Bartholomew Granger capital murder trial begins in woman's shooting death outside Texas courthouse

(CBS/AP) Galveston, Texas - Bartholomew Granger meticulously planned before opening fire on his daughter and her mother outside a Texas courthouse, wounding them and killing a 79-year-old woman caught in the crossfire, a prosecutor said Monday at the start of Granger's capital murder trial.

Granger, 41, could get the death penalty or life in prison without parole if he's convicted of killing Minnie Ray Sebolt. The Deweyville woman was accompanying a relative to the Jefferson County Courthouse on March 14, 2012, and got caught in the gunfire. Three others, including Granger's daughter and her mother, were wounded.

Granger was angry at the daughter and her mother about testimony against him in a sexual assault trial, Ed Shettle, a Jefferson County assistant district attorney, told jurors in his opening argument.

"This was calculated, well thought out and it took a long time for this crime to proceed," Shettle said.

Shettle warned jurors that the state's evidence, which is expected to take about two weeks to present, may seem tedious at times, but that it was important.

"It is to make sure when this is all over that this man is going to sit on death row and you all will be eventually comfortable with what you did and it was the right thing to do," he said.

At Shettle's request, after Granger's lawyers entered an innocent plea for him Monday, Granger himself responded to State District Judge Bob Wortham when asked for his plea.

"Not guilty, your honor," said Granger, who is also charged with retaliating against a witness.

The trial is taking place in Galveston, about 75 miles from the scene of the crime.