Man accused of Dianna Piers death convicted
The trial, of the man accused of shooting and killing 70-year-old Dianna Lynn Pier on August 4th, 2022 on a county road in Florence, started September 9th and lasted 8 days. The trial in the Williamson County Courthouse ended on September 18th with a jury finding 28-year-old Joshua Anthony Gilbreath guilty of Murder. Pier, a loving grandmother and avid church goer was mysteriously gunned down and left for dead on County Road 245 near her home in Florence.
On August 4th, 2022, after spending a day visiting her daughter and babysitting her grandbabies in Hutto, Dianna Pier met up with her good friend Alison, at Ikea, for exercise walking through the store. Next, they grabbed a burger at Mighty Fine Burger and chatted, before Dianna headed home around 8:00 pm. That was the last time, anyone other than her killer, saw Dianna alive.
Less than an hour after she left her friend at Mighty Fine her body was found lying face down on County Road 245 in Florence in a pool of blood.
Two years later a retired nurse, who lives on County Road 245 told the court about what she saw the evening of August 4th.
She was about to take her dog for a walk before the sunset that evening. She looked out the front window of her home and spotted a Silver Vehicle, with its four-way flashers on, pulled over on 245 just past the gate at the end of her driveway. The gate was located several hundred feet away from her home. Concerned someone was in trouble she kept an eye on the car and even used a pair of binoculars to see if she could see anyone. While she was putting a leash on her dog she observed a second car pull up into the end of her driveway behind the Silver vehicle. The homeowner grabbed her binoculars and she saw a young man with a Fade haircut walking toward the Silver vehicle, looking up and down the street, and then getting in the Silver car and driving away. The second vehicle was still parked in the entrance to her drive but she could not see anyone near the car. The homeowner, with her dog, walked to the end of the drive to see if everything was OK. When she arrived at the end of the driveway she found the second car with its engine running, the driver-side door hanging open, and then saw a body lying on the road. She immediately called 911 and they dispatched EMS and police. EMS was the first to arrive on the scene.
At first, the EMS personnel believed they may have been responding to a cardiac arrest or someone who had been hit by a passing vehicle. They immediately tried to reestablish the victim’s pulse and breathing but were not able to do so. An EMS supervisor on the scene spotted a bullet casing lying on the road and alerted an arriving Sheriff’s deputy. From that point on the Incident took on a new direction.
Not much to go on
The Williamson County Sheriff’s Department did not have much information from the start. They had reports from several sources that a Silver four-door car was seen in the area just before and at the time Dianna was shot.
Earlier a Silver car had stopped at the end of the driveway a mile or so from the spot where Mrs. Pier was shot. When the homeowner of that property started to walk down the driveway towards the car, it took off at a high rate of speed. That occurred just before the shooting.
Shortly after the time of the shooting another person, who was coming home from work and driving towards the scene of the shooting, encountered a silver car with its four-way flashers on, driving in the opposite direction at a high rate of speed. Unfortunately, none of the people who saw the vehicle were able to get the license plate numbers.
Other than the retired nurse’s description of the car, her description of the driver, and the shell casing, the Sheriff’s Department was stumped.
On August 5th, the day after the shooting, Williamson County Detectives released a statement regarding the investigation of a homicide that occurred on August 4th, 2022 at approximately 8:45 pm. Williamson County received a 911 call regarding a shooting in the 4500 block of County Road 245, outside the City of Florence, in Northwestern Williamson County. On deputies’ arrival, they found a 70-year-old female deceased on the roadway. They also asked for the public’s help and for information on a gray or silver sedan that was seen in the area at the time of the shooting.
The victim’s identity was released several days later on August 8th as 70-year-old, Diana Lynn Pier, who lived a few miles from the scene of the shooting in Florence. Dianna and her husband John had moved to Florence in the last few years. Previously they lived and worked in Round Rock. Their 3 children attended and graduated from Round Rock ISD schools. Dianna and John were active members of the Saint William Catholic Church in Round Rock for many years before moving Florence area.
Williamson County Sheriff’s Department held a press conference in Georgetown, on August 11th, one week later to discuss the deadly shooting of Pier in Florence on August 4th. In addition to the multiple detectives who are investigating the shooting, several members of Pier’s Family were present.
At the press conference Commander John Foster, with the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division, revealed that they were still developing leads. They also announced that Williamson County Crime Stoppers was offering a $5,000 reward for information and an anonymous person, had stepped forward and offered an additional $25,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the people responsible for this crime.
“We believe this was an unprovoked, random act of violence. The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office appreciates the support that the Williamson County community has shown towards the solving of this tragic crime” said Foster. “Diana had been visiting a family member in Round Rock and was returning to her home in Florence when she was shot and killed.” Foster also stated that the exact reason Pier was shot was not known, but the medical examiner confirmed Pier died from a gunshot wound.
The big break
On August 11th, an individual called 911 and was transferred to Wilco Sheriff’s deputies. The caller identified himself as an old high school friend of Joshua Gilbreath and he was having drinks with Gilbreath at a bar in Pflugerville on August 6th. He stated that Gilbreath confessed to him that he had shot and killed an older woman around Gerald on a county road. The caller said his friend Joshua had been drinking, so at first, he was not sure what his friend was saying was true. On August 11th the caller was having dinner with his parents and they told him that a member of their church had been shot in Florence. His parents showed him a news article about Mrs. Pier’s death and as he read the details he realized his friend Joshua’s story was true. He said that there were several phone numbers to call with information at the end of the news article so he called the numbers but he was not getting through, so he called 911.
On August 13th, in a media release, the Williamson County Sheriff’s Department stated that at approximately 3:00 am on August 13, 2022, the Texas Fugitive Taskforce located and apprehended 26-year-old, Joshua Anthony Gilbreath of Pflugerville, Texas in a parking lot at 2051 Gattis School Rd in Round Rock, TX. Gilbreath was turned over to Williamson County Detectives and was charged with the murder of Dianna Lynn Pier of Florence, Texas. He was taken into custody without incident and held on a one-million-dollar bond.
An affidavit used to obtain the arrest warrant stated Gilbreath bought a used pistol in Pflugerville on July 29 from a local gun shop. In addition to that evidence, the affidavit stated that phone data confirmed that Gilbreath was in that area at the time of the shooting and revealed that a friend of Gilbreath called the police and said that Gilbreath had told him about the shooting, while at a bar, and divulged details about the shooting. Investigators also obtained photos of the cartridges Gilbreath purchased the day he bought the gun, and they matched the cartridge found at the crime scene in Florence.
At that time the exact reason Pier was shot was not released but the medical examiner had confirmed Pier died from a gunshot wound.
Bumps Along the Way
At a Status Hearing on December 5th, a Williamson County Judge reduced Gilbreath’s bond, at the request of Gilbreath’s new attorney. Williamson County prosecutor had missed the 90-day deadline to indict. The defendant’s bond was reduced from a 1 Million dollar bond to a 250,000 dollar bond and Gilbreath’s family was able to procure the amount necessary to get Gilbreath released. The records show that Gilbreath was released on December 13th and was allowed to live at his father’s home but had to wear an ankle monitor.
In a press release, Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick apologized for missing the 90-day deadline to indict Gilbreath. The District Attorney also stated that the individual responsible for the failure to meet the deadline was no longer working in the DA’s office and he appointed a new Prosecutor.
New Bench Warrant
Records show that on March 3, 2023, a new Bench Warrant for Gilbreath was issued for Joshua for violating the terms of his Bond. Joshua left his father’s home and was in a local bar later that night. The manager of the bar asked APD police officers, who were in the parking lot of the bar dealing with a vehicle accident if they could remove Gilbreath from the bar because his behavior was frightening the staff. APD officer’s body cameras of the incident showed Gilbreath was combative and appeared to be intoxicated. He was arrested by APD and charged with trespassing. APD later released Gilbreath to the Williamson County’s Sheriff’s Department.
The Williamson County Judge on the case increased Gilbreath’s bail to $2,000,000. Gilbreath remained in Williamson County Jail since then.
The trial for Joshua Anthony Gilbreath was delayed for two years while he was examined by mental health experts for both the prosecution and the Defense. The Jury selection finally began on September 6th and the trial began on September 9th.
At the trial, two health experts along with Sheriff’s deputies, APD police officers, employees of the bars Joshua frequented, friends, and Gilbreath’s father and sister all testified. Joshua’s friend and a roommate who rented a room in Joshua’s home, both classmates of Joshua at Stony Point High School, also testified. His friends were concerned with the amount of alcohol Joshua was drinking and his use of Cocaine over the last year before the shooting.
His friends stated that Joshua Gilbreath seemed like any other kid in High School. He played on the Stony Point Football team for a while and graduated in 2014. Joshua went on to the University of Texas El Paso where he earned a double degree in finance with honors. Shortly after graduating from college went on to pass the CPA exams for Texas and California in one try. He was hired by one of the top accounting companies in the country and spent a year in California. At first, he did very well and was recognized for his work but was eventually released by that company for performance issues. He returned to Pflugerville and was hired by another top-rated accounting firm where again he did well and even bought his own home. But once again his career, which started strong, fizzled. He was terminated the day before he shot Dianna. He confided in a friend that he had been missing several important meetings because he overslept due to his partying. His friends told him they were worried about him.
After 7 days of testimony, the jury was given the guidelines they had to follow for this case by the Judge. They deliberated for several hours before coming back with a unanimous verdict of Murder. A day later in the penalty phase of the trial, after hearing additional testimony from Joshua’s father and members of Mrs. Pier’s family, the jury deliberated again for several hours and sentenced Gilbreath to 60 years in prison. Gilbreath will serve his time in a Texas Correctional facility for a maximum of 60 years minus time served in the Williamson County Jail. Gilbreath has a right to file for a retrial.
When the verdict was read by the Judge there was no outburst from either side, just weeping. Dianna’s family was allowed to address Joshua and they huddled around each other. One daughter commented that she a Joshua may have even crossed paths when she attended high school and Dianna would want her to forgive Joshua, but that may take a while. Another said that she does not hate Joshua but her heart will never, never be whole again. You could see the sorrow on the faces of both families. Truly a loose, loose situation and my heart breaks for both families.
