BURNET — The political aspirations of the sister of a man who was stabbed to death could lead a judge to grant a change-of-venue request in a Burnet County murder trial.
Angela Dowdle, the sister of the victim and a former Burnet County prosecutor, is running as a Republican for district attorney, a fact not lost Dec. 12 on a potential jury pool in visiting state District Judge Doug Shaver's court.
Dwayne Edward Nash, 51, identified by officials as the boyfriend of Dowdle's mother, is charged with murder after Dowdle's brother Coy Dustin Dowdle, 39, was fatally stabbed in the chest Nov. 22, 2009.
During jury selection, Shaver said it would be hard to ensure an impartial trial in Burnet County because too many members of the pool knew about Angela Dowdle's candidacy and her connection to the case.
He excused the 70 potential jurors and announced he will consider a change of venue. A hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Dec. 13.
"It appears to both sides of the case (defense and prosecution) that the defendant cannot receive a fair trial in the four counties," Shaver said.
The four refer to the makeup of the 33rd/424th Judicial District, which are Burnet, Llano, Blanco and San Saba counties.
Shaver recommended that attorneys for the defense and prosecution work together on a change-of-venue motion.
Angela Dowdle was present during the jury selection process.
According to Burnet County Sheriff's Office investigators, Coy Dowdle confronted a man at a home in Briggs where the defendant lived with 67-year old Suzanne Dowdle, the mother of both Coy and Angela.
Deputies found Coy Dowdle's body when they arrived about 9 p.m. at the home in the 700 block of FM 2657. He was stabbed with a knife.
Initially, investigators charged Nash with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, but he was eventually indicted on murder and manslaughter charges by a Burnet County grand jury.
Suzanne Dowdle also found herself in legal trouble. In April 2011, a grand jury indicted her on a third-degree felony tampering with evidence charge after she was accused of trying to hide a knife believed to have been used in her son's slaying.
The 33rd/424th District Attorney's Office turned the case over to the state Attorney General's Office earlier this year because Angela Dowdle was a prosecutor working there in 2010. The victim's sister, however, was not employed by the district attorney when her brother died.
Nash remains free on a $300,000 bond.
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