Marine Murder Trial: Jury selected, trial begins
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — On April 2, a jury was selected and three witnesses were called to the stand for the State of Texas vs. Ray Vera trial involving the 2022 stabbing death of a Marine stationed at Goodfellow Air Force Base.
A grand jury indicted 41-year-old Ray Vera for the murder of Marine Staff Sergeant Bryce Rudisell, intentionally, knowingly and recklessly causing serious bodily injury to SSgt. Devin Casey, intentionally, knowingly and recklessly causing serious bodily injury to SSgt. Andrew Cauwell, and intentionally, knowingly and recklessly causing bodily injury to SSgt. Sergeant Cauwell. Vera is one of five people who are allegedly involved in the stabbing that happened at Whiskey River on Oct. 2, 2022.
RELATED: Trial begins in Marine’s stabbing death
After two days, a jury of 11 women and three men were seated for the trial happening within the 51st District Court in the Tom Green County Courthouse.
Following the selection, both the state and defense gave their opening statements.
In the opening statement, District Attorney John Best told the jury that they would provide a “roadmap to what we expect the evidence will show in this case.” The roadmap he described started with four service members going out to celebrate a promotion and birthday on the night of October 1.
While out celebrating, Best shared the group would “accidentally bump into the wrong person”, while dancing at Whiskey River. This encounter, despite attempting to separate from Vera, would turn into a fight within the bar. Furthermore leading to a second brawl in the parking lot as “Vera ran” out of the bar, Best described to the jury.
He continued by stating that this fight would end in the death of SSgt. Rudisell and Ssgt. Cauwell being stabbed in the chest.
RELATED: Goodfellow identifies Marine who died in weekend stabbing
Defense Attorney Jason Sosa followed Best with the defense’s opening statements, stating, “Ray Vera didn’t go looking for trouble, trouble came looking for him.” Sosa shared that the group of service members started their night off with five hours of drinking at Fiddlestrings Bar and Patio before they made their way to Whiskey River to continue their night. After the group bumped into Vera and his wife on the dance floor, Sosa described the couple’s attempt to make their way to the other side while the service members started “flocking feathers” and looking for a fight despite being bigger and younger than Vera.
“They weren’t acting like service members that night,” Sosa told the jury. “They were acting like bullies… Bullies.”
After the fight broke out inside the bar, Sosa described a “trained warrior” being caught on surveillance camera as he continued to hold down and beat an individual. Further surveillance footage would show Vera walking out of the bar behind his group, Sosa stated. “He wants to save his buddies,” he continued when describing the second fight that took place in the parking lot on Oct. 2. “These guys are either going to kill me or I’m going to be in bad shape,” Sosa said when he told the jury Vera’s thoughts that night.
Sosa finished his opening statement by informing the jury that, “you will be the deciders of the law.”
RELATED: Additional arrests made following deadly stabbing at Whiskey River Saloon
Following opening statements, three San Angelo patrol officers were called to the stand to recall what they witnessed when they arrived at the scene shortly after 1 a.m. on Oct. 2, 2022.
Body camera footage played for the jury showed two officers responding to two victims, both with stab wounds. These two men were identified as Ssgt. Cauwell and Ssgt. Rusidell. A third officer began gathering witness information and statements after handing off his medical kit to an officer attending to one of the men.
The court adjourned shortly before 6 p.m. on Tuesday. Testimony is set to continue on Wednesday.
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