The former wife of Jason Eugene Bush told a Pima County Superior Court jury on Friday that she wasn’t fooled by the fantasy military career he had created for himself.
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| Jason Bush Pool photo by Dean Knuth, Arizona Daily Star |
Last Friday, the jury returned guilty verdicts against Bush, 36, on two counts of first-degree murder in the May 30, 2009 deaths of Raul “Junior” Flores and his daughter, Brisenia, 9, at their home in Arivaca. The jury further found that the murders were premeditated and were also committed while Bush was engaged in other felony activities, including the attempted first-degree murder of Gina Marie Gonzalez; one count of burglary in the first-degree; one count of aggravated assault, serious physical injury; one count of aggravated assault, deadly weapon/dangerous instrument; one count of armed robbery; and one count of aggravated armed robbery.
Following that the jury confirmed that aggravating factors existed which make Bush eligible for the death penalty in this case.
Ex-wife
Decolia Cox testified that she had met Bush in 2006 when they both were living in Idaho. “I was working at a convenience store at the time and he was one of the customers,” she said.
Cox has two sons and a daughter from a previous marriage, none with Bush. Cox testified that Bush had always been kind to here children during the period of time they were together. By the time Cox and Bush had married on April 1, 2008, they had moved to her father’s farm on the Brazos River near Waco, Texas.
Cox also testified that Bush had told her that he had once been a master sergeant in the U.S. Army. “He had told me that,” she said.
Cox testified that she was skeptical of that claim. “I had been married to someone in the military and know kind of what everything looked like, but I never told him that I didn’t believe it,” she added.
Cox testified she had seen the certificates and letters testified to by Melinda (Shelton) Williams on Thursday, but that she thought they were bogus as well. Under cross examination she was asked to amplify her thoughts. “It really didn’t become a major concern for me,” she said.
On direct examination, Cox was asked if she was aware of Bush’s criminal record. “The only time I knew he had been incarcerated was in 1997,” she testified.
Move to Texas
They moved to Texas from Idaho due to the state of her father’s health and the health of Bush who had suffered a blow to the head. “I was taking care of both of them,” she said. “He was hit in the head with an impact wrench.”
The results of the head injury included an estimated dozen seizures and difficulty walking. Cox was asked if Bush might have been faking the seizures. “He was foaming at the mouth and my next door neighbor was a nurse. She had come out to help me get him into the car,” Cox testified. “He seemed to be more disoriented and easily became angry with the situation. He couldn’t walk. He was unable to focus on certain things, just day-to-day activities.”
Cox and Bush separated in August 2008 when he moved to northwest Arizona. There were discussions of reconciliation until she found out from a third party that Bush was living with Williams in Meadview. Cox filed for and was granted a divorce while Bush was lodged at the jail awaiting trial.
Following Cox to the witness stand was her father Daryl Cox. Cox testified about Bush’s health. “I took him to several doctors,” he said. “He had seizures and needed medical attention. He had a seizure one time when we were in the emergency room. He was jerking with his eyes rolled up in his head. He slobbered and was totally out of control.”
Cox was asked about his observations of Bush’s demeanor. “He became angry, quite easily, when his medication was wearing off,” he said. “One time there was some problem with the television. He cut the cord with a pair of scissors while it was plugged in and he threw it through the window of the trailer. Another time he got upset with the kids and he threw the aquarium, with the fish and everything, out the other side of the trailer.”
