Little Elm, Texas—The murder trial of Alec Adamson, accused in the shooting death of 19-year-old David Pleasant, resumed Friday, with jurors hearing testimony from the lead detective and medical professionals. The proceedings were paused for the weekend, leaving the jury poised to begin deliberations on Monday.
Adamson, also 19, allegedly shot Pleasant during a drug transaction on February 3, 2023, at Kings Crossing Park. Another young man, Mason Schiller, was present during the incident and has faced charges for his involvement in the alleged drug deal but has not been indicted or tried.
Defense attorneys Sarah and George Roland are representing Adamson. They have requested that the jury consider lesser charges, such as manslaughter and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Additionally, they argued for the jury to assess two potential defenses: necessity, claiming Adamson acted to avoid imminent harm, and defense of another, asserting that he believed he needed to use deadly force to protect Schiller.
The defense contends that the shooting occurred inside Adamson’s vehicle as Pleasant was assaulting both Adamson and Schiller. Schiller previously testified that Pleasant struck him in the head, aggravating a prior head injury. In contrast, prosecutors assert that Adamson shot Pleasant after he had distanced himself from the car, moving toward the park.
Little Elm detective Paul Keith continued his testimony on Friday, elaborating on evidence collected during the investigation. Following their apprehension at the crash site, Adamson, Schiller, and a friend were taken to the police station for questioning. However, no audio or video from these interviews was presented in court.
Initially, Keith viewed Schiller as a primary suspect but later determined he was not the shooter. This conclusion was supported by video evidence capturing Adamson extending his arm and holding a firearm. Keith noted that Schiller, who is right-handed, cooperated fully during his interview, providing an account consistent with the video footage.
The Rolands argue that while the video shows Adamson’s arm extended with a firearm, there is no definitive proof that he fired the weapon at that moment. The video lacks audio and some events are obscured, which complicates the situation’s analysis.
Defense arguments suggest the shooting took place within Adamson’s vehicle, countering evidence and testimony that indicates it occurred outside as Pleasants fled. The defense claims a lack of muzzle flash or recoil in the video supports their theory, a point contested by Keith, who provided his expertise about the visibility of muzzle flashes under different lighting conditions.
Keith stated he believes testing Adamson’s vehicle for gunshot residue would have likely yielded inconclusive results since any residue from firing the gun would have transferred to multiple surfaces inside the car. Meanwhile, a child who witnessed the incident described seeing Pleasant run out of the car immediately after hearing gunfire, stating that he fell shortly after.
Pleasant was pronounced dead at Texas Health Plano on February 4, 2023, after suffering a severe neurological injury from the gunshot wound. Dr. Steven Davidoff, who treated him, testified that he believed Pleasant was brain dead upon arrival. The medical staff awaited family consent before confirming Pleasant’s death, prompting the Collin County Medical Examiner’s Office to take custody of the case.
Dr. William Rohr, the medical examiner who conducted Pleasant’s autopsy, testified that despite searching for gunshot residue on Pleasant’s head, none was found. He characterized the damage from the bullet as catastrophic, predicting immediate loss of consciousness. The defense has introduced a neuropathologist, Dr. Evan Matshes, who is expected to offer a contrasting perspective on the neurologic implications following a gunshot wound during the next session.
As the trial continues, both the prosecution and defense are preparing to introduce additional testimonies, with Matshes likely to provide crucial insights in the near future.
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