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Much simpler than that.

I’m not admitted in Texas, so please consult local counsel before depending on this.

Some basics:

#1: A, B and C decide to take a handgun and rob D’s liquor store. A and B go inside. C stays outside and only drives the getaway car. All goes down fine, unless B shoots A and C and keeps all proceeds himself!

#2: Same as above but A brags to local hooker who tells cops. A, B and C are all charged with armed robbery, even though C never left getaway car. He was part of the felony, with aforethought.

#3: Same as #1, but B shoots D and D dies. A, B and C are all charged with murder, again with C never leaving car, as described above in #2.

#4; Same as #1, but after B pulls gun, D pulls bigger gun. D shoots B. B dies. In many states, A and C can be charged with MURDER because they participated in a felony where someone dies, even though it was a perp!

#5. A, B and C, and 50 of their friends go to motorcycle rally. They hate other club that AA, BB and 50 of their friends belong to. There has been trouble before, fights, shootings, etc. between these clubs. Someone says, “If it happens again, I’m gonna kill their ass, screw their women and destroy their Harleys.”

A, B and their friends end up at same parking lot where AA, BB and their fiends are.

Words, then punches are exchanged. A and B pull out guns and start shooting at AA, BB, etc. AA, BB, etc. shoot back. 7 die.

Cops have A and B cold. Their DNA, fingerprints and palm prints are on murder weapon. Fingerprints and palm prints are also on magazine and spent cartridge casings. Plenty of blood splatter from vics is on A amd B. Paraffin test shows A and B recently fired guns. 11 eyewitnesses, including 6 members of opposite gang and 5 bystanders pick A and B out of lineup.

A and B are screwed.
F,
But so are C, D, E, etc. Can cops and DA convince a jury they were in on some murder or other felony plot? Could they take the Big Sleep for this too?

Now, there are 45 other members in A and B’s gang. How many of their lawyers are racing to the courthouse to help the DA have an ever better case against A and B?

5? 10? 20?

In exchange, those who flip and burn A and B get off. Others at a minimum plead to some 2-5 year count so there is no chance they have to face a jury of pizzed off locals on a murder rap. Sure there is some chance they might get off, but why risk a 2-5, out in 14 months, against 12 pizzed off locals and a chance of 20-life?

The ones who flip never have to testify, because when A and B’s lawyers see the evidence against their clients, they all agree to hold hands, sing Kum Ba Ya and plead to murder 2 with a 20 year sentence, out in 12.

The flipers? They move to Spokane or Bangor, change their names and no problems for them. No formal Witness Protection. Just new ID.

Why are all held on murder now? Because of the scenario in #4 above, that makes a murder charge entirely viable, and each day more potential flippers get sick of jail and fess up!

That, my friend, is reality.