Latest news with #Gildon
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Yahoo
Eighth arrest linked to Wichita Falls murder investigation
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — Police have charged an eighth suspect with a felony offense stemming from their investigation into a Wichita Falls homicide in May 2024. RELATED: Elmondo Gildon charged in Dallas homicide, additional charges pending William Edward 'Binky' Hunter, 45, of Wichita Falls, was charged on April 10, 2025, with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. Hunter was already in the Wichita County Jail for a parole violation, where he has been held without bond since Feb. 6, 2025. The charge against Hunter marks the eighth suspect charged in connection with an investigation by the Wichita Falls Police Department into the murder of Trevanian Mitchell in May of 2024. The seven other individuals facing charges as a result of the investigation can be found below: Brittany Johnson — Arrested March 27 and charged with aggravated perjury Zelma Barry — Arrested March 29 and charged with aggravated perjury Latarrah Roberts — Arrested March 31 and charged with aggravated perjury Elmondo Gildon — Arrested April 9 and charged with unlawful possession of a firearm Gildon was also charged with murder for an unrelated case out of Dallas County on April 10, 2025 Patricia Vasquez — Arrested April 10 and charged with organized retail theft Jessica Jones — Arrested April 12 and charged with organized retail theft Maricia Blair — Arrested April 14 and charged with unlawful possession of a firearm PREVIOUS STORY: Murder investigation leads to 2 more arrests, total now 7 While charges against all eight individuals stem from discoveries made during the investigation, none have resulted in murder charges being filed in Wichita County, as of the publication of this story. However, like the arrests listed above, the charge against Hunter is connected to Gildon. According to the arrest affidavit, police executed a search warrant at a residence owned and occupied by Gildon in the 100 block of North Oriole Street. Police said during the execution of the warrant, they found the residence was surrounded by Blink surveillance cameras. They said they located a Blink Sync Module 2 with a storage device plugged into the USB port. The affidavit said police seized the module and the storage device and later obtained a search warrant for the storage device, where they said they found over 4,000 saved video recordings from May 2024 alone. Police said while going through the video files, they came across footage of Hunter, known by the aliases 'BK' and 'Binky', at Gildon's residence with a firearm in his hand. READ MORE: Murder investigation uncovers organized theft scheme According to the affidavit, police said they believed the handgun was authentic due to the size, finish, and extended magazine capabilities. They said Hunter and Gildon were fearing retaliation for recent actions and noticed Hunter appeared to be on high alert and using the firearm as a security measure. The affidavit also said Hunter is a gang member associated with the Kemp Edition Posse. Police said Hunter is a convicted felon currently on parole until 2029, and that it is a third-degree felony offense for a convicted felon on parole to knowingly possess a 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Yahoo
Wichita Falls murder investigation leads to multiple charges, but none for murder
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — The Wichita Falls Police Department has arrested four people in connection to a murder investigation; however, none of those arrested were charged with murder. Three were charged with aggravated perjury, and one was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, but one man remains a piece of each charge. According to police documents, Wichita Falls police detectives obtained a search warrant for Elmondo Gildon's home on March 4, 2025, while 'actively investigating a homicide that occurred in May of 2024.' The next day, police executed the search warrant and said they found a USB storage device with videos from surveillance cameras around the home. Police said after watching videos from May 2024, Gildon was seen in possession of a gun at his home and in a car on five separate days. In Gildon's arrest warrants, police said they also searched his phone and Gildon 'was fearing retaliation for his action, and even shared text messages with others around this time that he had to stay up during the night and 'watch his yard.'' From the arrest warrant, it is unclear what action Gildon was 'fearing retaliation' from. Gildon has a lengthy criminal record that dates back to the late 1990s and is also a felon on parole until 2028. Police said Gildon's parole status and the videos that showed him with a gun are what led them to charge him with unlawful possession of a firearm. OTHER NEWS: Verdict reached in trial of former Knox County sheriff Law enforcement arrested Gildon on April 9, 2025. As of the publication of this story, he remained in the Wichita County Jail with a hold from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Between March 27 and March 31, police charged three women with aggravated perjury in connection to 'an active murder investigation,' and police said each woman had communication with Gildon. Police said Brittany Johnson, Zelma Barry and Latarrah Roberts lied under oath while giving court testimony on March 19. In a recorded phone interview from February, police said Johnson told them she saw Gildon with a rifle; however, during the testimony, she denied saying that. That discrepancy is what led to the police arresting Johnson on March 27. Two days later, on March 29, police arrested Barry. Police said that during her testimony, Barry was asked if she had communicated with Gildon at any point after her police interview on February 26. She testified that Gildon had visited her home after the interview, but they had not spoken by phone. Then, police said they found that Barry and Gildon had four Facebook Messenger video calls after the police interview. Two days after Barry was arrested, on March 31, police arrested Roberts. Roberts was asked during her testimony if she had communicated with Gildon after an interview she had with detectives on March 3, and she testified she had not. Investigators, however, said they found a text thread on Gildon's phone with Roberts in which they discussed meeting in person on March 4 — one day after Roberts' police interview. All three women bonded out of jail the same day they were charged or the day after. All arrest warrants have mentioned either 'an active murder investigation' or a 'homicide that occurred in May of 2024.' As of publication, Texoma's Homepage is not able to verify which incidents are connected to these investigations. When Texoma's Homepage contacted police to see if anyone would be charged with murder, they could not speak on the matter. When Texoma's Homepage asked if they could identify the victims in connection to the murders, they said they were not willing to share that information at the time the request was made. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate Republicans unveil budget proposal they say is a 'third way'
Mar. 11—OLYMPIA — Republicans in the Washington Senate unveiled a budget plan Tuesday they say will address the state's budget deficit without increasing taxes. With Democrats in control in both legislative chambers and the governor's mansion, though, the proposal is likely to face obstacles in the weeks ahead. Tuesday's announcement comes ahead of a revenue forecast next week that will give lawmakers a clearer picture of the state's financial outlook, a move that Sen. Chris Gildon, R-Puyallup, operating budget leader for Senate Republicans, acknowledged is a "risk." The caucus became the first to release a formal budget proposal, though Senate Republicans said Democratic and Republican leadership in both legislative chambers, as well as the governor's office, had been briefed. "We're providing this about two weeks prior to any other budget that you're going to see, because we want to have this out in the public space for scrutiny," Gildon said. Gildon said Tuesday the proposal proves that there is a "third way" that is not purely reliant on cuts or tax increases. "There is a reasonable middle ground," Gildon said. The proposal projects 5% growth over the next two years, and calls for $75.6 billion in total spending. According to Senate Republicans, the plan calls for increased funding for K-12 education, which Gildon said is among their top priorities. Gildon said the proposal would also not cut eligibility or hours of care for seniors, people with developmental disabilities or those receiving behavioral health treatment. The proposal calls on the state to forgo previously negotiated collective bargaining agreements, which amount to roughly $4 billion in increased wages, and instead offers state workers a $5,000 bonus, which would be paid over two years. "It's very progressive; it means a lot to the people at the lower end of the economic scale," Gildon said of the bonus. The proposal also calls on the state to save $1.7 billion by not implementing previously approved programs that have yet to take effect. On Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, said the budget "keeps faith with the people of the state of Washington." "It lives within our means, but also delivers the services that our folks need around the state," Braun said. Gildon said that a proposal by former Gov. Jay Inslee to balance the budget through a series of spending cuts was "more akin to propaganda" than a serious proposal. According to House Democrats, the plan without new taxes calls for slashing a wide array of state programs, including a $3.5 billion cut to health care, a $1.3 billion cut to human services and early learning, $1.1 billion to higher education and a $365 million cut to behavioral health, among others. "If I was to advise the governor to write a budget that would scare people to death, and make them beg for additional taxes, that's probably the budget that I would have written," Gildon said. Following the announcement Tuesday, Sen. June Robinson, D-Everett, who chairs the Senate Ways and Means Committee, said in a statement that she was appreciative of "the work my Republican colleagues have put into crafting their proposal and their willingness to engage in this important discussion." "But while they're calling this a 'no-cuts' budget, the reality is it includes $6 billion in reductions — many of which were identified through bipartisan conversations where Republicans were at the table and will also be reflected in my proposal," Robinson said in the statement. Robinson said the proposal unveiled by Republicans would also treat the Climate Commitment Act like "a piggy bank for unrelated programs" and that the proposal fails to fund previously agreed upon collective bargaining agreements for state employees. Robinson added that the budget shifts costs and relies on short-term fixes. "That's why I am committed to a balanced approach — one that includes responsible reductions but also the progressive revenue options needed to sustain core services," Robinson said. "Deep cuts alone won't meet the needs of a growing state. We've seen the harm that underfunding essential services can cause, and we cannot repeat those mistakes. It's time to build a budget that works for the future of Washington." The proposal comes as lawmakers look to close a budget deficit Republican Senators pegged at $6.6 billion, which they attribute to nonpartisan staff, though the figure has fluctuated. In December, the Office of Financial Management projected the figure at $12.6 billion over the next four years, while Gov. Bob Ferguson estimated the shortfall at $15 billion last month as he unveiled a plan to save approximately $4 billion. During the Feb. 27 news conference, Ferguson said the state faces a "budget crisis" and called on the state government to "do a better job of budgeting within our means." Ferguson's plan includes furloughing most state employees once a month for the next two years, which the governor said would save more than $300 million, though he said he supports previously negotiated collective bargaining agreements. "We will remain committed throughout this process to our values as a state. Our proposals reinforce those values and help put us on a path to a sustainable and balanced budget," Ferguson said. "Together, I believe we can build a more sustainable future for Washingtonians, one that is both fiscally responsible and remains true to our values." The Office of Financial Management will provide an updated revenue forecast on Tuesday.
