Brother of ex-congressman J.C. Watts charged with murder
Tuesday, July 1, 2003 Posted: 12:09 PM EDT (1609 GMT)
Lawrence Watts
EUFAULA, Oklahoma (AP) -- The brother of former Oklahoma congressman J.C. Watts is accused of fatally shooting a man in a dispute over money.
Lawrence Watts, 52, was charged Monday with first-degree murder in last week's slaying of Anthony Greco, 49, of Anadarko.
Watts was released Thursday from the McIntosh County Jail on $30,000 bond.
Watts is the older brother of the former congressman, who retired in January from the House of Representatives, where he was the fourth highest-ranking member of the Republican leadership.
The shooting happened Wednesday outside Watts' barbecue restaurant in Euraula, police said. Greco was shot in the arm and chest.
Authorities said Watts went into the courthouse and told them he had shot a man.
Greco's son, Anthony Hawkins, said his father was a cabinet maker and was owed money for some work he had done at Watts' home.
"My father went to speak with him about it. He tried to recover the money he felt was owed to him," Hawkins said.
Watts' attorney, Deborah Reheard, confirmed Greco was trying to collect money but said it was for tearing down a structure for Watts.
Prosecutors had originally told District Judge Steven Taylor last week that they anticipated charging Watts with first-degree manslaughter.
Prosecutors did not immediately return telephone calls seeking comment on the new charge. Reheard said she had no comment.
Last week, a spokesman for J.C. Watts had said he had no comment on the shooting.
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