Twin Peaks cases unravel as 3rd anniversary arrives (Waco)

WacoTrib ^ | 5/16/2018 | TOMMY WITHERSPOON

[Elderberry]

By the evening of May 17, 2015, the bodies of nine dead bikers had been cleared from the parking lot of the Twin Peaks restaurant, and the Waco Police Department was working America’s deadliest episode of biker violence as a murder case.

Police worked overtime at the crime scene processing evidence and collecting guns, knives, brass knuckles and a tomahawk, some of the weapons stashed in toilets, flower beds and restaurant kitchen cabinets.

Across town at the Waco Convention Center that Sunday evening, more police were taking photos and fingerprints from bikers who had been bused from the restaurant with their wrists bound in plastic ties.

Supervised by Detective J.R. Price, a 40-year veteran police investigator, police gathered photos and contact information from the bikers. They had just released a whole busload of bikers, planning to summon them later as witnesses.

That was when District Attorney Abel Reyna walked in with his assistants and an audacious new game plan. Anyone associated with either rival motorcycle group, the Cossacks or the Bandidos, would be arrested as members of “criminal street gangs,” Reyna said.

No more bikers would be released, and many of the 177 arrested that night would spend the next several weeks jailed on million-dollar bonds.

It was a risky legal strategy, one that had never been tried on this scale: Throw a wide net around a complicated crime scene and charge everyone involved with engaging in organized criminal activity.

The failure of that strategy has become clear three years later, as prosecutors dismiss most of the cases, the district attorney prepares to exit and 130 bikers line up to sue McLennan County, alleging civil rights violations.

The only case that has gone to trial ended in a hung jury and mistrial in November. Three defendants are facing murder charges.

[Elderberry]

Twin Peaks-related costs not as high as expected 3 years later

http://www.wacotrib.com/news/twin-peaks-biker-shooting/twin-peaks-related-costs-not-as-high-as-expected-years/article_b1876d73-b8c7-5e0a-b071-a2db555bf469.html

[BraveMan]

The Twin Peaks-related costs will soar when the civil suits start kicking off.

[easternsky]

The cost for the LaSalle Corrections Facility, was their own fault, read somewhere early on that the Facility was connected to someone in Waco that was connected to Reyana or someone close to the Dept. The amount spent on the Trial was all a Show, they were so afraid of the Evil Bikers. Hard to have any Sympathy for the City someone had to have voted these Jerks into Office. Hate to see the innocent have to pay with higher Taxes to bad the State helped them out already will continue unless someone stops them. Thank you again for keeping us updated it is appreciated.

[easternsky]

Heard early on that the Corrections Facility was owned by someone connected to this Fiasco. Their own fault for the Trial to be so costly, so afraid of those Evil Bikers. Hope the State does not bail them out and these Men get adequate help for what they have been put through but no Money can restore lives and loses they have went through , all because these City Leaders had a problem with Bikers it looks like.

[MileHi]

Appreciate the update. This is so ugly I guess some folks around here just don’t want to talk about it anymore.

[easternsky]

Sorry for double post it all erased so figured it did not post, OH WELL got the point across lol

[PA Engineer]

It was a risky legal strategy, one that had never been tried on this scale: Throw a wide net around a complicated crime scene and charge everyone involved with engaging in organized criminal activity

After a call from Barack Obama.

I still suspect this was a message being sent to the rolling thunder ride the following week in DC. The deep state saw it as an existential threat.

We may never know.