Bikers convicted in Smith County murder testify in trial for national club president

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) – Three former motorcycle club members convicted of killing a rival biker in Smith County testified Wednesday in the trial for the man accused of giving the order.

Video commentary by Black Dragon

Kevin Dale Higgins, 58, is reported to be the national president of the Ugly Man Cossacks motorcycle club. He was arrested in April in connection with the murder of rival club member Brandon Edwards, of Ben Wheeler, who was shot to death in Arp on May 2, 2020. Wednesday, Higgins’ trial continued in Judge Austin Reeve Jackson’s court.

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Previous court hearings have established that Edwards was a member of the 1%er Cossacks, a rival club that split from the original Ugly Man Cossacks after a 2015 shooting in Waco. Three men have been convicted in Edwards’ shooting death, and Higgins now faces up to life in prison if convicted of giving the “smash on site” order to his members. The defense has been alluding towards shifting the blame from Higgins, the national president of the club, to his second in command, national sergeant-at-arms Chad Michael Crowell, of Eustace. Crowell has also been charged with directing street gang activities.

In court Wednesday, three of the convicted former club members testified for the state. All are serving time outside of Smith County. The state had the first two men walk the court through their interactions and relationships with Higgins and Crowell, and it was made clear that there is a distinct chain of command within motorcycle clubs. The state is pushing to prove that Higgins gave the ultimate “smash on site” order to Crowell, who delegated the actual violence to the lower-level members.

The defense has hinted at shifting the blame for the violent crimes from Higgins to Crowell. In particular, a photo of a club member bearing a tattoo that reads “Murder of Crows,” an apparent double entendre referring to Crowell, was shown to both witnesses. Both claimed to know nothing about any smaller, more violent group of members loyal to Crowell outside of normal club operations.

In questioning with the state, one witness recalled overhearing Crowell on the phone with Higgins, claiming Higgins urged Crowell to increase the violence towards the 1%ers.

After lunch, the state called Joshua Tibbets, of Waco, to the stand. Tibbets was convicted of engaging in organized criminal activity in Edwards’ murder and is serving a sentence of 22 years. He made it clear he did not intend to be a compliant witness.

The state asked Tibbets a number of questions that walked the court back through the order of operations and actions of the motorcycle club. Tibbets’ testimony lined up with the others’ in identifying Higgins as the highest in the chain of command, followed by Crowell.

Source: 7KLTV