|
|
|
|
Paperwork was filed Tuesday afternoon announcing the state’s intention.
Jeffrey Frank Grimsinger, handcuffed and shackled, appeared in court wearing the yellow shirt and pants issued to inmates of the Victoria County Jail. Judge Robert Cheshire read the capital murder charge against him.
Through one of his attorneys, Elliott Costas, Grimsinger entered his plea of not guilty in the death of the 53-year-old Blackwell.
His second attorney is Brian Hendrix.
District Attorney Dexter Eaves, after the arraignment, didn’t have much to say about how he reached the decision to seek the death penalty.
“Just like every other case, you have to weigh future danger and mitigation,” Eaves said. “I weighed it out and came to the conclusion to seek the death penalty.”
Mitigation is “anything that can lessen blame worthiness ... the feeling of the victim’s family … its effect on society,” Eaves said.
Grimsinger is being held at the county jail without bail.
Eaves declined to comment on specifics of the case.
The indictment, filed Aug. 31, includes three counts. First is the killing and kidnapping of Blackwell from her home in the Cimarron subdivision.
The second count includes the offense of killing Blackwell but also going into her home without permission.
The final count includes the offense of robbery along with her death. The indictment does not specify the items stolen.
In all three counts, the weapon that killed Blackwell was identified as a rope.
For the purpose of a trial, prosecuting attorneys must only prove one of the counts to get a conviction, Eaves said previously.
On March 14, Blackwell was reported missing after she failed to show up for work at her part-time counseling job. Her home was found unlocked and her car was in the garage.
The next day her body was discovered in a pasture on Hanselman Road in rural Victoria County, about 10 feet from the roadway.
Grimsinger is scheduled to appear again in court on Feb. 27 but it will only be for the hearing of motions and other routine court procedures. The trial is not expected until later next year.
“More than likely it will be next fall,” Eaves said.
Part of the reason for the long time between indictment and trial is to allow both prosecutors and defense attorneys time to ensure everything is properly prepared.
“Everything that happens in a capital cases is under scrutiny,” Eaves said.
Jason Collins is a reporter for the Advocate. Contact him at 361-580-6521 or jcollins@vicad.com.