Wilson-Spray homicide trial underway in Colfax

COLFAX - The trial of a man accused of killing his wife began with opening statements Tuesday, Jan. 14.

The courtroom listened as Whitman County Prosecutor Dan LeBeau shared a timeline with the jury leading up to finding Jamie Anne Wilson-Spray, 25, deceased in a trailer at Sevdy's on March 26, 2024.

Jacob Erik Spray, 36, of Pullman, who sat silently in the defendant's chair, is facing charges of first-degree murder and first-degree rape.

LeBeau started his opening statements by stating the jury would hear from a large number of witnesses about the timing of things that occurred, calls and events.

The marriage was dissolving after Wilson-Spray told Spray she wanted a divorce on Feb. 14 and moved to a trailer they both owned at Sevdy's in Pullman.

LeBeau stated a close friend would testify that Spray was sad after the separation on Valentine's Day and immediately afterward got a broken-heart tattoo on his neck.

Defense Attorney Steve Martonick argued in his opening statements that Spray had arrived at the trailer with the intention of proving himself worthy after hearing Wilson-Spray had a sexual encounter with another man the night before.

LeBeau mentioned several texts Wilson-Spray had with her older sister about a Tinder date and was able to track down the man through a picture she had sent, identifying his DNA on the body.

Conversations were overheard between Spray and Wilson-Spray in which Spray called her derogatory names.

LeBeau also stated Spray's mother would testify Spray told her he planted a camera in the trailer at Sevdy's, which she told him to remove, and texted her Wilson-Spray was with another man the night of March 25.

"That morning after Alejandro left, Jamie called Jacob telling him what a great time she had with someone else who was bigger and better," Martonick stated, arguing that is what Spray had told his mom.

Martonick further stated Spray appeared at the trailer with the intention of proving himself and had taken Wilson-Spray's phone while she was on a call with a potential employer, resulting in a scream the potential employer Wilson-Spray was interviewing with heard over the phone.

The potential employer called crime check and was transferred to Whitcom, resulting in a welfare check.

Defense argues that other neighbors heard the scream and thought it was out of excitement.

"No one agreed on what the scream meant (or) what the scream was about," Martonick said. "Obviously no one saw what they heard and they are trying to interpret it."

Both the prosecution and defense mentioned two other sets of DNA found on the body that were unidentifiable.

"At the end of the trial, ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to come back up here and I'm going to ask for the charge of guilty for murder in the first-degree and rape in the first-degree," LeBeau stated at the end of his opening statement.

Martonick stated Wilson-Spray was still alive when officers came in.

"They found Jamie on the bed, she was still warm and she was still alive," Martonick said, adding a doctor would testify that pressure to the neck would take five minutes to kill a person; and Wilson-Spray was alive five minutes after Spray had left.

Martonick further stated there was an improvement in breathing, after which they gave up and said she was deceased.

The trial has over 30 witnesses slated to testify over approximately two weeks, according to court documents.

Spray is being held in the Whitman County Jail on a $200,000 bond.