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The verdict came after a two week-trial. Authorities never found a body.
A judge will sentence the 57-year-old James on April 15. Prosecutors argued the two men were going to play poker on the day Watson disappeared. But instead, James killed Watson and made off with his money.
James On Parole At Time Of Murder
According to testimony, Watson regularly played high-stakes poker games in the area with some giving him the nickname “Moneybags.” Prosecutors said Watson left his girlfriend’s home on Jan. 12, 2021, with $10,000 to $15,000 in cash. The victim was going to a poker game with James but was never seen again.Police never found his body and have no indication that he is still alive. James is currently in prison on assault and weapons convictions from 2013. He was on parole at the time, according to the Lansing State Journal. James was scheduled to be released in November 2030 but now faces life behind bars.
As part of the 2021 investigation, police interviewed James and found that a piece of carpet was missing from the floorboard of his car. Officers also found a large amount of cash in the car as well as Watson’s blood on spots in the SUV.
Authorities also indicated that there was a mark in the front passenger door that likely came from a bullet. The car had been detailed twice within a couple days of Watson being reported missing, according to prosecutors, but blood spots were still found.
In his defense, James said he had loaned the car to his son at the time. He said he later learned an associate of his son had killed someone in the vehicle. He said the body had been disposed of in a dumpster at a local apartment complex. James said another man who is now dead was responsible for the murder.
Ingham County Deputy Chief Assistant Prosecutor Bill Crino said James was telling an “absurd, false story uncorroborated by any evidence.” He also told the jury: “Don’t be hustled by the hustler.”
Other Gambling-Related Crimes
In other crime-related poker and gambling news, four men were arrested in Houston in August for allegedly targeting players leaving area poker rooms. A former poker pro was also arrested and charged with first-degree murder and two counts of felony firearm and felon in possession of a firearm in Michigan in January 2025.In April 2024, two men robbed a home game in Long Island, NY, leaving one man with a gunshot wound. The suspects made off with cash, cell phones, and jewelry. The same game had been robbed in 2010.
In May 2024, two California men were arrested for targeting and ambushing more than a dozen winners at Los Angeles-area casinos.
Source: https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-ne...found-guilty-of-murdering-fellow-poker-player
