diagnosed with pneumonia. She was hospitalized at Odessa Regional Medical Center. While there, we got a copy of Adam's ER records. We wanted to know they did all they could to save him. We were shocked at what we found in the files. The doctors log said “girlfriend said ““a friend”” stabbed him.” If Jameyea did not see the stabbing, why then did she tell the hospital "a friend" did it? Jameyea nor Adam knew Christopher Lyson. He was a complete stranger. Terrence Jackson was Jameyea’s friend and Adam’s acquaintance. She said this BEFORE she ever talked to police. The stabbing had just happened. She was probably in shock. She had no reason to lie at this point.

For 18 months my family was unable to get information on the case from police. On the rare occasion when we spoke with Detective Barbosa, we were told it is an ongoing investigation and he could not release details. We were only told they did not have a murder weapon and they were waiting on DNA evidence from a bloody shirt. Detective Barbosa assured us he had the right person. Even though Jackson and Fontenot ran from the scene of a murder and hid the alleged killer, Detective Barbosa said he did not have enough evidence to charge either with a crime.

A few weeks before the trial my sister Karen, Adam's mother was told the case had been assigned to Assistant District Attorney, Justin Cunningham. Mr. Cunningham had never tried a murder case before. I wondered why this one was assigned to an assistant when Bobby Bland had told us he personally tried all murder cases. Karen met with Justin. At the time she felt comfortable with him. He confirmed they did not have a murder weapon. He said that Jameyea, Terrence Jackson, and Sarah Fontenot would be witnesses for the prosecution. She told him we were not sure they had the right person because of what Jameyea had told the hospital. She said she did not feel comfortable that Detective Barbosa had done a thorough investigation. He told her he would assign an "investigator from the DA's office" to conduct an independent investigation. I emailed Mr. Cunningham asking him many, many questions. Most important, I asked why, if Jackson and Fontenot were telling the truth, could they not tell him where the murder weapon is. They left the scene of the crime and were caught within hours. They were together the entire time so they should know where the weapon is. Mr. Cunningham called me and said "they had evidence to show there was a period of time when the three were separated."

November 17, 2009 Lyson’s trial began. Justin Cunningham told jurors they did not have the murder weapon but he would introduce photographs of knives found in Lyson’s backpack. Although the knives were tested for DNA and not linked to the stabbing, Cunningham said they could show Lyson’s tendency to carry dangerous weapons.

Jameyea testified that Adam told her Lyson did it. She said she did not see the knife but said she saw Lyson stab Adam and demonstrated the motion she claimed to witness. She said she heard Adam tell Terrence “your homeboy didn’t have to stab me like that.” Lyson’s defense attorney, Dusty Gallivan accused her of changing her story. He said she did not tell police about Lyson’s conversation with Jackson in her written statement or in a taped interview with detectives. This story is also completely different from what she told me the day after the murder.

Odessa Police Detectives Shelly Stanford and Harvey Enriquez testified. The jury heard a 90 minute tape recording of Lyson’s interrogation. Initially he told detectives he was shocked to learn of Adam’s death, saying Jackson and Adam shook hands after the fight and that “everything was fine.” After being threatened with lethal injection, Lyson said he recalled Jackson telling him, “I shivved his ass.” Lyson insisted he was standing near a car and only watched the fight. The detectives admitted on cross examination that they confined the scope of their investigation by basing their questions on Jameyea’s initial statement.

Two nurses from Odessa Regional Medical Center testified that ADAM SAID "TERRENCE DID IT" as he died.

Terrence L. Jackson testified that Lyson admitted stabbing Adam and showed him about “how far” with a pocketknife. Jackson’s girlfriend, Sarah E. Fontenot, testified she saw Lyson washing and drying the knife in an apartment after the stabbing. Neither told police this story during the investigation.

And now for the defense. Here it is, folks. "The defense rests, Your Honor." They did not call a single witness. They did not need any. The prosecution proved their case for them.

In closing arguments Dusty Gallivan criticized the investigation of Adam’s death, saying detectives tested only three knives for DNA and did not check them for fingerprints.

He showed photographs of a bloody shirt that was not tested for DNA. Remember, we were told they were waiting on DNA evidence to be returned. And amazingly, THE BLOODY SHIRT WAS WORN BY TERRENCE JACKSON, not Christopher Lyson.

He showed photographs of a knife on the coffee table in the apartment where the suspects were apprehended that was not tested.

He showed photographs of a knife in the passenger door of the car where Terrence Jackson was sitting, yet it was not tested.

He said the entire investigation was based on Jameyea’s initial statement. He asked the jury to believe Adam. He asked if they believed Jameyea who changed her story? Do they believe Terrence Jackson, a known felon whose story changed? Do they believe Sarah Fontenot, Jackson's girlfriend and mother of his child who's story changed? Or do they believe Adam?

Justin Cunningham pointed out three eyewitnesses to the fight implicated Lyson. Yes, they did and all three are proven liars. “The most telling evidence in this whole trial, he said, is that there are no defensive wounds.” Three witnesses testified Lyson snuck up on Adam during the fight to help Jackson. The prosecution's entire case was that there were no defensive wounds. How on God's green earth is that supposed to prove Lyson did it?

Twelve jurors believed Adam. November 20, 2009 they acquitted Christopher Lyson.

All evidence in this case points to Terrence Jackson as the killer. It is unclear why the Odessa Police Department or the Ector County District Attorney has made no attempt to arrest, indict, or try Terrence Jackson for murder. After our own independent investigation, it is our belief that Terrence Jackson is a criminal informant for the police. Could it be they would let a murderer walk free so their drug cases are not comprimised?