A Baytown man was sentenced to 55 years in prison this week for fatally shooting his wife at their home while their children slept, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced.

“This man had a history of violence against domestic partners that escalated until he ultimately killed his wife,” Ogg said. “While we cannot undo the horrible things he did, we can do our best to get justice for the victims and make sure this man never again hurts anyone else in our community.”

Jason Jermaine Armster, 41, was sentenced to 55 years in prison for killing 36-year-old Charlene Grovell at their Sheldon-area home on March 31, 2020.

Armster and Grovell lived with their three children, ages 3, 5 and 11. The two older children were Grovell’s from a previous relationship.

On the night of the murder, Armster shot Grovell in the back of the head with a handgun while the children were asleep. He then left and apparently threw the gun off the Fred Hartman Bridge and then returned home.

He left again and went to the Baytown Police Department to turn himself in because of outstanding traffic tickets. While talking to police, he made suspicious comments that his wife was dead, alerting officers.

Baytown police contacted the Harris County Precinct 3 Constable’s Office, which sent deputies to perform a welfare check at the house and found the three children in the house with their mother’s body.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office responded to the homicide to investigate and later arrested Armster.

He was sentenced late Monday by the jury that convicted him of murder during a six-day trial. Before jurors deliberated his punishment, they heard evidence about Armster’s past, including that he had assaulted two other women with whom he had children before marrying Grovell.

Assistant District Attorney Kelly Marshall, who is assigned to the DA’s Domestic Violence Division, prosecuted Armster. She noted that the courtroom was filled with those who knew and loved Grovell.

“She will be remembered for her generosity and her love for her children, while he will be remembered for murdering his wife while his children slept in the next room,” she said. “The jury agreed that this man is dangerous, and he needs to spend the rest of his life in prison.”

Armster must serve at least half of the prison sentence before he will become eligible for parole.

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