Table of Contents
Section 1: Summary
Header
- Date: March 4, 2026 (Tuesday) [Note-taker RT labels it “Wednesday” but all other notes confirm Tuesday 3/4]
- Court: U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth Division (with Dallas simulcast courtroom — 5 people in Dallas, packed house in Fort Worth)
- Case: Prairieland Federal Trial
- Judge: Mark Pittman
- Prosecution: Shawn Smith (AUSA), plus prosecution team
- Defense Attorneys Present:
- Cody Cofer (Autumn Hill)
- Patrick McClain (Zachary Evetts)
- Phillip Hayes (Benjamin “Champagne” Song)
- Chris Tolbert (Savanna Batten)
- J. Warren St. John (Meagan Morris)
- MarQuetta A. Clayton (Maricela Rueda)
- Harmony Schuerman and Blake Ryan Burns (Elizabeth Soto)
- Leigh Davis (Ines Soto)
- Christopher Weinbel (Daniel “Des” Sanchez Estrada)
- James Luster (Autumn Hill)
- Defendants Present: All nine defendants present
- Type of Proceeding: Jury trial — Continuation of government’s case-in-chief; first cooperating witness testimony
Key Takeaways
- FBI counterterrorism agent of 10+ years had to Google what an “antifa flag” looks like. Agent Morris Bogner, who has been on the counterterrorism squad since 2010, testified he had to conduct an online search during the September 15 search of the Soto residence to identify a flag the prosecution called “antifa.” Under cross-examination he admitted he didn’t know what “anarcho-communist” means, that the flag originates from the Spanish Civil War, and that his specialty is international — not domestic — terrorism. The book found on the printing press turned out to be a memoir about a dying sister’s cancer treatment.
- Judge Pittman intervened repeatedly to confirm nothing seized was illegal. During testimony about the Batten apartment search and the fireworks cooler, the judge himself asked witnesses to confirm that nothing seized was illegal to own — and they confirmed. Pittman also stated from the bench: “There is nothing illegal about speaking out against the current government. That is protected.”
- The prosecution’s evidence against Savanna Batten collapsed to a single map. A 57-minute SWAT-assisted search of Batten’s one-bedroom apartment — where SWAT broke a window and damaged an interior door to enter while she’d been in jail for 5 days — yielded zero firearms, zero explosives, zero body armor, zero tactical gear, and zero “antifa” literature. The only item seized was a map of downtown Fort Worth that defense connected to the No Kings protest Batten was organizing.
- Crime scene investigators forgot a cooler of fireworks at the scene for approximately 12 hours. Officer Andrea Grant testified she found the cooler the next day on the street after the crime scene had been released. It was stored improperly — not in an explosives-rated magazine. No fire marshal or ATF was contacted. Defense challenged the integrity of the evidence. The judge confirmed: “There’s nothing illegal about owning fireworks.”
- Texas Ranger Tyler Williamson testified about two interviews with Meagan Morris in which Morris consistently described the event as a noise demonstration gone wrong. Morris stated she never left her van, brought weapons only for protection against counter-protestors, and expressed “disgust and betrayal” at the shooting. The Ranger largely found her credible but doubted she could have heard the shots clearly enough to identify a binary trigger from her van’s distance.
- Judge allowed Hayes to question discrepancies in Lt. Gross’s statement. After a contentious exchange before lunch, the judge reviewed the record and ruled that Hayes could question the Ranger about the fact that Gross’s written statement omitted that he pulled his weapon and aimed it at someone’s back — a key credibility issue. The judge referenced his earlier self-defense ruling and kept questioning on “a tight rope.”
- First cooperating witness Lynette Sharp testified in handcuffs. Sharp, who pled guilty to material support of terrorism (facing up to 41 years if she hadn’t cooperated), described the social network among defendants — self-defense classes at Finn’s Place, SRA range days, the Emma Goldman Book Club, and an “affinity group” led by Song that practiced dry-fire drills and building-clearing techniques. She identified all nine defendants. When lined up in front of her, she began crying and said: “I love them.”
- Signal chat evidence cuts both ways. Prosecution presented chats showing pre-event planning (maps, weather, demographics, escape routes, camera locations, Faraday bags). But defense highlighted messages describing the event as a “noise demo” that is “really dope and low risk,” discussions about property lines to avoid trespassing, and expressed concern about safety — with no messages referencing harming anyone.
- Trial will continue Monday, March 9 at 8:30 AM (judge adding Monday sessions to finish before spring break).
Narrative Summary
Morning Session — Recall of Agent Bennett (~9:02 AM)
FBI case agent Kasey Bennett was recalled to address revised admissions from Exhibit 65. Additional pages (28-40, 45-48, 55-58, 60) were admitted — all items from the search of Sanchez’s parents’ Garland apartment.
Bennett identified letters addressed to “Des” signed by “Mari” (pages 28, 36), which she attributed to Maricela Rueda’s handwriting — though she acknowledged she is not a handwriting expert. Page 55 showed Sanchez’s tattoo art signed “@des.tattooartist.” Page 58 contained writings attributed to Rueda: “What is a riot but freedom from injustice, burn everything that was not meant for us.” Page 57 contained journal writing about “riots, protests” that “rightfully destroyed” a Minneapolis precinct — written during the George Floyd protests of 2020. Page 60 showed a high school visitor pass from 2018-2019, connected to Rueda’s daughter.
Cross-examination (Weinbel for Sanchez): Bennett confirmed she was not present for the search. Defense identified page 36 as a love letter dated 2017, and page 58 as poetry. Defense asked: “Are you aware that Ms. Rueda and Mr. Sanchez hosted open mic nights and are poets?” Bennett: “No.”
Witness: FBI Agent Morris Bogner — Special Agent (22 years), Counterterrorism Squad since 2010
Bogner was involved in the second search of the Soto residence on September 15, looking specifically for evidence of “mass production of propaganda.” The first search had found literature and photographs of commercial printing equipment.
Direct Examination: Bogner identified commercial printing equipment in the garage: a copier, paper cutter, binder, and boxes of paper. He described “mass produced books” and identified what he called an “antifa flag” (red and black). He testified the equipment showed the Sotos were producing propaganda. Exhibit 194 (flags from second search) admitted over defense objection. The prosecution characterized the Sotos as “the printers for the conspiracy.”
Cross-examination (Ines Soto’s attorney): Bogner admitted he identified the flag by doing a Google search during the September search. He did not know what “anarcho-communist” means. Defense asked if he’d be surprised to learn the flag originates from the Spanish Civil War. Bogner: “No.” The book found on the press was a personal narrative about the death of a sister from a brain tumor — not radical material.
Cross-examination (Autumn Hill’s attorney — Cofer): “22 years ago you took an oath to defend the Constitution. When you use the word ‘propaganda,’ you’re referring to legally protected First Amendment material.” Bogner conceded that unless it promotes violence, it is protected. Judge Pittman stated from the bench: “There is nothing illegal about speaking out against the current government. That is protected.”
Cross-examination (one of the defense attorneys): Invoked the history of printed dissent in America — Thomas Paine’s Common Sense (1776), James Otis’s Rights of the British Colonies (1764), Farmer’s Letters (1768). Judge Pittman added: “There is a history of punks, pamphlets existing against the government. The First Amendment was styled to do that.”
Cross-examination (Sanchez): Established that the only evidence of anything actually printed on the equipment was the cancer memoir. The mask found was a chemo mask worn by the sister. The flag was rolled up on a garage shelf, not displayed. Defense: “You’re on the terrorism unit and you have to Google what an antifa flag looks like?” Bogner: “I specialize in international terrorism, not domestic.”
Cross-examination (Schuerman for Liz Soto): “Were you aware that my client and their husband run a book club? And they read books and zines?” Bogner acknowledged he did not know what zines are.
Redirect (Prosecution): Smith argued: “Tons of pamphlets were collected. The Sotos were mass producing propaganda. They were the printers for the conspiracy.”
Witness: FBI Agent Mark Van Horn — Special Agent (9 years), Dallas Evidence Response Team
Van Horn was involved in two searches: Savanna Batten’s apartment and Rebecca Morgan’s vehicle.
Direct Examination: Exhibit 81 admitted — photos from Batten’s apartment search showing maps of downtown Fort Worth with X’s on government buildings. Exhibit 106 admitted — photos from search of Rebecca Morgan’s vehicle (conducted August 1 at FBI office after Song’s arrest). Items found in the vehicle: megaphone, toiletry bags, black ski mask and gloves in center console, manual on de-escalation, clothes purchased July 15 (receipt found), first aid kit, more masks, generic flyer. Prosecution noted similarities between maps found in Batten’s apartment and maps from the Soto residence.
Cross-examination (Tolbert for Batten): This was a strong cross. Defense established:
- The vehicle searched belonged to Rebecca Morgan, not Savanna Batten.
- Batten lived alone in a one-bedroom apartment in downtown Fort Worth.
- She had been arrested July 4 and was in jail for 5 days before the search on July 9.
- SWAT broke a window and damaged an interior door to enter the empty apartment.
- In the 57-minute search, no firearms, body armor, explosives, fireworks, ammunition, insurrectionist literature, antifa literature, or tactical gear was found.
- The only item collected was the map of downtown Fort Worth.
- Defense connected the map to the No Kings protest Batten was organizing for June and October 2025 — a lawful downtown protest. The X’s could be protest route markers or places to avoid.
- Judge Pittman asked directly: “To be clear, nothing you seized is inherently illegal, correct?” Witness: “Correct.”
Redirect (Prosecution): Noted that the shooter was still at large during the search, and that the Soto residence on Cowden was close to Batten’s apartment. Defense objection sustained — prosecution was testifying rather than questioning.
Witness: Officer Andrea Grant — FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (1.5 years), Dallas PD
Grant responded to the Prairieland scene on July 5 and found a red-and-white cooler with fireworks on the north end of Sunflower Lane.
Direct Examination: Grant arrived the evening of July 5 to walk the scene and check for missed evidence. The cooler was sitting by itself, partially open, with fireworks visible inside. Exhibit 46 admitted. Grant held up packages of fireworks for the jury.
Cross-examination (St. John for Morris): Defense established the cooler had been left at the scene for approximately 12 hours after the crime scene was released. No evidence marker was assigned — it was simply photographed in place because the scene had already been released. Grant did not inventory the contents, did not dry the fireworks, did not know if they were wet or soggy, and only transported the cooler to Alvarado PD in her personal vehicle. Alvarado PD’s evidence room was not equipped to store explosives. Grant could not guarantee the integrity of evidence left behind for 12 hours.
Cross-examination (Clayton for Rueda): Fireworks are commercially available and not designed to breach structures. Grant was not familiar with fireworks classifications.
Judge Pittman asked: “There’s not anything illegal about owning fireworks, is it?” Grant: “Correct.”
Redirect (Prosecution): Established shooting occurred around 11 PM, people remained on scene until 2-3 AM, and the cooler was found in the same location the next evening. Other debris (flags, materials) was gone by then.
Recross (St. John for Morris): The Alvarado fire marshal was on scene the night of July 4 but was not contacted about handling the fireworks. ATF was not contacted either.
Recross (Clayton for Rueda): The cooler was found a couple hundred yards from the facility.
BREAK (~10:25 AM — resumed 10:45 AM)
Witness: Texas Ranger Tyler Williamson — 5 years with Rangers
Williamson was the lead Ranger on scene and conducted two interviews with Meagan Morris.
Direct Examination: Williamson interviewed Morris on July 5 at the Johnson County Sheriff’s office (arrested approximately 9 hours prior). Morris appeared of sound mind and was read Miranda warnings. She agreed to talk. FBI Agent McGuire was also present.
Morris’s account as relayed by Williamson:
- Her birth name was Bradford Winston Morris.
- She arrived around 10 PM on July 4, parked near Wildwood and Burnett.
- She brought her gear: rifle, vest, handheld radios. Several vehicles were already there.
- Others brought fireworks and rifles.
- She learned about the event from a Signal chat called “Discussion + News.”
- There “wasn’t really a plan” — just a noise demonstration to set off fireworks.
- She brought weapons because “sometimes protests are dangerous” — cited a prior protest where someone was run over by a car.
- Her role was to stay in the vehicle to protect from vandalism and drive down with rifles if violence occurred.
- She radioed when 3 people in black masks walked past; was told they were “friendlies.”
- She could not hear the fireworks but heard gunfire. After gunshots, police arrived and passed her; she tried to leave with no plan of where to go.
Williamson found parts of her story credible but doubted she could distinguish fireworks from gunfire from her van’s distance. He believed it “would have been difficult.”
Second interview (July 8): Morris requested to speak with Williamson again. She described the rate of fire as rapid, consistent with a binary trigger. She said she knew only one person who had a weapon with a binary trigger.
Key statement from Morris (jury excused for names to be redacted):
“I don’t think it was an accident. A person set things up to have cover… I felt disgust and betrayal.”
“My suspicion is [a person] wanted to do this the whole time. To shoot someone. Have us all there with our guns… [his] jackoff fantasy… and get away.”
Morris described joining SRA in 2020, attending range days 6-12 times over 5 years at ETTS in Waxahachie and another range. Range days included new-shooter safety talks. At meetings they discussed anti-ICE topics, transgender rights, and politics. Agent McGuire showed Morris extractions from her Signal chats.
Morris also stated: “I mean, a person fucking shot someone in cold blood. I’m assuming it’s [that person]. I only heard one.”
Morris described the evening: group gathered at her Dallas house around 8 PM, departed around 9 PM, arrived at Prairieland around 10 PM. She wore “bloc” (dark clothing and mask to avoid identification), put her phone in a Faraday bag, others left phones at home.
Cross-examination (St. John for Morris):
- Rangers historically preceded DPS; Williamson has been a Ranger for 5 years.
- Morris said she never got out of the van. Williamson confirmed this.
- She voluntarily spoke twice without requesting a lawyer.
- She was emotional and cried during both interviews — perceived as authentic.
- Prairieland is a private facility, not public property.
- Nothing Morris possessed was illegal.
- Based on her statement, she was never involved in the shooting.
- Williamson: “I believe she was upset things didn’t go the way she thought.”
- Second interview reflected more frustration. Defense noted she’d been in isolated cells for 3-4 days with only law enforcement contact.
- Morris did not transport any fireworks.
Cross-examination (Hayes for Song):
- Morris was consistent across interviews.
- She may not have left her van — Williamson can’t prove she did.
- Williamson’s language (“my suspicion is,” “I think”) indicates opinion, not fact.
- Morris described hearing gunshots but did not describe multiple shooters — she believed there was only one shooter, and that was wrong.
- Three distinct periods of shooting: initial volley (~8 shots in less than 1 second), Gross’s 3 shots, then a second volley of a few quick shots.
- Hayes established that Williamson took Gross’s statement weeks later — and that Gross went home the same night of the shooting. Prosecution objected; jury was excused.
Contentious exchange re: Gross’s statement: Hayes argued that Gross left relevant information out of his written statement (specifically, that he pulled his gun and aimed it at someone’s back) and wanted to question the Ranger about this discrepancy. Judge Pittman was frustrated that Hayes had not filed a pretrial motion on this issue. Hayes explained he couldn’t have known what Gross would say on the stand until he said it. The judge took the matter under advisement over the lunch break.
Lunch break: 11:45 AM — 12:40/12:45 PM
Afternoon Session — Judge’s Ruling on Gross Statement Issue
Judge Pittman apologized to Hayes for being “curt and snapping” before lunch. He stated he had reviewed the testimony and the difference between Gross’s written statement and his trial testimony. The judge ruled that Hayes may question Williamson about discrepancies in Gross’s statement, but must keep it on “a tight rope.” He referenced his earlier ruling granting the motion to exclude self-defense.
The judge also addressed the jury about Lent and Ramadan dietary restrictions, and noted that federal judges have less control over courtroom logistics than state judges.
Cross-examination continued (Hayes for Song):
- Gross’s written statement made no mention of pulling a gun and pointing it at someone’s back.
- Morris also did not have all the information when she was interviewed.
Redirect (Prosecution — Smith): Smith introduced the concept of “minimizing” — witnesses minimize their involvement to protect themselves. Asked what indicated Morris was minimizing: Williamson said her claim of “no plan” was contradicted by Signal chats showing maps, demographics, reconnaissance photos, and camera awareness — “that takes some planning.” Williamson also testified he found it difficult to believe Morris could distinguish a binary trigger from her distance. He noted she said she’d heard that type of fire at range days.
Recross (St. John for Morris): “Everyone knows there is a distinct sound between fireworks and guns.” Williamson, a Texan gun owner, agreed.
Recross (Evetts attorney): If a lieutenant raises his weapon first and leaves that out of his statement, that could be an example of minimizing — same as Morris allegedly minimizing. Witness was forced to concede the parallel.
Witness: FBI Agent Patrick McGuire — Special Agent (5 years), Fort Worth, Violent Crime Task Force
McGuire participated in both Morris interviews and handled Signal chat evidence.
Direct Examination: McGuire recounted Morris’s July 5 statement largely consistent with Williamson’s account. He did not find her timeline credible — “She was pretty far from the shooting.” On July 8, McGuire received cell phone extraction data and went through Signal chats with Morris.
Exhibits 153-157 admitted — Signal chats from Morris’s device, including the “Discussion + News” group and the “Fourth of July Party” chat.
McGuire testified about Signal chat evidence the prosecution characterized as “planning”:
- Exhibit 156, p.67: Discussion of a possible “rat” (informant) in the chat — Morris said “if there are 4 or more liberals in a chat, there’s likely law enforcement.”
- Exhibit 154: Message noting a house on Tanglewood has a Ring doorbell camera — “activities would be visible.”
- Signal handle “Champagne” (Song) wrote: “Rifles might make the situation more hot.” Another responded: “I think you’d be surprised — cops are not equipped for more than one rifle, it tends to make them back off.”
- “Discussion + News” chats showed neighborhood demographics, racial composition of the area around PDC, and identification of who might be “friendly.”
- Maps showing local police departments in relation to PDC, weather forecasts, and an aerial photo that McGuire characterized as an “on-foot escape route” (though the image itself did not contain text saying so — it was McGuire’s interpretation).
- Morris placed her phone in a Faraday bag; others left phones at home — prosecution characterized this as “operational security indicating planning.”
- Morris described her house on 56th Street in Dallas as where 4 people left in her vehicle and 2 in another car.
- Morris was playing a Nintendo Switch in the van.
Cross-examination (St. John for Morris):
- McGuire had been in law enforcement 8.5 years total. He assessed Morris as partly truthful, partly lying, partly omitting.
- PDC is private but managed by the federal government.
- Morris’s van was approximately half a mile from the shooting at the SW corner of the facility.
- “What you believe doesn’t make it the truth, does it?” McGuire resisted, citing 15 years of experience. The judge had to push the witness to answer “No.”
- First interview was approximately 30 minutes; second was 2+ hours.
- Morris never set foot on US government property (to his knowledge).
- No conversation in any of the Signal chats discussed wanting to harm anyone.
- Morris was upset that a shooting occurred — defense argued this is “the complete opposite of trying to” cause harm.
Cross-examination (Clayton for Rueda): The “rifles more hot” message showed hesitation about bringing firearms. The conversation quickly changed topic. Weather planning was consistent with planning fireworks, not an assault.
Cross-examination (Luster for Autumn Hill):
- Morris referenced encountering violent counter-protesters at prior events — people run over by vehicles.
- Exhibit 153: Signal group chat called “Thursdays” — Autumn Hill was listed as a member.
- Exhibit 154: “Discussion + News” — Autumn Hill was also on this list. But Autumn Hill was NOT in the “Fourth of July Party” chat. Defense: “If she was part of a conspiracy, wouldn’t she have been trusted enough to be in the chat?”
- Messages from the D+N chat about noise demonstrations:
- Sasha: “Sounds dope ASF. I’m worried about safety though.”
- “N” (Morris): “Noise demos outside of jails are really dope and low risk. Folks here used to do one on NYE for a number of years.”
- “These are pretty low risk… letter writing and noise demos are low risk, entry level…”
- “I don’t know if folks have ever been to a noise demo before but they are pretty tame.”
Cross-examination (Hayes for Song):
- McGuire assumed Morris’s Nintendo Switch had sound on — he never asked. Without sound, she could more easily have heard gunshots.
- Morris’s information came only from her own experience and what law enforcement told her while incarcerated.
- She was frustrated and upset during the second interview after days in jail.
- McGuire frequently used the phrase “which I take as” in his report — defense established this as supposition, not fact.
Cross-examination (Burns for Liz Soto):
- McGuire had not read the full “Fourth of July” chat.
- Signal discussions about property lines showed a very narrow area where they were legally allowed to be — “sounds like they were trying to avoid breaking laws.”
- Liz Soto’s name was not in the Fourth of July Party chat.
Redirect (Prosecution): Showed body camera video of Morris’s minivan. At 11:07 PM — 7 minutes after Gross was shot — the van is seen leaving the area. Prosecution suggested it appeared no one was in the van.
Recross (St. John for Morris): Pointed out condensation on the inside of the van windows in the video — consistent with someone sitting in a closed van for hours.
BREAK
Witness: Lynette Sharp — Cooperating Witness (in handcuffs and striped jumpsuit)
Sharp, of Wautauga/Highland Terrace, Fort Worth, was arrested July 13, 2025. She entered the courtroom handcuffed on the witness stand.
Exhibit 149 admitted — plea papers (19 pages). Sharp pled guilty to material support of terrorism (statutory maximum 15 years). The government agreed to charge only one count; without the plea, she faced potential charges carrying up to 41 years including attempted murder. A proffer/cooperation letter indicated her sentence could be reduced based on her testimony. She pled guilty November 2025 and signed the stipulated facts November 10/19 [note-takers disagree on exact date], 2025.
Stipulated facts: On July 4, an attack on PDC resulted in attempted murder of 2 federal officers and 1 police officer. On approximately July 5, Sharp learned co-conspirator #1 (Song) was hiding in the woods after escaping the scene. Sharp conspired to provide transportation, housing, and assistance — including masks, a wig, and clothing to disguise Song — and helped transfer Song to another co-conspirator’s car to evade law enforcement.
Direct Examination (Prosecution — Smith): Sharp described the social network among defendants:
Meeting Song: Met Song in Spring 2022 at a self-defense class at Finn’s Place, a community center in Fort Worth. Sharp found Finn’s Place through a table at a Pride festival/event. Song was teaching martial arts — “excellent teacher, soft spoken, intelligent, friendly.” Song went by “Champagne” and initially used any/all pronouns, later preferring she/her.
Signal and handles: Sharp joined Signal after showing up to a cancelled event. Her handles were “Candy Dynamite,” “Joan,” and “I am me.”
SRA and range days: Someone (not a defendant) invited Sharp to a “Gun & Tell” — an SRA event where people bring unloaded firearms and learn safety, grip, and stance. She became an SRA member and attended range days 6-8 times in Ferris, TX (“the Tire Fort”). Range days were “very safe” with strict hot/cold protocols.
Other defendants: Through SRA, Sharp met Maricela Rueda, Elizabeth Soto, Ines Soto, and Savanna Batten. She met Rueda through “Johnny” (a non-defendant). Rueda and “Johnny” started a flirty relationship that went bad. Sharp served on the SRA’s conflict resolution committee and opened an investigation into a member named “Jack” who was “creepy toward femme people, especially minorities” — Rueda had reported inappropriate behavior. When asked why she didn’t go to police: “Cops don’t care about creepy men. By my own experience and almost everyone I know, they don’t do anything about sexual assault.”
ACAB: Sharp explained: “If 10 cops are in front of you and 2 are corrupt and 8 do nothing, those 8 are also corrupt.”
Morris and Hill: Met Morris at a karaoke night in January 2025. Song invited Sharp to visit “the big gray house with a bunch of gay people in it” where Morris and Autumn Hill lived. Morris used she/her pronouns.
Signal handles identified: Morris — “Herald of the Mad God”; Hill — “Not Beating the Little Creature Allegations” [phonetic]; Ines Soto — “N”; Liz Soto — “L”; Savanna Batten — “V” [note-taker ES records “B”].
Sanchez: Came to a weekly writing group at Rueda’s house. Sharp never saw Sanchez and the Sotos in the same room — they had a falling out.
Emma Goldman Book Club (EGBC): Rueda invited Sharp. They read zines about “philosophy, history, gender, identity.” Met monthly. 10-12 people attended. Ines Soto was a facilitator who helped guide discussions — “reading not as important as the discussion. Give BIPOC and LGBTQ people more space to speak.” The EGBC met at an “Apprentice Creative Space” in Dallas.
Exhibit 163 admitted — photos of EGBC events:
- P.10: Table with zines at EGBC
- P.13: Stickers and zines (ACAB, “Be Gay Do Crime,” anarchy symbols)
- P.83-84: Zines including “If We Go, We Go on Fire”
- P.190: Photo of people reading at EGBC — Sharp identified Ines Soto and Song in the photo.
De-arrest primer: Prosecution asked about a zine called “Dearest Primex” [phonetic] / “De-Arrest Primer.” Sharp testified Song discussed de-arrest tactics — “how it could be done physically. Cops aren’t expecting it, aren’t trained to deal with it, often react with weapons.” This was discussed outside EGBC, not at the book club itself.
Relationships: Sanchez and Rueda were married but in an open relationship. Elizabeth Soto, Ines Soto, and Savanna Batten were a “thruple” (Sharp learned this from Rueda).
Zachary Evetts: Sharp knew him as “John Bell John” (Signal) / “John” (in person). Met him at Finn’s Place — “very good at martial arts, quiet.” Friends with Song and Rueda. Defense objected to the identification method (asking defendants to stand).
Courtroom incident — Song admonished: Jury was excused. Judge Pittman stated that someone reported Song was “mouthing words to somebody.” Song responded: “I believe my lips have been sealed this whole time. I haven’t opened my mouth at all.” The judge accepted this and recalled the jury.
Identification of defendants: Defense objected to the standing-identification method. Judge Pittman was irritated: “You’re objecting to the methods. Consider the limited resources we have here.” He took a break and told the defense attorney to “think about it.”
When court resumed, all nine defendants were lined up at the front of the courtroom in better lighting. The judge explained the courtroom’s limitations — poor lighting, overcrowding, limited space for 9 defendants, 20+ attorneys, marshals, paralegals, and a full gallery. He noted he had “complained all the way up to the US government about better wattage.” The lights were visibly brightened.
Sharp identified each defendant as they stepped forward: Evetts (“John Bell John”), Hill, Morris, Sanchez (“Des — Maricela’s husband”), Song, Ines Soto, Elizabeth Soto, Batten, and Rueda. Sharp began crying during the identifications. “I love them,” she said. The prosecutor pressed: “These were your friends, right?” “Yes.”
Affinity group and training: Sharp described Song’s “affinity group” — “a group of close friends with similar views, an inner circle.” Members included Song, Joy Gibson (handles “Foxglove” / “Rowan”), Morris, Sharp herself, Rebecca Morgan, Autumn Hill, and a woman named Lydia. They met at a house on 56th Street in Dallas (Morris’s house) for dry-fire drills, tactical YouTube videos, “how to move as a group,” and “clearing a house” with rifles. Sharp attended 6-8 times. She brought her own weapon.
“Like-minded” views: “We believed society was starting to break down. Worried about economic problems, weather problems. Having to fend for ourselves since the government won’t help.” On ICE: “We didn’t like it.” On the President: “Not favorable.” On calling him a fascist/Nazi: “Not everyone — can’t say everyone joined in.”
Fourth of July: Sharp was in the chat but could not attend due to family problems and issues with men in SRA being “creepy to minority women” and the central committee not addressing it. In the chat, Sharp wrote she couldn’t go and asked whether to stay to monitor or leave. Evetts responded that if she couldn’t make it, leaving was “probably better” for “operational security.” Sharp offered to send money for fireworks. She left the chat and deleted the messages.
Around 1 AM, Sharp heard in another chat that there was a problem. She checked DFW Scanner, read about an officer being shot. She expected Rueda and Song would have been at the event. She was “shocked to find out Ines, Liz, and Savanna were there because they never go to protests.”
Sharp drove toward PDC but couldn’t get close. Susan Kent (handle: “Atrean” / “Easy”) — who had come to Finn’s Place and maybe one range day — also couldn’t get close. They met at the Johnson County Sheriff’s office with bail money. At a Murphy’s USA parking lot, 5-6 people gathered including Evetts’s wife. They went to a Days Inn — “devastated.”
Helping Song escape: John Thomas (handle: “Juniper”), Song’s roommate, and Joy Gibson (handle: “Foxglove”/”Rowan”) were involved. Sharp received direct messages from Song, whose handle changed to “Deleted.” Exhibits 158, p.105, 108, 117, 123-126 were reviewed — these are Signal messages between Sharp and Song where Sharp helped Song escape from the woods near PDC. Sharp acknowledged: “I was trying to help him escape.”
Court adjourned at approximately 4:53 PM.
Judge addressed the jury: “Can you start tomorrow at 8:30? We didn’t get as far as I’d hoped today. Again I apologize about the lighting.”
Incidents and Atmosphere
- Courtroom conditions: Judge Pittman went on extended rants about the courtroom’s poor lighting, small size, and overcrowding — “the smallest courtroom in the building,” built in the 1930s. He noted the fire marshal would say it’s not compliant. At one point his sound system fell off his desk. He complained he has lobbied the federal government for 6.5 years for better wattage. The lights were visibly brightened during the afternoon session.
- Judge-Hayes conflict: Pittman criticized Hayes before lunch for not filing a pretrial motion regarding Gross’s statement discrepancies, then apologized after lunch for being “curt and snapping.” Multiple note-takers observed the judge “talking down to Hayes.”
- Song admonished: Judge had jury removed after someone reported Song was mouthing words. Song denied it. Hayes “looked angry about the way the judge was treating” Song.
- St. John misgendered his own client (Meagan Morris) during cross-examination.
- Sleeping juror: Note-taker ES observed a “bowl cut haired juror in the second row sleeping” during the afternoon session.
- Lynette Sharp’s emotional testimony: Sharp appeared in handcuffs and striped jumpsuit. When identifying defendants lined up before her, she began crying and said “I love them.” One note-taker observed: “It seemed to sink in for a minute what she was doing to them… but that didn’t last very long.”
- Evidence cart in hallway: During a break, an evidence cart with black and red flags was rolled through the 4th floor hallway.
- Next court date: Monday, March 9, 2026 at 8:30 AM (judge adding Monday sessions to stay on schedule before spring break). [Note: Wednesday March 5 session also referenced as “8:30 AM tomorrow” — trial appears to be running daily.]