By Erin Quinn

Tribune-Herald staff writer

One after the other, Leslie Megan Lewis-Grant’s former friends and co-workers took the witness stand earlier this month — each testifying that the former Gatesville prison nurse would talk almost daily about wanting her ex-husband dead.

She’d have someone — even her 16-year-old son — kill him in his sleep with a machete, she’d say.

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Witnesses testified that Leslie Megan Lewis-Grant joked about how to kill her ex-husband, such as baking her diabetic former spouse a sugar-laden cake. (Rod Aydelotte photo)

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Or she would talk about baking her diabetic ex a cake loaded with sugar.

What should they have done?

To them, it was just Megan. She’d say that all the time. She was joking, they thought. But she wasn’t.

In September 2007, her ex-husband turned up along the side of a road. He’d been stabbed to death in his sleep. Lewis-Grant, as well as her son and boyfriend, was charged in the murder a little more than a month later. She was sentenced Dec. 6 to life in prison on the charge, while her son was sentenced to 45 years, and her boyfriend to life without parole.

Now, as prison nurse Diane Tadlock puts it, not reporting Megan’s “jokes” is just something she has to live with.

The same story is heard after school and office shootings and suicides. There were signs that this could happen, but no one took it seriously.

But what action was to be taken — especially because, in this case, Lewis-Grant was only threatening to take action herself?

Prevention not likely

Experts and Gatesville residents say it is likely that nothing could have been done to prevent the murder.

Corinne Erwin, a 72-year-old, lifelong Gatesville resident, said she knew Lewis-Grant’s ex-husband, James Michael Grant Sr., who went by Michael, since he was a child.

While she said the murder has affected the town so much that “it won’t ever be put to rest,” she said there was nothing that could have been done.

“You can’t do anything to anybody, really, for just saying they’re going to do something,” Erwin said.

David Jund, a 29-year veteran state trooper, echoed her sentiment.

“There’s a lot of people who say things, but it’s not something you ever think they’d do,” he said. “If they would have told the sheriff, I’m not sure there’s anything they (could have done to prevent it).”

According to the Texas penal code, a threat is only unlawful when it is made directly to a person.

“It’s a delicate balance on the First Amendment,” said Coryell County Chief Deputy Joe Blakely. “It’s freedom of speech. It’s not good, but it’s freedom of speech.”

Blakely said threats are taken seriously and investigated in law enforcement, but nothing is foolproof.

“You can get restraining orders and protective orders, and most of the time, to an honest, law-abiding citizen, that’s all it takes,” Blakely said. “But if someone is headset on doing something, there’s only so much you can do.”

Hugh Riley, a Baylor University lecturer in psychology and neuroscience, said reporting a person’s speech could potentially do more harm than good.

“Nine-hundred and ninety-nine times out of 1,000 nothing needs to be done because nothing is going to happen,” Riley said. “Reporting something could be more hurtful and needless, especially since it’s not guaranteed to stop something if it were to happen.”

Riley likens the predicament to that of the recent F-18 fighter that crashed into a California neighborhood.

“Should we restrict military aircraft from traveling over neighborhoods?,” he said. “I don’t think so. The cost is too high and the frequency of these types of accidents is too low.”

That said, Riley said there are always steps that can be taken to restrict problems.

Riley said Lewis-Grant’s friends could have told her that she should not let her previous relationship control of her life.

“I’ve listened to you and tolerated it, and I understand,” Riley said, offering hypothetical advice. “It’s time to move on.”

But both Riley and Blakely say “could’ve, would’ve and should’ve” are easy to say in hindsight.

“You try to do as much as you possibly can to protect someone,” Blakely said. “There’s only so much you can do.”

Staff writer Tim Woods contributed to this story.

equinn@wacotrib.com

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