State rests case in Meagan Work punishment hearing

The state has rested their case in Meagan Work's punishment hearing.

Work pleaded guilty this past summer to charges related to the death of her two-year-old little boy Colton Turner in 2014. Her boyfriend Michael Turner, who was not Colton's real dad, is already doing time for being connected to his death.

DAY 3 of the Hearing: It's an incident that has haunted Robert Coe for the past 4 years. 

In 2014, Coe was working at a vending services company next to a North Austin lab. According to testimony, Michael Turner did odd jobs at that lab. His green pickup truck was often parked in the back. Meagan and Colton were often seen hanging out there while he worked. 

During Coe's testimony on Wednesday, an Austin Police-produced video re-enactment of what Coe says he saw on July 7, 2014 was played. In the video Coe uses a doll to represent Colton Turner.
Coe says he was standing next to a box truck full of refreshments when he saw a woman and child in the pickup. The little boy was crying and Coe saw the young woman hit the child...then hit him stronger again and again. The child was screaming at this point.

Coe says the woman put the barefoot child on the pavement by his arms, lifted him back up, shook him and then slammed his head against the truck door. An audible impact.

Months later when an Amber Alert for Colton was sent out and Meagan and Michael's pictures shown in the press...he texted his co-workers to confirm they recognized them.

That's when he called police. 

Coe wishes he had called 911 when he saw it happen. Instead he says he "froze."

Coe said "It's possible I might have heard or seen that little boy's last breaths."

Coe broke down...and left the courtroom. 

When he came back Judge David Wahlberg comforted him...assuring him many people in the courtroom wished they had done things differently.

The State's final witness: Colton Turner's grandmother. She tearfully described her grandson whom she called "baby boo." She says when she last saw Colton in May, those bruises were not there.

Otherwise he wouldn't have ever left.

The court also heard testimony about the disciplinary issues Work has had in the Travis County Jail: disrespecting staff, trafficking letters, hiding pills, altering documents. A DA's office investigator testified Meagan had a romantic relationship with a female inmate and sent love letters to Michael Turner. 

Judge David Wahlberg pressed the prosecution to explain why all of this was relevant. Pointing out that he already knows Work chronically lies and manipulates.

The defense will present their case Thursday morning at 9am.