[10/14/01]Three slayings will be among cases presented to Warren County grand jurors when they convene Monday.

Donald A. Wilson Jr., 62, is facing charges for the murder of his ex-wife’s friend and co-worker and then trying to burn the friend and wounding his ex-wife.

Wilson was charged in the Aug. 19 shooting of Joe Hartzog, 56, 35 Bellwood Drive, aggravated assault on his ex-wife, Patricia Wilson, 385 Culkin Road, and arson for setting Hartzog’s Ford F-150 truck on fire.

Wilson remains in the Warren County Jail without bond.

The Wilsons had been divorced almost a year after a reported 30-year marriage. She had remained in the house and he had moved to a mobile home not far away at 1074 Riley Road.

Patricia Wilson and Hartzog both worked for related companies. Wilson was a supervisor of maintenance for 18 years for Waring Oil, and Hartzog was a service technician for 16 years for Neill Gas.

Hartzog was born in Geneva County, Ala., and lived in Vicksburg for 25 years.

In the second case Bryan Wilson, 17, 113 Springridge Drive, could be indicted for the July 24 slaying of a Vicksburg man.

Wilson is charged with murder in the death of 38-year-old Eddie Baker.

Wilson remains in the Warren County Jail without bond.

Vicksburg Police have said that two hours after Wilson was arrested a .380 semi-automatic believed to be the murder weapon was recovered from a creek at the end of Brookley Drive in Hamilton Heights subdivision.

The Chicago native, who had recently moved to Vicksburg, was shot about 2:50 a.m. while standing near Ernest Thomas Realty on Cherry Street.

Wilson and 25-year-old Edward Wright, 1328 Bay St., who was with Wilson during the shooting, were driving by the Cherry Street business and had a verbal exchange with Baker minutes after he left The Smoke Break at Clay and Cherry streets.

At some point during the fight, Wilson pulled a gun and shot Baker and then the two men left on foot, police said

After being shot, Baker stumbled back to the door of the convenience store and collapsed.

Baker, 727 Adams St., died about 15 hours later at ParkView Regional Medical Center after he was shot once in the stomach.

Among the 103 cases presented, a third murder case involving Jacqueline Williams, 39, 223 Demby Drive could be indicted for the murder of a Tyler, Texas man.

Steven D. Warren was stabbed in the right leg causing him to die on the night of July 19.

Officers arrived on the scene to find Warren bleeding in the street beside an 18-wheeler.

Williams was released from the Warren County Jail on July 25 on a $25,000 bond.

Warren County District Attorney Gil Martin said that 103 cases came after a relatively small grand jury in July.

“This is not an increase in crime,” Martin said. “We are catching a lot more of the cases at one time.”

July jurors heard 34 cases; the May term head 67; and the January term heard 68.

Also this week, the grand jury will hear an increased amount of drug cases, he said. Nearly half of the cases will be drug related with 51 of the 103 related to drugs.

“We are seeing a big increase in methamphetamine cases, largely coming from the Vicksburg Narcotics Division,” Martin said.

The grand jury will be presented eight possession of methamphetamine cases and one manufacture of methamphetamine case.

Warren County Circuit Court Judge Frank Vollor will preside over the grand jury proceedings, which are expected to end by Friday.

The grand jury is made up of county residents who hear evidence in cases brought to the prosecuting attorney and local and other law enforcement agencies. They evaluate the evidence presented by the district attorney to see if there is enough to make the person charged stand trial.