Throughout the four years of trials and appeals, the three defendants strongly protested their innocence. The trio contended with constant threats against their lives. During this period, as Texas transitioned from frontier justice to an established legal system, public trust in courts and judges was still shaky. Conviction rates were low and suspects literally got away with murder. Some frontier residents preferred lynching rather than risking a trial. Judges and appeals courts were wary of overturning convictions lest the public lose faith in the legal system and revert to vigilantism. During the time from their initial arrests to their trials and appeals, Ben Krebs, James Preston, and Aaron Taylor were frequently threatened with lynching. In addition, their families were treated like pariahs in their own communities.
