ABILENE, Texas — UPDATE (March 31, 4:50 p.m.): James Wells has been sentenced to life in prison for intoxication manslaughter and 75 years for aggravated assault.
UPDATE (March 31, 1 p.m.): Before his sentence was announced, both sides of the James A. Wells trial called multiple witnesses to the stand.
The state called on Mark Roger’s brother to speak about his character and all he has done as a community leader in Abilene. Also brought to the stand was the toxicologist for a DWI that James received only days prior to the crash.
The state also called on the officer that conducted the stop that night, Officer Stephen Wall. He said Wells was pulled over after an all-unit broadcast was made on the vehicle he was driving, a 2011 Dodge Challenger, the same vehicle involved in the crash with Rogers. Officer Wall said that Wells only had his running lights turned on, which gave him cause to conduct the stop. This was at approximately 9:45 p.m.
After approaching the vehicle, Officer Wall asked for his license and registration. According to the officer, Wells was showing signs of intoxication and had to be assisted with retrieving these items. Wells had his two children and wife in the car at the time. Wall described Wells' wife as incoherent and lethargic as well. During this time Wells' children began to tell the officer that their father ran over their mother with the vehicle only 30 minutes before the stop and that is when Officer Wall called for medical assistance and Wells' wife was taken to the hospital.
James Wells was arrested for DWI and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon that, a charge later dropped.
The defense called upon Wells' wife to speak about that night. She said it was an accident, and after getting into the car she left the door open and dropped her slipper. As she went to pick up the slipper that was outside the vehicle, James Wells drove off, repelling her out of the vehicle. She said it was at this point that James Wells ran over her leg. Wells then picked her up and put her in the backseat of the car with the children. It was unclear if James Wells was driving to take her to seek medical attention.
The state also spoke about Wells' prior conviction of sexual assault that he served seven years prior.
ORIGINAL STORY:
An Abilene jury found James A. Wells guilty of intoxication manslaughter and aggravated assault Thursday, in the trial resulting from a March 2021 crash that killed well-known Abilene resident Mark Rogers.
Taylor Ferguson, Wells' attorney, began his closing arguments by urging the jury to look at the evidence of each count and make sure that they are positive beyond any reasonable doubt that the district attorney has proven Wells' guilt. He went on to say that they did not deny how fast he was going but questioned that Wells' actions were intentionally reckless. Ferguson also stated that there was no sobriety test conducted at the scene because the responding officer did not see any signs of intoxication. Ferguson said that Wells was being completely cooperative. Some symptoms Wells was showing at the scene were confusion, delayed responses and short term memory loss, which Ferguson argued are all symptoms of trauma all that could have been brought on by the crash, not just by intoxication.
District Attorney James Hicks said the benzodiazepines found in Wells' toxicology report were 10 times stronger than Xanax. Hicks argued that Wells was indeed “stoned.”
“James A. Wells is probably an OK guy, but a killer on dope,” Hicks said.
