A Bandera County jury on Friday, Aug. 22, found Andrew Dougherty guilty of murdering Antoinette Click, and Judge M. Patrick Maguire sentenced him to life in prison.
The week-long trial unfolded in three parts. On day one, opening arguments were presented by Benjamin Rosenbach of the 198th District Attorney’s Office for the state and Patrick Hundley, defense attorney for Dougherty. Day two, jury selection, involved more than 100 potential jurors. After 13 jurors were chosen, including one alternate, Judge Maguire adjourned for the day, with the trial set to begin Wednesday.
Testimonies were collected throughout the trial from former and current Bandera County sheriff’s officials, including Investigator Jerry Johnson, Investigator Matt Jacobsen and former Deputy Brett Oberlechner. Johnson was the lead investigator in the case of the late Click, who was shot in her home through a glass doorframe in April 2021. The bullet wound went from her left temple through the back of her neck. She was 72 years old at the time of her death.
Hundley questioned Johnson’s investigation methods, citing that Johnson had “cleared” the scene of the crime too quickly—approximately three hours after the murder—and claimed his department did not appropriately collect evidence. Hundley also criticized the lack of body cameras during the search of Dougherty’s property, with Johnson arguing they were not required during a criminal investigation.
One piece of evidence the defense cited was a music speaker with a bullet hole that had not been taken to the sheriff’s office. The only evidence collected was a bullet, which Johnson identified as a .38 caliber.
Johnson, who has 25 years’ experience as a gunsmith, put out a call to find a .38 as the murder weapon. The weapon was not found during initial searches but was discovered in October the following year by Bandera local Samuel Dinmore, who said he found the gun buried on Dougherty’s property. Dinmore later recantanted his story. Jacobsen was among the officials who retrieved the gun, which reportedly came from a hole in the back of Dougherty’s property. Johnson ordered a ballistics test, but the report indicated the gun was too corroded to be conclusive.
The defense highlighted this, introducing a report from the testing site indicating no definitive match and inconsistent markings. Johnson said he had never seen the report. The defense also questioned Dinmore's credibility, claiming he was seeking help with his own felony charges. Johnson denied assisting Dinmore in any way.
Motive became a central theme during Johnson’s cross-examination. The defense suggested another possible suspect: Charles Howell, the then-boyfriend of Click’s daughter, Danielle. Howell, who Johnson said was familiar with the law, had threatened Danielle and her family 24 hours before her mother’s murder.
“They threatened each other all the time,” Johnson said, adding that the initial suspect descriptions did not match Howell, though the defense argued otherwise. Conflicting eyewitness accounts were presented: one witness described an older man in his 50s wearing a black jacket and jeans, while another said the suspect was sandy-haired, shirtless, shoeless, taller, and younger.
The state worked with Johnson to create a timeline of events:
- 12:43 p.m. – Dougherty deposits money at the Bandera County Jail for his then-girlfriend, Noelle Parks.
- 1:04 p.m. – Ollie Stotz, Howell’s mother, calls 911 about Click being shot.
- 1:06 p.m. – Howell calls Danielle. The defense later presented Sandra Small, who testified she overheard a conversation in which Danielle asked Howell if he had shot her mother. Howell allegedly replied, “Isn’t that what you wanted?” Danielle later reported Howell as a possible suspect, though she said she no longer believed he was the culprit.
- 1:12 p.m. – A second 911 call is made by Danielle, claiming Dougherty killed her mother.
- 1:36 p.m. – Dougherty is taken into custody and questioned about a .38 caliber gun. Johnson said he knew Dougherty had such a gun from a 2016 incident, but Dougherty denied possession. No .38 ammunition was found on his property. The serial number of the alleged buried gun matched the record, but Dougherty claimed it belonged to his father and was never buried. The defense noted Dougherty referred to the gun as a .357 magnum, not a .38.
- 4:00 p.m. (approx.) – Investigator Johnson cleared the murder scene. The defense noted there was “no red tape” and the scene had not been properly secured.
Four days after Click’s murder, Howell reportedly moved furniture, including the speaker box with the bullet hole, into his truck and later burned it. The defense introduced Danielle’s phone records referencing her fear of Howell and his threats against her family.
Danielle testified she and Dougherty argued the day before over a missing bobcat, as Dougherty lent equipment to neighbors. She claimed Dougherty was angry about the missing bobcat, which she said motivated the murder.
The state argued Dougherty went to the Click property, tore down a blue tarp over the carport, heard a female voice, and shot Click through the glass front door.
The defense questioned if Danielle had feared Dougherty, citing a prior instance when she got into Dougherty’s new car.
“He’s harmless unless you piss him off,” Danielle said, adding Dougherty had a drinking problem.
When asked about burning evidence, Danielle said it was to clear the house before family arrived, explaining Howell burned “old things.” Her sobriety was also questioned; she admitted to officials she had taken methamphetamine within 72 hours of the murder but said she was sober the day of the crime.
Sandra Small further testified that Danielle lived in fear of Howell and that Dougherty was not known to be violent. The state asked Danielle if she knew Dougherty to be belligerent or threatening with guns, which she confirmed.
The defense questioned Lydia Lackey, Stotz’s sister.
“Would it surprise you that Ollie slept with a knife under her pillow because of her fear for Charlie?” Hundley asked, referencing Danielle’s text messages.
Lackey said Howell would “spout off” at times but she never saw him with a gun and felt comfortable with him around her son.
The defense tried to admit a 186-paragraph report by former BCSO Deputy Michael Wedgworth, which Johnson had not read. Maguire denied the request, ruling the evidence was “too cumulative and repetitive.”
The defense expressed frustration at what they called a “rushed case,” arguing jurors had been encouraged to finish within the week. Maguire said the court “did not have the capacity” to extend the trial.
In closing statements, Hundley emphasized the rushed proceedings, reminding jurors a man’s life was at stake. Key points included:
- Dougherty had no motive or gain from Click’s murder, whereas Danielle would inherit $16,000-$17,000. Howell had threatened Danielle and her family.
- Dougherty had no violent criminal record.
- No eyewitness saw Dougherty with the gun or at the shooting.
- Dougherty had made no prior threats.
- No ballistics match, contested by the state.
“Factor in common sense,” Hundley said. “Hold the state of Texas accountable. Fight for truth, not for what is convenient. Please, dear God, look at this deeply.”
The state highlighted:
- Dougherty’s black jacket tested positive for gun residue (the defense cited possible cross-contamination).
- Former City Marshal Will Deitrich saw Dougherty washing his hands after the crime (defense argued he was moving items into his truck).
- Dougherty’s drinking problem, noted in bodycam footage, though no sobriety test was conducted.
Rosenbach said BCSO conducted a thorough investigation and detailed how Click was left for dead. “You all know what happened,” Rosenbach said. “It’s abundantly clear. Hold him accountable.”
The jury deliberated for an hour and a half, compared with four to five hours in the first trial, according to Hundley. The decision was unanimous: Dougherty was found guilty of first-degree murder.
Dougherty’s oldest sibling, Dorothy Docherty, asked for mercy.
“Andy [Dougherty] was the youngest,” she said emotionally. “He has four children and is a wonderful father. Andy has always had a kind heart. I have never known him to be cruel.”
The state argued Dougherty deserved the maximum sentence.
“Dougherty was one of the biggest purveyors of violence in the community,” Rosenbach said. “He needs to be removed from our community. He is a loose cannon.”
Maguire sentenced Dougherty to life in prison. “It is horrific what you did to Ms. Click,” he said. “You shot her and left her to die.”
A victim impact statement was read by Dusty Click, Antoinette’s son. He expressed gratitude that the case was over but criticized BCSO’s initial investigation.
“My mother was a godly, humble person,” the statement read. “She did not deserve what happened. The system failed her…EMS took photos instead of helping her. My mother was left in the driveway for 45 minutes. The man who shot her should absolutely be held accountable. But so should the people who were supposed to help her.”
Dougherty was then escorted out of the courtroom. Hundley is unsure if they will appeal, citing that further discussions are needed before a decision is made
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