By Larry Briscoe
Correspondent
West Tawakoni Councilwoman Laura Denise Bailey Beckett was arrested at 10 a.m. Feb. 6 by the West Tawakoni Police Department on two sealed indictments issued by the Hunt County grand jury.
West Tawakoni Chief of Police Brandon Kilpatrick said Beckett was arrested without incident and taken to the Hunt County jail. He said the warrants had bonds of $20,000 each.
“The grand jury indictment and warrants issued were in connection with the case that was being investigated into the death of Jackie Blaylock of Quinlan,” Kilpatrick said.
The resignation and replacement of Laura Beckett from Place 2 of the West Tawakoni City Council was on the Tuesday night meeting agenda. See related story in this issue.
Beckett was indicted by the Hunt County grand jury accident involving serious bodily injury-death and tampering with physical evidence charges.
The indictment by the grand jury on the accident involving SBI-death charge states Beckett on or about March 17, 2013, “did then and there intentionally or knowingly drive a vehicle that became involved in an accident resulting in death to Jackie Lynn Blaylock, and the said defendant did thereafter, knowing said accident had occurred, intentionally or knowingly leave the scene of said accident, without giving her name, address, registration number of the vehicle of the defendant, or the name of the defendant’s motor vehicle liability insurer to any person, and without rendering reasonable assistance to Jackie Lynn Blaylock when it was then apparent that Jackie Lynn Blaylock was in need of medical treatment …”
The indictment on the tampering with physical evidence charge claims Beckett on or about March 18, 2013, “did then and there, knowing that an investigation was pending and-or in progress, to wit: an investigation into the death of Jackie Lynn Blaylock, intentionally or knowingly alter, destroy and-or conceal evidence of a crime, namely: 2003 Chevy Suburban, with intent to impair its availability as evidence in the investigation …”
The case was transferred from the 196th District Court of Judge Steve Tittle to the 354th District Court of Judge Richard A. Beacom.
Blaylock, 38, was found by a West Tawakoni police officer at the intersection of State Highway 276 and Waterline Road in the early morning hours of March 17, 2013.
At the time of the accident, Kilpatrick said Officer Barbara Peacock was patrolling when she observed a pair of shoes lying in the roadway. “Officer Peacock turned her vehicle around and investigated and observed a female in the roadway,” he said.
After further investigation, she found a vehicle had struck the woman.
“When Officer Peacock approached, she noticed she had injuries and notified AMR Ambulance,” the police chief said. “When AMR arrived, they determined the female was deceased.”
During the investigation, police determined the vehicle that struck Blaylock was a 2000 to 2003 Chevrolet pickup truck, because of debris that was left behind from the accident. Kilpatrick said at that time, the truck would be missing the right-side headlight and a piece of trim just under the headlight.
Kilpatrick and a Texas Department of Public Safety state trooper closed a portion of the highway the following week at the scene that was located in front of Tawakoni Assembly of God to take precise measurements.
In September 2013, when asked for an update into the investigation, Kilpatrick said evidence from a vehicle has been submitted to the Texas Crime Lab.
“That evidence has been sent to the Texas Crime Lab. When you submit evidence to the Texas Crime Lab that involves DNA, it can take four to six months to get findings back,” he said.