The city of Houston is closely watching as the trial of Deshawn Longmire, charged with the murder of Reverend Ronald Mouton Sr., is set to commence this week. The trial, which has been delayed since last September, brings to a head nearly three years of anguish and anticipation for the Mouton family. As reported by Click2Houston, Pre-trial activities are slated to begin today, with jury selection occurring on Friday and opening arguments expected next Monday.
Longmire, now 23, faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted for the June 2022 road rage incident that resulted in the death of Pastor Mouton. Pastor Mouton, widely known and respected within the southeast Houston community, was shot on a feeder road off Gulf Freeway. As part of their investigation, Houston police were able to use Uber records to place Longmire at the scene of the crime, an effort that ultimately led to his arrest a month after the shooting. The information pertaining to the investigation and Uber records was detailed by KHOU 11 News.
The late pastor's familial ties are a prominent part of the surrounding narrative, with his twin brother, Rev. Roland Mouton Jr., deeply involved in the search for justice. "It’s not going to bring him back, my brother back, but we just need the closure of getting justice for a senseless shooting… To pull a gun out and shoot him in his car is senseless, and so we want justice. We want to see justice and him to pay for what he did," Roland told KHOU 11 News.
East Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, where the late Mouton served for over 30 years, is now left to cope with his loss. According to Click2Houston interview, Roland expressed his grief over the loss of his brother, stating, "I have a picture of him hanging over the rearview mirror of my car that says, ‘A piece of my heart has gone to heaven,’ because I do feel like I’ve lost something. I do. And something I can’t get back here." In the same interview, he pondered on the possibility of his brother forgiving his killer, saying, "I think he would. I’ll say it like this: you can’t preach a message that you can’t practice. I think that’s what we carry about what we do.."
As the legal proceedings move forward, the East Bethel community harbors a plaque and Bible verse on the pulpit in memory of their late pastor, symbolizing the indelible mark he left behind.
