Tibbits trial day 3: Co-defendants in shooting of Arp biker say they didn’t know victim
By KLTV Tyler Texas Digital Media Staff and JD Conte: Nov. 2, 2023
TYLER, Texas (KLTV) – Two co-defendants took the stand on Thursday in the third day of trial proceedings against a Waco man accused in the shooting death of an Arp motorcyclist.
Joshua Ray Tibbits, 32, was arrested on May 6 of 2020 for engaging in organized criminal activity in connection with the death of Brandon Edwards. Edwards had been found shot to death at the scene of a motorcycle crash in Arp on May 2, and a following investigation led to the arrest of Tibbits and two others. Tibbits is accused of being a part of the “Cossacks,” a motorcycle gang. The prosecution claims that Tibbits shot and killed Edwards because Edwards, as a member of the “Cossacks 1%” was impersonating a member of the “real” Cossacks gang. The state said that Tibbits and at least one of his co-defendants were shooting at Edwards from the truck, though they said determining which man fired the killing shot does not matter, as each shooter had the intent to kill.
Tibbits’ co-defendants, both of whom previously pleaded guilty to charges of engaging in organized crime and are serving 22-year sentences in prison, gave testimony that provided new details about the incident where Edwards was killed. The Smith County District Attorney’s office has asked KLTV not to name these men.
Co-defendant 1 described the Cossacks 1% gang as “fakes” and “counterfeit.” He said that he and Tibbits carried out 5-10 “hunting missions” against Cossacks 1% members as a means of punishing the so-called imposters. Co-defendant 1 said that when he, Co-defendant 2 and Tibbits were in Tyler, they saw Edwards wearing Cossacks 1% colors and were given the order to “smoke him.” Co-defendant 1 said he shot at Edwards at least six or seven times, but testified that he did not even know Edwards’ name until he was arrested.
Co-defendant 1 said that after shooting Edwards, the trio fled the scene and arrived at the house Kenneth Crenshaw, a fellow Cossacks member. Crenshaw testified that he stayed in his house the entire time the trio was there. But Co-defendant 1 said they burned their clothes and cut up their guns into pieces as Crenshaw’s house, things Crenshaw said he did not witness. Those guns would later be placed into a bucket of cement that was then dropped into (and later recovered from) the Sabine River. Co-defendant 1 said he was able to commit the act of shooting and then go about his life because he was able to “compartmentalize,” but said he ultimately found out about Edwards’ death after he became worried and attempted to look on the internet for information about what they’d done. He also said that he ultimately decided to agree to a plea deal because it was what was best for his family and not for himself.
The defense did not question Co-defendant 1.
Co-defendant 2 described Tibbits as one of his closest friends and said the two went on at least five hunting missions. He said that Co-defendant 1 and Tibbits, who are from Waco, were in the Tyler area prior to the shooting so that they could celebrate Co-defendant 2 moving into a new house in Longview. He testified that “Josh and [Co-defendant 1]” shot at Edwards, but said that he did not think they killed him and only “put him down hard.” Co-defendant 2 said they then went to Crenshaw’s house to cut up their guns and put them in concrete. They then left Co-defendant 2′s truck at Crenshaw’s house overnight and departed after being picked up by Co-defendant 2′s brother.
Co-defendant 2 said that he did not believe that this was an act of organized crime because “it wasn’t planned or premeditated.” He said that he’s not testifying because he was able to cut a deal with prosecutors, but because it’s the truth.
Det. Jason Railsback with the Smith County Sheriff’s Office said they never would have found the guns in the Sabine River had Co-defendant 2 not told them where to look.
“The odds of us finding that in the Sabine River are pretty small,” Railsback said.
Railsback also said Tibbits quickly rose through the ranks of the Cossacks due to his “willingness to do what he was told.”
Tibbits trial day 4: Organized crime specialist testifies against biker indicted in fatal shooting
By Kristine Guevara and KLTV Digital Media Staff Nov. 3, 2023
TYLER, Texas (KLTV) – An organized crime specialist testified Friday in the continued trial of a Waco man indicted in the fatal shooting of an Arp motorcyclist.
Joshua Ray Tibbits, 32, was arrested on May 6 of 2020 for engaging in organized criminal activity in connection with the death of Brandon Edwards. Edwards had been found shot to death at the scene of a motorcycle crash in Arp on May 2, and a following investigation led to the arrest of Tibbits and two others. Tibbits is accused of being a part of the “Cossacks,” a motorcycle gang. The prosecution claims that Tibbits shot and killed Edwards because Edwards, as a member of the “Cossacks 1%” was impersonating a member of the “real” Cossacks gang. The state said that Tibbits and at least one of his co-defendants were shooting at Edwards from the truck, though they said determining which man fired the killing shot does not matter, as each shooter had the intent to kill.
In previous trial sessions, Tibbits’ co-defendants, both of whom previously pleaded guilty to charges of engaging in organized crime and are serving 22-year sentences in prison, gave testimony that provided new details about the incident where Edwards was killed. Several witnesses on the scene of the crime gave their testimonies as well.
On Friday, a Texas DPS agent specializing in organized criminal activity took the stand to testify on behalf of the state. The agent stated that the ugly man Cossacks, of which Tibbits and his codefendants were members, meets the Texas definition of a criminal street gang. According to the agent, the Cossacks 1%, of which Edwards was a member, was founded around 2016. Both groups occupied the same area, and it was established previously that the original ugly man Cossacks had a standing rule to “smoke” members of the 1%, who they reportedly view as counterfeits.
The agent compared the “cuts,” or biker jackets, of the rival gangs and contrasted the patches they bore along with their meaning. The two cuts are made up of the same colors, which the agent said the Cossack 1% took from the original ugly man Cossacks upon splitting. The agent emphasized a patch on Tibbits’ jacket which said “black eyes and apple pies,” which he said is a merit patch for committing an act of violence. According to the agent, the patches give more reason to believe that the ugly man Cossacks is a criminal street gang, along with Tibbits’ tattoos.
The agent then called back to a violent incident in Gilmer in February of 2020, which he labeled an organized and premeditated criminal act. He said Tibbits was involved in another shooting in Marion County as well. The agent said that he had interviewed Valenzuela, one of Tibbits’ codefendants in the shooting of Edwards. According to the agent, Valenzuela had explained that the three men were in Smith County to recover a cut from a member who had left the Cossacks. On the way, the agent said, they came across Edwards in his Cossacks 1% cut and wanted to “mess with him.” The agent said Valenzuela had also told him the specific location of the cement bucket containing the guns used in the Gilmer shooting in the Sabine River, where it was later recovered by law enforcement.
Upon questioning by the defense, the agent stated that he did not know when Tibbits became a Cossacks member. The defense argued that there is an inconsistency with the cement bucket timeline, but the agent was able to clear up the dates of discovery and transportation. According to the agent, Griffin, Tibbits’ second codefendant, admitted that the guns in the bucket belonged to him. The defense then brought up the Texas Gang Threat Assessment which is used to identify and evaluate the threat of gangs and gang-related crime in Texas. The defense said that the ugly man Cossacks are not identified in the 2018, 2017, 2015 and 2014 issues of the article.
The state argued that the agent was using a statutory definition of criminal street gang to determine whether or not to try someone for engaging in organized crime. The agent said he bases this on activity and whether or not it meets the criteria of the charge. The state then addressed the defense’s argument about the Texas Gang Threat Assessment, and said that there are many gangs in Texas, the largest of which would take precedent over motorcycle clubs. According to the agent, the ugly man Cossacks’ lack of inclusion in that assessment raises no red flags. The agent said that while it is not a crime to be a part of a criminal street gang, the commission of criminal activities withing the gang can warrant an engaging in organized crime charge. The state argued that even though there may be some undocumented evidence of Tibbits’ criminal activity, he can still be found guilty of the charge.
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