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League City 1983 Cold Case Murder: Deliberations in trial continue in day 2

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Published  May 24, 2023 5:12pm CDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 26 Houston

League City cold case: Jury continues deliberations in 1983 triple murder case

It's day 2 of deliberations for a triple murder cold case that finally went to trial after 40 years. FOX 26's Damali Keith reports more on the families trying to get justice.

HOUSTON - It’s day two of deliberations for a triple murder cold case that is finally headed to trial. The families are still trying to get justice after 40 years.

The horrific massacre was a complicated case to solve for investigators and now it’s proving to be a tough one to prosecute, as well.

In the triple murder trial against Jesse Dean Kersh, the details are digging into old wounds for victims’ loved ones who’ve been wanting the killer to be convicted since this happened in 1983.

PREVIOUS STORY: League City 1983 Cold Case Murder: Closing arguments heard in triple homicide trial

It wasn’t until 2016 that Kersh was indicted for the now 40-year-old crime.

Corvette Concept Co-Owner Beth Wilburn was stabbed at the company 114 times with a screwdriver and shot in the head 4 times. Prosecutors say Kersh killed Wilburn, who was his boss, after she reprimanded him for failing to properly repair a vehicle.

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Investigators say the enraged mechanic then shot James Craig Oatis 10 times. Oatis was an electrician simply installing light bulbs there.

Then according to prosecuting attorneys, Kersh stabbed Wilburn’s boyfriend Tommy McGraw 15 times and shot him seven times when he arrived to pick Wilburn up from work.

Sloan Scott who says Kersh worked for him in the 1990s says the evidence and testimony against Kersh seems strong.

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"Especially the DNA person who explained why it’s not a strong DNA case but it excludes the partner. The defense keeps trying to say the partner and his brother did it but it excludes him but it doesn’t exclude Dean Kersh. I think the evidence is pretty overwhelming and I hope the jury agrees," Scott says.

The partner he’s referring to Bob Currie co-owned Corvette Concept and was Wilburn’s ex-boyfriend. Investigators say Currie had an alibi and did not commit the triple murder.

Jurors began deliberating yesterday afternoon around 3:30 and they still haven’t reached a verdict.