47th District Attorney's Office

08/31/2026

In August 2019, a then 8-year-old girl disclosed to her grandmother that her stepfather had been touching her inappropriately for several months. Her grandmother immediately contacted the child’s mother, who spoke with her daughter and called the police. The victim was taken to NWTH for a s*xual assault examination and was interviewed at The Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center. The victim explained that the abuse began when her stepfather asked her to shower with him and continued throughout most of the summer, describing multiple incidents. The defendant was arrested for Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child, a charge that covers situations where a child is abused multiple times by the same offender over a period of time.

In August 2026, the case of State v. Jacob Bowers proceeded to jury trial in the 108th District Court of Potter County. At trial, the victim bravely took the stand, facing her abuser for the first time in nearly eight years. She testified about the abuse she endured. Her account was corroborated by testimony from a s*xual assault nurse examiner, the forensic interviewer from the Bridge, and the counselor who had treated her for the past seven years. After hearing all the evidence, the jury found the defendant guilty of Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child.

The defendant elected to have the Honorable Judge Tim Pirtle assess punishment. During the punishment phase, the victim addressed the Court, describing the lasting effects of the defendant’s actions and expressing her hope to one day live without fear. Judge Pirtle sentenced the defendant to life in prison. Under Texas law, any sentence imposed for Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child carries no possibility of parole

District Attorney Jason Herring said, “Children deserve to grow up in a community where they can trust the adults around them and live without fear. We are grateful to the jury and Judge Pirtle for making it clear that Potter County will protect its children, and those who prey on them will be held fully accountable.”

07/31/2026

In April of 2023, APD officers responded to 911 calls about a shooting at an apartment complex in Potter County. Officers arrived and found the victim, a man with a single gunshot wound. He was unresponsive on scene, and at trial, his doctor testified that if medical intervention had been delayed by even a few minutes, he would have died. The victim was transported to the hospital, and although his life was saved, as a result of the gunshot wound, he is now a paraplegic. Fragments of the bullet are still lodged in his spine. With the help of witnesses from the apartment complex, APD was able to identify the defendant, Johnny Michie Jr, as a possible suspect. Once the victim was conscious, he was able to pick the defendant out of a photo line-up. The victim described how the defendant ordered him to hand over jewelry he was wearing. The victim handed over his necklace and knelt down to take off his bracelet. He handed the bracelet to the defendant, and the next thing he remembers is being shot and lying on his back.

The defendant was indicted for aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony. In July 2026, his case went to trial in the 47th District Court of Potter County, Texas. The jury heard testimony from the victim, witnesses at the apartment complex, the ER doctor, and members of the Amarillo Police Department. The jury found the defendant guilty and next proceeded to the issue of punishment. After hearing the victim describe what his life is like now and that the defendant was on probation for felony theft at the time of this offense, the jury returned a verdict of a life sentence and a $10,000 fine. The 47th District Attorney’s Office wants to thank the Amarillo Police Department for all the effort that went into correctly identifying the defendant and working this case. We are also grateful to the victim in this case for being willing to testify not only about what happened on the day of the offense, but about how his life has been impacted. District Attorney Jason Herring said, “This verdict sends the message that Potter County will not tolerate gun violence and will stand up for those who have been wronged. The jury sent the strongest message possible that this behavior will not be tolerated.”

07/31/2026

In August of 2024, a 12-year-old told her parents that a friend of hers was getting inappropriate text messages from her stepdad, including a request for n**e photos. Those parents contacted the police and an investigation was initiated. The 12-year-old victim was interviewed at the Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center and disclosed that her stepdad had been s*xually abusing her for the past four years. The victim also had a s*xual assault examination, and there was physical evidence of s*xual abuse. Swabs from the exam were sent to the DPS laboratory, and male DNA was found in the s*xual assault exam. The defendant was arrested and charged with Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child, a charge that recognizes that many s*xual abuse cases take place over long periods of time.

State v. Thomas Gwynn proceeded to trial in July of 2026 in the 108th District Court of Potter County, Texas. At trial, the victim took the stand and bravely testified about what the defendant had done to her over the years. The jury heard from the Bridge interviewer, the s*xual assault nurse, members of the Amarillo Police Department, and the family who had helped the victim report the case originally. The jury found him guilty and then proceeded to the issue of punishment. The range of punishment for Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child is 25 years to life in prison. In recognition of how serious this charge is, the legislature has also mandated that there is no parole. The jury swiftly returned a verdict of life in prison, which he will have to serve day-for-day. District Attorney Jason Herring said, “We are grateful to the victim in this case for being willing to speak out about what happened to her, not only stopping the abuse that she endured, but protecting every other child the defendant might have come into contact with in the future.” The 47th District Attorney’s Office wants to also thank the jury for sending the message that people who s*xually abuse children have no place in our community.

07/20/2026

Prosecuting child abuse cases comes with lots of challenges. One challenge is that abuse almost always happens in private, and therefore the only witness to the offense is a child victim. A related challenge is that testifying in court can be scary, confusing, and difficult for a child. It is therefore of the utmost importance in child abuse cases that law enforcement and partner agencies do everything possible to investigate and gather evidence that could help mitigate these challenges.

Last week, the 108th District Court had a trial in the State vs. Bryce Tolleson, who was charged with the offense of indecency with a child by s*xual contact. Despite being very young at the time the offense occurred, the victim took the stand and told the jury about what the defendant had done to him. This victim’s testimony was supported by an excellent investigation by members of the Amarillo Police Department’s Special Victim’s Unit, an examination done by a s*xual assault nurse, cooperation with Child Protective Investigations, and an interview at the Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center. After the jury heard from the victim and about the investigation, they found the defendant guilty. The issue of punishment was decided by the Honorable Judge Tim Pirtle, who heard further testimony, including from the defendant. The Judge then sentenced the defendant to serve 12 years in prison. The defendant will also have to register as a s*x offender for the rest of his life when released from prison.

The 47th District Attorney’s Office is grateful to the victim in this case for his bravery, and for the excellent support he received from our partner agencies in the community. District Attorney Jason Herring said, “This case is a perfect example of how the community can come together to protect children and to seek justice for them when they are victimized. We are proud to work with such dedicated professionals towards the goal of protecting each and every child.”

07/20/2026

In June of 2026, the 108th District Court had a jury trial in the State v. Jordan Williams, who was charged with Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child. The victim was 10 years old when she came to visit family in Amarillo. She was supposed to stay for two weeks, but called her parents to come pick her up after only a few days. Several years later, her parents began noticing troubling behaviors like self-harm, and asked her what was going on. She told them that when she had been in Amarillo years ago, Jordan had r***d her. She had never said anything out of fear and embarrassment. Law enforcement was contacted and she was interviewed at a child advocacy center and had a s*xual assault exam in her hometown.

At trial, the victim bravely took the stand and told the jury what the defendant had done to her. The jury also heard testimony from law enforcement, the s*xual assault nurse, and members of the victim’s family. The jury found the defendant guilty and sentenced him to 20 years in prison. Additionally, the defendant will be required to register as a s*x offender for the rest of his life when his prison sentence is completed. This case demonstrates the power of adults who believe and protect children, regardless of how long it takes a child to come forward. District Attorney Jason Herring said, “Our office wants to thank the victim for her bravery in trial, the professionals involved in the investigation of this case for their work, and the jury who carefully considered the evidence.”

07/02/2026

Wishing everyone a safe and Happy 4th of July!!

06/24/2026

04/21/2026

In November of 2024, Amarillo Police Department officers were investigating a theft case. They located a suspect vehicle and approached on foot. The defendant, Ray Cotton, was the driver of the vehicle, and he took off in his vehicle when he saw police approaching, nearly hitting one of the officers. The defendant was later identified by the victim and arrested for evading with a vehicle. He made bond pending trial, and a condition of his bond was that he wear an electronic monitor. In October of 2025, the defendant failed to appear for a court date and his ankle monitor showed to no longer be active. When he was subsequently arrested, he was not wearing the ankle monitor. As a result, he was also charged with bail jumping and tampering with an electronic monitoring device.

In April of 2026, the evading case went to trial in the 181st District Court. A jury found the defendant guilty and then was asked to consider the issue of punishment. The jury heard arguments about probation versus prison time, and sided with the State, sentencing the defendant to four years in prison. The defendant then also pled guilty in his other cases and was sentenced to prison as well.

District Attorney Jason Herring said, “In order for our officers to do their jobs and keep the public safe, individuals in the community must respect the authority of law enforcement. We are thankful that no one was injured and that the jury took seriously the defendant’s failure to comply with the officer’s instructions and with court orders.”