Joseph James, left, testifies today about the dehydration death of his brother Jonathan.(WFAA-TV)
Michael Ray James returns to the stand today in the trial of his wife, Tina Maria Alberson.
Update 2 at 12:30 p.m.: Jonathan?s 12-year-old fraternal twin brother testified this morning that he thought his brother was suffering but he was too scared of his stepmother to do anything about it.
Joseph James refused to call Tina Alberson his stepmother and referred to his biological father as ?Mike? as he recalled the final days of his brother?s life in July 2011.
?He would be asking for water and she would say, ?No because you?re in trouble,?? Joseph said of Alberson.
At one point, Jonathan tried to sneak water from the bathroom faucet. But Alberson caught him and told him to get out of the bathroom, Joseph said.
?I did have concerns but, like I said before, I was scared to do anything,? Joseph said.
Joseph was wearing glasses, a black leather jacket, white short sleeve polo shirt, blue jeans and red sneakers. Early in his testimony, he took off the leather jacket.
He described what it was like to see his brother dying at his father?s house on a hot July 2011 night.
Alberson and her biological son pulled Jonathan out of a bath tub and were giving him CPR.
?I started panicking because he didn?t have a heartbeat, he didn?t have a pulse and I was scared,? Joseph said.
Joseph was in a Dallas area hospital room when his brother was pronounced dead later that night.
?It made me very, very emotional,? Joseph said. ?Sad and angry at the same time.?
Joseph was fidgety at times during his testimony, but he answered all questions politely and even threw Alberson?s defense attorney off at one point.
Bill Fay asked if Joseph?s father, Alberson and others seemed concerned about Jonathan?s well being when they were gathered in a hospital waiting room on the night of his death.
Joseph responded, ?I?m not really sure if they were. It seemed like it, but I can?t really tell because I?m not them.?
To which Fay said, ?Right, that was a bad question, I?m sorry.?
?That?s OK,? Joseph told the attorney. Fay then paused, chuckled and admitted the boy had thrown him off.
Fay also asked about Joseph?s relationship with his brother.
?We were very close,? Joseph said. ?We loved each other.?
Joseph said his brother ?had a very loving heart.?
Update at 10:18 a.m.: Michael Ray James suspected that his 10-year-old son was being deprived of water, but he testified that he never actually heard his wife tell Jonathan James he could not have any water.
James made the admission under questioning from Alberson?s defense attorney Bill Fay this morning. Fay was aggressive at times in questioning the motives of Jonathan?s father in testifying against the boy?s stepmother.
?We?ve established you?re a liar, correct?? Fay said to James.
James responded that he did lie to Dallas police in the early part of the investigation. He said he was trying to protect his wife at the time.
James now says he thought Jonathan wasn?t getting enough water and that he even told his son to try to sneak some from the bathroom so Alberson would not see.
Jonathan?s fraternal twin brother Joseph James is now on the stand to testify.
Original item at 8:56 a.m.: A man charged in the dehydration death of his 10-year-old son is expected back on the stand this morning in the Dallas County trial of the boy?s stepmother.
Michael Ray James is testifying against his wife, Tina Marie Alberson, ?to see that justice gets done in the interest of my son.?
James is scheduled to go to trial next month on the same first-degree felony charge for which his wife is on trial this week in the July 2011 death of Jonathan James. Prosecutors believe he was deprived of water for days in record Dallas heat as punishment for wetting the bed and other minor indiscretions.
The father testified Wednesday under questioning from prosecutors. But today he?s likely to face more pointed questions from Alberson?s defense attorney Bill Fay.
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