KATY, TX – A resident of Port Arthur, 25-year-old Jaylon McIntyre, is facing three counts of capital murder following the fatal shooting of three individuals in the unincorporated Katy area on January 21. The victims, Michael Odobo, Nicholas King, and Ellesha Rice, were all 24 years old. Current court documents do not reveal the motive behind the alleged killings.
Prosecutors are expected to pursue the death penalty against McIntyre, but the final decision will be made at a later date. In a common legal maneuver, McIntyre was initially charged with the murder of two victims, King and Rice. This strategy allows prosecutors to bring charges for Odobo’s murder if McIntyre is acquitted, without infringing on his constitutional right against double jeopardy.
McIntyre was initially arrested and detained on January 24 under charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, allowing law enforcement to keep him in custody while the investigation continued. On January 31, he was charged with capital murder.
The victims, Rice and King, were reportedly planning a future together. Rice had recently graduated from college in December and had plans to attend law school with aspirations of becoming a judge. King was found deceased next to Rice in the kitchen of the house where the shooting occurred.
According to Senior Deputy Thomas Gilliland of Harris County, the house was hosting a birthday party for Odobo with around 10 to 15 adults present. Odobo was shot and transported to a local hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries. The scene was chaotic as deputies arrived to assist multiple shooting victims and detain witnesses for questioning. It was determined that gunfire had occurred both inside and outside the house, with some individuals leaving before the arrival of the police. King and Rice were pronounced dead at the scene, while three men were transported to different hospitals.
The investigation into the incident continues. McIntyre was denied bond and remains in Harris County custody.