NEWS
‘Plea won’t stop search for Caleb,’ DA, investigators reflect on the path to trial
On Tuesday afternoon when Ricky Dale Howard plead guilty to sexual exploitation of a child in federal court the local prosecutor and investigators breathed a small sigh of relief.
While it may not have been the justice they were seeking revealing the location of missing teen Caleb Diehl they say it was the “absolute right thing” and they won’t stop the search for the 18-year-old.
Friday morning after weeks of trial preparation and a whirlwind two days in court, 97th District Attorney Casey Polhemus, DA Investigator Chris Hamilton and County Judge Kevin Benton, a retired investigator, took a few moments to reflect on the trial’s result, its impact on the families and them.
They all say it was good people doing their jobs that got them here.
The trial of Howard on four child pornography charges opened Monday with jury selection following by witness testimony. That night a juror was injured in a freak accident and U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor declared a mistrial Tuesday morning. A short time later Howard elected to plead guilty to one count of production of a child pornography involving the missing victim, believed to be Caleb Diehl.
The sentencing hearing will be at 9 a.m. on Oct. 27 when he could be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison.
Polhemus, 97th District Attorney, said the plea was the culmination of the cooperative effort between the DA’s office and the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Northern District, Wichita Falls division.
Per the plea agreement the U.S. government will move to dismiss at sentencing any remaining federal counts and indictments the defendant has not pled guilty to.
The DA agreed to dismiss a series of four currently indicted cases once Howard is sentenced. Polhemus added it does not affect any future cases and the missing person investigation into Caleb Diehl is “open and active.”
The outcome
Settled into the office of the DA, all three appeared glad a hectic week was coming to an end. Polhemus said they certainly felt the plea bargain was appropriate. Both Benton and Hamilton agreed noting it was the maximum offense.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
City of Bowie officials were on hand to inspect the emergency electrical generators that were delivered last week.
Mayor Gaylynn Burris and City Manager Bert Cunningham inspected one of three emergency electrical generators purchased as part of an ongoing Federal Emergency Management Agency Hazard Mitigation Grant. They also talked with Jay Evans, head of the city electric department, and Jerry Sutton, director of the water treatment plant about the next step for installation of the generators.
This grant provides funding for one 150 kW and two 250 kW generators for use at the water treatment plant.
Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.
City Manager Bert Cunningham and Mayor Gaylynn Burris talk with the electric and water department staff about the new generators. (Photo by Cindy Roller)
No action was taken on a legal issue after members of the Bowie City Council met in a called closed session at 4 p.m. on July 12.
City Secretary Sandy Page said the council met for almost one hour for “consultation with attorney – Midwest Waste Services LLC vs. City of Bowie.
This lawsuit goes back to August 2019 when Midwest sued the city for its action requiring those who receive city water outside the city limits to use the designated waste collector, which is Waste Connections. This was shortly after the city signed a new long-term contract with WC.
The suit was dismissed in June 2020 on two points in the suit, but City Manager Bert Cunningham said a third point remained in mediation.
The Department of Public Safety has provided information on an auto vs. motorcycle accident that reportedly occurred on July 4.
James Lee Hilton, Nocona, was driving a 2019 Harley-Davidson motorcycle and Daniel Parra, Chico, was driving a 2018 Ford Fiesta. Both vehicles were north on State Highway 101 outside Sunset with the motorcycle behind the car.
Parra was attempting to turn left on Farm-to-Market Road 2265 when the motorcyclist attempted to unsafely pass to the left states the report. The bike struck the left side of the Fiesta. Both vehicles came to rest off the roadway on the northwest corner of SH 101 and FM 2265.
Hilton was transported to Denton Medical City with
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