Wilson 

Traci Lynn Wilson, 46, was arrested in October of 2007 and charged with kidnapping and aggravated kidnapping after police officials say he allegedly took an 8-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl from in front of a home on Tucson Road to an old motor home parked at a shop in the 1600 block of E. Third Street.

It took the jury — comprised of nine women and three men — less than an hour to find Wilson guilty on charges of kidnapping with intent to commit sexual assault, a first-degree felony, and kidnapping, a third-degree felony.

Wilson requested his sentencing be decided by 118th District Court Judge Robert H. Moore III instead of by a jury, with sentencing expected to take place in the next few weeks, according to court officials.

Wilson faces five to 99 years to life in prison on the aggravated charge and two to 10 years on the kidnapping charge, as well as a fine not to exceed $10,000.

District Attorney Hardy Wilkerson said he was pleased with the jury’s decision.

Jury selection in the trial began Monday, while testimony began Tuesday with opening remarks from Wilkerson.

“This case is about kidnapping two children with the intent to sexually violate. It’s a chilling and disturbing case that involves a stranger that is a stranger no more,” Wilkerson told the jury.

Defense attorney Wayne Frost told jurors the defense is not required to bring a single witness — which it didn’t — during the course of the trial, impressing upon them the burden of proof remains with the prosecution.

Frost also pointed out several times during his opening remarks that Wilson had in no way impeded the children from leaving the camper, who he said were there to collect money Wilson allegedly owed them for raking leaves.

The first witness was Jim Coker, a local small business owner Wilson had been doing odd jobs for, over a period of several months.

Coker testified Wilson was cutting the lawn at his home in the 1300 block of Tucson, when he and a friend left to have dinner. He also testified he had purchased a four-pack of malt liquor for Wilson, which he often did as payment for odd jobs around his welding business.

The camper Wilson was staying in at the time — and later arrested at — belonged to Coker, who was allowing the defendant to live there, as he had done previously with what he described as a “homeless vet.”

“Nothing like this has ever happened before,” Coker told the jury.

During questioning by Frost, Coker told the court he felt sorry for Wilson and had never had any problems with him or his work in the past.

Wilkerson also called several other witnesses, including the aunt of the female victim and the great-aunt of the 8-year-old boy.

Joshua Beck, a lifelong Big Spring resident, was also among those testifying, detailing how Wilson had approached him with the children in tow.

Beck said Wilson had asked for directions to the 7-Eleven convenience store near the intersection of Fourth Street and Birdwell Lane, but when the defendant had trouble comprehending the directions, he asked for Beck to drive him and the children.

“Not much was said while I was driving. All I could think about was how I was going to get the smell of alcohol out of my car. That’s all I could smell from him (Wilson),” said Beck. “He had told me he was the kids’ uncle. They didn’t have any shoes on and they said they were hungry, and all he had to feed them was cereal.”

Beck also testified Wilson never made any threatening gestures or remarks to the children during the short trip, saying he “acted like an uncle to me,” and told the jury the children got out of the car and ran up to the camper “like they had been there before.”

The 8-year-old victim also testified Tuesday, painting a very different picture of what took place from Frost’s opening remarks about a friendly man who had promised them money or candy for raking leaves.

“We talked to him in Jim’s (Coker) front yard. I can’t remember what he said,” the boy told the jury. “Then he grabbed her wrist and drug her. I was scared. I knew it was something strange and I walked behind them.”

The boy’s description of the ride also differed from Beck’s testimony on several points, as he described Wilson pushing them into the car and then pushing them inside the trailer once they arrived at their destination.

“When we were in the camper, he went to the bathroom. That’s when me and (the girl) came up with a plan,” the boy told the court. “I was going to tell him I needed to go and then go to the 7-Eleven and call the police. When he came out I asked him if I could leave, and he said, ‘Go ahead.’ He was talking to her about sex. I don’t remember what he said. I ran to the 7-Eleven and asked the clerk to use the phone and dialed 9-1-1. I don’t remember what I told them.”

On cross examination by Frost, the boy said he called the police because he was supposed to be home by dark and he needed a ride. On re-direct by Wilkerson, the boy again said he was scared and called the police “to get him (Wilson) in jail.”

The prosecution called a number of other witnesses, including the 10-year-old girl. Wilkerson said her description of the events differed from those provided by her 8-year-old counterpart on several points, but he believed the jury was able to understand the story beneath those differences.

“You’re going to have these kinds of inconsistencies, especially with children of this age,” said Wilkerson. “However, I felt like the jury was able to see beyond those differences and see what happened.”

Contact Staff Writer Thomas Jenkins at 263-7331 ext. 232 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it