JONES COUNTY, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – An Abilene man is behind bars for murder after a shootout in Jones County Saturday morning.

Wesley Dale Mason, 41, has been officially charged with Murder in connection to the death of Dusty Childress, according to Jones County Sheriff Greg Arnwine.

Sheriff Arnwine says Childress was pronounced deceased at Hendrick Medical Center following a shootout with Mason on CR 341 just north of Abilene. 

The shooting began sometime before 9:00 a.m., and both Mason and Childress were shot multiple times, according to Sheriff Arnwine, who says Childress was riding a motorcycle and Mason was inside a truck during the incident.

Authorities don’t believe there are any other suspects involved. 

No additional information about the shootout has been released.

Childress’ death is the second local murder Mason has been connected to in the past two years.

Mason is accused of helping John Patrick Gutierrez bury the body of Carey Rod Tate after Tate was killed inside his Abilene apartment in December of 2014. 

Court documents say Mason provided a dog crate which was used to move Tate’s body from the apartment to a shallow grave on Highway 277 in Hawley. 

In May of 2016, Mason pleaded guilty to a Tampering with Evidence charge connected to this incident and was sentenced to eight years of probation. Gutierrez was convicted of murder in September of the same year and sentenced to life. 

Mason also had an Aggravated Assault charge connected to a stabbing between rival biker clubs at Logan’s Roadhouse in 2013 dropped as part of his Tampering with Evidence plea agreement. 

Bandido Biker Club leader Curtis Jack Lewis was found not guilty of his part in the stabbing.