By Jessica Willey
HOUSTON (KTRK) — Community activists are now threatening lawsuits and putting pressure on legislators to change the system over a grand jury’s decision to clear a man who shot and killed two suspected burglars.
That grand jury’s decision has led to loud calls of support from those who feel Joe Horn did the right thing and an uproar among community activists who believe he is getting away with murder.
Black community activists and one of the deceased men’s fiancée came together Tuesday to react to the grand jury’s decision to not indict Horn. They’ve had a day to digest it and to plan action.
Activist Quanell X called the news conference. Sitting next to him was Stephanie Storey, the fiancée of Hernando Torrez. Horn shot both he and Diego Ortiz last November. They allegedly had just broken into Horn’s neighbor’s house and were running away. Horn shot both in the back, killing them.
On Monday, a grand jury decided not to indict Horn. Several black leaders want to know the makeup of that grand jury.
“We want to see if he was judged by his peers,” said community leader Pastor James Nash. “If not, we need some minorities on that particular grand jury. It is wrong. I don’t care what anyone says. That should not have happened.
“I’m very surprised that these two lives had no value, that someone could take the law into their own hands and shoot them down like animals and absolutely get away with it,” said Storey. “I’m more than angry right now. I’m going to pray to my God, it’s going to be done. It’s not over.”
Storey plans to meet with attorneys to discuss the possibilities of a civil suit. Those at the news conference also plan to lobby lawmakers to change the ‘Castle Doctrine’ to exclude protecting property as a justification to use deadly force.
Meantime, Quanell X is planning a protest at the Harris County district attorney’s office for next week.
Of course, this is just one side of the story. There are still those who are calling Joe Horn a hero.
Horn will talk about the decision for the first time exclusively on Good Morning America. Hear what he has to say Wednesday morning at 7am.
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WIFE OF JOE HORN VICTIM TALKS
By Kevin Quinn
HOUSTON (KTRK) — A day after a grand jury decided not to indict Joe Horn for killing two suspected burglars the wife of one of the men is talking to Eyewitness News.
She says she doesn’t hate Horn, but she also thinks her husband didn’t deserve to die for his crime. One thing many people forget in cases like this is that there are real people affected forever by what happened out here.
We talked exclusively to Diamond Morgan. She says she was the common law wife of Diego Ortiz, one of the men Joe Horn shot and killed. She says she doesn’t condone what her husband did, but she insists that killing him was not the answer either. Morgan is angry at the grand jury and angrier at Joe Horn. Though she says she doesn’t hate him.
Morgan’s son Diego Jr. is now about 15 months old. He was only seven months when his father was killed. Morgan says he shouldn’t have to grow up without a father. Morgan says she’s not looking for pity she’s again, not condoning the crime her husband was committing she just wishes horn would have stayed in his home and never confronted the two suspected burglars.
Morgan says she hasn’t decided yet if she wants to try and sue Joe Horn. She says his punishment will come when he’s judged by a higher authority than the court system.
Ann
