Three Vicksburg men facing capital murder charges after arrests in Texas

Three former Vicksburg residents are facing capital murder charges in Texas after being arrested near Dallas last week.

Jacques Deshawn Smith, 21, is charged with capital murder in connection to two killings that occurred in the student dorm at Texas A&M University in Commerce, Texas, on Feb. 3. Smith is accused of murdering his former girlfriend Abbaney Matts, 20, and her sister, Deja Matts, 19. Abbaney’s 2-year-old son was wounded in the attack but survived.

Sisters Abbaney and Deja Matts

Smith is also charged—along with Jalin Hargrove, 23 and Ernest Rogers, 26—of capital murder in connection to a robbery/homicide that occurred on Dec. 31, 2019, in Denton, Texas.

Denton police found Steven Daniels, 22, lying in the parking lot inside a gated apartment on New Year’s Eve around 11:30 p.m. He died of a gunshot wound to the chest about 40 minutes later.

Investigators found evidence connecting the three suspects to Daniels’ death in a search of Smith’s Rowlett Texas, home after the shooting at Texas A&M.

All three are well known to Dallas area law enforcement. Smith was arrested a week before killing the Matts sisters for violently attacking Abbaney Matts with a knife and beating her with a pan. He was released on a $15,000 bond for that incident.

The three also have records in Vicksburg. In 2017, Smith was arrested here in connection with a drive-by shooting. Rogers, who is reportedly Smith’s uncle, was convicted for assault in Vicksburg in 2016. Hargrove was arrested here in 2017 for assault and armed robbery.

Denton Police Chief Frank Dixon called the three men “very violent individuals,” in a news conference.

Facing capital murder charges for both incidents, Smith is in custody in the Hunt County jail. His bail is $1 million for each shooting, or $2 million total.

Hargrove and Rogers are being held in the Denton County jail. Their bails are $1 million each.

Ronni Mott contributed to this story.