Bisexual Man is Pistol Whipped by Two Aggravated Robbery Suspects

Bisexual Man is Pistol Whipped by Two Aggravated Robbery Suspects

   On July 17, 2008, Jonathan Russell Gunter and Bobby Jack Singleton pistol-whipped bisexual man, Jimmy Lee Dean, and yelling “anti-gay epithets.”[1]  This incident took place along a small block area of Dickason Avenue between Throckmorton and Reagan Streets in the Uptown area of Dallas, Texas.[2]

 

     Dean later reported to the police that he and another man, Michael Robinson, that he just met at a restaurant were having a conversation as they walked down Dickason Ave.  As the two men walked down the street, they noticed the perpetrators walking past them going the opposite direction.  The suspects doubled back and were able to put themselves between Mr. Dean and Mr. Robinson.  After the two perpetrators started using anti-gay epithets, Mr. Robinson ran to his house to get a knife.  Upon his return, he found Mr. Dean laying on the ground where the two suspects were kicking him and had already beat him with the butt of a 9MM handgun.  After several witnesses arrived, the two suspects ran away discarding the weapon. Shortly afterwards security guards apprehended both men.[3] 

 

   The two men had already committed several robberies in the past.  They reported to the police that gay men were easy targets to rob so that is why they singled out Dean.  Following his arrest, Singleton provided a handwritten statement admitted to his role in the beating.  Prosecutors would not use hate crime as the ultimate motivation.  Eventually, the two men are sentenced by jurors in Dallas.  Mr. Singleton received 75 years[4] for his actions and Mr. Gunter received 30 years.[5]  On appeal Gunter’s sentenced was reduced to 18 years. 

 

    Dean spent 10 days in the hospital and received permanent injuries due to the beating. Dean’s back was fractured, the lower half of his jaw was disconnected, his chin was broken in half, he lost his sense of small, and he lost teeth. Surgeries could not repair his badly damaged right eye.[6]

 

              In an appeal to the Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas Gunter contended that the trial counsel failed to present mitigation evident at the punishment hearing. Counsel admitted his failure to introduce mitigating evidence, Gunter’s bipolar disorder and his extreme intoxication on the night in issue. Counsel also persuaded Gunter not to testify despite Gunter’s desire to testify and apologize.[7] After holding an evidentiary hearing, the trial court adopted Applicant’s proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law and concluded that the trial counsel’s conduct was deficient and Applicant (Gunter) was prejudiced. The trial court recommended granting Gunter a new punishment hearing, which the Court of Criminal Appeals agreed to.[8]

 

SOURCES

[1] Wright, John.  “Gunter Sentenced to 30 Years.”   https://www.dallasvoice.com/gunter-sentenced-to-30-years-1018928.html

 

[2] “Dallas Police to Investigate Cedar Springs Area Ball Bat Attack as a Hate Crime”, Unfinished Lives:  Remembering LGBT Hate Crime Victims. https://unfinishedlivesblog.com/tag/texas/page/11/

[3] Jonathan Russell Gunter v. The State of Texas. No 05-09-00324-CR. On Appeal from the 194th Judicial District Court of Dallas County, Texas Np. F09-00002-WR. Appellant’s Brief.

“Prosecutors say Bobby Singleton admitted his role in beating, robbery of Jimmy Lee Dean”, Dallas Voice, Aug 25, 2009. https://www.dallasvoice.com/prosecutors-say-bobby-singleton-admitted-his-role-in-oak-lawn-hate-crime-106611.html

[4] Towle, Andy.  “Justice for Jimmie Lee Dean:  Singleton Gets 75 Years for Gay Bashing.  www.towleroad.com/2009/08/justice-for-jimmy-lee-dean-singleton-gets-75-years-for-gay-bashing/

[5] Court of Appeals of Texas, Dallas. BOBBY JACK SINGLETON, Appellant v. THE STATE OF TEXAS, Appellee

No. 05–09–01069–CR Decided: January 24, 2012  https://caselaw.findlaw.com/tx-court-of-appeals/1592132.html  

“Prosecutors say Bobby Singleton admitted his role in beating, robbery of Jimmy Lee Dean”, Dallas Voice, Aug 25, 2009.

 

[6] Jonathan Russell Gunter v. The State of Texas. No 05-09-00324-CR. On Appeal from the 194th Judicial District Court of Dallas County, Texas Np. F09-00002-WR. Appellant’s Brief.

 

[7] Jonathan Russell Gunter v. The State of Texas. No 05-09-00324-CR. On Appeal from the 194th Judicial District Court of Dallas County, Texas Np. F09-00002-WR. Appellant’s Brief.

 

[8] Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas. Ex Parte Jonathan Russell Gunter, Applicant. On Application for a writ of Habeas Corpus Cause No. W-0900002 M (A) In the 194th District Court from Dallas County. February 25, 2015.

Images

Dickason Ave., Dallas

Dickason Ave., Dallas

Dickason Ave., Dallas. Site of the physical attack. View File Details Page

Cite this Page:

Walter Norris, “Bisexual Man is Pistol Whipped by Two Aggravated Robbery Suspects,” Human Rights Dallas Maps, accessed March 29, 2024, https://humanrightsdallasmaps.com/items/show/5.

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