Published: April 09, 2008 12:35 am      

Capital murder indictments issued in Rains County

The Rains County grand jury has issued capital murder indictments against three of four suspects arrested in connection with a reported March 1 triple homicide.

A 16-year-old girl, Erin Caffey, remains in custody in the Hunt County Juvenile Detention Center, as she is also a suspect involving the murders of her mother and two brothers, although her attorney believes prosecutors may soon attempt to certify her as an adult.

“Basically the judge said to hold her in custody for another 15 working days, which is about another three weeks,” said attorney William Howard McDowell of Sulphur Springs.

Terry Caffey, Erin Caffey’s father and the lone survivor of the attacks which killed his wife and two sons, asked for his daughter to be released from custody during a hearing Monday in a Rains County state district court.

“A probation officer testified she would be a danger to the public and to herself,” McDowell said, adding Erin Caffey’s grandmother also testified on the child’s behalf.

“But the judge decided to hold her due, I think, to the seriousness of the offense,” McDowell said.

Rains County Attorney Robert Vititow could not be reached for comment.

The three adult suspects; Bobbi Gale Johnson, 18; Charles Allen Waid, 20; and Charlie James Wilkinson; 19, all remain in custody, indicted Monday with multiple counts of capital murder. Wilkinson is being held in lieu of $2 million bond and Waid and Johnson were being held in lieu of $1.5 million each.

Wilkinson was also indicted on one felony account of escape, McDowell said, for allegedly trying to dig his way out of his jail cell.

“I think he took a spoon to the wall,” he said.

Erin Caffey is alleged to have been involved with the murders of her mother and two brothers, and the shooting of her father, early on the morning of March 1, after the parents reportedly attempted to come between the girl and Wilkinson, according to investigators with the Rains County Sheriff’s Office.

Penny and Terry Caffey were both shot, along with 13-year-old Matthew Caffey, while 8-year-old Tyler Caffey was stabbed with a sword before the residence was set on fire and burned to the ground, according to criminal complaints.

According to the complaints filed in the case, Wilkinson said he and the daughter had been dating and the girl’s parents decided the pair could no longer see each other. He said the daughter told him she wanted her parents dead because of the decision and because they had taken away her cell phone.

McDowell said a decision on whether to certify Erin Caffey as an adult is expected soon.

“It is going to be a race between the next detention hearing and the certification hearing,” McDowell said.