Jailer reveals romantic relationship

AUSTIN (KXAN) - A bizarre twist in a convicted murderer's sentencing trial continued on Friday, when court officials delved further into the case of a local jailer giving the killer a cell phone to use while he awaited trial in jail.

Jailer Tasha Lass testified Friday that she provided convicted murderer Milton Gobert with that phone and also had a forbidden romantic relationship with him.

Authorities submitted into evidence Friday just before 10:30 a.m. a cell phone found in Gobert's cell Thursday.

Travis County sheriff's officials said Lass was already on administrative leave before the cell phone discovery, pending an administrative investigation into allegations she was involved in a relationship with Gobert.

"During the administrative investigation a separate criminal investigation was conducted by detectives when it was learned that she had provided the inmate with a cell phone in violation of state law," said Roger Wade, with the Travis County Sheriff's Office.

The 36-year-old jailer said she put $40 on a pay-as-you-go cell phone so that she and Gobert could talk, according to court documents.

"It's easy for him to arrange with someone outside to arrange an escape," said Travis County Sheriff's Deputy Craig Smith, detailing the danger of having an inmate with a cell phone. "They can also find out about witnesses or jurors and create a threat."

In the sentencing phase of Gobert's murder trial, prosecutors continued to press their case that the convicted murderer continues to be a menace to society and that he should be put to death.

Travis County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Nate Gillespie testified he was assigned to search Gobert's cell Thursday after officials revealed Lass gave Gobert a cell phone in order to make secret calls to him during his sentencing hearing, which is happening this week.

Gillespie said while it looked as though Gobert's cell had already been searched by the time he arrived, he found found the cell phone at the bottom of a cheese puffs bag.

"I tilted the bag and thought it was odd there were Doritos stuffed into the bottom of the Cheetos bag," said Gillespie. "I stuck my hand into it and found a cell phone. I realized it was going to be a crime scene, so I put it back into the bag and alerted my superior."

Gillespie is a witness for the prosecution in a case against Gobert, who was awaiting sentencing after being convicted of capital murder for stabbing Mel Nina Cotton, 30, more than 100 times while attempting to kidnap and rob her in 2003, eventually killing her. Cotton's son Demetrius, who was 5 at the time, was stabbed during the attack, which he witnessed in their North Austin apartment.

The prosecution's first witness Friday was Travis County jail corrections officer Darnell Dale.

He testified he witnessed in January Lass and Gobert talking at Gobert's jail cell. At the time, Gobert was in lockdown.

Dale said the cell door was cracked open, which is against policy. He said two officers must be present when an inmate's cell door is opened.

Lass asked Dale for his keys earlier, which he said is not unusual. Dale said he gave Lass his keys and noticed she was talking to Gobert for about 10- to 15 minutes.

Dale continued to say there was no physical contact nor did Lass enter Gobert's cell.

He said he confronted Gobert a few days later about Lass' and Gobert's conversation. Dale said Gobert told him, "That's somebody I got on the line."

Dale said there was only one other occasion that he spoke to Lass.

The details surfaced late Thursday surrounding the Travis County corrections officer who secretly gave the cell phone to Gobert while he awaited sentencing this week. The phone discovery came only after a juror reported to the bailiff about a suspicious phone call from jail early Thursday, court officials said.

The call reportedly was made by Gobert.

Officials arrested Lass Thursday - though she bonded out just before noon Friday - after admitting to court officials on Thursday that she had given Gobert the cell phone in order to have secret conversations with him about the case during the trial.

Tass had testified during the guilt-or-innocence phase of the trial last week.

And according to testimony, it wasn't the first time Gobert had been getting special attention from a corrections officer in the jail. In a bizarre sidenote during Thursday's testimony, a corrections sergeant testified that another female jailer had been put on restrictive duty because she had been giving special privileges to Gobert while he was under her watch.

Lass worked as a peace officer in Tenn. for five years before the Travis County Sheriff's Office hired her on June 1, 2009. Lass has been fired from the sheriff's office, according to officials.

Lass is charged with prohibited items in correctional facility. The third-degree felony carries a punishment of up to 10 years in jail and a fine of up to $10,000.