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?

A Mother's Story

I am Adam's mother. I was also on the front porch with Jameyea and heard the same story as did several others. Jameyea referred to the killer as Ice Cream. I found it odd that Christopher Lyson was in jail and Jameyea was afraid of Terrence Jackson, her friend.

Witnesses testified that Adam and Jackson scuffled on the ground. The yard on Bunche St. was dirt. Adam had on white shorts. After supposedly rolling on the ground in a fight he didn't have any dust or dirt on his clothes. That was proven at trial.

All of us that heard this story went to Bobby Bland's office. We told him what we heard. He said we were wrong, all of us. It didn't matter that Jameyea told us one story and him another. Her version was the truth. Jackson is a 7 time felon and a police informant. Bland believed Jameyea and Jackson over all of us. He believed them over Adam, two nurses, and a doctor.

I have documents proving that Adam said 4 times at the hospital that Jackson stabbed him. Jameyea told the hospital staff that a friend stabbed Adam. Bobby Bland says that's not true.

Later I found out Terrence Jackson's street name is Ice Cream. Jameyea's mother told me that. She came to my house before the funeral. We were going to hide Jameyea. She said we didn't need to do that, Ice Cream would never hurt her. He was her friend. She buys her stuff from him. I threw her out of my house.

The police made it sound like Adam was the dealer. That is not true. He was buying. Jackson took his money and ripped him off.

Of all the people in custody, the only one with blood on them was Jackson. They did not do DNA on his bloody shirt or the knife in the pocket of the car door. Jackson was sitting by that door. Police said they didn't have equipment to do DNA. Yet they asked for a postponement of the trial. They told the judge they were waiting on DNA. They lied.

Shortly after this, a furniture store on 8th St. was robbed. They stole a flat screen TV, broke the window and cut themselves. They had equipment to do DNA on that blood, but not for a murder.

For the murder case the police thought just a picture of the bloody shirt and knife would be enough. Then they lied about who was wearing said shirt. Bobby Bland assured us he had the right guy. All the evidence pointed to Jackson, but Bland claimed he had the right man.

My sister and I went to Bland and told him we didn't think he should take Lyson to trial. He needed to wait until he had evidence to convict him. If he was the right man, why go to trial and risk him being set free? Maybe try a plea deal? Bland slammed his hand on his desk and told us if we felt that way we shouldn't go into the courtroom. My sister told him we would be in the courtroom. Joe Commander served us with subpoenas before we got to the hallway.

If he had the right man, why not let us hear the evidence? Convince us. He couldn't. Even the jury knew he had the wrong man.

Then I started to notice all kinds of things I found odd. Yolanda Madden was on the news saying she had been set up. She said a criminal informant planted drugs on her. The FBI called her Ice Queen. That's what made me notice. What if all the while they were looking for Ice Cream instead? Due to ebonics, I could see the mistake. Or were they looking for a patsy to cover for Jackson again? It all leads back to the same place.

Tony Chavez lost his license to practice law when he was convicted of international drug smuggling and sent to federal prison. As a matter of fact, that's when Yolanda's troubles first began. When she hired Chavez. The judge that allowed him to regain his law license commented, "I know the Chavez family. I know his boys. The fruit doesn't fall far from the tree."

Then his son Brian Chavez and his buddies break in to a home on 36th St. and beat up the people that lived there. Was that a drug deal gone bad? A few months later a few doors down from the house on 36th St., police found a huge amount of drugs. Is that what Chavez was looking for?

A firefighter breaks into Carl and Susan Rogers house. He was so drunk he thought it was his house. He got 9 months adjudicated probation. Bobby Bland commented to Jim Mustian in the OA that the firefighter has it worse than many others. Why? He has to stay sober enough to recognize his own house for 9 months? If I broke into the Rogers house, would I get 9 months probation? Not likely.

It seems in Ector County it's not what you know, but who. Bobby Bland had to recuse himself from the Chavez case because they're longtime friends. Careful Bob, we're judged by the company we keep.

Karen

The Actors

In one of the few conversations I had with Detective Barbosa, he referred to the parties involved in this case as actors. I thought I would continue with that terminology. When tragedies like this occur, rumors run wild. It is sometimes very difficult to confirm fact from fiction so that is what I am attempting to do here. I'm going to list what I know to be fact, as well as any rumors I have heard. If anyone has information that can confirm or deny anything involving any of the actors, or anything else we may not be aware of, please comment below or email ryanadammoon@yahoo.com.

This is not an attempt to accuse anyone of any crime, cover-up, or conspiracy. Anything on this post that is not known to be fact is strictly my opinion. I am only trying to separate fact from fiction. I watch enough real life crime shows on TV to know that even the most minute thing can be very important.

This is a work in progress. I am going to publish the incomplete document and will update it as time permits. Again, feel free to comment on ANYONE or ANYTHING you know about this case even if I have not yet published anything on a particular actor.

Jameyea Brockett
I know very little about Jameyea, other than when Adam met her, he went downhill fast. There was a time when my family suspected Jameyea could somehow be involved in this murder. Personally, I no longer think that is the case.

Fact: Jameyea and Adam lived together. Her crack addicted mother stayed with them for a while. Adam had recently put her out.

Fact: Adam had alot of cash and Jameyea knew it. He was trying to collect enough money to pay off fees so he could get off probation the following day. The day before the funeral when my family was trying to find money to bury Adam, Jameyea went shopping. She came to Karen's house with several new outfits and a new tatoo. We never found Adam's money.

Rumor: Adam had been talking with an ex-girlfriend. They had discussed getting back together. Adam commented about this on a My Space or Facebook page. He had planned to break up with Jameyea. She was very upset over this.

Rumor: Jameyea drove Adam to the hospital and left him there. She went back to their apartment to hide cocaine and a screwdriver.

Opinion: The screwdriver is important because Adam had a cut on his lip. My mother asked the funeral director what is was. The funeral director said it looked like a cut from a screwdriver. This is very odd since Jameyea told me Adam pulled a screwdriver on Jackson but she took it away from him before he got out of the car. A very good source (I won't name them unless I get their ok) told me Adam tried to stab Terrence with a screwdriver while Adam was still in the passenger seat of the Cadillac, then threw it on the floor of the passenger seat, got out of the car and tried to check Terrence's pockets for money. They both started throwing punches at each other. When Terrence was knocked down, Jameyea ran up and hit Terrence in the head with something. When I asked for more detail on the screwdriver she said Chris saw Adam and Terrence fighting with the screwdriver while Adam was in the passenger seat. Just before Chris saw them, Sarah saw them with the screwdriver and told Chris to get out and make sure nothing happened. I told Detective Barbosa about the screwdriver. I also emailed ADA Justin Cunningham asking if the murder weapon was a knife or a screwdriver. I also asked if Adam's car had been searched by police. I told him there were many screwdrivers in the console of the Cadillac. Karen bagged them. He told me in the phone conversation I had with him that all the wounds were from a knife. He did not answer if the car had been searched. During closing arguments Dusty Gallivan showed a police photograph of a knife and a screwdriver on the coffee table. Neither were tested. I am not sure if police confiscated the screwdriver or just didn't test it. To my knowledge, the autopsy did not mention any wounds that could be from a screwdriver, nor did the medical examiner testify that a screwdriver was involved. I was subpoenaed so the only part of the trial I witnessed were closing arguments.

Fact: Jameyea told me she dated Terrence Jackson's cousin for several years. She told me Jackson was her mother's drug dealer. I claim this to be fact because Jameyea told me this herself.

Rumor: Jameyea was at a club with Terrence Jackson a few days after the murder.

Fact: Jameyea's testimony at trial was different than her initial statements to police and to me.

Opinion: I am not sure why Jameyea lied. Karen told me she called her a few weeks before trial. She had been ordered to talk with ADA Cunningham regarding her testimony. She asked Karen to drive her to the courthouse. While in the car she asked Karen how she thought the trial would go. Karen said she thought Lyson would walk. When Jameyea asked why, Karen said because no one saw it happen. Karen said that Jameyea told her she would say she saw Lyson do it. Karen told her not to do that. I have no idea what she told ADA Cunningham that day. Did he put her on the stand knowing she would lie? Or did this come as a complete shock to him? Did Jameyea lie because she truly believed Lyson did it, was it to protect her friend, Terrence Jackson, or did she lie because she was scared of him? Did detectives coach Jameyea into implicating Lyson as they did with Sarah Fontenot?

There are many unanswered questions that I believe deserve to be investigated.

Terrence Jackson
I have never met Terrence Jackson. I have seen him only once. Karen and I were sitting in the DA’s office during trial. We called it our holding cell. The last day of trial, Joe Commander brought in a witness in shackles. He had on a suit and tie but you could see the tattoos underneath. We knew Jackson was in jail for an unrelated crime. We looked at each other, both wondering, could that be Terrence Jackson? We stepped into the hallway. We could not be in the same room with him. He was the prosecutions star witness.

At that time, we knew Jameyea had told the hospital ER that “a friend” stabbed Adam. We knew Jackson was her friend, and she did not know Lyson. We assumed the police and district attorney’s office had done an investigation and thought they knew something we didn’t that would prove Lyson was the killer. We didn’t understand why Jackson had not been charged as well.

We DID NOT KNOW that Jackson was a CRIMINAL INFORMANT for the police. We DID NOT KNOW they were PROTECTING HIM. We DID NOT KNOW he was one of their own.

After Lyson was acquitted we were very upset. We felt he, Jackson and Fontenot got away with murder because the police were incompetent. I assumed they didn’t bother to investigate a murder because they thought Adam was a drug user and just didn’t care.

After trial I read the newspaper articles online at oaoa.com. That is when I read Jackson was a drug informant. There were several comments that talked about police incompetence and corruption.
Check back soon for updates. Like I said, this is a work in progress.