Houston man admits shooting at daughter, denies fatally striking stranger

Bartholomew Granger, center, is flanked by his attorneys James Makin, right, and Sonny Cribbs before the start of his trial in Galveston on April 22. Bartholomew Granger, center, is flanked by his attorneys James Makin, right, and Sonny Cribbs before the start of his trial in Galveston on April 22. Photo: Dave Ryan, MBO Photo: Dave Ryan, MBO Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Houston man admits shooting at daughter, denies fatally striking stranger 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

GALVESTON - Bartholomew Granger told a jury on Monday that he emptied a 10-shot magazine of his semi-automatic rifle at his daughter outside a Beaumont courthouse last year, making it impossible for him to fatally shoot a woman who was entering the building.

The Houston man, charged with capital murder in the death of 79-year-old Minnie Ray Sebolt, took the stand in a Galveston courtroom in his own defense, claiming his words have been misconstrued and taken out of context by police and prosecutors.

Prosecutors said Granger was aiming at Claudia Jackson, his ex-girlfriend, mother of his daughter and a witness in an aggravated sexual assault trial of which he was the defendant, when his bullets fatally struck Sebolt on March 14, 2012.

Granger said he couldn't explain why he had brought the gun - a Beretta CX4 Storm rifle - because he doesn't remember bringing it, a lapse Prosecutor Ed Shettle characterized as "convenient."

"Why is it that people automatically assume I'm lying - why isn't my word enough?" Granger asked.

"Because you're a murdering son of a bitch," responded Shettle during a tense cross-examination of Granger.

In Granger's initial statement to police about the shooting spree, the 42-year-old said he didn't remember anything about the incident. During testimony Monday, he said he'd regained some memory of the day.

Granger said he remembered shooting his daughter, Samantha Jackson.

"I pulled the trigger again. She fell down and I fell down," he said. "She started saying, 'Daddy please stop, I'll tell the truth.' I pulled the trigger again … When I tried to pull it again there was no more bullets.

"I looked up and I saw Claudia running across the street to the courthouse and I thought, man I really messed up."

He said he decided then to run Samantha over with his truck.

"I'm very sorry I hit Samantha, it's horrible," Granger testified. "It's hard to explain. I've got mixed feelings - I wanted her to tell the truth."

Shettle spent a good portion of Monday morning going over recorded telephone conversations between Granger and his relatives.

He admitted he told his mother the judge in his sexual assault trial, John Stevens, and Jefferson County District Attorney Tom Maness both deserved to die. Granger said he spoke out of anger at being unjustly accused.