The trial of Jermaine Washington Jr., accused of being the hit man in a 2018 Fourth of July homicide, began Monday in 14th Judicial District Court.

Washington is accused of first-degree murder in the death of Dorian Colston, 21, who was found shot multiple times in a vehicle parked against a tree in a ditch on U.S. 90 near Jones Road.

Prosecutor Charles Robinson said Josiah Jackson hired Washington to kill Colston and Barry Brooks served as the middle man between the two. Brooks was initially charged with first-degree murder but has taken a plea deal for the lesser charge of obstruction of justice in exchange for his testimony. Jackson was charged with murder for hire. That charge has been reduced to conspiracy.

Robinson told jurors in opening statements that Washington called Colston 20 times to make sure “he would be in the right place at the right time — or in this case the wrong place at the wrong time.

“He then left him there to die and went to collect his money because according to him, money is everything,” Robinson told jurors.

Robinson said Colston’s guilt will be proven, in part, based on cell phone texts, calls and the phone’s tracking.

Defense attorney Pride Doran told the jury the original indictment against Washington was for “murder or aiding and abetting, which gives the state wiggle room that we suggest allows for reasonable doubt.”

“Jermaine Washington did not kill Dorian Colston,” Doran said. “Jermaine Washington did not aid and abet in the death of Dorian Colston.”

Testimony

Louisiana State Police Trooper Carlos Spina said he was the first responding officer at the scene when Colston was discovered in the vehicle. He said he found Colston unresponsive, laying in the driver’s side seat.

Calcasieu Coroner Dr. Terry Welke later testified Colston was shot in the chest, shoulder, hip, bicep, elbow and arm from someone standing outside of the passenger side of the vehicle. He said Colston did not have any alcohol or drugs in his system.

Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Deputy Det. Jerod Abshire, who serves in the digital forensics unit, said he was able to extract several 13-16 seconds-long phone calls from Washington’s cell phone to Colston’s.

He also retrieved text messages from Brooks to Jackson.

“Duff (a nickname for Washington) says he gonna try tonight but he ant gonna make it,” a text from Brooks reads. “Delete all calls and texts from him.”

Brooks, who has three felony convictions and appeared in court in orange prison garb and shackles, testified Jackson told him he wanted to “drop some money” on Colston’s head after hearing Colston intended to rob him.

“I knew there was money on his head, but I didn’t know he was going to kill him,” Brooks testified.

He said he told Jackson to delete all the phone calls and text messages “because I didn’t want to get in trouble.”

Brooks said the morning after the shooting, Washington “popped up at my house.”

“I was sleeping and my girl woke me up and told me someone was outside standing in front of my car,” Brooks said. “It was Jermaine Washington. He had just offed Dorian and was looking for his money.”

Brooks said as Washington paced back and forth in front of the car, he tried to call Jackson to no avail. He then sent him a text.

” ‘Car dead bro’ was what I texted but I meant that Dorian was dead,” Brooks said. “I wanted him to read between the lines. I didn’t outright say it.”

Brooks said later that day, he went to a friend of both his and Jackson to play basketball. He said Washington pulled in to the driveway and met with Jackson.

“Josiah pulled up and Jermaine walked up to the car,” Brooks testified. “I don’t know what they talked about. It didn’t have nothing to do with me.”

Jackson was subpoenaed to testify Monday after the prosecution filed a previous motion to compel his testimony. Jackson’s lawyer, Wilford Carter, said Jackson intended to plead the 5th but now with the motion to compel cannot. The motion — signed by the state attorney general’s office —states Jackson’s testimony cannot be used against him in future trials.

Jackson testified he thought the offer to kill Colston was “a joke.”

“They said he was going to rob me, but he didn’t rob me,” Jackson said.