Defendant pleads not guilty as jury hears opening statements and witness accounts in Beaumont double-homicide trial

A defendant pleaded not guilty and a Jefferson County jury heard opening statements and the first witness accounts Tuesday in the joint trial of two killings that prosecutors say followed an armed home invasion in Beaumont on April 10, 2023.

Prosecutor Mister Smith told jurors the evidence will show the defendant, Paul Edward Westbrooks Jr., and others went to a house on or near LG Street shortly after Easter and forced their way inside before two men later died. “The evidence is gonna show you that April 10, 2023 is the day right after Easter of that year,” Smith told jurors in his opening statement, summarizing the state's narrative of events.

Why it matters: The court is trying two linked indictments together — Cause No. 23DCCR0328 and 23DCCR0329 — that allege capital murder and felony murder arising from an alleged robbery in which two people were fatally shot. The jury will decide whether the state proves beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant participated in the robbery and the killings.

What happened in court: The judge read the two indictments aloud to the courtroom and the defendant entered pleas of not guilty to both charges. The court empaneled the jury and instructed…