A Houston woman was sentenced Thursday to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to murder in the stabbing death of her own mother in 2021, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced.

“This is a tragic case and should not have happened, but prosecutors with our Homicide Division were able to get justice for the victim,” Ogg said.

Ericka Nicole McDonald, 31, pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison for killing 51-year-old Terri Mendoza at her apartment on Willow Place Drive in northwest Houston on August 16, 2021.

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A Houston man has been sentenced to 60 years in prison after pleading guilty to killing two men from Louisiana while stopping them in traffic on I-10 to gun them down, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced.

“There is no place in our community for this kind of extreme gun violence,” Ogg said. “People can’t settle their disputes with a gun, and they certainly can’t start shooting on a freeway crowded with innocent commuters and kids.”

Jonathan Aleman, 32, admitted to killing 25-year-old Bradley Barker and 33-year-old Binel Gasery Jr. on August 8, 2019.

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A Houston man was sentenced Monday to 22 years in prison after pleading guilty earlier this year to murder in a fatal shooting in Spring, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced.

“This was a planned and premeditated attack on an unsuspecting visitor to Houston, and there have to be consequences,” Ogg said. “We were ready and willing to go to trial and seek justice in this case when the defendant opted to ask the judge to decide punishment, and that’s his choice.”

James Ray Lane, 24, pleaded guilty to murder on August 17 for gunning down Gregory L. Moore on June 28, 2021. Lane underwent a pre-sentence investigation during the past two months, and his punishment was decided by a judge after a day-long hearing Monday.

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A Baytown woman was sentenced to 25 years in prison by a judge after pleading guilty to murder for robbing and killing a 65-year-old man who used a wheelchair, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced.

“The elderly and disabled people in our community are extremely vulnerable to becoming victims of violence,” Ogg said. “This couple took advantage of this man’s kindness and deserves to spend decades in prison.”

Alicia Keator, 40, and her boyfriend, Marcus Donnell Gilbert, who was known as Skunk, have both pleaded guilty to murder in the death of John Henry Fernandez, 65, who was found on Jan. 2, 2018, with his hands and feet bound and mouth taped shut. He had also been suffocated.

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A Harris County grand jury on Thursday indicted Harris County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Garrett Hardin on a first-degree felony charge of murder, stemming from the July 2022 fatal shooting of Roderick Brooks.

It is the policy of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office to present all officer-involved shootings to a grand jury to determine whether probable cause exists to support criminal charges. Harris County grand juries are composed of 12 randomly selected county residents who hear all available evidence in a case, including witnesses.

If nine or more grand jurors agree that probable cause exists, they issue a “true bill,” or indictment. 

This process ensures that all such cases are subject to community review at the grand jury and, if necessary, trial level.

Now that an indictment has been handed down by the grand jury, the charges against Sgt. Hardin will proceed through the criminal court process like any other case.

If convicted, he faces a sentence ranging from 5 years to 99 years or life in prison.

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A Houston woman who pleaded guilty to murder in the shooting death of a friend has been sentenced to 35 years in prison, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced.

“Unfortunately, we’re seeing more disputes ending in gunfire than ever before,” Ogg said. “Arguments should never be settled with a gun, and people who use their firearms with bad intentions, like in this case, will be held accountable.”

Frankie Williams, 32, pleaded guilty to murder earlier this month for shooting 34-year-old James Earl Harp at her north Houston home on March 13, 2020.

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A Houston man who was involved in a months-long crime spree that left five people dead in 2019 was sentenced Friday to 60 years in prison after the families gave victim impact statements, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced.

“We echo the families’ sentiments that this man has no respect for human life and is a danger to the community,” Ogg said. “We sincerely hope that he serves every single day of the 60-year prison sentence.”

Louis Malik Santee, 25, pleaded guilty to three counts of murder in exchange for three 60-year prison sentences on the eve of his capital murder trial that was expected to begin this week. Those sentences will run concurrently.

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A 19-year-old Houston man has pleaded guilty to the 2022 murder of his former girlfriend, 16-year-old Diamond Alvarez, in exchange for a 45-year prison sentence, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced Tuesday.

“This is a heartbreaking domestic violence case of a young girl who was murdered by someone she dated,” Ogg said. “Our office has devoted significant resources, including investigators, prosecutors and public service campaigns to raise awareness about the incredible danger of intimate partner violence to try to end horrible cases like this.”

Frank DeLeon pleaded guilty Tuesday to murder for shooting Alvarez more than 20 times as she walked her dog near her home on January 11, 2022.

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A Katy man was sentenced to 50 years in prison for a 2021 murder at a motel in Houston’s Energy Corridor, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced.

“Unfortunately, we see cases like this far too often in which someone pulls a gun and starts shooting without any regard for the consequences,” Ogg said. “We were ready to go trial when this defendant accepted responsibility for what he did, and hopefully seeing justice served in this case will give this young man’s family some closure.”

Derek Maurice Singleton, 25, pleaded guilty to murder on the eve of trial on Friday in the shooting death of 22-year-old Eric Soniat in a car in the parking lot of a motel in the 14800 block of Park Row at about 6 p.m. on April 2, 2021.

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