Bond halved for alleged assassin accomplice

This week, Janesya Limbrick, joined by a “large family” presence at court, as well as a handful of Southeast Texas pastors, asked for a bond reduction from the $1 million she had been held under for her alleged role as an assassin’s accomplice in the June 6 murder of Curtis Crawford.

Police allege Limbrick lured the victim to his demise, as evidenced by text messages presented in court on Aug. 28.

According to the probable cause affidavit for arrest, codefendant Jamal McCain, 39, and 29-year-old Limbrick were in detailed communication with each other to set up a possible robbery on Crawford just before his death. Beaumont Police Department Criminal Investigator Heather Wilson was among the first officers dispatched to the Pointe North site of the alleged murder; she was also in court on Aug. 28 to give evidence of what the seasoned detective uncovered during her investigation.

“Basically, everything,” Wilson shared of the murder, was captured on surveillance video at the Pointe North apartment complex. According to Wilson, Limbrick, McCain, and a still unidentified third suspect could be clearly seen throughout the footage. “We had a full view of the parking lot ... and where the shooting occurred.”

Wilson testified that Limbrick was identified quickly, but when questioned, Limbrick denied being at the scene of the crime. Wilson said recovering deleted text messages from Limbrick’s phone caught the suspected murderer in a lie; undisputed recovered data shows messages that read like a “play-by-play” of the murder set-up, including instructions from McCain to Limbrick advising that she wipe down the areas she touched in Crawford’s car, and Limbrick telling McCain that the intended victim was unarmed.

Although Limbrick could do little to deny her involvement in the text messages, Wilson and the Jefferson County prosecutor were quick to note for the court that Limbrick wasn’t giving up any additional information – such as the second shooter responsible for the roughly one dozen bullets fired to take out Crawford at 3 a.m. on a Tuesday morning.

Limbrick was also a suspect in a similar murder, but Wilson said evidence gathering in that crime has been elusive.

Pastors McKinley August Jr. and Robert Harris were among Limbrick’s supporters in court this week, both testifying that the church-going woman who admitted to text message conversations at 3 a.m. on June 6 that lead to the death of a man she lured to his end was “no danger” to the community.

“She’s a faithful and reliable member,” Harris said, of his Baytown church. Despite knowing Limbrick is charged with murder, Harris and others said the defendant had a good support system, and was a good person.

At the end of the hearing, Jefferson County Criminal District Court Judge John Stevens weighed the evidence against what he said was the allegation of culpability.

Codefendant McCain’s bond, set at $1 million, should exceed that of his alleged accomplice, the judge determined; Limbrick’s bond was lowered from $1 million to $500,000.

“I’m going to lower your bond,” the judge determined, but not excessively. “But, you still won’t be happy.”

At press time, McCain and Limbrick both remained in the Jefferson County Correctional Facility.