Vidor woman on trial for
murder
TheRecordLive.com
August 7, 2013
The trial of Julia Andrews, 59,
of Vidor, who is accused of murdering 42-year-old Randy Peddy began on
Monday in the 260th District Court with Judge Buddie Hahn presiding.
Deputy Greg Harbison, of the
Orange County Sheriff’s Office was the first to take the stand. He
testified he was called out at 8:40 p.m. in November 2012 to the 1400
block of Terry Road in Vidor. When he arrived he was told by Andrews,
Peddy was intoxicated and he was about to lay down. She also told
Harbison, “Everything was OK.”
Harbison stated he returned to
the residence about 9:40 p.m. on a disturbance call where he found
Peddy deceased laying by the driveway in a fetal position.
“She told me she had shot him,”
he said.
He added, Andrews also repeatedly
told him, “she was sorry.”
According to court testimony,
Andrews also told the officer she and Peddy had gotten into an
altercation after he threw foundation blocks on her 1996 Chevrolet
Cavalier causing the front,rear and driver’s side windows to be
smashed.
State exhibits entered into
evidence were pictures which showed redness on her face, neck, and
shoulder. Also admitted was a photo of her arm which showed abrasions.
However, a mug shot taken a few hours later does not show the red
marks.
Texas Ranger Bobby Smith was the
next to take the stand.
After Andrews was transported to
the OCSO, Smith met with her and took a videotaped statement. At
first, Andrews sobbed while she gave the statement. Then she gained
her composure as she told of the events which unfolded over the course
of the day.
Andrews stated on the day of the
incident, Peddy had come to her house earlier on the premise of
repairing her muffler on her car. She had discovered he was drinking
vodka when a bottle fell out of his pocket. From experience, she said
she knew that was not a good thing and took him to his father’s house.
Peddy returned later in the day still intoxicated. At first he was
visting with other family members. But, he approached her when he
wanted to talk about his relationship with her daughter. She didn’t
think that was a good idea and told him no.
Later, court testimony would
reveal, Andrews had been involved with Peddy in a relationship. When
the pair were together, they were said to be very openly affectionate.
But, on Andrews’ birthday in July, instead of attending her party he
went to the beach with her daughter Jackie Ezell. They soon began
dating and he ended the relationship with Andrews.
“Her feelings were hurt,” said
Kailee Hunt, 21, who lived at the residence.
Ezell, called the residence and
Andrews told her Peddy was there.
Ezell, concerned about her
mother, called for police to go check on her mother at the residence
which set of the deadly chain of events.
“I really didn’t think my
daughter would call the law,” she said. “I mean, that’s her
boyfriend.”
Andrews said Peddy became angry
when he was told the officers were there for him. Andrews attempted to
make him lay down again, but failed.
After the police were called, he
became angry and the situation began to escalate.
Peddy had gone outside and began
hitting her vehicle with the foundation blocks. She attempted to stop
him but in her statement told officers he pushed and hit her. She also
stated Peddy had never hit her before.
Andrews said she repeatedly told
him to stop destroying her vehicle.
She went into her house and
retrieved a .22 rifle which had been kept loaded behind her bedroom
door and went back out onto the porch.
“When I went to get the gun, I
wasn’t going to shoot him. I just wanted to scare him,” Andrews said.
“All I wanted was for him to just leave.”
When Peddy saw the rifle, he
dared her to shoot him.
Andrews stated Peddy began coming
towards her and she just “started shooting.”
Andrews fired three shots.
Witnesses testified the shots were only seconds apart. But, Andrews in
her taped statement said she first fired a “warning shot.” The first
shell casing was found near the front door. The other closer to the
railing of the porch. The third shell casing was found a few months
later on the porch.
“I was just trying to get him to
quit destroying my car,” Andrews said.
According to evidence and court
testimony by pathologist Dr. Robert Lyon, Peddy was shot in the heart
by a single bullet which also penetrated his spine. His blood alcohol
level was 0.261 and he had a small amount of diazepam, a muscle
relaxant, in his system.
Orange County Assistant District
Attorney Cory Kneeland, used a tape measure to show jurors how far
Andrews was from Peddy when she shot him. Peddy was about 35 feet away
from the side of the porch when the gun was fired.
‘I didn’t mean to kill him. I
loved him,” Andrews said in the recorded statement. “But, I didn’t
love his ways.”
Kailee Hunt was at the residence
when the incident occurred. She testified she had called 9-1-1 when
the incident began before Andrews got the gun. A recorded call was
played in court. She pleaded with the dispatcher to send help.
“Please hurry, please!” she
cried.
A few minutes later Andrews
entered the house and put the gun back behind her door in her bedroom.
Paul Arceneaux, investigator for
the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, testified there were five live
rounds remaining in the gun when it was found.
Andrews staggered to the chair in
the living room and sat down. She began to sob and said she had shot
Peddy, according to court testimony.
Hunt, still on the phone with
dispatchers reluctantly went outside to check on Peddy who was gasping
for air.
“I was afraid he would get up and
attack me,” Hunt said.
She heard emergency personnel
coming and didn’t check on Peddy any further.
Hunt said on the stand Peddy had
a tire iron in his hand when he was fighting with Andrews, but no tire
iron was found at the scene by investigators.
The state and the defense
attorney, Greg Dumas, rested Tuesday afternoon.
Dumas called one witness to the
stand. Sandra Moore-Turner told jurors she never saw Peddy “lay a
finger” on anybody in the house.
During a visit to the Orange
County Jail in February, on a recorded line, Andrews told Turner, she
would make a good witness and should mention how they feared for their
lives.
Closing arguments will begin at 9
a.m. Wednesday. The case will then go the jury of six women and three
men for deliberations.
If convicted of the first degree
murder charges, Andrews faces up to 99 years or life in prison.
Death Investigation in Vidor
OCSheriffsOffice.com
29 November 2012
For Immediate Release:
On Wednesday, November 28, 2012,
around 9:45 p.m., the Orange County Sheriff’s Office received a call
about a disturbance at residence in the 1400 block of Terry Road in
Vidor. While the caller was speaking to the Dispatcher, the caller
stated that gunshots could be heard outside the residence.
Once Deputies arrived on scene,
they located a white male lying lifeless in the yard of the residence.
Emergency medical personnel with Acadian Ambulance and the Vidor Fire
Department arrived on scene and determined the male subject was
deceased.
The Orange County Homicide
Investigation Team was notified and was dispatched to the scene. There
were several witnesses at the residence, including the actor. All were
brought in for questioning to determine what occurred. The names of
the witnesses and actor are not being released at this time.
The deceased male was identified
as Randy Peddy w/m, age 42 (DOB: 12-08-69). Justice of the Peace Judge
Price arrived on scene and ordered an autopsy. The deceased victim was
transported to the Jefferson County Morgue.
The investigation into the cause
of death is ongoing and further information will be released as it
becomes available. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office Investigators
are being assisted by the Cities of Vidor, Orange, Bridge City and
West Orange Police Departments, as well as the Texas Rangers.
UPDATE: JULIA RHOTON ANDREWS,
W/F, Age 58 (DOB 07/21/1954) was brought to the Orange County
Sheriff’s Office where she was interviewed by investigators concerning
this incident. ANDREWS advised that she and Randy Peddy had gotten
into a verbal and physical altercation and she confessed to shooting
and killing Randy Peddy. JULIA ANDREWS was arrested for Murder and
booked into the Orange County Correctional Facility. Bond has been set
at $250,000.
Sgt. Chad Hogan
Public Information Officer
