Trial begins for Leon Houston in Kingston

Associated Press - November 5, 2009 4:15 AM ET

KINGSTON, Tenn. (AP) - Opening statements are coming in the second murder trial of 1 of 2 Roane County brothers accused of killing a deputy and his ride-along friend.

With a Kingston jury in place, trial was scheduled to begin Thursday for Leon Houston. He is charged with killing Roane County Deputy Bill Jones and former police officer Mike Brown. Prosecutors say Jones came to serve a failure to appear warrant in May 2006 at the farmhouse where Houston and his brother, Rocky Joe Houston, live, and a gun battle ensued.

The first attempt to try 50-year-old Leon Houston ended in a mistrial last year.

A trial of Rocky Houston ended with a split verdict. He is awaiting a second trial and claiming it would place him in double jeopardy.