Thursday, April 25, 2024
Two Hood County men are in the Hood County Jail charged with first-degree felony murder, according to District Attorney Ryan Sinclair and other law enforcement officials.
Jessie Frank Diaz, a 34-year-old Granbury resident, and Harry Lee Ives IV, 34, of Tolar, are both “charged with felony murder for an offense occurring on or about June 28, 2021,” Sinclair confirmed Monday afternoon in an email to the Hood County News. “The murder charge stems from a homicide that occurred while both suspects were in the process of committing another felony.”
Sinclair did not provide additional information, citing an ongoing investigation into the underlying felony.
In addition to the murder charge, Diaz is charged with a felony count of “terroristic threat against a peace officer or judge,” and also with a felony parole violation according to jail records.
A Hood County Sheriff’s Office news release from Lt. Johnny Rose states: “On (April 16, 2021) several bomb threats came in over the phone at the Hood County District judge’s office at the Hood County Justice Center.”
A lengthy investigation by Sheriff’s office investigators led to the arrest of Jessie Frank Diaz Sept. 26 on charges of threatening a judge, according to Rose. Investigators think the motive behind the threats may have been to shut down proceedings in District Court, delaying the sentencing of a person on the dockets that day and keeping that person out of prison, the Sheriff’s office states in its news release.
“More arrests are expected, due to the investigation showing multiple people were involved in the scheme,” Rose also noted.
Hood County Jail records show that Ives was arrested on Sept. 24 in the 2500 block of West U.S. Highway 377, and that Diaz was arrested on Sept. 26 on Bush Street in Oak Trail Shores.
The residence listed for Ives is on Billings Road in Tolar. The jail records show Diaz’s residence at an address on Lakeview Road in OTS.
THE FATALITY
Following a three-vehicle accident that occurred on June 28 on FM 2580 (Tin Top Highway, about five miles northwest of Granbury in Hood County), DPS Sgt. Ricky Hunter had emailed the HCN an account of the crash stating that Jennifer A. Kamp, age 43, of Weatherford, had been pronounced dead. Kamp was a passenger in one of the three vehicles, a 2014 Volkswagen Tiguan, which was driven by Donald W. Kamp, 43.
A 2004 Nissan Xterra, which Hunter stated was involved in that crash, was driven by Harry L. Ives IV, who at that time was listed as having a home address in Bryan.
On Sept. 28, responding to an information request from the HCN, Hunter confirmed in a text message that Diaz and Ives had been arrested by “Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division Agents along with Hood County Sheriff’s Department investigators,” and they were charged with “the 1st Degree felony offense of murder as well as outstanding warrants. Both persons have been booked into the Hood County Jail. This investigation is on-going and additional details are not available at this time.”
Hunter’s preliminary crash report states that troopers investigated the fatal collision at about 4 a.m. on June 28.
His description of the incident states: “a 2004 Nissan Xterra was traveling north on FM 2580 and a 1993 GMC pickup was behind the Nissan. The Nissan was driving in a reckless manner and braked hard causing the GMC to strike the rear of the Nissan. That collision caused the Nissan to travel into the northbound lane where it struck a 2014 Volkswagen Tiguan head on. The collision between the Nissan and Volkswagen resulted in the death of a passenger inside the Volkswagen. The drivers of the Nissan and Volkswagen were transported to Fort Worth area hospitals with undisclosed injuries. The driver of the GMC pickup was not injured.”
That GMC pickup was driven by a 42-year-old Granbury man, according to Hunter.
