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Home > Waco Breaking News > Archives > 2008 > August > 25 > Entry
Coble murder retrial begins
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Testimony continued Monday afternoon in the capital murder retrial of convicted murderer Billie Wayne Coble, 59. The case is being heard in Judge Matt Johnson’s courtroom in 54th State District Court.
Coble spent more than 17 years on death row before a federal appeals court overturned his death sentence but left intact his conviction in the deaths of Robert and Zelda Vicha and their son, Waco police Sgt. Bobby Vicha in August 1989.
Following this morning’s testimony, three more women, including two former neighbors and Coble’s niece testified that he displayed inappropriate sexual behavior toward them in the 1970s.
His niece said besides inappropriately touching and kissing her, a family member caught Coble peeking into the niece’s window after she took a shower and was getting dressed.
The three women who testified Monday afternoon were all in their early teens at the time that Coble’s inappropriate sexual interest was directed at them.
Earlier today, Coble’s former sister-in-law and his first wife testified against him regarding inappropriate sexual behavior.
The sister of Coble’s first wife testified this morning in his capital murder retrial that Coble acted inappropriately with her on at least four occasions.
Patricia Woolley, whose sister Pam was married to Coble for 10 years, said the first instance was when she was 13. Her sister had not yet married Coble, but while they were in the back seat of a car returning from a trip, Coble rubbed her thigh, she said. Patricia Woolley said she slid away from Coble after his advance.
The next time was when she was 15, she testified. She and Coble had pretended to wrestle, but then he fondled her breast.
One year later, while swimming in Lake Waco, Coble touched her inappropriately, she said.
Patricia Woolley then recounted a time when she was 17 or 18 and taking a shower at home. She said Coble slid open the shower door, made lewd comments about her body and then held the sliding door open and wouldn’t let her close it.
She also told the court she was struck by Coble once when he came to pick up his son, Gordon. Coble wasn’t allowed inside the house and Patricia Woolley said she blocked his path at the gate. Coble, she said, grew agitated and hit her in the mouth, busting her lip.
During earlier testimony her sister, Pam Woolley, told jurors that she still considers Coble to be “dangerous.”
Pam Woolley, who was married to Coble from 1971 to 1981, was the first witness called by the prosecution.
Pam Woolley said the beginning of their marriage was fine. Coble had a job at Texas Ironworks and they later co-managed the Circle Drive-in for two years. But she also described him as very possessive; he constantly called to check on her whereabouts.
She said he abused her, recalling one time that Coble threw a baseball and hit her in the back while she had an arm around her son. The impact made her lungs swell and she sought medical treatment at the hospital, she testified.
“We were just scared of him all the time,” Pam Woolley said.
She said Coble would apologize after the abuse but would it say it was her fault the abuse occurred.
In opening comments, McLennan County District Attorney John Segrest said Coble seems to be a good guy until things go wrong for him. Then he transforms into an abusive, violent individual, Segrest said, adding that the prosecution will present evidence from Coble’s three failed marriages to show that.
Segrest said testimony will be offered that Coble sexually abused four young girls during his first marriage, including his 13-year-old sister-in-law and 16-year-old cousin.
That marriage lasted 10 years, the prosecutor said. Coble then married an 18-year-old when he was 35. During that four-year marriage, Coble sexually assaulted his niece, Segrest said.
Coble’s third marriage, to Karen Vicha, was in July 1998. Coble married into a close-knit family and Karen already had three daughters, ages 15, 13 and 9, who thought the marriage was too good to be true, Segrest said.
But that relationship soon soured, Segrest told jurors, and Karen Vicha filed for divorce. Coble was arrested kidnapping his wife in August 1989 and her brother, Bobby Vicha, was one of the arresting officers.
“The thing that (Coble) wanted was Karen Vicha and the thing that stood between him and her was Bobby Vicha and the Vicha family,” Segrest said.
Coble then hatched a plot to kill the family to get Karen back, Segrest said.
Coble’s defense attorney, Alex Calhoun, asked the jury to consider the full measure of the man. Calhoun noted that the prosecution was talking about actions many years in Coble’s past, and he plans to show jurors the man Coble has been the past 18 years and who he is becoming.
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment | Categories: Courthouse, Police & crime
Comments
By Brenda
August 25, 2008 10:57 AM | Link to this
Unbelievable - look at this guys past. Just how many peoples lives does he affect? Hopefully the legal system will make sure that everything is done properly this time and give these families peace.
By dennis ray
August 25, 2008 11:50 AM | Link to this
they should have already put this thing to death. this is just a waste of tax payers money.
By null
August 25, 2008 1:23 PM | Link to this
No matter what type of man he thinks he is becoming, he still killed inocent people just because he did not get his way. This so called man needs to be put to death and forgotten. I agree with Brenda how many lives have to be touched or how many people have to suffer before the judicial system will stop letting murderers out of prison. Does anyone remember Kenneth Alan McDuff. Sure he’s changed but into what, don’t be fooled he is still a killer and that is what he will always be.
By NULL
August 25, 2008 1:51 PM | Link to this
He should have being killed along time ago.. Come on how long does he get to live and they have to remember this horrible crime.. The system is not right let killers live and good people die.. When will the system get it right.. Stop letting them live off of us.. Why should they still be alive they killed someone they should have the same thing done to them.. Let him get what he deserve..
By Billy Merritt
August 25, 2008 11:51 PM | Link to this
To Brenda, Dennis Ray, and the Null’s, You are absolutely right. The man killed innocent people and under the laws of Moses there was an eye for an eye, tooth for tooth sanction. However, We are no longer under the law of Moses but, under the dispensation of the Grace of God. In the Lord’s eyes, sin is sin, in which we are all guilty, no sin being greater except in our own eyes. We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God.The greatest thing you and I can do is to have compassion and forgive. I’m not saying the man should be turned loose. Prison life is condemning enough in itself, more especially in this day and age. With all the relentless sentencing, where so many inmates will not ever get out, life becomes an everyday struggle to survive. From the time you wake in the morning, til the time you go to sleep at night, you have to walk on eggshells knowing you yourself could be murdered at anytime. I guess maybe, ya’ll are right after all, the forgiving thing to do would be to go on and murder him, take him out of his misery! I probably should not have commented on the case at hand, but… I just felt compelled in my heart to ask for forgiveness for this man, after all, the Lord forgave Saul, gave him a new name, and Paul went on to become what I believe to be, the best apostle of them all. Billie Wayne Coble, could have some redeeming qualities left in him that could touch other lives for the good and you could be a part of that by showing compassion and forgivesness! Leave the vengence to the Lord!