James Mitchell Laster, left, and Daniel Martin (Lamar County Sheriff's Department)
Two men have been arrested in connection with the brutal assault of a gay man early Sunday in Reno, Texas — which the victim and his friends say was a hate crime.
Reno Police Chief Jeff W. Sugg announced in a two-sentence statement this morning that Daniel Martin, 33, and James “Tray” Mitchell Laster III, 31, have been arrested in the beating of 26-year-old Burke Burnett.
Burke Burnett
Burnett said he was stabbed at least twice with a broken beer bottle and thrown onto a fire at a private party early Sunday, by up to four men who yelled gay slurs during the attack. Burnett needed more than 30 stitches to close stab wounds to his back and forearm, as well as a cut above his left eye from being sucker-punched at the start of the attack. He also suffered second-degree burns from being thrown onto a lit burn barrel.
Martin and Laster were arrested late Tuesday. Each is charged with one count of aggravated assault with a a deadly weapon, and one count of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury — second-degree felonies punishable by up to 20 years in prison. According to Sugg’s statement, the investigation is ongoing.
Reno police spokeswoman Alicia Myrick said it will be up the Lamar County District Attorney’s Office to determine whether the case is prosecuted as a hate crime.
“That’s not our decision,” Myrick said.
More to come …
Wouldn’t the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act apply where Texas law fails?
Hope their time in jail as bubba’s bitches will be unpleasant.
I’m glad they’ve been caught. Funny thing is, THEY LOOK just like small-town-insecure-would-probably-suck-on-guys-if-they-lived-in-the-city types. I hope they get what they deserve.
I want a lot of publicity for this trial. These animals need to spend the rest of their lives in prison.
Mack: The federal law tracks hate crimes and provides money for investigation. The state law is a penalty-enhancement law. If it’s already a first-degree felony, there can’t be an enhancement.
Hate is wrong and I just dont understand why people hide and protect the people who commit such a horrible crime..this is someone’s son, brother, uncle father….Come on this is gone on long enough. and for the right wing radicals hate is NEVER a family value. Its a sad day when such a small town like Reno,Texas. Can not arrest four men and now making this charge aggravated assault….Why is it certain officials act as if it is not Their right or duty to protect ALL citizens? Really???
seems to me likes it more like – Attempted murder
I predict they’ll be sentenced to three years or less. It’s Texas, after all. The victim needs to move to a safer, more civilized place…like Uganda.
Texas won’t prosecute as a hate crime, but there is no logical reason why the Feds won’t do so under the Matthew Shepard Hate Crime law.
I just looked them up in Lamar County Jail Records:
Mr Laster- 2 DWI convictions, 2 fraud, marijuana and already has an aggravated assault causing bodily injury
Mr. Martin- 2 Deadly conducts, 2 assaults, 3 public intoxications
Wow, it seems like both of these yahoos should already be behind bars. I guess they have to finally MURDER someone before they will be put away!
OMGosh….I so hope they get life. What gives them the right to be a judge of anyone elses life or life style? They both look like thugs if u ask me….but because of how they protray theirselves does not give me the right to judge them. For all the haters out there…..u only hate us because u dont understand us and just because we are gay, lesbian does not mean we r going to jump any and everyone. We have morals….more so than some straights.
This is where my morality jumps the tracks! I don’t support the death penalty nor hate of any kind, but I’d support dropping these idiots in boiling HOT chicken grease…….. once found guilty of course!
They were so concerned about someone’s sexual orientation. I hope they really need to be concerned now. I hope a big Daddy gives them exactly what they need and deserve .. without lube.
I hope these guys get what they deserve and that justice is served. Yet at the same time, when considering the Texas justice systems track record, especially in regard to similar crimes, it is hard to fully believe that they will.
IT IS A HATE CRIME THATS ALL IT IS I HOPE THEY BURN IN HELL.
That dickhead Laster used to bully the shit out of younger kids on the schoolbus growing up… Hope they throw the book at em
Am I right that not one news station in Dallas picked this story up?. Reno and Paris TX. have been in the news for human rights before. There are huge corporations located there and the mentality of this human rights behavior there is common. What I’m trying to say is why do communities inbreed this thinking. East Texas is a breeding ground for this. The media really needs to step up! I’m a sucker for bad boys and these 2 are kinda hot. Media should make them an example “Don’t Mess with a Gay in Texas”.
Yep, by the looks of those two and their criminal backgrounds, it seems as if were definitely a hate crime. So sad. I hope justice is served to the fullest and these guys get every bit of karma they have coming to them. And why is it that I haven’t seen this anywhere in the news? What’s Paris trying to hide?
I hope you get what you deserve in prison. BUBBA and BIG DADDY are waiting for you!! As far as I am concerned, you are NOTHING but a couple of SICK, SORRY LOW-LIFE BASTARDS!!!! As a gay man, he has ENOUGH to deal with, without getting brutally attacked from PUNK BITCHES like you!!!!
These guys are homophobic which is bad enough, but they’re also extremely violent and dangerous. What they did is sociopathic and they NEED to go to prison and be someones bitch so they learn about consequences. If the Texas DA can’t do anything about it, the feds need to. Media shit storm time.
Knowing most of the individuals…….this had nothing to do w/sexuality….most likely, drugs.
to #7… I believe I’m right…aggravated assault is actually a more severely punished crime in Texas than attempted murder. Sounds strange but an officer friend of mine told me this over another case. So good for the law with the aggravated assault…now add the hate crime and be done with these idiots!
@Marty, I sent the story to the DFW TV stations, No response.
@admthgrt, That’s Lamar County! I Suggest everyone contact ellentv.com
gay bashers are ALWAYS frustrated closet cases and it is laughably Freudian how their weapons of choice always end up being phallic in nature (a bat, a stick, a pole, etc.) and then they get caught and go to jail or prison where from their first moments there they will be targets of gay rape … and if they were so straight, why weren’t they home with their girlfriends being romantic rather than waiting in the shadows for gay men to come along?
I wish these low life bastards would get life!! but 20 years is better than nothing. .
From what I’ve heard the gay guy was provoking all of this an flaunting his gayness. I say he should of got his ass beat for provoking the other guys but I don’t think he should of been stabbed or thrown into a fire… Maybe a punch in the face an a shut the fuck up would of been more effective then almost killing him.
I guess this is the result of loving the sinner and hating the sin. It is sick. My thoughts are with this young man and I wish him a long and happy life. The thugs on the other hand need the needle. The thought they will eventually be walking around should be a cold wakeup call to us all.
A subsequent press release from Reno police from late today stated that a third arrest has been made (Micky Joe Smith) and that the investigation is still ongoing. Serious question: what can be done to (1) raise awareness of this to the national level (largest news coverage so far is the Houston Chronicle) (2) encourage that the case be tried as a hate crime (provided the facts are correct– and I have no doubt that they are)?
This is so typical of the public…we are so quick to judge and haven’t even heard all of one side of the story. Remember there are 3 sides…his, theirs, and the TRUTH. Yeah, I’m sure they are thugs and deserve the book thrown at them. But our actions provoke and get us into trouble if we ask hard enough. These guys actions are not true representations of the people of this community, so don’t judge eveyone based on a few bad apples. And wait until you have the whole story to start casting stones.
Let those fuckers fry.
@Not hate…It doesn’t matter if Burke was “flaunting his gayness.” Even if he had been wearing nothing but a tutu and butterfly wings and singing a song about how he likes boys, it still isn’t grounds for being savagely attacked.
I agree that this trial needs publicity. I kind of have a feeling that without it, this crime will not be given the attention that it needs. Lamar County needs to understand that this kind of thing is not okay.
HOW IN THE HELL DO YOU SIT AND WATCH THE BEATING OF ANOTHER HUMAN AND THEN LET ASSAILANTS THROW HIM INTO A BURNING FIRE BARREL. Yah the rest of the community may not be properly represented by the assailants. But hello, those that stood and did nothing during this hate crime SHOULD ALSO BE LOCKED UP. Less than 4000 people in your community, and this is how you let your neighbors conduct themselves. Whether it was four people attacking the one or just the two hate filled intent to kill, the crowd looked on. Now you have the COUNTRY watching your town wondering when the white sheets and hoods will be dawned by your residents. 20 people doing nothing = 20 accomplices!
We should just give Texas back to Mexico.
20 Onlooker hit it on the head, that entire town should hang it’s head in shame! Too bad it’s not a tourist town. We could all boycott them! They say it takes a town to raise a kid, well little town of Frankenstein, thanks for your contribution!
Can’t wait for Governor Goodhair to comment on this! ….like that’ll happen….
Gov. Goodhair will have nothing to say. He has too many skeletons in his own “closet.” Futhermore, he’s too busy this weekend getting his stem-cell transplants. Goodhair and GWB are both cut from the same cloth, and don’t give a flying flock what happens to any GLBT person in the State of Texas, because to do so might cost them a vote or two with some of this states fine bubba’s. Reigious hypocrisy at its best.
Damn tray you got to sucker punch, jump and stab a gay dude.. that’s why i didnt waste my time whipping your pussy ass years ago…. enjoy your stay brother! lol