Ms. Nolan, who claimed throughout her trial that she had been attacked by the victim the night of the shooting, had been charged by the state of Texas with firing the shots that killed Brooke LaSalle Wilder during a party hosted by Craig West in Killeen at approximately 11:30 p.m. on March 16, 2005.
During closing arguments that preceded the guilty verdict, Jack Holmes, Ms. Nolan’s defense attorney, told the jury, “If this case isn’t self defense, let’s take the law off the books.” He described Nolan backed up in the apartment fearing for her life as Ms. Wilder confronted her shortly before the fatal shots were fired. “The victim gave her no choice,” Holmes concluded.
But Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Newell responded that jurors had heard two credible eyewitnesses, Craig West and Kasii Renee Harris, who had not characterized what they saw as self-defense.
“She (Ms. Nolan) went there (to West’s apartment), knew what she was doing and intentionally and knowingly shot her (Wilder) to death,” Newell said as she hammered at the claim of self-defense.
During the punishment phase of the trial that began shortly after the guilty verdict was delivered at 3:35 p.m., members of the victim’s family testified about how the killing had impacted them.
Annie Mae Wilder, the victims’ mother-in-law, spoke first and described the death of her daughter-in-law, Ms. Wilder, as having had a “devastating impact on the victim’s four children. “They’ve cried every day, and they are still crying,” she said.
James Wilder, the ex-husband of the victim and sole provider for the surviving children, described having had “a lot of depression and difficulty in working” following the shooting.
Ms. Nolan later testified that she felt “a lot remorse” and “wanted to apologize to the family.”
“But I don’t agree with the verdict. It was self-defense. I feel terrible about killing another person. It’s miserable, but I deserve to live free,” Ms. Nolan told the jurors shortly before Bell County sheriff’s deputies handcuffed and led her from the court room at 4:20 p.m.
Jurors will reconvene in 426th District Court this morning at 9 a.m. to hear arguments from prosecuting and defense attorneys before deciding Ms. Wilder’s punishment, which could range from five to 99 years or life in prison.
sshaffer@temple-telegram.com
